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 They've long since been replaced by minivans, SUVs and crossovers.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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Fooled by Toyota - 2010 Toyota Venza
By sam063 - February 6 - 5:13 pmI bought a 2010 AWD 4cyl Venza in early April10. I was assured no recall. 3 weeks later I got the recall notice for gas pedal, but they have no fix for the problem yet. Do not bring to dealer.(ok- sure) Have major problem with brake surges and not sure if going to fully stop sometimes. Brought to Toyota and they cut my rotors. I have 4400 miles on my car. I am very disappointed and leery to drive my car that I am absolutely stuck with as I cannot trade it at this point. Not a good feeling.
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Wont miss my Murano - 2010 Toyota Venza
By XMuranoDriver - January 25 - 10:43 amI traded in my 2004 Murano on the Venza. My Muranos driver seat decided to break loose from one corner of its side rails 2 days after my Nissan extended warranty expired and Nissan refused to fix it - even though I had not made a single claim against the warranty during my entire time owning it! I found out by researching online that this was a known, common problem with Muranos, yet they would not offer me any assistance other than to quote me a mere $750 to fix i!. My Venza is way more responsive that the Murano, wider and more spacious feeling, a lot less top heavy feeling in turns and the glass roof is way cool!
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The Radio - 2013 Toyota Venza
By jduer1 - January 20 - 7:00 pmI have had my 2013 Venza for a month now. Its a great car, but, two complaints. The Buick SUV I traded in rode much better and was much quieter. First complaint - the radio - my goodness, what a tinny sounding unit (not the JBL). Tried all the settings with no great improvement. My new Ford Escape has a much better radio. Other complaint - rough ride and noisier than my American cars. Sure seems like the much vaunted Toyota could do better than this. Will probably go back to American brands after this. If you are looking only at Toyota - look at a couple American brands - you might change your mind.
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Best value in its class - 2009 Toyota Venza
By ValueWonk - January 9 - 4:56 pmThe Venza is perfect for our current needs and has been a joy to drive in both city and rural/mountain driving. With two of three teenagers in college we no longer needed 7 seats and traded in a Honda Odyssey which we loved. But the Venza is a more luxurious car and we like the security of AWD along with all the safety features. Fit and finish are great, reliability has been perfect in the first 7000 miles. Backup camera as part of the navigation package is very helpful. Backup on its own has too small a display. Teenagers love the sound system and the MP3 plug and play capability. Looked at the Lexus RX350 but the Venza is virtually identical and is $8,000 less.
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noise - 2009 Toyota Venza
By endangered - January 5 - 3:10 pmLove the vehicle, very noisy on highway. Toyota needs to solve this problem, if they cant solve the noise will trade for highlander.
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Disappointed! - 2009 Toyota Venza
By Heidi - January 2 - 10:16 amAfter driving this for only 4 months, I was really disappointed! The extremely large dash started coming apart. I had a constant loud rattling noise coming from the a/c vents on the dash which they replaced and still did not help, plus every time I would go over the slightest bump, the car had really loud squeaking coming from underneath. Well took it to the dealership to get fixed, did not work. A new car should not have those issues at 2800 miles already. Plus it is really loud inside, lots of road noise. Needless to say, traded it in for the new 2010 Buick LaCrosse. Now I am happy! Toyota just does not have the quality construction it once did. Lost it for me.
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Our new Venza - 2009 Toyota Venza
By merrel - December 28 - 10:46 pmWe now have 09 Venza for 3 months and love the handling, and quality built workmanship. 24 mpg city and 28mpg hway. Wish vehicle had 2 position memory seats but paid $675 extra for full power passenger seat. Also opted for double sun roof & radio. Do not see the need for 20" tires but that was not negotiable. Highway cruising is a dream. Sold a 2006 RX330 Lexus for this with no regrets. Did splurge $400 for two piece mesh chrome (aftermarket) grille from California which really adds class!!
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New to me, happy so far - 2012 Toyota Venza
By aguy8910 - December 24 - 5:53 pmI recently purchased a used 2012 Venza (3.5l, AWD) and am very happy with it so far. I am wagon fan and had a hard time finding a suitable replacement for you 2005 Subaru Legacy GT. Ive had many Subarus, but really did not feel like going down that road again and was very happy with what the Venza had to offer. The car is very solid, powerful and comfortable. The only issue I have so far is that my favorite coffee cup doesnt sit well in the oddly shaped cup holders... Also, the MPG isnt great, but I knew that when opting for the more powerful V6 version.
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Could be a fun car - 2010 Toyota Venza
By Bernhard - December 23 - 7:00 pmThe Venza is a nice car, but ours has a flaw, that might be typical for this car. When the transmission is in drive and the car is at an incline, then it rolls back. The transmission does not catch the car. The dealership told us this is normal for Venzas and Camrys So it is either bad engineering or bad customer service. The car is somewhat fun to drive, but Toyota quality is not what it used to be. Some parts in the interior do not fit together appropriately. This indicates assembly problems. In addition, all Venzas are now affected by the pedal recall. It took Toyota about 6 months to admit that problem. Again bad customer service. My next car will not be a Toyota.
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Aerodynamics and Space in a Crossover - 2009 Toyota Venza
By Art Wallace - December 20 - 12:26 pmThe Venza has been a surprising delight to drive with the four- cylinder version providing excellent fuel economy and adequate acceleration and hill climbing capacity. Weve enjoyed the spacious seating in front and back, along with the excellent standard features and back storage area with easy fold down seats (with lever). Its aerodynamic design and styling make it drive smoothly on the highway and its tight turning radius is a welcome change after owning a minivan.
