2022 Ford Expedition vs 2021 Hyundai Venue

The 2021 Hyundai Venue was a stylish little crossover that seemed to defy the passage of time with its design. Its upright stance, almost horizontal roofline, and steeply dropping tailgate gave it a robust appearance that belied its compact size. The grille was appropriately sized, drawing attention without overwhelming the car's design. The Venue's exterior updates from the 2020 model were minimal, with the most notable change being the replacement of 15-inch steel wheels with alloys on the base SE trim. The top-line Denim trim, with its white roof and unique paint job, was particularly eye-catching, while the SEL trim offered great value with standard features like 17-inch alloy wheels and advanced driver-assistance systems.

Inside, the Venue's cabin was a mix of inexpensive materials, with plastic dominating the interior. Despite this, the car managed to avoid feeling spartan, thanks to its modern design and features like heated seats in the SEL trim. The Venue's shape allowed for plenty of natural light, enhancing the sense of space. However, the sunroof's mechanical tracks were visible and covered in white grease, detracting from the overall aesthetic. The Venue's interior was practical, with thin A-pillars and large windows contributing to a greenhouse-like feel.

The 2022 Ford Expedition underwent significant changes, including exterior styling revisions and updated infotainment technology. The front of the vehicle featured a new grille, headlights, and bumper, while the rear received revised taillights, tailgate trim, and a new bumper. Redesigned wheels were introduced across the model lineup. The Expedition was available in various trims, including the new Timberline trim, which catered to off-road enthusiasts with features like standard four-wheel drive, all-terrain tires, and suspension modifications.

Inside, the Expedition boasted a redesigned dashboard housing the new Sync 4 and Sync 4A infotainment systems. The Limited Stealth Edition test vehicle featured a 12.4-inch digital instrumentation display and a 15.5-inch touchscreen. The Expedition's cabin was spacious and comfortable, with power-adjustable, leather-wrapped, heated, and ventilated front seats. The second-row captain's chairs provided ample legroom, while the third-row seat offered power recline and storage trays. Cargo space was generous, with 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 104.6 cubic feet with both rear rows folded.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue was powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. This small, economical engine was designed to provide just enough power for the Venue's lightweight frame, which weighed in at 2,612 pounds. The Venue's performance was comparable to competitors like the Nissan Kicks, Ford EcoSport, and Toyota C-HR, although it lacked options for more powerful engines or all-wheel drive. The Venue's front-wheel-drive setup and continuously variable automatic transmission offered adequate performance, with the car feeling lively in lower-speed areas.

The 2022 Ford Expedition, on the other hand, was equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, delivering 380 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The engine drove the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission, with four-wheel drive available as an option. The Expedition's powertrain allowed for impressive towing capabilities, ranging from 9,000 to 9,300 pounds. Despite its size, the Expedition was surprisingly easy to park, thanks to excellent outward visibility and features like front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree surround-view camera system. The Expedition excelled on the highway, providing a comfortable and quiet ride, although its fuel economy was less impressive, with an observed 16.2 mpg.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue offered a surprisingly spacious front cabin, with ample headroom and legroom. Storage space was decent, with a handy tray ahead of the gear selector and a small center console bin. However, the back seat was tighter, with limited legroom for adults. Cargo space was also limited, with 18.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 31.9 cubic feet with them folded. The Venue's cargo capacity lagged behind competitors like the Nissan Kicks, Toyota C-HR, and Ford EcoSport.

In contrast, the 2022 Ford Expedition provided a spacious and comfortable interior, with power-adjustable, leather-wrapped, heated, and ventilated front seats. The second-row captain's chairs offered plenty of legroom, while the third-row seat provided outstanding leg support. Cargo space was generous, with 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 104.6 cubic feet with both rear rows folded. The Expedition Max variant offered even more cargo space, with 34.3 cubic feet behind the third row and 121.5 cubic feet with all seats folded.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with physical buttons for easy access to media sources and settings. The system included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto as standard features. The Venue's infotainment system was user-friendly, with high-resolution graphics and responsive swipe functionality. The ability to set up driver profiles with customized radio presets was a notable feature.

The 2022 Ford Expedition came equipped with Ford's next-generation Sync 4 and Sync 4A infotainment systems. The standard Sync 4 system included a 12-inch touchscreen, while the optional Sync 4A featured a larger 15.5-inch touchscreen. Both systems offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, FordPass Connect, and a connected navigation system. The Sync 4A system included an upgraded voice-recognition system and an adaptive dashcard user interface. The Expedition also offered a dual-touchscreen rear-seat entertainment system with Amazon Fire TV, although this was not present in the test vehicle.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue came with standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and driver-attention warning. The SEL and Denim trims added blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Venue received four out of five stars in the NHTSA's driver-side and passenger-side front collision tests, as well as for rollover.

The 2022 Ford Expedition featured Ford Co-Pilot360 safety systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. Higher trims added features like adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, and a surround-view camera system. The Expedition also offered Ford's BlueCruise hands-free driving technology, which allowed for autonomous steering on approved highways.