2009 Toyota Venza Crossover

wstevec

Can't tell you what the price would be on a special order, but I was told by a Toyota rep that its between 6 and 8 weeks for a special order. Since they build them in KY, it should not be a problem, besides they need the business.

ocangelfan

If you look at the pictures of the 2010 RX350/400h on the lexus website, it looks practically identical to the Venza on the exterior. The front grill is different, but the rest of the exterior looks very similar.

tourguide

My local dealer so I went to look at it (V6 white - premium 2). It is a nice vehicle and the 20s look good. Inside though it is small. This is not a travel vehicle for families. The usable cargo space is limited by the intrusion of the wheel wells into the trunk area. This is par for the course, but in the Venza it takes away a noticable amount of room with the slope of the rear hatch. Toyota says there is 30 cubic feet back here (lots of scattered figures floating around on this) but you'd be pressed to get more than overnight bags in the trunk area for a trip with a family of four - unless you are the kind of person who doesn't mind packing it to the roof.

I think this would be a great vehicle for empty nesters. Two people, who most of the time will have the rear seats down for adequate cargo area, but who occasionally need to put them up to transport another couple. I can see how it was designed with this in mind.

It will not however meet our needs as a family of four.

herdingdog1

We are looking to replace my wife's Chrysler 2001 town and country AWD and I had hoped this was the answer. It isn't! Liked everything about it right up to the time I measured the distance between the wheel wells in the back. It measured about 40.5" which will not let two dog crates fit between them. The T&C is 48" but most everything else is at least 43 or 44. Since crates are 22" each and we need two side by side it will not work. Bummer! anyway the console between the front seats is huge and that was the other "critical" issue coming from a mini-van. Too bad but on to the next answer?

kdhspyder

In the Toyota systems, everyone of them, you will not be able to enter phone numbers or navi info on the screen while the vehicle is moving. All the vehicles are that way.

OTOH you can speak the info into the system and it actually takes less time and is easier. Smart on their part.

macpro

Earlier today I tried the dial by number, dial by name (uses my iPhone address book) voice commands and they worked very well.

jwag2

One question is whether cargo area with rear seats folded down is completely flat. I am thinking in venza just seat backs go down, so cargo area rises a little over rear seats. Can anyone confirm this?

Have been awaiting the Venza as my camry wagon ('93 --228k) would like to take a rest.... In my wagon, seat bottoms pull up and then seat backs go down, making cargo area very flat (which is very convenient). Thanks for any help.

ghtrap

The seat bottoms do not fold forward and out of the way for the seat backs to fold perfectly flat. It's reasonably flat - much more so than the Highlander - but there is a slight incline and about a 1" rise from the cargo floor behind the rear seat. There is a plastic flap that folds down with the seat to make that transition smoother. There is an intrusion on both sides from the suspension towers into the cargo area that constricts the width to about 39" in that area. Wider behind and in front of the towers.

jwag2

Appreciate the info. Seems it also may be a little narrower in width than in the wagon in its cargo area too.

hierax

Sat in a couple V6 units at the Auto show in Boston on Saturday.

My initial impression was that front center console area is huge. I'm very much used to open spaces in the front seat , and that took some getting used to. At first I found it claustrophobic based upon what I'm used to. If I had to describe it, I'd akin the Venza to more of an Avalon wagon than anything else. It's aimed (imo) at carry 4 -5 passengers very comfortably - I liked the seats.

Driving positon was hard to judge as the power seats were not on - so I couldn't adjust things. The displays etc looked very accessible - and I would save further comment until driving, but overall I'd say it's an extrememly comfy car - it remains to be seen whether I'll be able to find a cost effective combination for purchase next summer/fall when my wallet rubber hits the road.

Based upon what I read - I'd like about 4k ish in add ons , but I haven't been able to 'build' one with the 4 (or even 6) cylinder makeup. I'm looking at premium package 1 (see press releases) but it seems impossible to find w/o the roof, speaker upgrades etc. I hope Toyata starts to produce some lower , non-'stripped' versions of the car by next fall.

jwag2

for those of us who have been holding to our now older camry wagons, there may be a competitor out there at some point with accord wagon known as tourer. apparently on sale in japan and europe.
jalopnik.com/364125/european-honda-accord-sedan-and-wagon

hope it is okay to mention this here. have been awaiting venza for a while. not quite exactly a camry wagon. wish gas mileage was better -- my 15 yo wagon also with straight 4 looks just a tad better than venza straight 4's gas mileage.

they have one venza in stock at one of our local dealers in Raleigh NC

toledo73

Finally got to look at and sit in the Venza. It must be because of my long torso because I found the lower lumbar support non existent. Tried to "inflate" the lower area with no relief. My 08 CRv is much more comfortable. Lots of lower back support. Good luck to all of you that choose the Venza.

qs933

I am thinking in venza just seat backs go down, so cargo area rises a little over rear seats. Can anyone confirm this?

