Compact SUVs must do a few things to make up for the size. That includes offering versatile space in the cabin without being too big to park in urban areas. It isn’t so much the size that becomes an issue with bigger sport utility vehicles, but the price tag. The 2023 Hyundai Venue checks all the boxes for a small SUV with many features and a reasonable cost.

What small SUV has the best ratings?

The 2023 Hyundai Venue doesn’t have the best ratings in the entire small SUV segment, but it offers a lot of value for starting under $20,000. U.S. News ranked it in the middle of the subcompact SUV segment, but the Venue surprises with some of its strong offerings. It has a spacious and thoughtfully designed interior that makes the Venue easy to work with.

Additionally, this small SUV from Hyundai comes in three affordable trim levels. The base SE starts at $19,650, while the fully-loaded Venue Limited is only $22,900.

If budget is the biggest factor under consideration, the SE trim will do just fine. It has an eight-inch touchscreen, a four-speaker stereo system, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Hyundai’s compact SUV also has Bluetooth and USB ports to keep everyone charged and ready.

Each model gets a 121 horsepower engine paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is not an available option on the Venue, so those in very snowy areas might want to look elsewhere. This compact SUV does get 29 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, though. That will keep you from hitting the gas station too frequently.

Is this small SUV a safe option?

The Hyundai Venue has a fair amount of safety systems on every trim level. Some of those systems include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. A rearview camera and rear-seat occupant alert are also included.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the small Hyundai SUV its Top Safety Pick award for 2023. It earned high marks on all six main crashworthiness tests and protected the driver and passengers during testing. Hyundai offers two types of headlights, with the SEL trim equipped with the Premium package getting the better option. These LED projector headlights provided adequate visibility. The Halogen projector headlights on the SE and SEL trims earned a lower score and provided less-than-adequate visibility.

The NHTSA gave the Venue a four-star overall safety rating. It earned good scores in the frontal and rollover tests while earning its highest scores in the side crash ratings.

Is Hyundai’s small SUV reliable?

For a small SUV, the 2023 Hyundai Venue has a pretty high predicted reliability score. J.D. Power gave the Venue a predicted score of 82 out of 100. That lands it in the area of “great” on the scoring scale. Hyundai’s warranty also covers the Venue with a five-year or 60,000-mile limited warranty. It also gets a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Even if it is the cheapest SUV of 2023, it delivers on all of Hyundai’s promises. The 2023 Hyundai Venue packs a lot of value into its small SUV, which is appreciated. While some similarly sized vehicles are pushing $35k, the Venue remains a good option that comes in under $25,000 with every available option and feature.