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Comments
I was being a little sarcastic about the looks of the tire. It is definitely a subjective issue.
"... they probably do handle better than smaller tires,"
Do you mean handle as in race handling or comfort? Thinking back to my race days, unsprung weight was always something you tried to avoid. And let me go out on a limb here and suggest that there are many cars with smaller tire/wheel combos that handle better.
" and as far as the weight: when changing a tire in 40 below wind chill, does a 57 lb wheel go on any easier than a 67 lb wheel? "
Yes, it actually does.
As I get older the tires should be getting smaller. I realize we won't be going back to the 12 inchers I had on my Corolla, but I draw the line at the monster tires, 18" and up, that are coming out now.
And, as others have mentioned, why should I pay for something I do not want?
"Suspension tuning can't compensate for tires that are too large for a vehicle of this type....Occupants feel most road imperfections, and sharp bumps register with undue harshness. "
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2009-toyota-venza-1.htm
This is only one review, but I have seen others like it. I won't be testing one because of the tires. There are too many other vehicles that I would rather test. But, like you said, to each his own.
"Do you mean handle as in race handling or comfort? Thinking back to my race days, unsprung weight was always something you tried to avoid. And let me go out on a limb here and suggest that there are many cars with smaller tire/wheel combos that handle better."
Actually what I meant was that a Venza with 245/50-20 tires probably handles curves a little better than a Venza with 215/70-17 tires (both tires have nearly the same rolling diameter - and you like 17" and smaller wheels). The wider tread width of the 20-inchers would make up for the few extra pounds of unsprung weight compared with a smaller wheel/tire combo. But there are a lot of variables and certainly a 70 series tire will probably be more comfortable than the 50 series. And of course there are better handling cars with smaller tire/wheel combos, but I was only talking about a Venza here.
I guess my overall point was that one shouldn't pass up the Venza just because of the wheel size or because a couple of reviewers didn't like it. Test drive it yourself; talk to people who actually own one and live with it every day. Then make up your mind. As far as ride harshness goes, my previous vehicle was a Lexus RX350, and that had a pretty smooth and quiet ride. Now, most of the passengers in my Venza think it rides more smoothly and quieter than the Lexus. I guess they haven't read the reviews.
Can anyone tell their experience on the Down Hill Assist when Cruise control is set?
Does it work on toyota venza? I have been driving in the Alleghenies and whdn on a down hill on a set speed on a cruise the vehicle doesn't maintain the speed set in by cruise it increases according to how steeply vehicle is going down. Is that normal?
with my previous vehicle Mazda cx 7 AWD i never faced this problem?
R u guys having the same issue....? am :confuse:
And on the other hand I really can't see what would be the difference in swapping out a 20" wheel/tire vs a 17".
I think your best bet is to test drive all of the vehicles that are of interest to you and decide for yourself. Ride quality is a very subjective thing, what feels harsh to one driver may be fine for another. In the Venza's case, the main difference between the 19 and 20 inch wheels is the different engine (I-4 vs V6) and that will probably play a bigger role in your decision compared with wheel size. I previously drove a lexus RX350 (with 18" wheels) and I find my V6 Venza (with 20" Michelins) to be a bit firmer over bumps but not objectionable and not tiring. And my passengers have never complained about the Venza's ride comfort - in fact they enjoy the large space available, especially in the rear seat.
MD
There seems to be a lot of criticism of 20" tires on the Venza creating a rough ride, etc. I have driven a Venza with 20" tires for the last six months and I haven't noticed a particular problem, but I haven't ridden in a Venza equipped with 19" tires. Previous Camry with smaller tires seemed just fine.
But what are the tradeoffs as you move to a larger or smaller diameter?
Try Tires, tires, tires.
The "poor" traction CSA issue can be addressed somewhat by going with a WIDER wheel thereby allowing a wider tire tread.
69, going on 70, I'm of the opinion it looks good.
"...Does it improve fuel economy..No!.."
Yes, YES...!!
Lower CSA for roadbed contact = lower roadbed friction/rolling resistance.
Lower sidewall = less sidewall flex = lower heat buildup in the tire.
FE improved overall...YES.!
"...Does it improve handling or unsprung weight..No!..."
Improved handling, YES, without doubt.
lower unsprung weight, maybe. See separate post.
"...Is this an example of Toyota losing focus..Yes!..."
No, not in my opinion.
All that being said I would change out to 17" right away.
But then I won't even consider buying a Venza until I see the 4 cylinder with DFI.
