In the 2009 model year, Toyota introduces more of a good thing with the five-door Venza wagon. Venza may be an all-new name to the Toyota lineup, but its underpinnings are familiar to loyalists. While not marketed as such, Venza is the five-door wagon version of the most popular car sold in America, the durable mid-size Camry sedan. Venza is built in Georgetown, Kentucky at the same facility cranking out the Camry sedan and the two-door Camry Solara coupe. Venza was designed in Ann Arbor, Michigan and engineered for the North American market, its exclusive sales home. Make not mistake, this is no off-road, truck-like sport utility vehicle, it's car based with a smooth, very quiet ride.
Venza joins a recent trend of compact and mid-size vehicles with a wagon like, hatchback rear. The Illinois-built Dodge Caliber/Jeep Compass duo, while slightly smaller in size, strikes a similar pose. All are attractive with a versatility factor in there favor. Venza measures five-and-a-half inches taller than a Camry sedan, with an identical length (189 inches). One notable visual cue is the front hood/grille. The front hood's end swoops down into the grille creating a "V" (for "Victory" or 'Venza,' take your pick).
Venza seats five. No third row is offered. For those Toyota shoppers truly in need of a third row in a small-sized vehicle, the RAV4 crossover offers one, but the third row is best left for the pre-teen audience. Venza does offer the choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Also, shoppers get to select from a 2.7-liter inline four cylinder engine delivering 182 horsepower or a more potent 3.5-liter V-6 (268 horsepower). A silky- smooth, six-speed automatic transmission comes standard. No manual transmission is offered, but the six-speed automatic has the 'shiftronic' feature allowing manual shifting of gears without a foot clutch when desired. Regular octane fuel fills the 17.7-gallon tank.
Large, strap-like handles on all four side doors are easy to grab even with gloves (when the weather freezes up). The angled hatchback comes with an optional power mode. A spoiler is standard as are large radial tires creating a sporty look. Twenty-inch varieties are standard in the V-6 while 19-inch treads are I-4 suited.
Toyota supplied us with a red, V-6, all-wheel drive for a weeks drive. Starting price was $29,250. The bottom line with $720 destination charge ended up at $38,224 including the following options: glass moon roof ($1,050); DVD in-dash navigation system ($2,590) and premium package ($4,345). The premium package includes leather seating, power passenger's seat, mahogany interior trim, and push-button start. Toyota has simplified its trim level and option plans with Venza by offering one base model (available with either engine and either drive train), a couple of premium packages and a limited number of stand-alone options.
The lowest-priced offering, a four-cylinder front-drive version, checks in at $25,975, with all-wheel drive, the four-cylinder lists at $27,425. A V-6 front-drive edition starts at $27,800. If these prices area little high for your budget, Toyota also offers the four-cylinder exclusive Matrix, a five-door wagon based on the smaller Corolla platform.
Inside, fit and finish are superb. Venza's dashboard layout is different from Camry sedans. Front bucket seats are wide and comfortable. Seating position is a bit higher up than what's found in most mid-sized sedans. To the far left of the dash board is a pull-out storage bin with built-in coin holder. The large glove box on the far right accommodates even more stuff. |