As wagons go, the new Toyota Venza is a stylish offering that does everything a wagon should - and then so much more. You won't find me stumping for wagons very often, but after the Dodge Magnum - in my humble opinion the coolest-looking modern wagon ever - this Venza is pretty great at being different, yet sophisticated.
At first glance the 2009 Venza appears to be a great-looking wagon that you don't initially realize is a Toyota. Nothing wrong with that; I especially enjoy surprises that deliver more than I expect. And that's the case with the Venza.
The Venza is pretty straightforward when it comes to trim lines and options. You have a choice of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive and four-cylinder or V-6 power. From there, you add on the packages to suit your tastes. Pricing starts at $23,000 and gradually climbs to $28,000.
My Venza tester was the V-6 model with all-wheel drive. A luscious Barcelona Red Metallic hue enveloped the sleek exterior lines and tight overhangs, giving it an especially distinctive, yet compact first impression. But don't be fooled; that's just great Toyota engineering and design at work. The V-6 Venza sits on 20-inch rims, rides higher than a sedan and delivers exceptional utilitarian function inside. There is really nothing remotely compact about it once you get inside.
Based on the Avalon sedan, there is nothing small about the Venza. Toyota quality is prevalent throughout the vehicle, which easily accommodates five adults. You could start to consider this a cross between the Highlander and the Avalon, but it really would not do justice to the great combination of utility and plush sedanlike handling Venza delivers.
The front-wheel-drive base model Venza offers a brand-new Toyota 16-valve, 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 182 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. The Environmental Protection Agency rating on the I-4 puts Venza at 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway, which is what you might expect from a wagon weighing in at more than 4,300 pounds. Both the I-4 and V-6 engines are mated to a wonderful six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift that helps aid fuel economy.
My tester had the upgraded 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, rated at 268 horsepower and 246 pounds-feet of torque at 4,700 rpm. This is the engine you really want in your Venza if you plan to have a family load of passengers or "stuff" on a regular basis. This V-6 has great power on demand and it jumps on command to wherever you point it. My all-wheel-drive Venza was rated at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
While it certainly is not an SUV, the 20-inch rims make it feel like you are riding higher (8.1 inches ground clearance) than the average sedan. That bodes well for the overall driving experience because the Venza is almost 190 inches long, which is longer than the Highlander.
Inside the cabin you have comfortable surroundings. My tester had the premium package No. 2 ($4,345) that added chrome accents, power, leather seats and accents, mahogany wood-grain-style trim, an intelligent key with push-button start, back-up camera and power rear-door jam protection. If you have kids, the last two items are worth the entire cost of the package (but the wood trim and leather are very nice, too).
Cabin room is generous, with front passenger leg and headroom more than average and rear passenger legroom ample. You could actually sit three adults in the back of the Venza. That's not something you can say about other sedans. Rear seats have a 60-40 split with easy access to the back utility area. |