The CAFE rules/regulations do not "allow" that.
With 17" wheels the EPA estimates would undoubtedly differ.
Like asking for a 5 speed now that the 6 speed is available.
One of the reasons you now see the very same 6 speed transaxle on both 4 and 6 cyclinder engines. In the old days the 4 cylinder would probably have been coupled with a less expensive 4 speed, lower manufacturing cost trumping FE.
No more...Good-O.
Depends how fussy you want to get.
"I think it's nice to know the transmission on the 4-cylinder is capable of handling the higher power output of the 6-cylinder engine and thus understressed'.
It is quite common anymore to have smaller and larger engines connected to the same transmission. It certainly has to be cheaper for the manufacturer. All they need to do is calibrate shift points, etc.
Here's something for thought: On most surface streets, the streets are slightly inclined to the right, particularly in the right lane near the curb. This allows the rain to drain into the gutter. Maybe this accounts for your car to drift to the right, but it doesn't explain why my car drifts to the left.
The toe and camber of the front wheels are aligned to drift to the right if you take your hands off the steering wheel as stated by your dealer.
So I can't believe it has anything to do with the size of the tires or the steering on the Venza.
I found that the drift right, and the degree of the drift, is directly related to the amount of juice I'm giving it. No gas, no drift. Light gas, light drift, etc. If I'm maintaining a speed, using cruise for example, once the Venza is at speed it does fine. Once I go to pass/change speed up, it veers right.
Let me know.
Thanks for the suggestion.
From the day I put those winter wheels on, I noticed the car pulling to the right. I was convincing myself that maybe it was the crown of the road or something... Or maybe I needed an alignment. But today I switched back to the OEM 19" wheels. The pulling-to-the-right is totally gone.
The offset on those wheels was off by about 10mm from the OEM wheels, and the tires were a lot skinnier than the OEM's. So the wheels looked like they were set in from the fenders a little bit too much.
I don't know why the snows pulled to the right... but it was definitely the snows.
I also wonder whether they may have been ineffective because of that pulling... or wearing out faster.
I just came across this thread because I was thinking maybe next year it would be better to get 245/55-19 snow tires and mount on OEM 19 rims. But there are no snow tires in OEM size! I know some dealers have put packages together, but what does Toyota expect us to do?
My Venza V6/AWD also drifted lightly to the right after I changed to Blizzak DMV1s on 20" rim combo for the winter. I also noticed that the steering was also very sensitive when trying to keep in my lane on the freeway. I changed back to the OEM michelins and put them on the winter black chrome rims that I realy liked the look of. The asked Toyota dealer to checkout the alignment when he changed the tires, and he said that there was no problem and indicated that the DMV1s were an aggressive tread and probably caused the sensitive feel for the steering. I can advise that the OEM michelins on the winter alloys ride as well as on the OEM rims, and I suspect that the Blizzaks may be the cause for my light steering, and will confirm this when they are used during the next winter season on the OEM rims. BTW - the Blizzaks gave no problems on snow and Icy roads (except for the lighter feel).
regards
I spoke to NBT, the Michelin Latitude is a better tire and ride than the Goodyear RSA. I thought of Pirelli but I decided to stick with Michelin. However, I am interested to hear from anyone who bought Pirelli since it is cheaper than Michelin.
And lastly, I had to buy them in pairs, if not, the car will pull to the side coz of the newest thread.
The Blizzak has less roadbed contact surface area vs any "summer" tire. Less contact = less friction = "lighter" stearing effort = more "wondering".
You might want to consider installing an aftermarket "shock-absorber" type stearing stiffener to make up for the lack of "on-center" power assist/boost torque.
In my second winter with (4) 19 Inch Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 Tires. Made all the difference in the world. It's not a Subaru but it's holding it's own now that I've got good snow/ice tires.
For an experienced driver RWD vehicles will be quite a bit more benign on the slippery stuff than would be ANY FWD or even F/awd vehicle. Asking the front tire contact patch to be responsible for both forward motion/drive AND directional control on an adverse, slippery, roadbed surface can quickly result in a traction equation that does not compute.
Any experienced driver of "true" 4WD vehicles will advise you NOT to have "drive" on your front tires once underway at any reasonable traveling speed, 'way too HAZARDOUS otherwise.
For the record, I'm 43 years old, female, been driving since age 14.
My husband's FWD Nissan drives way better in the snow than the Venza, and it is a very lightweight (Altima) with no better tires than the Venza. But, they are 15" tires, normal sidewall. So......
