Toyota Land Cruiser vs Hyundai Venue

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was offered in two trim levels, with the base model named the 1958, a nod to the year it first hit the U.S. market. This version had a retro aesthetic, featuring round headlights, cloth seats, and basic equipment, available in three paint colors. Despite its nostalgic charm, the 1958 model was priced at $58,195, making it a costly choice for those seeking a budget-friendly SUV. The more modern Land Cruiser trim, priced at $62,965, boasted a sophisticated look with a wider color palette, upscale interior, and essential off-roading features. The Premium Package added leather, advanced tech, and a Heritage Blue and Grayscape paint option, bringing the total to $71,004. The Land Cruiser's design emphasized utility with a traditional two-box SUV shape, dark gray cladding, and an optional roof rack, enhancing its off-road capabilities.

Inside, the Land Cruiser's utilitarian design was evident, with traditional switchgear and a more refined interior than the 1958 model. The Java-colored leather provided a pleasing contrast, and dual 12.3-inch digital screens added a touch of modernity. The steering-wheel controls were notably intuitive, especially compared to those in a Lexus RX. The Land Cruiser's interior was practical, with a focus on functionality, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a blend of classic design and modern amenities.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue, classified as a crossover SUV, had a design that leaned more towards a tall hatchback. It featured front-wheel drive and a ground clearance of 6.7 inches, which was higher than a typical car but not as elevated as most crossovers. The Venue's design was compact and narrow, with a European flair, characterized by an upright windshield, bluff nose, and standard roof rails. The high nose was complemented by lower headlights and high-set daytime running lights, while black rocker panels and wheel flares added to its SUV-like appearance. The Venue's rear pillars angled sharply forward, and a two-tone roof option added a touch of style.

Inside, the Venue's design was simple and functional, with a digital instrument cluster and a small touchscreen that resembled an iPad. The interior featured body-color trim around the air vents and shifter, bringing some of the exterior's charm inside. Despite its modest size, the Venue offered a practical and straightforward interior, making it a suitable choice for those seeking a budget-friendly, compact SUV with a touch of European design.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor. This setup delivered 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, with power distributed through a full-time four-wheel-drive system. The Land Cruiser boasted a towing capacity of 6,000 pounds and featured standard Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control. The more expensive trim added Multi-Terrain Select off-roading modes, Multi-Terrain Monitor camera views, and a front stabilizer bar disconnect feature. Despite an EPA rating of 23 mpg combined, real-world testing yielded only 15.7 mpg. The Land Cruiser excelled as a daily driver and off-road adventurer, though it struggled on twisty roads due to its suspension tuning. Its high seating position and excellent visibility made it easy to maneuver, while off-road capabilities were enhanced by features like the front stabilizer bar disconnect and Crawl Control.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue, powered by a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, produced 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. This power was channeled through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to the front wheels. The Venue's acceleration was modest, with a 0-60 mph time of 8.5–8.8 seconds, aided by its lightweight 2,738-pound frame. While peppy in city traffic, the Venue struggled at highway speeds, with the CVT slow to respond. The transmission's stepped gear ratios felt slurred, and heavy throttle caused engine droning. Handling was agile due to its small size and low weight, though the 6.7 inches of ground clearance led to some lean in corners. The Venue's ride was generally comfortable, but the solid rear axle made it jiggly on rough pavement.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser offered an upgrade from cloth upholstery to SofTex artificial leather, with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package added real leather and a power sunroof. While the front seats were comfortable, the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The Land Cruiser's running boards were helpful for roof access but could hinder entry and exit. The rear window design was less practical than the 4Runner's, and the center console's cool box seemed unnecessary. The Land Cruiser provided 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 82.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, though the high load floor required effort when loading heavy items.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue featured cloth and H-Tex seats with manual adjustments, offering decent comfort and support. The SEL models included seat heating, and headroom was ample, though legroom was limited for taller occupants. The rear seat accommodated average-sized adults, but taller individuals would struggle for legroom. The rear seats folded flat in a 60/40 split, providing 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space, with 18.7 cubic feet available with the seats up. The Venue's rear cargo floor lifted to access the compact spare tire, revealing cost-cutting measures like the lack of sound deadening. The interior was dominated by hard black plastic, with limited soft-touch surfaces.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured a 7-inch digital driver display and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, upgraded to dual 12.3-inch displays in the higher trim. The Toyota Audio Multimedia system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Five connected service plans were available, with Drive Connect offering cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, wireless smartphone charger, head-up display, digital rearview mirror, and digital key technology.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue came with an 8-inch touchscreen for basic infotainment features, offering phone, radio, media, and phone-projection connections. While lacking navigation, Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM satellite radio, it included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The digital instrument cluster displayed limited information and was not programmable. The Venue's audio system was a simple six-speaker unit, with no premium option available.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist provided semi-autonomous highway driving, though performance varied. Additional safety features included a road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Predictive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and Traffic Jam Assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing but a three-star rollover resistance rating.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue offered standard safety features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, driver-attention monitor, and rear-occupant warning. Blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert were included in all but the base SE trim. The Venue received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a top "Good" score in the small front overlap test from the IIHS. However, ratings for the updated moderate front overlap test and side test were unavailable, and its headlights received "Acceptable" or "Marginal" ratings depending on the trim.