There is a picture on Toyota's site in the Venza's photo section (select Interior) of the seats folded down. Looks pretty flat to me, but pictures can be deceiving.

macpro

I just ran out to the garage to check. The seats do not fold completely flat, there is a slight hump between the seats and the rear cargo area when the seats are down.

I don't think this will really effect anything, since it's pretty close to completely flat.

toyotaken

Just keep in mind that your 15yr old wagon is probably around 500-800lbs lighter/smaller than the Venza and doesn't need to meet any of the newer emissions standards that newer vehicles need to along with very few of the newer safety features that the new Venza has.

That being said, for a vehicle the size that the Venza is, the MPG is pretty impressive, whether you choose the 4 or 6cyl models.

cwayne

I use the toyato dealer to service my rx330 and have had no problem. the only differance is no free car wash and loaner. the dealership is large and has a quick lube that gets me out in less than one hour. oil, filter and tire rotation for under $40 as apposed to $120 at the lexus dealer.

Karen_S

2009 Toyota Venza Full Test

santa3

Big blizzard yesterday in N Wisconsin - about 5 or 6 inches of heavy wet snow when I went out and there were drifts. Took the Venza to get the papers on some unplowed, some hilly, some partially driven on roads, about 10 miles altogether. Have the following comments: The car handled well in the snow altho it was difficult to 'feel' the road and the engine. The AWD, weight and wide tires seemed to plow through just fine. Maybe just a bit 'boggy' feeling at times due to the tire tracks of others and the wide tires pushing the snow out of the way. The transmission seemed to be searching for the right gear but downshifting helped considerably. On the plowed roads (about 2-3 inches of snow on top of a glaze) the car handled perfectly - no slipping or sliding even at 40mph.

Car handled well on the unplowed driveway hills in second. With the smooth rear end (lack of corners and indentations) the car did not accumulate snow on driving like our Subaru Outback.

The backup camera does need frequent cleaning. So far the wheel wells seem to clear OK compared to the Subaru, which has to be cleaned out periodically due to lack of clearance and rough edges. Driving the Subaru with a 5 speed manual in the same conditions doesn't have the 'boggy' feel since you can select the correct gear and feel the engine.

Now, about the front headlights. Like the automatic brights on the highway, hate them on our drive (a bit more than third of a mile). The brights go off at under 20mph and when on the drive negotiating turns and hills going faster and slower than 20mph, they were going on and off about every 20 seconds. When off the regular lights do not illuminate the top of the next hill due to the design of the lights. It is as if the highest the regular lights will illuminate ahead is about the equivalent of the bottom/middle of the windshield - in a straight line across the total field of vision - perhaps to keep the high intensity lights out of other drivers' eyes. I know, turn on the manual brights. I did and then everything was fine.

I'll keep you-all updated on other things as they come up. Still enjoy the car, especially the climate control system. On high you can fry a butt on those front seat warmers.

PS: I still think I'll take the sleigh on the night of the 24th.

md_outback

Hey santa3, thanks for the info. What brand and model of tires came on your Venza? Living in Wisconsin, do you normally switch to winter tires or make due with an all-saeason tire year-round? If you've never had HID headlights before, the low cutoff is a typical complaint. If the beam was aimed any higher they would blind oncoming traffic - that's why most have an auto-leveling feature built into them.

Does your Venza have the heated windshield wipers? If so, did you get a chance to try them during the snow storm? Please keep us updated on your experiences.

Thanks.

MD

macpro

The Venza (V6) comes with Goodyear Eagle RS-A 245/50R20 HIgh Performance All-Season. Living in Wisconsin and having the Venza for about 10 days, the tires seem to be working just fine. I'm sure Bridgestone Blizzak would be better in the snow, but I don't see the need (at this point) to change.

I have the heated windshield wipers along with heated mirrors. They work great, in my limited experience.

-- James

santa3

Tires: Goodyear. Too dark in the garage even with a flashlight & ceiling lights to see the model and it is not printed boldly on the tires. We never switch tires in the winter.

