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 They've long since been replaced by minivans, SUVs and crossovers.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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Great Car - 2009 Toyota Venza
By Gene - March 2 - 10:30 pmI was shopping to replace my 07 Highlander. The 09 Highlander was simply too big. I saw the Venza and gave it a test drive. Its a great car. The Toyota people know what they are doing. The Venza is well designed, very comfortable, fun to drive, well made, great on gas, and priced well. Its actually a station wagon (remember those?) for modern drivers. Toyota hit a home run. This is a no-brainer.
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Love the car - 2009 Toyota Venza
By Andrew H - February 23 - 9:26 amDriven 4000 KMS in less than a month and love it. Not the best fuel economy, but everything else has been great. Stylish exterior turns heads. Lots of room inside and especially in rear for kids or passengers. Got an aftermarket DVD system installed by dealer for the kids and they use it all the time for vids even on short trips. Wireless headphones are great! Built in video games too. Have owned Honda Civis 1998 and 2005, 2002 Camry, 2004 Suzuki XL7 and 2006 Ford Fusion...this vehicle smokes the competition. I cant wait to trade this in after a few years for a V6 version fully loaded.
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The almost perfect car - 2009 Toyota Venza
By Beverly - February 10 - 3:00 amComing from several years of driving a mini van, the last one a Honda which I did not like. I was interested in the Venza before it came out. When it finally did, I wasnt disappointed. I wanted a stylish car that had performance, a comfortable ride, a comfortable interior and all the bells and whistles. Navigation, pano roof, blue tooth, sound system, leather etc. The Venza delivers. It is a great car which is wonderful for cargo space or carrying passengers. It has a lot of leg room. Seats are comfortable, has a good ride and it has plenty of power. The only thing lacking is memory seats. Wish the mileage was better but you cannot have performance and great mileage.
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Just unbelieveable - 2010 Toyota Venza
By Charlie K - January 16 - 7:30 amPearl, roof rack, Heated leather seats are great for the back (even in Fl.). Avg 26 around town and on trips to the east coast 33 mpg. Mileage improves if I use ETHANOL FREE gas by 2 mpg. The comfort, space and pick-up are ideal. Its easy getting into and out of and very comfortable driving (being 62") with plenty of storage and cargo space.This car has it all WITHOUT supporting foreign oil!
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Absolutely Fabulous Vehicle - 2009 Toyota Venza
By terremarie - January 13 - 7:07 pmWe drove from Akron, OH to Rochester, NY to purchase this car, and we havent looked back ! 26,000 miles and the ride is very comfortable. It handles like a car, and youve got the SUV space. Gas mileage is 26 in town and 30 on the highway. All the luxury of the Lexus for thousands less. My husband is 6.1 and hes very comfortable in the driver and passenger seats. The 4 cyl engine has plenty of power and the transmission is smooth. We plan to keep this car well over 100k miles. The only problem we have is who gets to drive it!
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Proud owner of a VENZA!!!!! - 2009 Toyota Venza
By Helen&SteveN - January 2 - 8:00 pmMy husband & I just went to look and left owning a Venza. Its gorgeous in tropical blue. We are big folks, both 65 years old and cant wait to hit the road for a long trip. The comfort of the seats is unmatched. Had a couple in the back with plenty of leg room and perfect temperature. We have been stopped and asked about it several times. Getting in and out is a breeze as it is the perfect height. Its turning radius is great and my 90 year old mother gets in and out it with ease and there is plenty of room for a walker and a wheel chair and groceries! Proud to be the owner. We even named it... Victoria. Check it out asap.
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Awesome =) - 2009 Toyota Venza
By goldenraysofsun - January 2 - 7:56 amThe Venza is my favorite vehicle out there. Awesome body style, fantastic interior, roomy, great safety ratings and reliable Toyota name. Critics have knocked points off of it because it lacks 3rd row seating. I LOVE this about it. I have 3 kids and no one wants to be the person who sits in the way back of a vehicle (in 3rd row seating) which are usually uncomfortable. A sedan seemed too small, minivan was too big and suvs were usually too ugly, big or just simply didnt appeal to me. I was going to get the Honda Ridgeline until I saw this and fell in love with it.
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Venzas a peppy people mover. - 2010 Toyota Venza
By Wooly - January 1 - 7:36 pmBeen researching cars for 6 months. I wanted something small enough to fit in the garage, regular fuel, back seat comfort, nav, XM, bluetooth, USB, auto closing rear hatch, sunroof, crossover/SUV style. I waited for the new Ford Edge to come out before I decided. Liked the Edge but couldnt justify the price premium ($5K more for comparable features). Yesterday in a parking lot it was parked right next to an RX350 and they looked exactly the same. Obviously they arent comparable (test drove the RX350 and liked it a lot), but the Venzas also $15K less. I guess Im used to cheap plastics, rough rides, and vague steering because it drives just like most cars Ive driven. So far Im satisfied.
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Venza vs 2004 Murano - 2010 Toyota Venza
By VenzaMurano - December 25 - 12:33 amI used to drive a 2004 Murano and I got the Venza as my next car. I very happy to report the Venza does a great job. I thought it would be hard to beat the no gear change in the Murano CVT, but the Venza is just as smooth switching gears. I was surprised the ride was much smoother than the Murano. I like the fact the Venza takes regular gas versus premium with the same gas mileage, but the gas tank is about 4 gallons smaller than the Murano (21.6/17.7) which causes about 80 miles less driving on a full tank. The interior is nice, but I wish the would have gone higher glass but that would probably make it a Lexus. The center storage is well designed and useful.
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Venza: good stuff mover, great snow car - 2009 Toyota Venza
By M EF - December 6 - 4:30 pmI bought this 6cy AWD explicitly for very long drives along the Great Lakes Snowbelt in winter - dangerous conditions. I held my nose while considering SUVs and minivans. This car was a reasonable compromise. The seat is firm and surprisingly comfortable on a 500 mile drive. The vehicle handles firmly and assertively unlike Toyotas other models. I call it a vanagon; it felt large at first, but it really is more like a tall sedan than anything else. I have a black one with that ridiculously toothy chrome grill, which seems to be a desirable feature on higher-end vehicles. But it goes like a tank in the snow and hauls a medium amount of stuff. Expect good resale from it and I feel safe.
