2011 Toyota Venza Review and Prices

Styling: The 2011 Toyota Venza is visually distinguishable from the 2010 Venza, which means it continues 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 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: The 2011 Toyota Venza gets the electronic brake override but is otherwise a mechanical rerun of the 2010 Venza. It continues 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 provides 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. As for Venza’s connection to the sudden-acceleration controversy, 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 have the brake-override system.

Features: Toyota has decided release of the 2011 Venza will not trigger introduction of specific trim levels to the model lineup. So the 2011 Venza continues 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. The optional system is a JBL Synthesis unit with satellite radio. It includes Bluetooth cell-phone connectivity, but continued absence of a USB iPod interface keeps Venza curiously out of step with most rivals.