Compare the2026 Mazda CX-5VS 2026 Hyundai Venue

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-5 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Hyundai Venue doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-5 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 Mazda CX-5 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 CX-5 has a standard Secondary Collision Reduction System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Venue doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-5 has a standard Rear Smart Brake Support that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Venue doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CX-5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Venue doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Mazda CX-5 has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Venue doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

The CX-5 Premium Plus has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Venue only offers a rear monitor.

The CX-5 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Venue SEL offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-5 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Smart Braking Support - Rear Crossing automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Venue SEL offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and the Venue’s Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning does not include automatic braking.

Both the CX-5 and the Venue have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Mazda CX-5 weighs 1118 to 1244 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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda third in reliability, above the industry average. With 61 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 25th.

The CX-5’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 66 more horsepower (187 vs. 121) and 73 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 113) than the Venue’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the CX-5’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Venue doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The CX-5 has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Venue (15.3 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the CX-5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Venue:

	CX-5	Venue
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	8” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		10.3 inches

The Mazda CX-5 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.

For better traction, the CX-5 has larger tires than the Venue (225/65R17 vs. 185/65R15). The CX-5’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Venue (225/65R17 vs. 205/55R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-5 has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Venue. The CX-5 Preferred/Premium’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Venue SEL.

For superior ride and handling, the Mazda CX-5 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Hyundai Venue has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The CX-5 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CX-5 flat and controlled during cornering. The Venue’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The CX-5 has engine 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 CX-5’s wheelbase is 11.5 inches longer than on the Venue (110.7 inches vs. 99.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Venue.

For greater off-road capability the CX-5 S/Select has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Venue (8 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the CX-5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-5 Preferred/Premium’s minimum ground clearance is 1.5 inches higher than on the Venue (8.2 vs. 6.7 inches).

The CX-5 has 14.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Venue (106.5 vs. 91.9).

The CX-5 has .3 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, 3.1 inches more front hip room, 3.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 5.6 inches more rear legroom, 8.9 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Venue.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CX-5’s rear seats recline. The Venue’s rear seats don’t recline.

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Venue with its rear seat up (33.7 vs. 18.7 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venue with its rear seat folded (66.5 vs. 31.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CX-5 easier. The CX-5’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.5 inches, while the Venue’s liftover is 30 inches.

The CX-5’s cargo area is larger than the Venue’s in almost every dimension:

	CX-5	Venue
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	39.1”/75”	25.4”/57”
Max Width	57.5”	47.5”
Min Width	41.3”	42.5”
Height	33.9”	28”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the CX-5 Preferred/Premium has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the CX-5 Premium Plus, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Venue doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

The CX-5 has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Venue has no towing capacity.

When two different drivers share the CX-5 Preferred/Premium, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Venue doesn’t offer a memory system.

The CX-5 Preferred/Premium’s standard Entry/Exit Assist glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Venue doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The CX-5 Preferred/Premium has a standard heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Venue doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Venue has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The CX-5’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, 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.

On a hot day the CX-5’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Venue can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CX-5 has a standard Pushbutton Start that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Venue SEL offers a Proximity Key with Push Button Start.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Venue’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The CX-5’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Venue’s projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-5 Premium Plus has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Venue doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the CX-5 Preferred/Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Venue’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The CX-5 Select/Preferred/Premium’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Venue doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

Both the Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Venue offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The CX-5 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Venue’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Both the CX-5 and the Venue offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Venue.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-5 Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Venue doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the CX-5 Preferred/Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Venue doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The CX-5 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 CX-5’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Venue doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the CX-5 has a standard Radar Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Venue doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

With standard voice command, the CX-5 offers the driver hands free control of the radio and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Venue doesn’t offer a voice control system.

Compared to the Hyundai Venue, the Mazda CX-5 Preferred/Premium eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Compared to the Hyundai Venue’s traditional radio, the Mazda CX-5 Premium equipped with standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Hyundai Venue by almost five to one during 2025.