Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2021 Hyundai Venue

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear (child comfort guides) seat shoulder belts of the Buick Encore are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Hyundai Venue doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Buick Encore has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Venue doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Encore offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Venue doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Encore and the Venue have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Buick Encore weighs 499 to 746 pounds more than the Hyundai Venue. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Hyundai Venue:

	Encore	Venue
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	122	335
Neck Injury Risk	26%	32%
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	182 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	363/313 lbs.	769/350 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	207	280
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	48%
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	206 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Hyundai Venue:

	Encore	Venue
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	154
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	215 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	223
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	82 G’s
Hip Force	672 lbs.	843 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	707 lbs.	790 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

There are over 2 times as many Buick dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Encore has a standard 130-amp alternator. The Venue’s 110-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Encore has a standard 438-amp battery. The Venue’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Encore’s reliability 44 points higher than the Venue.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Encore third among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Venue isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Hyundai is ranked 6th.

Engine

The Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 34 more horsepower (155 vs. 121) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 113) than the Venue’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Encore has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Venue (14 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Encore has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Venue doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Encore’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Venue:

	Encore	Venue
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.6 inches	8” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		10.3 inches

The Buick Encore has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Venue. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Encore stops much shorter than the Venue:

	Encore	Venue
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Encore has larger tires than the Venue (215/55R18 vs. 185/65R15). The Encore’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Venue (215/55R18 vs. 205/55R17).

The Encore’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Venue’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Venue. The Venue’s largest wheels are only 17-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Encore has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Venue doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Encore’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Venue (100.6 inches vs. 99.2 inches).

The Encore AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Venue Denim (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

The Encore uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Venue doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Encore has .2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and 6.6 inches more rear hip room than the Venue.

Cargo Capacity

The Encore has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venue with its rear seat folded (48.4 vs. 31.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Encore easier. The Encore’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.8 inches, while the Venue’s liftover is 30 inches.

Ergonomics

The Encore’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Venue’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Encore’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Venue’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Encore’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Venue’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the Encore’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Venue’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Encore’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Venue and aren’t offered on the Venue SE.

The Encore has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Venue doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Encore offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Venue doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

The Buick Encore has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Encore	Venue
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	n/a