2011 Toyota Venza vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

With easy entry and exit, big gauges, and a comfy ride, the Toyota Venza seems tailor-made for older drivers and empty nesters looking at crossover vehicles.

The Nissan Murano and Mazda CX-9 are quite the opposite; they're both racier and have sportier tuning, but the Murano has less space, while the CX-9 still manages a very roomy interior.

Even though it was introduced just three years ago, the Ford Edge is the oldest of this group.

It's quite heavy, yet has a simple, upright design that still looks good.

The Subaru Tribeca makes great functional sense but won't resonate with some buyers—it's a little weird in terms of design.

Relative to these other rivals, the Venza does offer a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine.

Also worth consideration is a model arriving later this year and much like the Venza: the Honda Accord Crosstour.

At the time of publication, TheCarConnection.com still hadn't driven the Crosstour, but the Honda promises to be even more like a fastback sedan than the Venza.