A Quick Look at the 2009 Toyota Venza

Last week I went to southwestern Pennsylvania to drive the all-new 2009 Toyota Venza. Loosely based on the Camry sedan, the Venza is directly aimed at those who are not interested in full-blown SUVs and want something that’s not only easier to drive, but easier to get in and out of as well. The term “boomer” came up more than once.

I’m prevented from discussing how it drove for another week, but look for a full review of the Venza next Monday, Nov. 3, along with its pricing. In the meantime, check out more Venza photos in a number of colors below.

Comments

This is the type of car I would definitely put on my shopping list. Too bad, not many cars are like this. May be Rondo. Hey, what's your name? - KIA?
The only issue is that they have 19 and 20 inch wheels. I don't want to even think how much one tire cost and how little of threadwear it has. So the maintenance factor is hige here. And this is big CON with Venza.

I wondering where in PA the author drove? May bve I can go there and drive too?

To Dave T.,

What is your opinion of the Venza for the American market? Do you feel that it's going to be successful for a car based wagon/mini-minivan in today's market & economy? How does it different from, say, the Highlander which is also based on the Camry platform? Is the interior as big as a mid-size SUV, or 'bou the size of, say a RAV4?

I like this sort of vehicles, but I don't think it's going to be a hit. We HAD the Nissan Axxess & Honda Odysey (1st Generation) - and in a way, Mazda 5, but NONE of those have been successful due to its small size. In Asia, these vehicles are actually a huge hit because they are not big (very small streets & living condition + crowded areas everywhere), very fuel efficient (2 Liters I4 engine with ~ 150 hp, but come on, who needs 250 hp in those condition, when you can only test 0 - 20 speed b/n start & stop, and that's the same even in metro areas in US?). Unfortunately, these are the same reasons why all of them have failed one way or the other here...

Thanks.

It was around Johnstown I believe. Really nice roads there actually.

The 19 and 20s were really odd to me too. Like what would be wrong with 18s?

AR,
I can't really get into too much about the Venza but it is rather big so doesn't really compete with the Rondo nor Mazda5. The big question is how much does it draw away from the Highlander?

I think Toyota is hoping to bank on the anti-suv movement and go with something that gets good mileage with fwd, 4 cyl, v6 and awd options.

They're targeting Boomers and young families which makes sense. Will it be a success? my colleagues at the event thought it could be. Honestly, right now, no one's buying new cars so it might not be execution alone that determines the success of this vehicle or not.

Saw this at the car show at the State Fair of Texas. This will be a sure winner for Toyota. It's on my short list already!

In Canada, Mazda5 is literally everywhere. Tons of Rondo's too.
But Dave is right. While Rondo is same sort of vehcle as Venza (family wagon), the Venza is bigger and much classier. Rondo would be your budget wagon while Venza is luxury wagon. And judging buy space provided, and Toyota's way of building cars, it has all to call it luxury.

Amuro Ray, considering how heavy cars/wagons/etc are getting these days, you need 250 horsepower to climb the hills out here in the west. Even in the metro areas.

Tony, according to one tire retailer's website, a set (4) of Yokohama Paradas will set you back about $900, mounted and balanced. Yikes!

GR,

This is not the end of the story. Another point is that not a lot of choice in this size group.

And since tires in this group considered high performance, they do not come with any threadwear warranty. Which means, they can wear off in 20K miles and you've got to go shopping!

surelly, if all the potential buyers would know this side of Venza, many would turn off. There is an argument that people buy BMWs with this sort of tires but I think, those who buy BMWs don't shop Toyota. Those who shop Toyota are looking for reliability = savings.

The Venza will be a success based on the fact that many people don't like the new Highlander that much, and the fact that Toyota has so much cash on hand they can afford to offer attractive financing at a time when consumers are having trouble getting loans.

I fail to see how this will succeed where vehicles like the Chrysler Pacifica and Subaru Tribeca failed to sell in significant amounts.

no more flickr, please. way too annoying.

johnnyt,
what's annoying about the flickr player? it's almost identical to the flash player we used before, but can be blown up to full screen size.

Let us know why you don't like it and perhaps that will help us bring something new.

Jon E.

I think, history of Chrysler Pacifica and Subaru Tribeca are not good examples to compare with Venza.
when it comes to Chrysler, they fail in almost all sales, besides Dodge trucks and minivans.
Tribeca is not offering enough for the money and nameplate. It almost like... Would you get Pilot or Tribeca for the same price?
Basically, these 2 were never positioned to be best sellers to begin with and came with a lot of shortcomings.

Both, Pacifica and Tribeca are not good on gas. Tribeca is to tight for the American taste. Pacifica is not very comfy to drive and has unortodox seating configuration.

Venza is large, and probably will bring decent fuel economy. It is Toyota. And Toyota sells.
They even made research. They put Toyota badge on some other cars and people picked those with Toyota badges.

I think, if Venza fails it will have little to do with Pacifica and Tribeca.

the only thing i don't like is the grille...better than Acura's new "Shield" but looks like 3 different grilles meshed 2gether.

It looks like the Camry wagon is back! I like it.

Is it just me, or does it really look like the Pacifics mated with the Highlander.

