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Hyundai Santa Cruz vs Hyundai Venue

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2026 Hyundai Venue — two small SUVs compared on efficiency, size, safety and reliability.

Hyundai Santa Cruz

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WDAWD/4WD
VS1 – 5Hyundai Venue wins 5 of 6 categories
Hyundai Venue

2026 Hyundai Venue

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

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The short version

The Hyundai Venue is more fuel-efficient: 31 vs 25 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $550 a year less in fuel for the Hyundai Venue (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

Across all model years since 2005, the Hyundai Venue has had fewer recall campaigns (4 vs 9).

The two cars

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a small SUV offered with 2 engines (2.5L 4-cyl and 2.5L 4-cyl turbo) and front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. EPA rates its most efficient version at 25 MPG combined (22 city / 30 highway), 17% worse than the 2026 small SUV average of 30.2 MPG, for an estimated $2,700 a year in fuel.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue is a small SUV offered with a 1.6L 4-cyl engine and front-wheel drive. It measures about 159 inches long and 70 inches wide on a 99-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 2,648 lb.

Buying used? The 2024 Santa Cruz and the 2023 Venue have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2022 Santa Cruz and the 2020 Venue.

Basics

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Class
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Regular Gasoline
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
2.5L 4-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl turbo
Engines
1.6L 4-cyl
Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive

Efficiency

25 MPG
Best combined MPG
31 MPG
22 city
City / highway MPG (best)
29 city
$2,700
Fuel cost per year (EPA)
$2,150

Performance & space

–
Length
159.1 in
–
Width
69.7 in
–
Height
62.6 in
–
Curb weight (lightest)
2,648 lb

Safety & reliability

13
Driver-assist features standard
12
3
Recalls (2026)
2
9
Recalls, all years since 2005
4
5
Owner complaints (latest year)
2

Interest

4,327
Wikipedia views, 30 days
10,158

Buying used

2024
Best used year
2023
2022
Year to avoid
2020

Green = clearly better. Prices are not included. How we calculate this →

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Hyundai Santa Cruz if…

  • You need AWD or 4WD

Choose the Hyundai Venue if…

  • You want lower fuel bills (31 vs 25 MPG)
  • You put reliability history first (4 vs 9 recalls since 2005)

Pros & cons of each

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

  • AWD / 4WD available
  • Lots of standard safety tech5 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
  • Below-average fuel economyBest version gets 25 MPG combined, 17% below the 2026 small SUV average of 30.2 MPG.

2026 Hyundai Venue

  • Lots of standard safety tech4 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
  • No AWD or 4WDTwo-wheel drive only, unusual for a small SUV.

Full 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz specs →Full 2026 Hyundai Venue specs →Compare fuel costs for your driving →Compare size & garage fit →