2011 Toyota Venza Review

By Chuck Giametta

Table of Contents
2011 Toyota Venza Review and Pricing
2010 Toyota Venza Review and Pricing
2009 Toyota Venza Quote
2011 TOYOTA VENZA BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Toyota Venza is the best car for you if you believe “family station wagon” now means “crossover SUV” and that Toyota still means reliability.

• Toyota is phasing-in the installation of an electronic brake override designed to thwart unintended acceleration, and every model-year 2011 Venza will have the upgrade. Most 2010 models should have it, too, and to the naked eye, there isn’t apt to be much difference between a 2011 Venza and 2010 model.

• Venza is a stylish five-passenger crossover for buyers who want elevated seating and an active-lifestyle image but cringe at the notion of a minivan and don’t want to wrestle with the mass of an SUV. Venza is built on a version of the structure that underpins the Toyota Camry midsize sedan but has wagon-type cargo volume and is available with all-wheel drive (AWD).

• Should you wait for the 2011 Toyota Venza or buy a 2010 Toyota Venza? Wait for the 2011 Venza if you need assurance you’ll have the brake-override system. If you can verify a new 2010 version has been fully updated, however, there’s probably little reason to wait for the 2011 Venza. There won’t be any notable changes to styling or features between the 2010 and 2011 models. Venza is due a mid-cycle freshening in model-year 2012, so if you purchase a 2011, you’ll have it for just a year before its styling is stale. And the 2010 Venza should carry attractive discounts as Toyota tries to make up for sales lost during the recall. The best way to get the full value from either a 2010 or 2011 Venza would be to keep it for more than five years or so -- beyond the point at which resale prices would be tarnished by the unintended acceleration controversy.

2011 TOYOTA VENZA CHANGES

• Styling: The 2011 Toyota Venza probably won’t be visually distinguishable from the 2010 Venza, which carried over its styling from the 2009 debut of this midsize crossover. Venza is based on the Toyota Camry sedan and shares the same wheelbase -- the span between front and rear axles that defines passenger-compartment space. Though Venza actually has fractionally less body length than the Camry, it’s significantly taller and wider, and it has SUV-type ground clearance. It rides on huge 19- or 20-inch wheels and tires, and with its swept-back sheetmetal and aggressive stance, this arguably is the handsomest vehicle in the Toyota showroom. The cabin is modern, quiet, and stylish. There’s outstanding space and comfort for four adults and decent accommodations for a fifth in the center position of the rear bench seat. The dashboard displays real design flair and doesn’t sacrifice functionality to achieve it. You sit slightly higher than most surrounding traffic, but climbing in or out is no chore. Luggage room with the 60/40 split rear seatbacks upright is an expansive 34.4 cubic feet; at 70.1 cubic feet with the seatbacks folded, cargo volume is only about average for the midsize-crossover class.

• Mechanical: Model-year 2009 and 2010 Venzas were among Toyotas recalled for a replacement driver-side floormat that wouldn’t interfere with the gas pedal. Venza was not among Toyotas sited for a sticking gas pedal. The automaker did, however, include 2009-2010 Venzas among its first cars recalled to retrofit an electronic system that enables brake-pedal application to override the accelerator. All model-year 2011 Venzas will have the brake-override system and Toyota was phasing it into production during 2010. Beyond that, the 2011 Toyota Venza will likely continue with a choice of a 182-horsepower four-cylinder engine or a 268-horsepower V-6. Both use a six-speed automatic transmission; the gear lever sprouts from the center of the dashboard and can be moved within a separate gate for manual-type shifting. Either engine is available with front-wheel or extra-cost all-wheel-drive (AWD). Venza isn’t intended for off-roading, so the AWD’s main role is to automatically redistribute power front-to-rear to maintain traction on slippery road surfaces. An antiskid system, also known as stability control, is standard and is designed to prevent sideways slides. An optional towing package allows Venza to trailer up to 3,500 pounds, same as most light-duty SUVs. Venza is by no means a small or lightweight wagon, but the four-cylinder is surprisingly game, furnishing good go around town and adequate punch for hills and highways. The V-6 furnishes fine all-around performance and is in fact sufficiently muscular that you’ll find AWD a useful antidote to the torque-steer veering that afflicts powerful front-drive vehicles during rapid acceleration from low speeds. Venza corners with reasonable poise. Its steering can feel annoyingly slow, numb, and unnatural in turns, though, oddly, these negatives seem to affect V-6 models more than four-cylinder versions. Sadly, the big wheels and tires that help give Venza its street cred detract from the ride quality, no matter the engine. Nasty bumps thump, sharp tar strips jar, and road noise infiltrates the cabin.    

