America’s Best-Selling SUV vs. the Most Affordable SUV
The Toyota RAV4 is America’s best-selling SUV model. The Japanese small SUV has become a staple in its segment. Toyota produces some of the best SUVs in the industry. What about the most affordable SUVs? South Korean automaker Hyundai currently produces the cheapest SUV on the market. How do the two SUVs compare?
The Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling SUV for a reason
The Toyota RAV4 is the most popular SUV in the world because it is affordable and practical. The RAV4 isn’t the most exciting small SUV, but it gets the job done for a price that’s hard to beat.
The 2023 Toyota RAV4 starts at $27,975. It uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine to make 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The small SUV gets 27 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway.
Car and Driver praises the RAV4’s driver assistance features and affordability. Edmunds compliments its smooth ride quality and roomy cargo area. The RAV4 is the quintessential family SUV. Best of all, it comes in many different trim levels, so there’s a RAV4 for just about every type of driver. There’s even a hybrid version of the RAV4 that takes its fuel economy up a notch.
The RAV4 is in need of a redesign, but it still manages to dominate its vehicle segment despite competing with exciting models like the 2023 Hyundai Tucson and 2023 Mazda CX-50. The question is, how long can the Toyota RAV4 remain at the top?
The 2023 Hyundai Venue is incredibly affordable
The Hyundai Venue is the most affordable subcompact SUV on the market. It starts at $19,500. The Hyundai Venue uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine to make 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque. It achieves 29 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway.
The 2023 Hyundai Venue comes in three different trim levels: the SE, SEL, and Limited. The Limited starts at just $22,750 and comes with great standard tech and creature comforts.
The Hyundai Venue Limited includes heated front seats, wireless device charging, and a 12-volt outlet. It also comes with heated outside mirrors, proximity key entry with push-button start, and cloth/leatherette combination seating surfaces.
Kelley Blue Book claims that the Venue has a low cost of ownership and great gas mileage. The 2023 Hyundai Venue certainly offers plenty of value for an affordable price, but is it worth getting?
America’s Best-Selling SUV vs. the Most Affordable SUV
The 2023 Toyota RAV4 is a small SUV that’s ideal for small families of four or five. The Venue, on the other hand, is a subcompact SUV sedan-alternative that’s tiny compared to the RAV4.
The Toyota RAV4 is 181 inches long, 73 inches wide, and 67 inches tall. The Hyundai Venue is 159 inches long, 70 inches wide, and 62 inches tall.
The Venue subcompact SUV has superior fuel economy because of its size, but it is severely unpowered compared to rivals, let alone a small SUV. Ultimately, the 2023 Hyundai Venue Limited is a decent affordable subcompact SUV for drivers, but it can’t hold a candle to the America’s best-selling SUV.
