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 They've long since been replaced by minivans, SUVs and crossovers.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:

• 

  Exactly what I wanted - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By James - March 10 - 5:56 pm

  Have had my venza one week and have enjoyed every mile. Have driven in sunshine and in rain on interstate, back roads and in city. It seems to be a good fit all around. Love the entry and exit convenience. The first couple of tanks of driving gave the expected performance and fuel mileage, at this time I could not think of a change that I would suggest

• 

  Her name is Lemon Aid - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By Eric - March 7 - 2:18 pm

  To be fair, I did buy this car used with 90,000 miles on it. But it was nearly perfect looking, not a scratch on her, clean, and everything passed inspections. I really liked the car when I got it, fun to drive and comfortable, both front and rear. (the rear seats recline, very nice for long trips) not crazy about the stereo, but I found out this model came with the nav system, which was replaced with the CD player radio (oh well). Then the honeymoon was over and the problems started to show themselves. The road noise is deafening, my convertible mustang GT was quieter. Yes, the dealer put cheap tires on it, which makes it worse, but those 20 inch tires are louder than some of the trucks I have owned. other noise?, I read about this problem, and this car has it, something is rattling in the dash on rough roads, sounds like the front struts are about to fall out its so loud. Two months into ownership the car died in traffic, lights went out, dash warning lights all lit up, then it stalled, the alternator died. If I had taken it to a shop, it would have been an $900 repair, you have to take apart the front of the car, including the removal of the radiator, grill, wheel well panels, under car panels, core support bracket and on an on, just to get the alternator out. Next the brakes, the rotors were hardened and shook when you stopped, that started after 7,000 miles. while doing that job I realized the emergency brake was a tiny, old fashioned drum brake built into the rear disk rotors, which explained why the car wont stay in place with the brake on, which requires repairs (fine, high mileage car), and the pistons for the rear disk brakes have rotten seals, 97,000 miles, with rotten brake components! NEXT, at 105,000 miles, the passenger wheel hub bearings went bad. I have read about this, apparently its a very common issue nobody ever mentions in these reviews, or the maintenance reports. (the suspect is the 20 inch wheels on a drive train designed for a regular car) By the time that one is over I am looking at upwards of $350. (you need a machine shop press to replace the bearings, so you cannot just pop them in yourself) Another known issue, every 5-6000 miles the engine light comes on, because the VVT solenoid on the bank1 exhaust camshaft is tossing a failure code randomly, thats a $1400 repair at the dealer just for one of them, there are four in the engine! (once again you have to take apart the front of the car to get to it, takes literally 10 minutes to replace, 2 hours to get to it). You have to take the car to a shop just to check the transmission oil because on a $35,000 car, Toyota didnt bother to install a dipstick. You cant do it yourself without a code reader that can read live data, and a way to get the car off the ground, but level (a lift). I read about people that have had great experiences with these cars, did you write your review the day after you bought the thing? The seats can catch fire, the transmissions have a known defect that can cause a complete failure over time, the VVT solenoids are known to fail. the leather is terrible (I did read about this, but I thought it was just people being picky, I had no idea a manufacturer would actually use such a lousy grade of leather, I would rather have cloth) There are good things about it, I like its looks, Mine came with an aftermarket chrome trim option, I like the big noisy wheels, the stereo sounds great, though I would prefer a more modern system, I do like the big seats, more lateral support would be nice. The thing is fast, that V6 is amazing, and it gets decent fuel economy for such a big car, I average 23.3mpg, and when I reset the average on long trips, I get about 25 highway (flat roads) I realize I have a higher mileage car, but I just sold a 200,000 mile explorer that gave me less trouble over the last 60,000 miles than this car has in 15,000. I bought a Toyota because of the reputation, then after getting it and having all these problems, I searched for Toyota Venza Sucks, I will remember to do this next time. Its disappointing, I paid $2700 for the previously mentioned Explorer with 131,000 miles on it. I replaced the upper swing arms, radiator, water pump, thermostat housing, and regular maintenance in 60,000 miles, at 192,000 miles, it sent its first engine code. I expected more from a much more expensive Toyota. Hopefully it will go years without any more major repairs, and make up for the last four months. OR, hopefully it holds up long enough for me to trade it.

