{"id":24758,"date":"2020-02-06T16:58:22","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T20:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=24758"},"modified":"2020-02-06T17:08:19","modified_gmt":"2020-02-06T21:08:19","slug":"payne-adorable-hyundai-venue-mini-suv-is-a-bargain-at-under-20000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/02\/payne-adorable-hyundai-venue-mini-suv-is-a-bargain-at-under-20000","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Adorable Hyundai Venue mini-SUV is a bargain at under $20,000"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/02\/03\/PDTN\/c4b85129-fd94-4412-bc33-b9ede0c5a745-venue_headlights.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Where are the headlights? In the middle. Framed by an LED tube, the headlights for the 2020 Hyundai Venue SUV sit under a running light &quot;eyebrow&quot; like the Chevy Blazer.\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><p>Where are the headlights? In the middle. Framed by an LED tube, the headlights for the 2020 Hyundai Venue SUV sit under a running light &#8220;eyebrow&#8221; like the Chevy Blazer.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">The Hyundai Venue is a tasty little snack box. Loaded with standard features, a remote smartphone app and perky styling, it\u2019s as Mini Cooper-cute as it is utilitarian.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">And it\u2019s also an increasingly rare dish: a new vehicle available for less than $20,000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Finding an affordable vehicle these days is almost as hard as ordering a $3 hamburger in an airport. The average \u2014\u00a0<em>average!\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 new car transaction price in the U.S. market in December was $38,948. Blame our mad rush for expensive trucks and SUVs as well as a laundry list of nanny-state regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Small cars have struggled under the burden while sales \u2014 and profit margins \u2014 shrink. As readers of this column know, I am a hatchback fan, and I\u2019ve shed a tear as wee appetizers have been crossed off the menu. For example, my favorite Ford Fiesta hatch has packed its bags for Europe, taking its mild fuel appetite and ST sportiness with it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But I am also a part of the problem.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">As entry-level car prices have risen, I\u2019ve purchased used cars instead of new. In the last 15 years, I\u2019ve bought four small cars \u2014 Dodge Neon, Ford Focus\u00a0and two Honda Civics. All used. Why pay $25,000\u00a0for a new car when I can walk across the lot to the pre-owned salesman and buy a perfectly good used hatchback with 25,000 miles and extended warranty for just $15,000?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">There are whispers among some manufacturers that this is the new business model: forget entry-segment vehicles and concentrate on $23,000-plus subcompact SUVs. What of the buyers who want a car for less? Let \u2019em buy used.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SdZnvUabxiM\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/02\/03\/PDTN\/a74b7d78-018c-4317-9cc9-98ae4269a95a-venue_cockpit.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Hyundai Venue SUV features a nicely designed interior with big knobs and lotsa standard tech.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/02\/03\/PDTN\/a74b7d78-018c-4317-9cc9-98ae4269a95a-venue_cockpit.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/02\/03\/PDTN\/a74b7d78-018c-4317-9cc9-98ae4269a95a-venue_cockpit.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Hyundai Venue SUV features a nicely designed interior with big knobs and lotsa standard tech.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/aside>\n<\/div><div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Don\u2019t think automakers are happy about this trend. Ford and Fiat Chrysler are losing sleep over losing first-time buyers to Asian competitors. Happily, there\u2019s the Ambien of fat profits from\u00a0pickups to help them rest easier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Foreign-makers don\u2019t have the luxury of selling mega-trucks. They put bread on the table by moving new vehicles. As prices of new vehicles rise, entry-level buyers are fewer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Hyundai thinks it has an answer. The Venue is a segment-buster.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Starting at just $18,470, it is the cheapest SUV on the market \u2014\u00a0and one of only three utes under $20,000 (along with the Nissan Kicks and the funk-tastic Kia Soul). That\u2019s about $3,500 less than a subcompact Ford Ecosport or Mazda CX-3. Call the Venue a sub-subcompact. Call it a mini SUV. Just don\u2019t call it a hatchback.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-position-68\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike partner-placement-visible\" data-ad-placement=\"native-article_link\" data-ad-sizes=\"[&quot;fluid&quot;,[3,3], [2,6]]\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,3,3,2,6\">Hatches are less popular than Michael Bloomberg\u2019s soda-pop sermons. Hyundai made a fetching\u00a0$15,700 hatchback version of its Accent subcompact sedan until 2017 that cost\u00a0$2,300 less than the Venue. No one cared.<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But Hyundai has cooked the Venue in its secret sauce. Not only does it conform to millennials\u2019 SUV tastes,\u00a0it\u2019s peppered with the modern electronics they crave and that have only been available on more expensive Hyundais like the Elantra and Tucson: standard features like phone app, automatic emergency-braking, automatic high-beams, Apple CarPlay connectivity, 8-inch tablet infotainment display &#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">You had me at phone app.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">One of my favorite luxury conveniences \u2014 courtesy of brands like BMW and Tesla (and always cutting-edge Ford) \u2014\u00a0is monitoring my car by app. Remotely. I run my life by phone, so why not my car, too?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Download Hyundai Blue Link from the Google Play store. Enter VIN number. Simple.