2025 Cadillac Escalade vs 2024 Hyundai Venue

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was available in Canada in three trim levels: Essential, Preferred, and Ultimate, with prices ranging from $23,581 to $28,081, including a destination charge. The Venue Preferred, priced at $25,581, was recommended for its enhanced exterior appearance and additional safety features. The test vehicle, equivalent to the U.S. Ultimate trim, featured Ecotronic Grey paint, bringing the MSRP to $28,331. Despite limited options, the Venue's design was appealing, offering a mature and subdued appearance. Inside, the Venue's interior, though featuring hard plastics, was stylishly detailed with unexpected elements like seat stripes and white trim. The digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display were highlights, showcasing Hyundai's quality in finishes and operation.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, a symbol of Cadillac luxury, distinguished itself from its Chevrolet and GMC counterparts with a new front end design, aligning it with Cadillac's EVs. The Escalade featured large vertical headlights and 24-inch wheels, enhancing its imposing presence. Available in standard and long-wheelbase ESV configurations, the Escalade offered various trims, including the performance-oriented Escalade-V. Inside, Cadillac focused on differentiating the Escalade from other GM SUVs with a screen-centric interior, featuring a 55-inch display across the dashboard. The Escalade offered a range of luxurious interior motifs and high-quality finishes, with the Premium Luxury Platinum trim showcasing Whisper Beige upholstery and wood trim.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Weighing between 1,200 and 1,250 kilograms, the Venue's CVT maximized available power, making it suitable for city and suburban driving. However, its suspension struggled on rough surfaces, and the lack of AWD limited its crossover SUV claim. The Venue's fuel economy was rated at 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres, but our test averaged 7.8 L/100 km.

For the 2025 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac dropped the Duramax turbodiesel option, leaving the 6.2-litre V8 engine with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. The Escalade-V featured a supercharged V8 with 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque. All models had a 10-speed automatic transmission, ensuring smooth power delivery. The Escalade offered 4WD, with the Escalade-V having a performance-oriented AWD system. Despite its size, the Escalade's ride quality was impressive, though it lacked the handling polish of some competitors. The V8 provided strong acceleration, but the brakes were less confidence-inspiring without the optional Brembo upgrade.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's increased ground clearance facilitated easier entry and exit. Despite its small size, the Venue offered decent comfort, with manual height adjustment for the driver's seat and tilt-and-telescopic steering. The back seat was cramped for three, with limited storage and no air vents. Cargo space was 528 litres, expanding to 902 litres with the rear seats folded.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, available in standard and long-wheelbase ESV versions, offered ample interior space. The ESV's extended length improved cargo space and third-row legroom. The Escalade provided best-in-segment cargo capacity, with power liftgate and folding seats for easy reconfiguration. Towing capacity was competitive, though lacking some of Lincoln's towing features.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with modern graphics and logical menus. Standard features included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a six-speaker sound system, though better speakers were desired.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade boasted a 55-inch display incorporating digital instruments and infotainment. A 19-speaker AKG audio system was standard, with a 36-speaker upgrade available. The Escalade retained standalone wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with user-friendly controls. The optional Executive Second Row Package added luxury features for rear passengers.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with standard forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and a driver monitoring system. The Venue Preferred added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Venue received Good ratings in IIHS crash tests and a four-star NHTSA rating.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade included adaptive cruise control, blind-zone steering assist, automatic emergency braking, and more. GM's Safety Alert Seat provided warnings, and Super Cruise offered hands-free driving on mapped roads. Current crash test ratings were unavailable.