• 

  Comfy Car - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By P. Payton - February 27 - 12:43 am

  Bought the Venza new 6 mos ago, I enjoy using the car, avg 24-26 mpg. My Venza options are Security Package, Leather Package & JPL surround sound. Carmax in Laurel, MD has this car and we drove 10 hrs round trip to get it for 27,100 + 99 process fee. Back up camera is useful, passenger power seat is great (for lower issues), JPL sound is much better than the standard. 4 cyl. does has more engine sound but we want better mpg. Its still worth it. We dont need AWD because we dont want to drive in the snow. The higher seats works great for lower back issues. Ladies, your pants wont get dirty from getting out of the Venza. We keep our cars for 7-10 yrs, the Venza fits the bill.

• 

  Brakes - 2013 Toyota Venza
  By Drew Gratts - February 24 - 9:49 am

  Leased for 5 years ,, the car was pulling left on braking. temperature on right disk 116f, on left disk 165f., proof of imbalance. The cabin noise is excessive. You may not have noticed but the steering wheel is at an angle in other word of center.

• 

  Hated to part with our 2010 4 cylinder Venza - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By borjborj - February 21 - 11:44 pm

  We had the car for 4 years and 1 month over 89,000 miles. We averaged 22K miles per year, never had any issues at all, only replaced tires and battery. We got combined 25.6 mpg on the original Bridgestones, harder riding tires. Replaced with Dunlop tires, then dropped to a combined 24.7 mpg, but it was a much better and smoother riding tires, worth losing 1 mpg. The car was always a pleasure to get on the road and travel and vacation in.

• 

  Security, Handling & Comfort Winner - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By AWD4Safety - February 16 - 12:16 pm

  If you bought your previous vehicle five years or more ago, you will find the Venza a major step up in security and comfort. As a package, the multiple air bags, stability control, AWD, and crash scores top anything one could have bought, at any price, just a few years ago. Dual climate control, exceptionally well lit info displays, sound system, seating, and navigation system provide excellent comfort. This is a quiet car that gives one a feeling of confidence in a variety of driving conditions. We looked at Lexus RX350, Acura MDX, Audi Q7. Venza is a newer platform and many, many thousands less with competitive handling and all the important comfort features.

• 

  A car you will not regret! - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By AJ - February 12 - 5:46 pm

  I traded my 2009 Camry for a 2009 Venza. The Venza gave me all what was missing from the Camry in terms of newer look and style, the 4DR sedan image, yet maintained the comfort, quiet ride, the fuel efficiency and reliability of the Camry.

• 

  Toyota hits it out of the park..... - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Flamesfan - January 24 - 10:46 am

  Toyota doesnt bring out many new vehicles but when it does its time to pay attention. First impressions were great and when I bought the venza I was not disappointed. Its got the styling, drives like a car but is practical like an suv. The venza has a ton of neat features-power rear door, back up camera, storage compartment and accessory holders... The list goes on. My one concern was the blindspots but it has not been an issue. The awd is great in the snow too, no need to throw on winter tires every year. This vehicle fits all my needs and with Toyota reliabilty and strong resale value I look forward to years of enjoymeat.

• 

  Say NO to Toyota GPS!!!! - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By toygpssucks - January 20 - 4:55 am

  Toyota & Lexus GPS is a RIPOFF!!! We werent looking for an installed GPS, however the Toyota we liked happen to have this PIECE of JUNK! At 5-MPH the ENTIRE GPS, CD player, Bluetooth & phone control locks down and is unusable. Voice control, LOL.. say store, hospital or police and itll show you the nearest golf course. Research all you can, there is NO override option; ask Toyota and theyll give you a big fat [violative content deleted]... Sucka. Too overcome this pathetic $2500 short coming with 4yr old maps, I keep a $200 Garmin in the car and my cell phone handy. In addition, Toy-Rip-U-Off has replaced quality dent resistant fenders and paint with Detroit Crap.

• 

  Great Value and GREAT Looks! - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By Dave - January 13 - 2:26 am

  Test drove all the SUVs on the market and bought the Venza. I love the V6, it has power to go and gets decent mileage on the road (26-28 curently). Very roomy inside, and at 62" -245 lbs no issues. Even on long trips the seats are nice (I went with cloth). Although, the ride can be bumpy sometimes on rough roads. All in all, it rides great for the value. Best of all, it is a head turner! I got the Aloe green metallic , with tan interior, love it. Also, the rear seats fold all the way down - and can be activated from the back, a MUST when loading. I really am impressed with this car/SUV. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great car, with room interior and hot looks!