The Toyota Venza is currently Toyota's only crossover without a third-row seat, as the RAV4 and the Highlander crossover SUVs do have the third-row seating (although only available on the RAV4 V6 base, as other RAV4 trims seat only five). Unlike the RAV4 and Highlander, which are sold in Japan, the Venza is currently only sold in North America. The Toyota Venza counterpart that is sold in Japan, the Toyota Mark X ZiO, also has an available third row seat while being slightly shorter and narrower than the Venza. Toyota states the Venza blends the "styling and comfort of a passenger car with the flexibility of a sport utility vehicle. According to Toyota, Venza is neither a station wagon or SUV, rather it is targeted at customers who want more room and flexibility than the Camry sedan but desire a smaller size than the Highlander, a mid-size crossover SUV.
The 2011 Toyota Venza doesn't quite exhibit the top-notch interior quality of past Toyota models, but it is a tad nicer than its current Camry stablemate. Its design in particular is rather fetching and practical to boot, with a sleek center console that features a high-mounted shifter that frees up space between the seats. This allows for a large bin, generously sized cupholders and smaller bins perfect for iPods and other small devices. The audio and climate controls are a new design for Toyota, but they remain user-friendly.
The 2011 Toyota Venza although it lacks a third-row seat, the Venza provides loads of passenger space, particularly in the rear, which features reclining seatbacks. A bit more driver seat adjustment would be nice, though. The cargo area can swallow 70 cubic feet of stuff with the rear seat folded and a healthy 34.4 cubes with the seats up. A tilt and telescope steering wheel, eight-way power driver’s seat and four-way power passenger’s seat, power windows, locks and mirrors, and dual zone automatic climate control are among standard features. Also included in the base price of every 2011 Venza is a power rear liftgate, cruise control, and a 3.5-inch instrument-panel multi-information display for outside temperature, instant and average fuel economy, distance to empty, average speed, and air conditioning settings.
The 2011 Toyota Venza dashboard control system is gorgeous. The dashboard-mounted shifter is a design marvel, and frees space in the floor-mounted center console for retractable cup holders and an iPod/MP3-player bin. Most importantly, the Venza offers a laudable amount of space for both cargo and occupants. Its rear reclining seat can handle two adults or three children comfortably. With all seats down, the Venza boasts a very healthy 70 cubic feet of storage space.
The 2011 Toyota Venza is available with a four- or six-cylinder engine and can be had in either front- or all-wheel drive. All versions feature a six-speed automatic transmission. The 2.7-liter four-cylinder produces 182 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. In Edmunds performance testing, a four-cylinder, front-drive Venza went from zero to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds an average time compared to similarly powered crossovers. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 20/25/22 with all-wheel drive. The 3.5-liter V6 produces 268 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque. In Edmunds performance testing, it accelerated an all-wheel-drive Venza from zero to 60 mph in a quick 6.9 seconds. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 19/26/22 with front drive and 18/25/21 with AWD. This is strong for a vehicle of its size and power.
The 2011 Toyota Venza is a five-passenger wagon available in two trim levels, which correspond to its two engines. The four-cylinder Venza comes standard with 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlamps, foglamps, privacy glass, a power tailgate, keyless entry, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver seat (includes power lumbar), a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a large color trip computer display, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and an iPod/USB audio interface. The Venza V6 adds 20-inch wheels along with its bigger engine.
The 2011 Toyota Venza price MSRP is $27,235-$30,510. That represents a modest $200 increase over the 2010 Venza. (All base prices in this review include the manufacturer’s mandated destination fee. The factory’s fee for the 2011 Venza is $760, Toyotas sold in certain Southeaster and Gulf states are delivered by independent distributors and may carry a different destination charge.) The 2011 Toyota Venza equipped with the four-cylinder engine has a base price of $27,235 with front-wheel drive and $28,685 with AWD. The 2011 Toyota Venza equipped with the V-6 engine has a base price of $29,060 with front-wheel drive and $30,510 with AWD.