Yes we have heated WWs. One button turns on all defogging - rear window, side mirrors and WW. I guess the WW one worked fine - but I was going fast enough that there wasn't much of a build-up on the winshield. The snow mostly blew over the car and did not settle except at stop signs.

Yesterday I put the car in the attached, unheated garage and closed the door. It was 30F out. About 10PM it got to 37F out and then plunged to below -10F overnight. Today drove to town at -2F to mail something and felt like I was driving (at 40mph) on the roughest road imaginable. As if all the tire balancing weights had fallen off. The faster I went, the worse it got. All roads including the drive had been well plowed and are generally smooth. When I got to town I looked at the rims and noticed all kinds of ice and snow built up all around the inside of the rim on all 4 rims. Built up fully side to side and all the way around, perhaps a few inches thick in spots. If you've seen Venza in person you know how wide the rims are. Well, they also are pretty flat so they don't self clean. So I got the watering can, filled it with hot water and melted the ice away. This is the same problem we have on the Subaru and the same solution. Tonite when we go out to dinner we'll see if I fixed it. I'll also try to keep up with snow removal when I return from an expedition rather than waiting - but hey, why not try the lazy man's approach first.

dyno

For those of you who think the Venza is an SUV alternative, just open the back hatch. There is barely room for 2 duffle bags. Toyota sacrificed utility for styling.

My 1st generation Highlander has twice the room. The current Camry truck can hold more than a Venza. It's a short haul no trip vehicle, not the revolutionary enhancement Toyota is hoping for.

joeblack1

I don't see it as an SUV alternative, but I am hoping for it to be a good traveling vehicle. I traveled with my wife and three kids recently and got by with our Toyota Avalon. (None of them require car seats/strollers etc.) I'm thinking this would be an improvement over the Avalon for luggage etc. For example, we had to keep a small cooler in the trunk and could only access it when we stopped as there was no room in front. Seems like the Venza would give us a little more luggage space, and easier access to it. It does not compare to an SUV, but I'm hoping it will be an improvement to an Avlon in terms of space/flexibility.

chadx

"For those of you who think the Venza is an SUV alternative, just open the back hatch. There is barely room for 2 duffle bags. "

Wow! How big are your duffle bags?! I thought it had quite a bit of room. More than most crossovers and about the same as small SUVs. Though the cubic foot rating is lower, who really stacks all the way to the ceiling? Cargo area length and width are more important than height and that is mostly where you lose cubic feet in the Venza when comparing it to small SUVs. Admittedly, many midsize SUVs have a bit longer cargo areas, but I don't think people are "comparing" it to midsize, and larger, SUVs as much as they are talking about the Venza (and similar crossovers and wagons) as an alternative to SUVs (since so few people actually use all of the available cargo space anyway).

tourguide

I don't think people are "comparing" it to midsize, and larger, SUVs as much as they are talking about the Venza (and similar crossovers and wagons) as an alternative to SUVs (since so few people actually use all of the available cargo space anyway).

I don't know what you mean - comparing vehicles for a person's transportation needs is what is done. Of course people are going to compare the Venza to mid and large SUVs, that is what is done in order to evaluate it's efficacy. In the area of cargo capacity it IS on the small side and people are seeing that. It's got about the same cargo space as a Murano. Unless your family is minimalist, this wagon is best suited for around town hops - not long road trips. There's no hiding that.

macpro

Our family has taken long road trips in our Venza and find it very accommodating for us. I think the key here is finding a vehicle that works for your needs.

Not sure what people are wanting to take with them that will not fit in the rear cargo area? Just curious, not trying to persuade anyone that the Venza would work for them or not.

redrose1

Was the Venza comfortable on your long trips? Seats,etc?

Were you able to fit your luggage in the trunk area? I haven,t seen it yet, only in pics, but it sounds great to us!

macpro

We all thought the ride was very comfortable, but with any vehicle, you eventually have to stop along the way to stretch, take a bathroom break, etc.

The rear cargo area is approximately 40 inches deep, 33 inches wide at the narrowest spot and just over 29 inches tall at the lowest point.

We were able to fit three large suitcases without having to stack them on top of each other and had room to spare.

qs933

I don't know what you mean - comparing vehicles for a person's transportation needs is what is done..