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">On a Venue media test on a toasty Miami day in January, I remote-cooled the interior to 65 degrees while at lunch.\u00a0Try to do that in your old used car.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">My wife would like preheated seats as well, but that would require adding the $1,750 premium package that include\u00a0navigation and a sunroof \u2014 pushing an automatic, front-wheel drive Venuewell north of $20,000 and\u00a0into the path of better-equipped, more powerful, all-wheel drive subcompact utes like the stylish\u00a0$23,000\u00a0Mazda CX-3 (for some reason, a Chevy Trax doesn\u2019t get these goodies until it hits $28,000).<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SdZnvUbEcHQ\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<div class=\"clearfix\">Venue\u2019s biggest value-play is under $20,000 thanks to its suite of standard electronic goo-gaws. Like standard Apple CarPlay. It\u2019s all Venue needs to get where you wanna go. Utes specialize in what millennials like to call their \u201cside hustle\u201d \u2014 a second job or avocation. Pop the hatch, flatten the rear seats, and Venue will carry your gear anywhere.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With its upright proportions, Venue beats a similarly priced Toyota Yaris hatchback in nearly every metric. The Venue has three more cubic feet of cargo room and another inch of head- and rear legroom. That means more space for your music case, bandmates, golf clubs, bicycle\u00a0or whatever your hustle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">All this and looks, too. My mini ute was so cute I was comparing it to the Mini Cooper Clubman ($30,000) and Audi Q3 ($40,000).<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The jack o\u2019 lantern grille is sandwiched by mid-fascia headlight cubes that are\u00a0topped by \u201ceyebrow\u201d parking lights. The cube lights are echoed in the taillights. Choose the Denim trim and its Mini Cooper-like white roof, and \u2014 aw, what the heck \u2014 you may be willing to cough up $23,000\u00a0it\u2019s so adorable. The interior is a pleasing dish of chunky climate dials, storage cubbies\u00a0and 8-inch tablet screen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Pleasing, too, is Venue\u2019s willingness to play. Despite its boxy shape, this SUV is no high-riding porker. Weighing just 2,612 pounds, the Venue feels more hatchback than SUV with a 6.6-inch ground clearance,\u00a0just an inch higher than the Yaris. Miami is hardly a twisty alpine playground, but the Hyundai eagerly attacked the odd 360-degree cloverleaf.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SdZnvUcCbDE\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/02\/03\/PDTN\/e13378db-6717-443b-aefd-f3720438c41e-venue_cargo.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Millennials want tech and SUV utility. The 2020 Hyundai Venue SUV delivers on both accounts.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/02\/03\/PDTN\/e13378db-6717-443b-aefd-f3720438c41e-venue_cargo.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/02\/03\/PDTN\/e13378db-6717-443b-aefd-f3720438c41e-venue_cargo.JPG\" \/>Millennials want tech and SUV utility. The 2020 Hyundai Venue SUV delivers on both accounts.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/aside>\n<\/div><div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The driveline, however, will only create goosebumps on EPA bureaucrats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">To meet stringent emissions regs, the meek 121-horse, 1.6-liter 4-banger (at least it bests Yaris\u2019\u00a0103 ponies) has been designed with expensive\u00a0dual-injectors for better fuel burn. It\u2019s then matched to a\u00a0continuously variable transmission that returned 37 mpg on my 100-mile hustle. I think I out-dragged a box turtle at a stoplight once.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">For the budget-conscious buyer not shy of stick shifts, I\u2019d suggest ditching the CVT for the more-fun\u00a0$18,470 manual-transmission model. Or you could just buy a used low-mileage\u00a02018 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback with more power, room and same electronic features for $17,000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Now I\u2019m causing trouble again.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"presto-h3\"><strong>2020 Hyundai Venue<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel drive,\u00a05-passenger compact SUV<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Price: $17,350 including $1,120 destination charge ($23,280 SEL as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Powerplant: 1.6-liter inline-4\u00a0cylinder<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Power: 121 horsepower, 113 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Transmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic continuously variable-transmission (CVT)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 9.9 seconds (Car and Driver est.); top speed, 115 mph<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Weight: 2,612 (with CVT)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Fuel economy: EPA\u00a032 city\/37 highway\/34 combined (automatic as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Report card<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Highs: Cute ute; standard features galore<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Lows: Zero-60 mph in a while; fat $1,210 destination charge hurts value play<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Overall: 3\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Where are the headlights? In the middle. Framed by an LED tube, the headlights for the 2020 Hyundai Venue SUV sit under a running light &#8220;eyebrow&#8221; like the Chevy Blazer.\u00a0(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News) The Hyundai Venue is a tasty little snack box. Loaded with standard features, a remote smartphone app and perky styling, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24758"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24758"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24766,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24758\/revisions\/24766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}