Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vs Hyundai Venue

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid had a robust and angular design that set it apart from its predecessors. When it was redesigned in 2019, it adopted a more substantial and blocky appearance, with a trapezoidal grille borrowed from Toyota's truck line, giving it a heftier look. The interior continued this angular theme with a multi-tiered dashboard featuring beveled cutouts, adding visual interest to an otherwise plain surface. While the materials quality was average for its class, with plenty of hard plastics, most surfaces that drivers frequently touched were lightly padded. However, the base model and the new Woodland trim opted for a downmarket urethane steering wheel, which felt rubbery and cheap, unlike the leather-wrapped steering wheels available in other trims. Despite this, the build quality was strong, with no detectable creaks or squeaks when driving over rough pavement.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, on the other hand, was available in SE, SEL, and Limited trim levels, with prices ranging from $21,275 to $24,525. The Limited trim, with its Ecotronic Gray paint and carpeted floor mats, brought the MSRP to $24,735. The Venue's design was appealing, with a sense of genuine style that was often missing in affordable cars. Inside, the Venue featured plenty of hard plastic, but it didn't look cheap. Unexpected style elements included stripes and piping on the seats and white trim surrounding the dashboard air vents and transmission shifter. The digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display were highlights, offering typical Hyundai quality in terms of finishes, markings, and operation. Overall, the Venue was a thoughtfully designed, stylishly detailed, and high-quality small SUV.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid was powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor/generator, producing a combined 219 horsepower. This setup allowed the RAV4 to accelerate to 60 mph in a respectable 7.5 seconds. The hybrid powertrain was about half a second quicker than the standard RAV4, while the plug-in hybrid RAV4 Prime reached 60 mph in an impressive 5.5 seconds. The brakes operated smoothly, with regenerative braking engaging initially to charge the hybrid battery. The suspension provided a comfortable ride over moderate bumps and potholes, delivering confident cornering without being sporty. Overall, the RAV4 Hybrid's driving dynamics were calm and effortless, appealing to most drivers.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Weighing just 2,612 pounds in base SE trim, the Venue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) maximized the available power, making it suitable for city and suburban driving. The Venue's small size, nimble handling, and excellent outward visibility made it ideal for urban environments. However, the suspension struggled on rough and irregular pavement, resulting in a busy ride quality and structural shudders. On the highway, the Venue could match freeway traffic speeds with one person aboard, but the CVT and engine sounded unpleasant when pushed harder. The Venue lacked all-wheel-drive (AWD), but its 6.7 inches of ground clearance allowed it to handle accumulated snow with winter tires. The Venue earned an EPA gas mileage rating of 31 mpg in combined driving, averaging 30.3 mpg during testing.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid offered ample space for larger passengers in the front seats, while the rear seats comfortably accommodated average-sized adults. Although the rear headroom was slightly more than the Honda CR-V or Kia Sportage, legroom was a bit less, though the differences were negligible. The rear seat cushions were set low, which might have left taller passengers wishing for more thigh support on long trips. Behind the rear seats, the RAV4 Hybrid provided 37.5 cubic feet of cargo space, only slightly less than the non-hybrid RAV4. The rear seatbacks folded flat with the cargo floor, but shorter owners might have found it challenging to reach them. Interior storage was a strong point, with a wide shelf in the dashboard, a phone tray, large cupholders, and a spacious center armrest bin.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's increased ground clearance made it easier to get in and out of the front and back seats. Despite its small dimensions, the Venue offered decent comfort, with a driver's seat featuring a manual height adjuster and a steering wheel with tilt-and-telescopic adjustment. The front seats had appealing fabric inserts, artificial leather bolsters, and heated cushions. The back seat technically accommodated three people, but two would have been more comfortable. Taller passengers might have disliked the hard plastic front seatbacks, and storage space was limited, with no air conditioning vents. The Venue's cargo room was on par with a typical compact car, offering 18.7 cubic feet of space with the trunk packed to the roof and 31.9 cubic feet with the back seat folded down.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid received a new infotainment system for 2023, representing a significant improvement over previous versions. The touchscreen graphics were modern and sharp, with logically arranged menus. Most trim levels came with an 8.0-inch display, while higher trims upgraded to a 10.5-inch touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, but a wireless charging pad was optional. The infotainment system supported over-the-air software updates and included a Wi-Fi hotspot. The top RAV4 Hybrid trim featured a fully digital instrument panel, and the Limited trim came with an 11-speaker JBL audio system.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with modern graphics, logical menu structures, and simple operation. Standard features included Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Bluelink connected services, and a six-speaker sound system. The Venue Limited added a navigation system, SiriusXM satellite radio, a wireless smartphone charger, and Bluelink+. However, the upgraded infotainment system required wired versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making the wireless charger less useful. Despite this quirk, the Venue Limited's infotainment system was sophisticated, with an impressive native voice recognition system.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It came standard with Toyota's Safety Sense 2.5 suite, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, and a traffic sign reader. The XLE trim added a blind-spot monitor, while the Limited trim included front and rear parking sensors. A surround-view camera system and digital rearview mirror were optional.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with Hyundai SmartSense, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder. The Venue SEL added blind-spot monitoring, and the Limited trim included cyclist detection. However, adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist were not available. The Venue received Good ratings in three IIHS crash tests and an Acceptable rating for its LED headlights. The NHTSA awarded it an overall rating of four stars.