It's fairly obvious that people are going to compare vehicles. I think what was meant was that the ideal market for the Venza are people who are looking for an alternative to a true SUV. These people need just a portion of the space an SUV provides, so the Venza's obviously smaller cargo space than say, an Enclave or a Tahoe, is not a deal-breaker.

redrose1

Sounds good to us! We are still waiting for them to arrive in our neck of the woods - seems like a good fit for us - we are in our fifties - want comfort and space but don't want an SUV - currently we have an 05 Outback which we like but our lease is up on it and the Venza seems like a good replacement. I s the passenger seat electric? That's one of the things stopping us about the Forester - only the driver's seat is electric.

Also, AWD is very important to us in our wintry weather in Canada - hope it's as good as the Subaru system!

Thanks for any feedback.

wstevec

Based on driving the Venza this week, and being in my friend's RX350, I would say the Venza shares a great deal of features with the Lexus at a much more reasonable price (plus take regular gas despite having almost the same engine). Even the gear shift on the dash is just like the RX. While the Venza may be more of a wagon than SUV, its a good fit in the lineup between the Rav4 and Highlander. I was between the Rav4 and Venza before my test drive this week. Since my wife owns a Rav4, I am very familiar with it and found the Venza to be much more comfortable to drive. I am just about 6' tall, and it very difficult to find a comfortable driving position in the Rav. Others have mentioned, that the center console in the Venza is too wide and takes up too much space, but I was very comfortable, although I am on the thin side.

chadx

I don't know what you mean - comparing vehicles for a person's transportation needs is what is done.

As gs933 clarified, it's all in the wording. This vehicle could be an alternative to a big SUV, not a comparable replacement. If people were looking for a comparable vehicle to a Tahoe, they'd be looking at other full size SUVs. If they are investigating an alternative to a fullsize SUV, they'll explore vehicles in another class, like the Venza, other crossover vehicles or wagons. That is all that was meant by my comment. Subtle difference. Also, my comment was in response to someone saying the Venza had too small of cargo area. I guess they were looking in the wrong class of vehicle.

santa3

Rose, the passenger and driver seats are electric. Both seats have seat warmers. The comfort level is like the Outback, altho the wheel wells are not soundproofed as much as I'd like. No biggie except when the tires pitch up gravel, road sand and bits of ice.

macpro

They're predicting 8-12 inches of snow later tonight / tomorrow for the Milwaukee Wisconsin area and I'm looking forward to seeing how the Venza handles.

I don't think I will have any problems, we'll see!

-- James

stever

In case you've missed it, Toyota is already discounting the Venza ($2,000 to $3,000) in the States.

bbarrymd, "Toyota Venza Prices Paid and Buying Experience" #6, 3 Dec 2008 6:50 pm

wstevec

Great point, I was told by my salesman in the Boston area that they are asking for $1000 over Invoice and that price should drop by the end of next month to $200 over invoice. Its certainlly a buyer's market out there.

my3rdrx

Based on driving the Venza this week, and being in my friend's RX350, I would say the Venza shares a great deal of features with the Lexus at a much more reasonable price (plus take regular gas despite having almost the same engine).

Just for your info, the RX uses regular gas as well!

tourguide

This vehicle could be an alternative to a big SUV, not a comparable replacement.

OK thanks for clarifying that. I agree with that statement - for anyone who DOESN'T need all that cargo capacity it would be an interesting possibility. Our family of four likes to take the kitchen sink when we go, so therefore it won't work for us.

macpro

I took my wife to work this morning. Since she works at a hospital, it's one of the few places that are not closed today. So far we have 10.2 (official) inches and it's still snowing.

The drive was good and I got my wife to work early, since there was not too many vehicles on the road. The Venza handled the roads well and it really didn't matter if they were plowed or not, we had no problems.

Her car (Lexus GS300 AWD) would have worked, but the additional ground clearance on the Venza helped with all the roads that were not plowed.

redrose1

Have you ever driven a Subaru? I was wondering if the AWD is as good in the venza - also the VDC - does it work well?

Would you say the venza is as good a winter car as subaru?

Thank you so much for your advice!

md_outback

Hey macpro, another Venza owner reported a problem with snow building up inside the wheel rims, causing a serious imbalance problem. They had to melt the snow off the wheels with warm water. Did you notice this after your snow experience? Thanks.

MD

macpro

I have not driven a Subaru in the winter or any other time of year, so I can't comment, but heard from friends they are great.

The traction control kicked in many times during our commute this morning, but unless I was looking at it, I never would have really noticed.