Your level of disappointment must be nothing less than astounding.
Your husband's Nissan may not be handicapped with the TC "nanny" level of the Venza. With the Venza, or any modern day FWD vehicle, once wheelspin/slip is detected the engine will be INSTANTLY dethrottled and the brakes used to help abate the wheelspin/slip. Loss of FRONT traction due to the use of too much engine torque for conditions is now considered a pretty damn serious matter and therefore the utmost measures are being used as a safety matter.
I spent 6 months researching vehicles prior to deciding on the Venza. If I was a guy, would you treat me with more respect. Salespeople, yeah, I so believe every f'ing word they say. I fired the first one that I worked with. Treat me with respect and common sense and you will get my business.
Again, all I wanted was information on the tires.
I went from a 2004 Dodge Durango AWD/4WD to the Venza. I wanted my 16 year old daughter to have a safe vehicle to drive back and forth to her rural school (yes, I'm in the middle of hickville). Gawd, if you really want to know every vehicle I've ever driven:
* Saturn Vue
* Chevy Lumina
* Chevy Suburban (2WD)
* Chevy Silverado
* Dodge Caravan
* Chrysler Town & Country
* Jeep Liberty
* Pontiac LeMans
* old Chevy Blazer (back in the day when you had to go out and turn the wheel hubs to get the 4WD to turn on).
Just because I mentioned the vehicle I came out of before the Venza...
Wow - I think after 29 years of driving in Iowa winter (and Minnesota, and in the mountains of Virginia/West Virginia, and Chicago) that i was some dumb a** when it comes to driving. Oh yeah, I've driven a Gulfstream Conquest Class C motorhome on a Ford full ton chassis before as well - oh, even in snow and ice with that driving to dog shows.
Again, just delete this thread - I was really stupid that I thought I could actually get some honest feedback - guess I read the other threads on this website wrong. :mad:
I was curious how much crap you would be willing to take. I thought when you mentioned you were in your 40s and had driven in snow all your life that you wouldn't be treated like a 16 year old who just got licensed and had never seen snow. FWIW, we have a fwd 6 cyl venza with the goodyear tires, too. No snow, but I can tell you that our venza hydroplanes a lot so I'm thinking it may be a tire problem (goodyear). Don't waste your time with your salesman as most car salesman will tell you anything - especially if you're a female. I'd suggest finding someone with a venza who does not have goodyears and see what their experiences are. I suppose that was your original intent here, but you may want to ask your dealership for a name of someone else who bought a venza and give it a shot with a phone call before getting rid of your car. I'm in my 50s and have driven since 13 - all kinds of vehicles. The only other car I've had with hydroplane issues was an accord with michelin mx4 energy (or something like that) tires. I got rid of them real fast and the hydroplaning went away instantly. Good luck.
You would have been treated exactly the same..
If you read around you will find that I tend to say it like it is, no holds barred.
But since you opened the door..
With my life's experience(***) I would NEVER have allowed my wife to buy even a F/awd, let alone a FWD, for the kind of winters I expect you encounter, and certainly not one for a young inexperienced daughter to drive.
Not being chauvinist, just PROTECTIVE.
*** 70 this year, wintertime driving experience NH, AK, MT, WA, OR.
To answer your question more directly.
There is NO tire available that will be or any substantive level of help for a FWD Venza. With FWD you will often be asking to much for the traction level of those front tires in more normal traction conditions, let alone wintertime adverse roadbed conditions as you might encounter in Iowa.
That pickup absent rear weight may have been a bit squirrelly in those conditions but you still had the front tire traction, the entire front traction co-efficient, allocated to directional control. Hell, you could even gain extra "drive" traction at the rear by driving along slightly sideways if you wished.
Get "squirrelly" with a FWD and/or F/awd and you get to just hang on and pray. That's why these modern day TC systems are so dammed aggressive, life-saving measures by the design engineers.
As a general rule, when you pick a larger diameter tire size on a particular vehicle, the tire width is increased, along with the lower profile. The wider tire means a bigger contact patch, resulting in less weight per sq/in., in comparison to the stock size.. This is usually a negative, when driving in snow or slick conditions.. (this holds true, regardless of which wheels are driven).
Adding to this, most larger/wider tires seem to be sportier models, more attuned to normal driving conditions, than for winter weather duty.
