Toyota Venza History
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The Toyota Venza is a mid-size vehicle that's either a tall station wagon or lower-set crossover utility vehicle, depending on the perspective. It's poised primarily as a rival to crossover vehicles like the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, and Subaru Tribeca, but it's also an alternative to the Honda Accord Crosstour or Subaru Outback.
Introduced for 2009 as an entirely new model, combining design attributes—as well as some of the mechanical underpinnings—from both the Toyota Camry sedan and the Highlander utility vehicle—the Venza aims at those who want the slightly higher seating position, taller roof, and easier entry of a utility vehicle but without the trucky ride, off-road ability, or poor fuel economy.
The Venza offers either a 182-horsepower, 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6, both offered with front or all-wheel drive and hooked up to a six-speed automatic. Overall, the base four feels just fine, except under the steepest grades or hauling a full load. The V-6 is stronger and smoother but isn't as miserly at the pump. Four-cylinder Venzas get as high as an EPA 21 mpg city, 29 highway.
TheCarConnection.com has driven the Venza in several variants and, although it's a practical package in many respects, it's hard to get excited about this vehicle—mainly because the driving experience is as bland, if not more so, than the bread-and-butter Camry sedan on which it's based. The Venza can corner quite well but doesn't inspire you to drive it quickly. Passenger comfort is clearly the priority, and the five-seat Venza delivers this. With a tall roofline, there's plenty of space to sprawl out in front or in back, and seats fold forward to expand cargo space. But there are a few disappointments; the interior is loaded with hard-plastic trim and the sloped back window cuts into cargo space; there's also more road noise in the Venza than most other vehicles with which you'd compare it.
Safety has been a strong point for the Venza; it's earned top five-star and good ratings, comes with all the safety features afforded by other vehicles in its class, and doesn't make the sacrifices in outward visibility that so many other curvaceous crossover vehicles do. Feature content is also quite impressive, with only a single trim offered, getting standard dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, and a tilt/telescope steering wheel with audio controls. More desirable options include a JBL sound system, backseat DVD entertainment, power liftgate, and Smart Key system. The Venza didn't get any significant changes for 2010, though a USB port with iPod connectivity was made standard, along with hands-free Bluetooth connectivity.
