Price: $40,380
Pros—Stylish. Upscale roomy interior. Decent acceleration. Smooth ride. Stable handling. All-wheel drive. Good fuel economy.
Cons—So-so cargo area. High cargo opening. Outside mirrors partly block vision.
Bottom Line—Pleasant and easy to live with.
The
2022 Toyota Venza Limited midsize hybrid crossover looks faster and more aggressive than it is with its shark-like front and rakish side view. But it’s just moderately fast and mainly designed for room and comfort. Driving fun isn’t on the menu.
Not that this second-generation $40,380 Venza Limited is a bore. It’s fairly fast with its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and three electric motors, which generate a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound/feet of torque.
The Venza has virtually no changes from 2021, when it was introduced as the all-new second-generation Venza. It does 0-60 m.p.h. in 7.6 seconds with its smooth CVT automatic transmission. Merging and passing times are more than acceptable. After all, this crossover weighs 3,913 pounds.
A driver has a good view of the road, but large automatic outside mirrors block vision when, for instance, turning street corners. However, at least the mirrors fold in toward the front door-side glass when the Venza Limited is parked to prevent costly damage to them.
Estimated economy is an impressive 40 miles per gallon in the city and 37 on highways. Only 87-octane fuel is needed for its 14.5-gallon tank. I got a steady 40 m.p.h. on highways at a constant 70 m.p.h.
You can select these driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport vis a console switch. I didn’t bother much with “Eco,” but “Normal” provides an impressively smooth ride, although some bumps and road dips can be felt. “Sport” tightens things up a bit and doesn’t hurt the ride much, but really is for winding roads.
I didn’t notice all that much difference between Normal and Sport modes. Both allow a moderate amount of body lean around entry and exit expressway curves at above-average speeds, but there always was a feeling of security, thanks to a good suspension and the standard all-wheel-drive system. Steering is quick and accurate, although largely lacking in feel, and the brake pedal has a smooth, progressive action.
However, of course, the Venza Limited isn’t meant to be driven like a sports car. It mostly resembles a laid-back GT (Grand Touring) vehicle for relaxing long trips.
Four tall adults can sit comfortably in the Venza Limited’s upscale interior, which has great-looking wood (or simulated wood) trim and high quality materials. But leave the stiff rear center seat for the fold-down armrest with its twin cupholders unless a fifth occupant needs a ride.
The large touchscreen takes time to learn, and it’s annoying that there is no knob for the radio volume and tuning. At least there are manual dashboard controls for such items as the heated steering wheel, trunk opening and rearview camera.
The cargo area has a high opening beneath the power hatch but is just adequately sized for a 187-inch length vehicle, although the split rear seat backs easily slip forward and sit flat to enlarge the cargo area from 28.8 cubic feet to 54.4 cubic feet.
The top-line Venza Limited can touch $45,000 with options, but has plenty of standard equipment. It includes such features such as a high-line (near-Lexus) interior, automatic climate control, CarPlay and Android Auto, large console storage bin, deep door pockets, rearview-camera and larger (12.8 inch) touchscreen than the 8.3-inch screen in the entry level $32,890 Venza model.
One especially standard noteworthy feature is a large electrochromatic glass roof that can be turned from clear to opaque to keep out direct sunlight. It also has a power sliding cover.
It’s a small touch, but I liked the separate control for the rear windshield wiper. That control often is combined with the control for the front wipers and that can make it hard to stop the rear wiper while turning off the front ones.
Safety items include front/rear parking sensors, cross-traffic assist, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, head-up display, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and a 360-degree surround-view camera.
The Venza Limited is suited to compete with harder-edged upscale German imports. After all, how many autobahns do we have in this country?