Jerry Robbin

The Venza is a CUV with a different twist for Toyota. Venza has some unique and racy styling cues from the interior to the jet age exterior. This vehicle definitely has its own unique personality and will be around for many years.

Driving Experience

Let’s start with the EPA rating for the Venza V6AWD 18 city and 25 hwy, which is above the average for this segment of the market. I averaged 22mpg city and 27mpg highways, which is respectable for this size vehicle.

The Venza drives just like a car. It has variable-assist electric power steering, which feels a little sloppy when making sharp turns. The ride is superlative and it feels like you are floating on a cloud. Brakes felt a little spongy at times , but were capable of instant braking.

Safety

Below are the many standard safety features on the Venza:
Star Safety System™ (includes Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with cutoff switch)
Traction Control (TRAC)
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
Driver and front passenger Advanced Airbag System
Driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags
Front and rear side curtain airbags
Driver’s knee airbag
Front passenger active headrests
Direct Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
Front and rear energy absorbing crumple zones
Side-impact door beams
Energy-dissipating interior trim
Driver and front passenger seatbelt warning sensor
3-point seatbelts in all seating positions
Adjustable seatbelt anchors for front seating positions
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) on driver’s belt
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractors (ALR/ELR) on all passenger belts
Front seatbelt pre-tensioners with force limiters
LATCH (Low Anchors and Tethers for Children) for outboard rear seating positions only
Child-protector rear door locks
Collapsible steering column
Engine immobilizer
Anti-theft system with engine immobilizer

Under the Hood

My Venza came equipped with a 268 hp 3.5 liter V6 ,which was capable of propelling you into any road condition. The transmission is a six-speed automatic, and with the V6, is capable of 0-60 MPH in less than 7 seconds.

Inside

The Venza is designed for five adults and has a huge cargo area. Both front and back doors have flush sills, which make easy access for adults. The interior used many textures of material from the dash to the elegant leather seating with two-toned piping. The oversized gauges were a pleasure as you did not have to look twice to figure out the time or how fast your were going. There was so much storage in this unique vehicle from the enormous center consol where you could fit a laptop to dual cup holders in door pockets to an iPod holder with a hole in the bottom to accommodate the audio cable. Dual-zone climate control, a power-adjustable driver’s seat and a 6-disc in-dash CD changer are standard on the Venza. High-tech options include high beams that automatically dim for oncoming cars and a stereo that supports wireless music streaming from Bluetooth devices.

All of the seating was comfortable and the rear seat will accommodate 3 large adults in comfort. There is plenty of legroom and headroom, reclining seats, and my Venza came with the optional dual-pane sunroof. The cargo area can hold up to 34.4 cubic feet of storage space. My vehicle came with the power liftgate and the rear seats lower flush for storage. The Venza comes standard with a cargo cover.

My vehicle came with the optional backup camera. The optional navigation system is easy to use and very functional. Toyota paid a lot of attention to detail when they created the Venza from the easy entry with low doors sills, multi use center console, interior lighting and finally easy-to-fold seatbacks.

Outside

The Venza has the most unique styling of any CUV on the market today from the bold grille to the tailgate. When you see the Venza on the road people take notice of its unique styling treatment. From the 20″ wheels to the unique taillights the vehicle styling impressed me.

Summary

Toyota has a definite winner with the Venza and if you are looking for a family vehicle with styling definitely take a test drive before you make your next vehicle purchase.

Specifications

Exterior Dimensions (in.)
Overall length 189”
Overall width 75”
Overall height 63.4”
Wheelbase 109.3
Track with AWD (front/rear) 64.2”/64.2”
Minimum running ground clearance 8.1”
Interior Dimensions, front/rear (in.)
Head room without panoramic roof 39.6”/39.3”
Head room with panoramic roof (sunshade open/closed) 41.0”/40.1”
Shoulder room (front/rear) 60.0”/59.0”
Hip room (front/rear) 56.0”/56.5”
Leg room (front/rear) 40.2”/39.1”
Seating capacity 5

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