Not knowing the model or particular size of the tires on the Venza makes it hard to intelligently make a case for whether any of the above is a particular problem with your vehicle, or just normal for that type of tire... If it turns out that all FWD Venzas with 19" tires suck in the snow, there is always the possibility of switching to 17" wheels/tires. They aren't as pretty as 19" wheels, but there are plenty of models in that size that can give you outstanding winter traction.
Before we keep debating this subject, I'd like to hear from a member that has this particular set-up.
regards,
kyfdx
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1. Here in North Texas we are presently experiencing record breaking cold weather and our every year or so ice storms . We live on the top of a hill with extremely good grooved concrete streets. All other areas streets are the usual blacktop. During this weeks below freezing weather and extremely hazardous roadways my wife reports that our 2009 2wd Venza performed flawlessly, especially the automatic traction control. It is important to note that my wife is a very safe and conservative driver. In such icy weather her top speed generally does not exceed 25 mph. Her drive to and from work is 18 miles one way. All of her driving is on surface (city) streets as she dislikes the freeway.
One final note. During last years heavy snow our Venza also performed above expectations, especially for a 2wd.
2. I posted this in another thread, and keep in mind I've owned 4wd's the last 18 years. I have no need for 1 now with my FWD Venza...
We had snow then melt then ice several weeks ago and as I was going up a hill I passed 4 cars in the ditch (2 going down) and 3 of them were 4wd! Much of driving in poor conditions is the operator of the vehicle, that said for the 4-6 inches we get a few times per year, I have no problem, even on hills. And that is with good all season tires.
I live in Southern Ontario in Canada but quite close to the Georgian Bay so as I consequence we get a lot of lake effect snow.
I have lived and driven in Calgary, Alberta for the previous 14 years and never used snow tires but I seriously considered purchasing them when I first boought my Venza because I drive 40KM in each direction to and from work.
I should explain that my car came with the Michelin Latitude HP all-season tires and I was pleasantly surprised at their handling in rain and wet snow.
I had a rather harrowing experience the first time I drove on a highway during a blizzard where the road surface was covered with ice since it felt like I was floating on air. I figured out later on that this was caused by the electronic steering in the Venza which does not give much feedback at the best of times.
Since then, I have not really had any cause for complaint from these tires or any real desire to replace them with winter tires.
They have climbed fairly steep hills on ice-covered roads with no problems and the main difference I have observed compared to my wife's Mazda 5 which has winter tires is that the stopping distance is longer so I generally have to plan ahead much more when driving the Venza.
I hope this helps.
In the market for a 2011 Venza (looks like 2012's aren't in yet).
In looking at the car, there is an AWD system. I've searched and searched and searched some more about the system seeing if you need to replace all 4 tires if one has an issue (diameter requirements in AWD systems).
Is this true for the Venza? What has been anyone's experience? I'm wondering if I should get get a base model 4cyl FWD vs 4cyl AWD. If it's worth the difference.
Thanks in advance!!!
Best feature on car is 6 speed auto trans with ability to select each gear manually. Great idea for snow country.
Remote start, remote trunk door opening and keyless entry are nice. Need more range. Eighty feet is not long enough.
Received opinions, because of AWD, would not need studded tires. To this I say BULL. To go to studded tires I am going to have to go to 18 inch rims. Have not been able to find 20 inch studs. Anyone in NW Seattle - Tacoma area having experience with this, please reply to this blog.
Gas mileage observed is 22 highway and 18 around town. Something to think about in these economic times.
Car has AM/FM, Sirius, Ipod, USB and Bluetooth media center. Overall my family likes it: however, has issues pairing and maintaining pairing of bluetooth phones. Can get my Android to pair for phone use, but not media. Have to enter phone numbers manually. Will not copy phone book. Wife's older MOTO will pair for media but not cell phone use. Go figure. Once phones are paired, cannot maintain connection next time in the car.
Have to pair again. Toyota blames Android and Verizon. Following Android bogs, Androids in general and the Charge in particular have these connection issues.
BIG KUDOS, to Diane, at Verizon Customer Service. She was great help with trying to get this mess untangled.
My Car rides well. Stops well. Minimal road noise for vehicle of this size. 20 inch tires are HEAVY. If someone with low upper-body strength is going to drive this car, get some sort of road service protection plan. They will need it.
Lots of cup holders and power plugs. Sadly, only power plug for the rear passengers is in the back of the vehicle. Great place for a plug would have been in the back of console under the AC vents. I am going to do that mod myself.
Overall I am satisfied with the car. Would I buy one again or do it all over again...NEUTRAL.