2021 Nissan Murano vs 2020 Hyundai Venue

The 2020 Hyundai Venue filled a gap in Hyundai's lineup by entering the subcompact SUV segment, despite the earlier introduction of the Kona in 2018. While both vehicles operated in the same segment, the Kona was positioned as a more premium option with additional power and all-wheel drive capabilities. The Venue, on the other hand, was designed as a more affordable people-mover with an upright design. It featured distinctive touches like a white contrasting roof on the Denim trim and a large chrome grille reminiscent of the larger Hyundai Palisade SUV. Inside, the Venue offered a modern and clean cabin with ample space for both front and rear passengers, providing excellent visibility due to its upright layout and large side windows.

The 2021 Nissan Murano, once a cutting-edge design, had become more mainstream with its L-shaped LED headlights and contoured front end. Its interior maintained a conservative design, focusing on comfort for commutes and road trips. The Murano's cabin was praised for its intuitive layout, with controls placed conveniently for ease of use. The vehicle was available in four trims: S, SV, SL, and Platinum, each offering a range of features from basic amenities to luxurious touches like a dual-panel panoramic moonroof and premium leather upholstery. The Murano was designed to provide a comfortable and refined driving experience, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a commuter-friendly SUV.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a single engine option: a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a manual transmission on the base trim, while most trims featured a continuously variable automatic transmission (IVT). The Venue was a front-wheel-drive vehicle with no all-wheel-drive option, limiting its off-road capabilities. Despite its SUV aspirations, the Venue's performance was more akin to a compact hatchback, with underwhelming acceleration and a noisy engine. It offered drive modes like Normal, Snow, and Sport, but even in Sport mode, the Venue struggled to reach highway speeds quickly. The Venue's fuel economy was commendable, with the CVT achieving 30 mpg city, 34 highway, and 32 combined.

In contrast, the 2021 Nissan Murano featured a robust 3.5-liter V6 engine delivering 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and offered both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options. The Murano's V6 engine provided strong low-speed acceleration, making it well-suited for city driving. However, the CVT dulled some of its power at higher speeds, requiring a moment's patience when overtaking on the highway. The Murano excelled in providing a comfortable ride, absorbing road imperfections while maintaining refined driving characteristics. It had a towing capacity of 1,500 pounds, which was on the lower end for midsize SUVs.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue, while not particularly fast or sporty, offered a practical interior layout. It provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, which was less than the Hyundai Kona's 45.8 cubic feet. With the rear seats up, both vehicles offered around 19 cubic feet of cargo space. The Venue excelled in providing ample head- and legroom for front passengers, even accommodating taller individuals comfortably. The control layout was intuitive, with traditional buttons and dials for essential functions, enhancing usability. However, the automatic climate control on higher trims had a peculiar design that could confuse users.

The 2021 Nissan Murano offered up to 67 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 32.1 cubic feet with the seats in use. While not the most spacious in its class, the Murano compensated with a user-friendly design, featuring a traditional shifter and a center console with ample storage options. The Murano prioritized passenger comfort, providing generous headroom and legroom in both the front and second rows. The second-row seats even offered partial reclining functionality, enhancing passenger comfort during long journeys.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue came equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system across all trims. It featured Bluetooth, USB ports, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Hyundai's logical touchscreen layout minimized distracted driving, with large icons and fonts for easy readability. The screen placement was well thought out, allowing users to brace their hands while using the touchscreen, enhancing usability at speed.

The 2021 Nissan Murano also featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a sensible menu layout. It included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with hard buttons and dials flanking the screen for easy navigation. Available tech features included an 11-speaker Bose premium stereo system and navigation, enhancing the overall infotainment experience.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue offered standard safety features such as a reversing camera, traction control, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and a full array of airbags. It also included advanced driver-assistance technologies like forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, and a driver-attention warning. The SEL trim with the Convenience Package added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, which were standard on the Denim trim.

The 2021 Nissan Murano came with a comprehensive suite of standard driver assistance features as part of Nissan Safety Shield 360. This included reverse automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. Additional features like forward automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and driver drowsiness monitoring were also standard. Optional features included a surround-view parking monitor, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and front-and-rear parking sensors.