• Features: Toyota could decide introduction of the 2011 Venza should also trigger introduction of specific trim levels to the model lineup. If it doesn’t, the 2011 Venza will continue as a single basic model tailored to your liking through individual or package options. Notable extra-cost features include a panoramic glass roof with a power tilt/slide panel over the front seats and a fixed pane above the rear seats. Leather upholstery and an easy-to-operate voice-activated navigation system are available. Models without the panoramic roof can be equipped with a rear-seat DVD entertainment system that uses a ceiling-mounted nine-inch screen. A tilt and telescope steering wheel, an eight-way power driver’s seat, power windows, locks and mirrors, and dual zone automatic climate control are among standard features. The standard audio system includes an in-dash six-CD changer with integrated satellite radio and an auxiliary port for iPod and MP3 devices.

2011 TOYOTA VENZA PRICES

• Toyota won’t announce 2011 Venza prices until shortly before the vehicle goes on sale. But this crossover’s pricing history suggests the four-cylinder version will start around $27,500 with front-wheel drive and around $29,000 with AWD. Estimated base prices with the V-6 are around $29,500 with front-drive, about $31,000 with AWD. These price estimates include Toyota’s mandated destination fee, which was $720 for model-year 2010.

2011 TOYOTA VENZA FUEL ECONOMY

• The 2010 Toyota Venza was already one of the highest-mileage five-passenger crossover SUVs of its size, and ratings should be no worse for the 2011 model. That means four-cylinder versions would again be rated at least 21/29 mpg (city/highway) with front-wheel drive and 20/28 with AWD. With the V-6, the 2011 V-6 Venza should repeat at 19/26 with front wheel drive, 18/25 with AWD. Both engines use 87-octane gas.

2011 TOYOTA VENZA RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Toyota Venza should go on sale in autumn 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE TOYOTA VENZA  

• Venza was introduced for model-year 2009 and Toyota’s product cadence puts it on pace for a full redesign in model year 2014. That positions the 2012 Venza for a mid-cycle freshening, which typically involves minor appearance changes to nose and tail, maybe some revisions to interior trim, and perhaps a new feature or two. The body will retain today’s basic shape and dimensions.

• Look for Toyota to explore ways to eek out a few more miles per gallon without compromising performance. That eventually could mean a gas-electric hybrid version of the Venza. Toyota says each of its model lines will include a hybrid by the early 2020s.

• In the longer-term, it’s important to note that Venza’s marketing category is still in its infancy. Honda and BMW have jumped in, but history shows some crossovers that aspired to be more than conventional station wagons but less than traditional SUVs have failed. Even Venza’s early sales numbers were below projections. Part of the blame was that it launched into the teeth of the economic downturn. But no manufacturer has yet had a blockbuster hit with this particular sort of car/wagon/SUV blend. So it’s possible Venza, in its current formula, could turn out to be a one-generation-and-done experiment.

2011 TOYOTA VENZA COMPETITION

• Honda Accord Crosstour: As the Honda Accord sedan is the Toyota Camry’s natural advsary, so the new-for-2010 Crosstour lines up opposite the Venza. It’s the same formula of a five-seat wagon taffied into a high roof hatchback with available AWD. Passenger room is a draw, but Venza has more cargo room. Honda could add a four-cylinder Crosstour for 2011; otherwise it’ll stay with a V-6 that elevates the starting price well above Venza’s, to more than $30,000 and to over $34,000 if you want AWD

• Subaru Outback: It’s more station wagon than crossover, but still rivals Venza for passenger and cargo room while beating anything in this group for bad-road prowess and bad-weather proficiency. AWD is standard and engine choices are a four-cylinder slightly overburdened at 170 horsepower or a six-cylinder with plenty of juice at 256. Four-cylinder models are priced from around $24,000, six-cylinders from around $29,000. Outback was all-new for model-year 2010 and won’t change again for several more years.

• Nissan Murano: A model-year 2009 redesigned pumped up the SUV side of its personality, but Murano remains a fine-driving example of the midsize crossover breed. A roomy five-seat cabin, clean styling, front- or all-wheel-drive, and a strong V-6 mated to a marvelous continuously variable automatic transmission are among its attractions. Murano won’t change significantly for several more years.