To me it looks like Avalon mated with Volvo

"johnnyt,
what's annoying about the flickr player?"

Dave T...simply stated, it just sucks and way too slow to load. Not sure what you used before but it appeared to be quicker to load.

iam hoping its built in JAPAN n not crapy america, sry guys

Tony, the word is treadwear, not threadwear. I was simply giving an example of how much a set of 20" 50-series tires cost. There's nothing to say that the tire manufacturers won't develop a longer wearing all-season 20" 50-series tire as the demand increases for that need. People will just have to wait and see.

This is my next car in the future..

2006 Corolla and Venza

Regarding the tire size... Not so long ago 17" wheels/tires were considered huge. Now it seems like it's the smallest size available on a mid-size SUV across most manufacturers. As more vehicles come with 19s/20s, prices on replacement tires will come down.

Personally, I think the 20s look great. This is going to be a premium vehicle, so I would have been disappointed if Toyota chose economy over style.

I believe that the real competition for the Venza will be the Murano and Edge, along with many cross-segment shoppers. It'll be someone who wants to spend between $30K-40K and may sacrifice some of the style and speed of an entry-level luxury sedan (i.e. G35/G37) for the utility of a crossover.

For me, it's come down to the Murano, Highlander Hybrid, and the Venza.

Toyota's have been looking awfully ugly lately...

Toyota really needs to redesign the grille and taillights on this car.

Using my work computer, I can't view the photos. They appear as a black box. I guess I can attribute that to flickr.

RM,
regarding: "Not so long ago 17" wheels/tires were considered huge. Now it seems like it's the smallest size available on a mid-size SUV across most manufacturers."

The real catch here is not the size of the rim. Is the profile.
While many SUVs do use 17 inch wheels, their tires are not low proile tires. Just look at pictures. While Venza uses the low profile tires.
I don't think we should really expect price on low profilers to come down anytime soon. Those are currently made with one target - performance.

What's the point of this vehicle? They already have something for every type of driver with the RAV4, Highlander, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, and 4Runner. I know they are not all crossovers but I'm sure adding another SUV will not help Toyota's bottom line. Is it me or is Toyota looking more like GM and Ford with all these different cars targeting the same audience?

Forgot to mention the Sequoia...

The interior looks nice but I have a sneaking suspcious we were shown an uplevel trim in photos. It scare me to think of keeping it clean. This stegment is already huge. Dodge Caliber/Journey, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matix (now why do this and the Venza?), lots of Mazada Products, Ria,and any CUV/SUV with a similiar look. The big problem with all these vehicles is disappointing milleage when U.S.A. is especially sensitive to gas prices even though they gone down. Ask Dodge why people aren't buying and one big reason is fuel milleage. This is a niche vechile not a hugh hit vehicle in a very crowded space.

The up-level trim versions of this look pretty sharp. I can see some influences from other cars, but as a whole I think it's a unique looking crossover aimed more at the Subaru Outback than the Tribeca or a Volvo XC70, rather than the XC90. And if Toyota manages to translate the really slick interior (The nicest interior I've ever seen on a Toyota) over to production, they'll have a huge hit on their hands.

I really believe this is going to sell very well for Toyota. I also believe that a good chunk of those sales are going to come from the Highlander and RAV4 so it may not make much of an increase in overall sales.

DodgeFan,
thank you! Dodge Journey - this is competition. I forgot about the Journey.
But others you named are not in the same league.
This car really looks to be in the league of XC70 (Thank you YOING!)
And you know what, guys? Finally, there will be a nice-sized, expensive-looking wagon from reliable car maker, which is NOT going to cost BIG 40 or more.
I even suspect now that Toyota is trying to hit Volvo buy taking some wagon market away from them.
Outback? I am not sure. Subaru is already basically wing of Toyota. What for Toyota will target Outback? They want Outback sell well. Outback is much smaller then what we see here. This one is more like Avalon Wagon, not Camry Wagon.

Dodge Charger should be a closer comparison for Toyota Venza.

Toyota Venza= Infiniti EX35 minus tech/lux/performance

i was wondering if i can fit 3 car seats in the second row? If so, I would consider it over a minivan (as I prefer the station wagon style layout). I know toyota puts the LATCH in all 3 seats, but in the camry, avalon and highlander, 3 seats don't fit (i tried)

Larry,

Venza has some tech that Infinity doesn't know about. But luxury - I think, Venza in top trims has more luxury then EX35. I remember, that sliding out of rear seat of EX35 was somewhat problematic. There was no much room in the back and terrible foot room. Every time
my feet would hit the speaker cover when I came out. I think luxury is defined by comfort. And rear passengers of EX35 have little of it. And performance? Infinity is performance-oriented brand. Toyota is not.

boring like other Toyotas ... so it'll probably do well. no matter how much a vehicle nowadays looks like a wagon, somehow the name "crossover" makes it more appealing.

are the dual exhaust pipes standard or only on expensive trims (XLE or whatever)?

DL,
I think, duals are related to V6. 4cyl most likely to use single pipe because I believe, they will try to keep weight down more then anything on 4 cyl.

