Hyundai Venue vs Nissan Altima: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Hyundai Venue burns about $1,900 of fuel annually against $1,900 for the Nissan Altima. That $0 yearly gap compounds to roughly $0 over five years and $0 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Hyundai Venue is the stronger commuter at 30 mpg city, while the Nissan Altima pulls ahead on the interstate at 39 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Hyundai Venue is recorded with 1 distinct engine configuration (1.6), the Nissan Altima with 4 (SIDI, SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; VCR). Across 9 recorded Hyundai Venue configurations and 46 for the Nissan Altima, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Hyundai Venue is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, the Nissan Altima with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Midsize Cars and Midsize Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Nissan Altima emits 278 g/mile of CO2 versus 284 g/mile for the Hyundai Venue. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.