The AWD, traction control and 8 inches of ground clearance made driving in the snow enjoyable. I'm actually looking forward to picking-up my wife later this afternoon even though we now have a couple more inches of snow since this morning and it's still snowing out.

mcwilliams

Wagons have been the benchmark and standard for performance and utility transportation for years in Europe. Why would anyone ever think that a Navigator or an Escalade could ever match the performance and or value of and AMG, M, or S type wagon from the European competition. Even if I took the performance component out and looked a sheer value in a wagon in cars like the Volvo XC70 or the Saab 9-5 wagon, these cars are far more sensible in their approach to utility and value for than some ridiculous oversized SUV could ever be. . . .I wish the world would stop pandering to the desire of the American consumers and simply build cars that make sense. If you need to tote around more than four people and a few bags of luggage during one or two trips at a time then consider buying a minivan or a school bus.

joeblack1

Exactly. We need the automakers to start building cars that consumers don't want. That will really surely help turn around the US auto industry. They really need to start building cars that Europeans want or cars that you think Americans should have.

georgehughes35

A station wagon that doesn't look too much like a station wagon? Seems like a lot of effort has been spent on that for the last 10 years. The Pacifica for example.

Nothing new. Bottom line is that wagons were great vehicles just like hatchbacks. Car companies tried to tell consumers what they wanted while chasing higher margins and now we are coming back what we knew worked well before.

I agree. Nothing new. It will sell well though b/c only foreign manufacturers make real wagons or vehicles which are almost real wagons like this one. I guess there is the Taurus X.

microwaveguy

"For those of you who think the Venza is an SUV alternative, just open the back hatch. There is barely room for 2 duffel bags. Toyota sacrificed utility for styling."

Well unless your duffel bags are twice the size of normal luggage the cargo space in back is more than adequate for two or three large bags and a medium size dog. I can see us driving cross country in this vehicle with one seat folded down and a full load of dog and luggage.

I and my wife test drove a V6 FWD yesterday and where really impressed with the vehicle. Acceleration and road ride where both good . Suspension is a little firmer than a Car but much softer than a full SUV. Back seats are VERY comfortable and would be fine for a long road trip. We are not in a hurry to buy and would like to try the 4 cyl when they appear on the dealer lot. IF we could have gotten the V6 off the lot for $28K we would have one right now, but that is all we have in the budget for a car. I am hoping the deals get better in the spring with cash back for this model.

md_outback

Checking the Toyota Georgetown, KY production plan and some news alerts, it looks like there will be no additional Venzas produced until about Jan. 12, 2009. Thus far 6348 Venzas have been assembled through Dec. 17 when the plant shutdown for an extended period (usually they just shutdown for the week from Christmas to New Years Day). So if you are hoping your local dealer may have some additional Venzas arriving soon (beyond their current allocation), it may take another month to rebuild the pipeline.

MD

stever

The competition:

Honda Accord Tourer CUV

There are some spy shots out there but I haven't been able to find out if it's really coming to the US or not.

santa3

Rose, we have both an '01 Subaru Outback manual 5 speed and a Venza. My wife and I agree that while both will get you there in the snow that the Subaru is by far the best choice. Something good about having a 5 speed to rely on. A Subaru Outback just feels right. My wife won't drive the Venza in the winter (yet). Having numerous manual transmissions for years, we haven't yet gotten our arms around gearing down with an automatic.

The Venza still feels boggy in snow at 25mph or less on a gravel road with 5+ inches of snow on it and ice underneath the snow. Its the transmission searching for the right gear. Keeps wanting to upshift to the next gear, I think. It does better in 3rd.

One question for anyone: We haven't gone in the ditch or snowbank yet but how does one pull the Venza out? The Subaru and other cars have those steel 'eyes' on the bottom of the frame where you can hook a chain, rope or strap. They stick down below the plastic bumper. The Venza seems to have nothing sticking out below the plastic bumper. Sure would hate to buy a new bumper after being pulled out of a snowbank. Or worse, hook something to the axle and rip something out of alignment.

Someone asked macpro (?) about ice build up on the rims on his 10.4" snowfall. If he has a garage where the temp gets near or above freezing it won't be a problem. Here in N WI our attached garage is only about 5-10 degrees warmer than the outdoors. The house, even on the interior garage walls, is very well insulated. At -10F outdoors (today, this AM) we have no chance of melting anything until spring.

macpro

Since purchasing the Venza on December 5th, we have gotten over 35 inches of snow. I haven't noticed an imbalance problem, but like Santa3 mentioned it's most likely due to the fact we have an attached garage that stays rather warm, so no ice or snow collects on the rims.