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 They've long since been replaced by minivans, SUVs and crossovers.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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  you owe it to yourself - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Jim - May 16 - 10:56 pm

  We are happy with our 2009 Venza. to this point the quality is outstanding. Rides and drives like a vehicle costing 50k. How is it said? You can pay more. But, you wont get more. The only items Toyota should consider is illuminating the homelink buttons along with the window lock button. The leather seats are very nice. However, clothing dye is a problem. It will not come off the leather. The leather seems to be overly susceptible to deterioration through normal wear.Not easy to keep clean or clean. They need to look at the leather stock they are using.

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  Just perfect... - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By DoMaNeRoIs - May 10 - 3:26 am

  My husband & I love our Venza. Roomy, great looking and drives beautifully. I dont understand all the negative comments about the wheel size, they look great on this car and fill the wheel wells nicely. The ride is comfortable even here in the northeast where the roads are the worst. I would also like to add that its nice to be one of few to own one of these, you dont see yourself coming and going on the roads(I suppose once Toyota begins leasing them thatll all change). Were loving every single moment we cruise in this baby!!

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  Best wagon out there - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By Eve - May 8 - 3:29 pm

  My husband and I live in the Pacific Northwest aka Suburu Nation. Every other person drives an Outback or Forrester. So when it came time to purchase a new vehicle to replace our dying Jeep, we followed peoples advice and test drove Suburus most popular vehicles. Not impressed. We test drove a Honda CRV and Mazda CX5 as well. None were as attractive or as enjoyable to drive as the Venza. In the end we chose a two year old AWD V6 Venza with 27k miles for $22,000. The deal was so good, we felt like we cheated or something. Its a great car for camping, road trips, beach drives, and has enough room in the back for our German Shepherd. I would highly recommend buying a Venza if youre in the market for a reliable, small SUV or wagon that performs well and looks classy at the same time. Its different than most wagons and SUVs and thats a good thing.

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  For the young too... =) - 2011 Toyota Venza
  By aughasangel - April 8 - 4:06 am

  I am a mother, of two very active children. So i have a sporting good store in the back of my car most of the time. I was a previous owner of a durango and was looking for a car with the room of an Suv and gad mileage and feel of a car.I must say this is everything i could as for and MORE. The back seat is so big it will grow with my children into and well beyond their teen years. The seats are comfortable, the ride is smooth and the panoramic roof has been a big hit with my family. I get the drive and "zippiness" of a car (just like i wanted) and the room of a full size suv .I dont know why all the commercial are geared to the older crowed.I LOVE THIS CAR very sleek

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  Just what I wanted and needed - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Joel - March 9 - 10:00 am

  This car is perfect for what I was looking for – got rid of my two door sports car and getting ready to start a family. The room of an SUV with the driving characteristics of a sedan. One thing that was important for me was that my wife would be as comfortable driving the vehicle as I was. And she loves driving the Venza, when she’s able to wrestle the keys away from me. We were sold on the V6 with AWD, and we got all the options that the Venza came with and wonder how we ever got along without them. I like that this car drinks regular fuel and I get around 26mpg on the highway and 21mpg around town. Owned the car for over 3 months and still look for excuses to drive it. No regrets.

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  Breathtaking Design - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By luvchrysler - February 20 - 11:50 am

  I have to say we were intending to purchase a Prius after driving one on vacation. The trade in was our Cadillac CTS that was stylish and fun to drive but uncomfortable on trips. Needless to say, the Venza blew us away after a test drive. The passenger comfort front AND rear (rear seats recline) is just amazing. It is so roomy and offers plenty of luggage space for 4 passengers. The controls are easy to use, doors open wide and there are many cubbyholes and storage pockets. The ride and acceleration are excellent, the AWD operates smoothly and unobtrusively. We enjoy the styling and get many compliments as well, we are very happy with our decision a year later!

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  Great value for a great crossover! - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By Randall Hedrick - February 6 - 8:44 am

  We wanted the versatility that an SUV offers, good fuel economy, comfort and reliability; the Venza does all of that and more. Shortly after we purchased this vehicle, we had to drive over the Sierra Nevada mountains through snowy conditions, it performed flawlessly. I would not hesitate recommending the Toyota Venza. After six months of driving, no regrets about purchase. Weve taken two road trips and were pleased with comfort and fuel economy. After 18 months, we have been pleased.

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  3 Month Update - 2013 Toyota Venza
  By tduke - January 18 - 4:57 pm

  A quick update on my 2013 Limited FWD. Am averaging 25 mpg (actual, not computer). Overall a nice vehicle. However, if you live in a rural location beware, rodents LOVE the wires & hoses in this car. Ive spent $350 replacing various under hood bits after a large rat took up residence (later dying in the cabin AC filter box). The dealer acknowledges this is a problem due to eco friendly material being used that attract rodents. They suggest taking countermeasures like mothballs, hot pepper spray on wires/hoses and fox urine spray in wheel wells. My Buick was never touched for 2.5 years but within 6 weeks the Venza was a buffet. My cat stays busy but cant kill them all.

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  Toyota once again comes through - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By austin35 - January 10 - 12:30 am

  My wife and I recently bought a Certified used Toyota Venza 2009 with the 20" tires and rims, privacy glass, roof rack, and special bumper. So far this is a fantastic vehicle and fun to drive also gets great gas mileage. We can easily put our 3 month old in the spacious back seat! Furthermore Im 6 foot 2 inches tall and have plenty of room. The ride is sound. The stability control and all wheel drive feels secure on the road. The 4 cylinder is just a bit loud when you step on the gas, however with the six disc CD player, SAT radio, and MP3 player who cares! Overall I think this is great vehicle for a family that dose not want to buy a dreaded Mini Van.

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  Great vehicle - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By GRP - December 26 - 5:50 am

  My wife and I are seniors and find our Venza a great car/wagon/etc. Its the golden umber mica paint and we get many compliments of its look. The drivers seat is not especially comfortable and I see in other reviews that is a common complaint. As the main driver I find it necessary to get out and stretch in an hour or two. Hard on the butt. Ours is not leather, but leather look and affords easy access and egress. Mileage - Overall since new - 27.45 MPG Best mileage -on a trip 37 mpg Worst mileage -in winter "09" 17 mpg