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The Hyundai Venue is one of the few cars with around a $20,000 MSRP. All Venues come with a CVT, front-wheel drive, and a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that produces 121 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque. Because the Venue doesn’t have a Porsche-like buffet of options, choosing between trim levels is actually pretty straightforward. To top it all off, the price gap between the base SE and Limited trim is only $3,250. Let’s explore which trim level offers the best value on the 2023 Hyundai Venue.  

The Venue only has three trims

A light green 2023 Hyundai Venue parked in front of a large body of water with buildings in the background.
2023 Hyundai Venue | Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai offers the Venue in SE, SEL, and Limited trims. The SE starts at $19,500, the SEL at $21,250, and the Limited at $22,750. Besides the aforementioned powertrain, each trim comes with an 8-inch touchscreen equipped with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, according to Hyundai’s configurator.

Smartphone connectivity is an essential feature of the modern automobile. The fact that some base-level trims still don’t have this tech, like the base Ford Escape, is astounding. Thankfully, Hyundai understands the average consumer’s needs and offers all their cars with Apple Carplay and Android Auto as standard. Other standard features include folding rear seats, dual USB ports, and a tilting/telescoping wheel.

The Venue also offers a host of standard safety features, including lane-keeping assist, driver attention warning, and forward collision-avoidance assistance with pedestrian detection. Not bad for a base model with a $19,500 MSRP. 

Though the SE is very well equipped, Edmunds recommended the SEL trim due to its blend of value and equipment. The additional $1,750 gets you some excellent features over the SE. Though only an aesthetic change, the SEL sports 17-inch alloy wheels—a nice upgrade over the SE’s 15-inch wheels.

Other upgrades consumers will appreciate are a six-speaker stereo, a power moonroof, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Though the manual climate control in the SE is perfectly functional, the SEL brings automatic climate control to the spec sheet. To be fair, sometimes it is nice just to set the temperature and be done with it.

If safety is a priority, the Venue’s mid-level trim also adds a drive mode selector with a snow mode designed to improve traction in slippery conditions. Because the Venue is FWD only, having a snow mode could be desirable for buyers in colder regions.

On the tech side, the SEL adds a blind spot detection system and rear cross-traffic alert. Given the limited visibility in modern cars, such features offer greater peace of mind, especially for parents of driving-age children. 

The Limited is Car and Drivers’ top pick for the Venue

If you live in a colder climate, an even better feature than the snow mode gets added when you opt for the Limited trim: heated seats. Yes, the top trim gets heated seats and upgrades from cloth to a more premium cloth/leatherette material.

The Limited also comes with navigation—a great feature if you find yourself without service—and satellite radio if Spotify isn’t your thing. Notable safety upgrades include LED headlights, tail lights, and heated side mirrors.

Though the tech isn’t the reason to buy a Venue, the Limited trim adds wireless charging, wireless Apple Carplay, Android Auto, and two more USB ports for rear passengers. Car and Driver argue that the Limited trim offers unique interior materials and has features not included on the SEL for only $1,500 more. 

You can’t lose, but the Limited is the winner

Though the SEL is an exceptional value, the Limited adds some excellent safety and comfort features that make the Venue a genuinely nice place to spend your commute. For potential buyers dealing with winter weather, the value of heated seats cannot be overstated.

Unlike the Honda Accord, which has a $10,000 gap between the base and top trim, the Venue SE is only $3,250 less than the Limited. Given the added features, it’s hard to disagree with Car and Driver’s evaluation. The Limited is well-equipped and still cheaper than almost any car on the road. Sometimes it’s better to buy the highest trim of a cheap car than the base trim of a more expensive car. If you’re going to stretch your budget, it may as well include the most desirable features.

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MotorBiscuit Contributing Writer

Ted Smith

Ted Smith has been writing about cars since 2019 and joined MotorBiscuit as a contributor in 2022. He’s fascinated with reliability concepts after his long-term ownership of a 1998 Infiniti I30 that turned 200,000 miles. Ted follows automotive market trends, the industry climate, and the ins and outs of most brands down to each model, trim, and engine/transmission options.

Like many gearheads, Ted is a D-I-Y-er and often helps folks in his community keep their cars going. This gives him the unique opportunity to see what each brand is like from a mechanic’s perspective, as well as help inform his awareness of the common problems with certain components. Ted has contributed to Vehicle History and is a member of a few Miata social clubs. In the Fall of 2020, Ted and some buddies started AVE Automotive, including an enthusiast podcast and YouTube channel.