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I drove the Chevrolet Trax and Hyundai Venue for a week — here’s the sub-$30K SUV I’d buy with my own money

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I drove the Chevrolet Trax and Hyundai Venue for a week — here’s the sub-$30K SUV I’d buy with my own money

​Prices are absurd wherever you look, especially when many of the best electric cars I’ve tested easily start at around $50,000. Sub-$30,000 new cars are few and far between these days, but they still exist — and the Chevrolet Trax and Hyundai Venue are proof.

​Subcompact SUVs remain some of the most affordable options on the market, combining the efficiency of smaller sedans with the utility that makes crossovers so appealing. I spent a week with both the 2026 Chevrolet Trax 1LT and the 2026 Hyundai Venue SEL, which carry as-tested prices of $27,975 and $24,440, respectively.

While I’ve already pitted the Hyundai Venue against the Subaru Crosstrek, it faces an even tougher challenger in the sportier Chevrolet Trax. After putting them both to the test, here’s the subcompact SUV I recommend if you want to spend as little as possible on your next vehicle purchase.

Thankfully neither of these vehicles look boring, which is a welcome relief because when you get to prices this low, automakers aren’t inclined to focus on them as much. While they’re similar in price, they take drastically different approaches with their aesthetics.

For starters, I really love how the Hyundai Venue takes a page out of Mini Cooper’s playbook by designing the Venue with a bit of flair that makes it look better in my opinion over its sibling in the Hyundai Kona . Even though it has a boxier, more upright proportion, small details like its contrast two-tone roof give it a stylish look that I don’t expect to find in this bracket.


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