CAMRY HATCHBACK .

This car appeals to me on a variety of levels. The pacifica and the tribeca failed in my opinion because they are/were priced too high.
I believe price strategy will make or break this Venza as well. In Canada, where I live, it seems there's a gap in the 33k to 37k range in product. People like me, who want a nice car for around 30k, would probably spend 5k or so more to get what Venza offers. Once you reach that 40k mark, there is a whole new higher level of vehicles from which to choose. I believe the Venza could be successful in attracting buyers that had not considered Toyota before. Buyers from Honda, Acura, Nissan and maybe Infinity .These Manufacturers have gaps in their product lines. Even though they have loyal customers, I believe the loyalty is at risk. While most car prices have dropped...theirs have not. The Acura TSX is about 39k here and 29k in America. That's a huge difference on a car made in Japan. I'm guessing a nicely equipped Venza will be around 29k US$ and should be around 36k in Canada. Maybe that's wishful... I hope not.

I've been driving Accords for some time now. I figured I'd just get another one... that was until I saw the new sedan. My Honda experience has been exceptional. About 2 years ago I was at my Honda dealer asking why Honda hadn't given consideration to an AWD Accord with big wheels. I explained to the sales manager that I wanted a sport-luxury sedan with some SUV-like qualities... kind of like a Murano...except less truck-like.I didn't want 7 passenger seating...or mom's next-gen Femmed out Minivan CUV. He told me they'd never build such a car. I replied there were a lot of guys like me who wanted that in a car... 45-55 yr old male professionals...who want something nice but don't want a truck or an SUV. At the time... the only car I liked was the EX35... but 290 hp seemed extravagant... and the price was 18g's more than an EXL Accord. I looked a Journey, It was the closest thing to what I wanted... but to go from a Honda to a Dodge...no way. If the Venza drives nice and if the price is palatable, I will switch to Toyota.

Paul,

talking to sales manager at the dealer about new products (wish list) is waste of time. You would be better off calling Honda or sending them e-mail. At the dealer they will listen to you and after you leave they would go, "thanks god! he left"

"I explained to the sales manager that I wanted a sport-luxury sedan with some SUV-like qualities"

Sounds like Subaru Outback Sedan to me.

Tony,

You're right about the dealer. I asked because I was hoping he'd have something to offer.

The Subaru is a helpful suggestion although looks too much like a wagon and that's a huge drawback for me. I think the trend toward boxy squared off vehicles will go the way of pet rocks in the near future. I don't want to be driving something that looks like a toaster.

OK Paul

Last offer for "...sport-luxury sedan with some SUV-like qualities..."

Dodge Magnum SXT AWD 3.5L V6 $29,855

Looks like sort of extended sedan. All the truck qualities, starting with name.
:o)

This is a Toyota magnum and it will erode Highlander sales. This vehicle looks too much like a wagon and that isnt good. The SRX never took off partially because it looks like a CTS wagon instead of a crossover. People dont want wagons of this size. The Flex will compete with the Venza and it hasnt sold well. Those who are saying it will sell well because its a Toyota need to check Toyota's recent sales. Lexus is down, the Avalon is down, the Tundra is down, the Highlander is down. The list goes on. The Highlander will not exceed the sales of its predecessor. As for the interior, the Highlander's looks great in pics but is cheap in real life. Venza is likely the same.

"Those who are saying it will sell well because its a Toyota need to check Toyota's recent sales."

That's not saying much. Dropping less than the double-digit losses for the overall market equates to "selling well" in this market.

"As for the interior, the Highlander's looks great in pics but is cheap in real life. Venza is likely the same."

That I'd agree with (about the Highlander). I was disappointed with the rock hard dash and the plain door panels (look at the plastic around the window switches). The Venza looks like it might be a step up, but the texture of the dash vinyl/plastic seems odd in places. I'll hold off judgement till I see it in person.

I've been waiting a few years for this car, but now that it's here I'm
wondering why I should choose it over the 3 series BMW wagon.
Price will be comparable, and the BMW dealerships have been
much more responsive to my inquiries. Toyota folks can't even
tell me when they'll have the Venza on their lots.

I am the proud owner of a fully-loaded 2009 Venza. The MSRP was $39,873, the highest MSRP with every option, even the tow package and hitch. I got the price down to $33,000 with NO dealer prep, delivery, or other bs. People, this is one slick car for the money. I loaded up five people and luggage and took off for a 500-mile trip. NP if I wanted to go 90 (all day long) and it stuck like glue to the road. I like to drive about 76-77 on cruise (hey-I'm honest!). I get more looks than when in my Mercedes. Best color is magnetic grey with light grey interior (leather). Can't say enough about my new car. Buying one for my daughter and son too!

Why the hell can't Toyota just wake up out of their coma and simply build a Camry Wagon????????
Stop building failures like the Venza!!! Quit building something based on a Camry and build a REAL CAMRY That's a WAGON.
If the Camry was a best seller, why the hell not build a genuine CAMRY WAGON rather than stupid nich vehicles???? People look at the stupid Venza and can't believe how ugly it is!!!! And here we go again... the 2012 Camry and still no Wagon... screw Toyota !!!