Hyundai Venue vs Buick Encore GX

The 2024 Buick Encore GX emerged as one of the most visually appealing models from Buick in recent years. Drawing inspiration from the 2022 Wildcat concept, this refreshed model showcased a striking new front design. The sleek daytime running lights were positioned above the grille, with angular LED headlamps placed slightly lower on either side. A new Buick logo adorned the front, and the top-tier Avenir trim featured a unique grille and chrome accents. While the rear design remained largely unchanged from 2023, the top two trims boasted new LED tail lights. The overall aesthetic was enhanced by the availability of 19-inch wheels, making it a handsome package. The colour palette was diverse, offering options like brilliant red, deep blue, maroon, and the almost-orange Copper Ice Metallic. Some colours even allowed for a black roof, mirrors, and roof rails on the Sport Touring trim. Inside, the most significant change was the relocation of HVAC vents to accommodate a new 19-inch glass panel housing the digital gauge cluster and touchscreen. Despite some minor issues when the car was running, this large glass panel lent the Buick a premium, tech-savvy appearance. However, the interior did feature some cheap-feeling plastics, and the colour options were limited to black or cream.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, available in Essential, Preferred, and Ultimate trims in Canada, offered a price range from $23,581 to $28,081, including the destination charge. The Venue Preferred trim, priced at $25,581, was recommended for its improved exterior appearance and added convenience and safety features. The test vehicle, equivalent to the U.S. Ultimate trim, sported Ecotronic Grey paint, bringing the MSRP to $28,331. While grey wasn't the most expressive colour, it lent the Venue a mature and subdued look. The Venue's design was appealing, with a genuine sense of style uncommon in affordable cars. Inside, the Venue's interior featured ample hard plastic, but it didn't appear excessively cheap. Unexpected style elements included stripes and piping on the seats and white trim around the dashboard air vents and transmission shifter. The digital instrumentation was a pleasant surprise, and the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display was appropriately sized. The controls exhibited typical Hyundai quality in terms of finishes, markings, and operation. Overall, the 2024 Venue was thoughtfully designed, stylishly detailed, and exuded high quality for a small SUV.

The 2024 Buick Encore GX retained its previous engine options, offering a 1.3-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine in Canada, delivering 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque. This engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, providing a responsive driving experience, with acceleration to 100 km/h in about nine seconds. While not exceptionally quick, the Encore GX held its own among competitors. However, there was a noticeable roughness during take-off, and highway passing required patience due to a delay in downshifting. The selectable AWD system allowed for power distribution to all four wheels when needed, although some rivals offered automatic systems. The Encore GX excelled as a city car, with a smooth-riding suspension that absorbed rough pavement.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque. Despite its modest power, the Venue's lightweight design, weighing between 1,200 to 1,250 kilograms, allowed it to perform adequately. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) maximized available power, making it suitable for city and suburban driving. The Venue's small size, nimble handling, and excellent visibility made it ideal for urban environments. However, the suspension struggled on rough surfaces, resulting in a busy ride quality. On the highway, the Venue maintained pace with traffic but emitted unpleasant sounds when pushed harder. The Venue lacked AWD, relying on front-wheel drive, but offered 17 centimetres of ground clearance for better snow clearance. Fuel economy was rated at 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, with an average of 7.8 L/100 km during testing.

The 2024 Buick Encore GX, as a subcompact SUV, offered limited utility but aligned with its competitors. It had a towing capacity of 453 kilograms (1,000 pounds) and featured an available hands-free liftgate for rear cargo access. Behind the rear seats, it provided 665 litres of cargo space, expanding to 1,422 litres with the seats folded down. The front seat could also be folded to accommodate items up to eight feet long. Inside, heated driver and front passenger seats, along with a heated steering wheel, were standard in Canada. An eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat was included, and a seven-speaker Bose audio system was available on select trims. A moonroof was an optional extra on all trims.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's increased ground clearance made it easier to enter and exit the vehicle. Despite its small dimensions, comfort was decent, with a manual height-adjustable driver's seat and tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel adjustment. The front seats featured appealing fabric inserts, artificial leather bolsters, and heated cushions. The back seat technically accommodated three passengers, but two would be more comfortable. Taller passengers might find the hard plastic front seatbacks uncomfortable, and rear storage space was limited. In the front, there was decent storage space, including a useful dashboard shelf. Cargo room was on par with a typical compact car, offering 528 litres, expandable to 902 litres with the back seat folded down.

The 2024 Buick Encore GX featured an 11-inch touchscreen paired with an 8-inch digital gauge cluster, all housed under a single glass pane. While visually appealing, the screens left much unused space, creating an impression of malfunction. The Encore GX offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with USB-A and USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad, and a 120-volt outlet. The available rear camera mirror provided a wider-angle view of the rear. The infotainment system was straightforward, with easy-to-read tiles for smartphone mirroring, climate control, settings, camera views, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with modern graphics, logical menus, and simple operation. Below the screen, stereo volume and radio tuning knobs framed a row of buttons for quick access to commonly used functions. Standard features included Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and a six-speaker sound system. However, the Venue could benefit from better stereo speakers, considering its target audience.

The 2024 Buick Encore GX came with the standard Driver Confidence package, including lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, a following distance indicator, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard on all trims. However, rear park assist, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree camera were optional. The Encore GX featured unique safety features like Teen Driver, which recorded driving habits, and Buckle to Drive, preventing shifting out of park without a fastened seatbelt. The NHTSA awarded the Encore GX a full five-star overall safety rating, with five stars for frontal and side crash ratings and four stars for rollover. The 2023 model received Good ratings for crashworthiness and Superior in front crash prevention from the IIHS.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue included standard forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and a driver monitoring system. Starting with the Venue Preferred, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was added. However, adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist were not available. The lane-keeping assist system occasionally produced inaccurate alerts, and the forward-collision warning issued one incorrect warning. The Venue received Good ratings in three IIHS crash tests, with an Acceptable rating for the Ultimate trim's LED headlights. The NHTSA awarded the Venue an overall rating of four stars.