Overview & Reviews

It's been decades since midsize wagons were the vehicle of choice for American families. They've long since been replaced by minivans, SUVs and crossovers. The Toyota Venza, however, could very well be described as a modern take on the old station wagon formula. The sleekly styled Venza boasts carlike handling, good fuel economy and plenty of versatility. Though lacking the ruggedness inherent in an SUV or the option for a third-row seat, the Venza is an otherwise ideal choice for families.

Current Toyota Venza
The Toyota Venza is related to Toyota's Camry sedan, so in a way you could think of it as a beefed-up Camry wagon. It sits relatively low to the ground, which makes it easier for passengers to get in and out. There's seating for up to five people, as no third-row seat is offered. Toyota has built in plenty of storage nooks and crannies to keep things organized, and there are plenty of cupholders, too. Cargo capacity with the rear seats folded down is just north of 70 cubic feet, which should suffice for most families.

Under the hood you'll find either a 2.7-liter four-cylinder that makes 182 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque or a more robust 3.5-liter V6 that cranks out 268 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is optional. Towing capacity when properly equipped is 3,500 pounds.

The Venza is offered in LE, XLE and V6-only Limited trim levels. Standard feature highlights for the LE include 19-inch alloy wheels (20 inches on V6), dual-zone automatic climate control, a touchscreen infotainment interface, a power driver seat, Bluetooth and a CD player with a USB/iPod interface. Stepping up to the XLE gets you keyless ignition/entry, power-folding mirrors, a power liftgate, Toyota's Entune smartphone integration system, a rearview camera, leather upholstery and heated front seats. The Limited tops it off with xenon headlamps, a panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, a navigation system and an upgraded sound system.

Driving the Toyota Venza isn't a sporty experience, but in reviews, we've found this tall wagon handles reasonably well on curvy roads given its utilitarian purpose. On the highway, the overall ride is quite comfortable. The base four-cylinder engine provides adequate power to motivate this sizable wagon, although the V6 is obviously the way to go if passing folks on the highway takes precedence over achieving the best fuel economy. In terms of everyday usability, the Venza is an excellent, highly refined choice for just about anyone who needs to haul kids, pets, scuba gear, golf clubs and other family recreational cargo.

Used Toyota Venza Models
The Toyota Venza debuted for the 2009 model year and has received only minor changes. From 2009-'11 Toyota sold the Venza with just optional packages rather than the more traditional trim level structure implemented for 2012. The 2013 model year gained the Entune smartphone integration system and a slight exterior styling update. These latter Venzas are identical to the current version apart from the unavailability of a few convenience features, such as power-folding mirrors and front and rear parking sensors.

User Reviews:

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  Excellent Car - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By Ting Xu - May 13 - 8:56 am

  Purchased the new Venza Feb 2010 after months of research. I compared several crossover vehicles include the Acura RDX, Lexus RX350 and found the new Venza to be the best value. You can get same luxury items and reliability for a lot less. I wasnt disappointed. Rides and drives are very comfortable and has plenty of power. Planty of interior space and the dual sunroofs is beautiful . The controls are driver- friendly and easily accessible. It is quite too. I do not know why some people complain about the noise. I would recommend it to anyone in the market for a car/suv and interested in a crossover!

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  Very Pleased - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By californiakid - May 12 - 11:55 am

  People need to realize all cars have there potential problems, its part of owning a vehicle. If you look on here, there are only a few neg reviews, which are mostly prompted by an unhappy customer. They sold 48k Venzas in 2010. If you only have a few bad reviews on Edmonds, its a safe bet the car is fine in general. I perfectly happy with mine, not one problem. Poor ride quality could be attributed to air pressure in the tires. Too much pressure=stiff ride. My Venza is great. Never an issue. If your looking to buy a Venza dont let a few reviews affect your decision. If you find a vehicle on here that does not have one problem, let me know what it is, cause I want one.

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  Was good for the first while..... - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By mountainhiker - May 3 - 10:07 am

  Such an easy vehicle to fall in love with at first, but the longer i own it the more problems its having. This car is a rattlebox..plain and simple, after 40k miles ive just learned to accept it...Toyota cant fix this, last time they removed the dashboard and windshield to replace the dash support, i think i just hear more rattles now. Its on its third battery, ive had more jumpstarts owning this for 2yrs than in my 22yrs of driving. Had a problem with the A/C pump this WINTER! It siezed up apperently for no reason. Now im starting to feel the transmission starting to do some strange things....Oh my

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  Very Nice - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By lkrsfan1 - May 1 - 10:56 pm

  Have had my v6 FWD for a few weeks now and Im very impressed. I love the look with the 20 wheels, and the overall exterior look is similar to cars much more expensive. The interior is sharp, well-thought out and attractive. Im 63 and fit very nicely in the car. Back seat space is fantastic and helped by reclining seats. I couldnt be happier with this car.

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  Venza - great job Toyota - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By FM - April 20 - 3:20 am

  Car interior is excellent. Love the blue tooth, MP3 ease of use and keyless ignition options. Really enjoy not getting keys out to get in to start the car. Dash layout is good and easy to store things. I have owned the car one week and have never received so many compliments. Barcelona Red color is eye catching. Interior seating is roomy and comfortable. I went in looking at a Highlander and this car caught my eye. It didnt take long to change my mind. Great crossover and enjoyable vehicle.

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  Didnt mind the rough ride... - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By RAFFY - April 10 - 12:20 pm

  I didnt mind the truck like ride, the constant shaking of my head up and down while Im going down the road is what really bothered me. I got rid of it like a hot potato. Took the loss, but at least Im not stuck with it.

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  The Shoe Does Not Fit - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By BB - February 18 - 9:16 am

  The Venza is a solid vehicle hampered by a few glaring defects. The fuel economy is good, but could have been improved by putting on 17 or 18in tires. I have no idea what Toyota was thinking when they mounted 19in tires on the 4 cylinder and 20in tires on the 6 cylinder. Replacement tires for the 19s are currently limited to the original tires. I can only hope Toyota received a great kickback for these terrible tires. I truly hate them. As a tall driver, I find the wideness of the center center console impedes my comfort. The good thing for Toyota is that these items are resolvable.

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  Items that need improving. - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By venza - February 17 - 3:33 am

  Just a few items i find that need improving. Controls for heater/ac. are very distracting to operate while driving. eye contact must be used to find them and this is a safety feature that needs corrected. Seats are very hard and on an extended drive your bottom gets very uncomfortable.

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  I love this car - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By lisa - February 12 - 1:00 pm

  it is everything I want, wish fuel economy was a little better

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  Very happy new Toyota owner - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Diana - February 9 - 11:40 pm

  Smooth and in control. Easy maneuvering, enjoyable very smooth steering, precise. Braking and acceleration just as great. All driver controls from the steering wheel to the easy no-reach dashboard are wonderful. Turning and cornering feels very stable, safe, and smooth. The gear shift is exactly where it should be, easy to reach, natural. Solid comfort. So easy to "crossover" from an Avalon to my Venza.