Standard Hybrid Powertrain. Standard AWD. Starting at $32,470 for the LE version. Which is about $3,820 more than the RAV4 LE Hybrid AWD with essentially the same powertrain, built on the same platform and sporting the same wheelbase. But with a far subtler and sleeker look as well as a sales goal that is a small fraction of the RAV4’s, the Venza seems to play more in the Lexus NX/RX space at a lower price point than either of those with similar material quality and a look that is more sculpted rather than sliced and perhaps exudes a quieter type of style than any of the others.
The tested example was a loaded Limited trim, however even in that guise the starting price is under $40,000 and as tested came to not much more than that. Add the “Made In Japan” label, exemplary build quality, a slight measure of exclusivity as well as a drivetrain that is experienced more than noticed and Toyota likely has a winner on their hands.
In fact, in Japan it definitely does. Introduced as the newest Harrier, the model that our Lexus RX used to be a twin of, early orders exceeded expectations by a factor of fifteen. Where 3,100 or so monthly sales were expected from launch, over 45,000 were received in advance of going on sale. This’ll obviously slow down over time but selling more than a year’s projection before even starting is a success in anyone’s book.
You may recall the original Toyota Venza over here, sort of a lifted wagon that was perhaps a bit ahead of its time and never really seemed to catch on before quietly being put out to pasture after 2015. Now, anything slightly raised and with a faster rear roof/hatch line seems to be en vogue.
As a vehicle that sort of straddles the Toyota and Lexus lineups and is styled slightly different than either it ends up really being a variation of several options. Even if for whatever reason the C-HR, RAV4, 4Runner, Highlander, and Lexus UX, NX or RX don’t fit the bill, perhaps the Venza might be the Goldilocks choice.
It features many of the attributes offered by any of these at price points that beat or at least overlap pretty much all of them and that isn’t even considering it against some pricier options in either stable. The plethora of choices is frankly somewhat astounding even though more and more of them are cycling on to the same basic platform, in this case the K version of the basic TNGA architecture.
In regard to the styling, being a carryover Japanese-market model makes it a bit unique and perhaps foreshadows a softer side to Toyota’s future efforts. Both inside and out, there are styling cues not really shared with other models. For me the key aspect is the rear, those extremely slender lights and the scallop in the rear somehow strongly remind me of the Panhard 24.
If one were to CUV-ify the Panhard and extend the lighting across the rear, it gets ever closer. Even in front, while the hood doesn’t extend down between the headlights, the black “grille” bar does pull the eyes down between the Venza’s sculpted headlights to similar visual effect. I don’t know if the Panhard was in fact any way an inspiration, but it was definitely interesting as is the Venza in regard to styling.
I don’t believe the Venza will be viewed to be nearly as polarizing as some of Toyota and Lexus’ other recent models, which is likely a good thing to many readers (strong sales of those designs notwithstanding), but notice that the other recent de rigueur CUV accoutrement, namely the black (or sometimes painted) plastic wheel arch surrounds, are not part of the Venza design.
While the Venza is in fact raised compared to a normal passenger car (or wagon), not using the black trim does have the visual effect of lowering the body again somewhat and in actuality ground clearance at 7.7 inches is in fact already a smidgen lower than the RAV4 (8.4) and the Lexus RX350 (8.2). It’s also a full inch less than for instance something like a Subaru Outback, a vehicle that it resembles quite a bit to some extents, i.e. more wagon-like than traditional CUV/SUV.
Opening the door of our Coastal Gray Metallic example reveals a cabin trimmed attractively if a little dourly with the all-black motif seen here. There are also Gray and Java (Brown) interior options that in some cases change the seat color and in others just various trim areas, either way it seems to liven in up a bit. There are accent pieces in metal as well as in a sort of striped non-wood material inside the center console and on the door panels. It all looks quite stylish in person and feels good.
In the base (LE) version the seats are cloth, in the top (Limited) trim they are Softex, a Toyota brand of imitation leather that feels very good and better here than in some other Toyotas also equipped with Softex (could there be different grades of it?). The middle XLE trim features a combination of both on the seats and throughout.
While the front seats appear to be the same design as those in several other Toyotas that I’ve driven lately, for some reason I found these less comfortable. Not necessarily in the amount of padding but rather in the way my back was supported. Even with the headrest moved back and up to not intrude and the lumber support engaged all the way, I found my back seeming to curve and mold into the seatback rather than be supported, making for somewhat less comfort than I am normally accustomed to.
Headroom was at the lower limit of what was acceptable for me (I’m 6’1″ with a 32″ inseam and tend to sit more upright than reclined). Though larger than the RAV4 it’s a little more snug inside although I didn’t feel cramped and I’m slightly on the larger side of average. Seat comfort in particular, of course, is extremely subjective, and I hardly should be thought of as representative of the entire species in that regard.
Visibility out the front though was exceptional for a modern car, with very slim A-pillars. The sides were similarly good for a modern vehicle with small panes of glass in the front corners beyond the mirrors and even in back aft of the rear seats. Over the shoulder was a bit restricted due to the sail panel rear pillar style, however the combination of Blind Spot sensors and backup camera did their job to make this a non-issue in practice.
The dashboard is again of a different design than anything else in the company stable, and in this case the Limited trim had a huge upper touchscreen measuring 12.3″ that was entirely flat, as opposed to the general current Toyota design with the rows of buttons on either side of the screen (that standard touchscreen is optional on XLE with an 8″ one as standard on it and LE). Below that were the HVAC and audio controls, all of which were mounted within a touch-sensitive panel.
The touch areas were clearly marked and there was some sculpting of the area to delineate by touch the appropriate sections for adjusting volume versus temperature for example. However this is an aspect that is not the same throughout the range, the non-Limited trims feature knobs and buttons here as well as on the touchscreen which may in fact be welcome to many and more resemble the systems in other current Toyotas.
Screen quality was very good and like other larger screens multiple items can be featured at once and even moved around should a different visual sequence be desired. I ended up enjoying having the energy monitor, the navigation screen and the audio selection lined up across it, but this can be adjusted to show a multitude of different things or just focus on one or two items (then larger and more detailed) instead of the three as in this case. The screen, while large, was not in the way of seeing out of the front windshield, but made it easy to ascertain the settings and information at a peripheral glance.
Instrumentation in front of the steering wheel was very crisp and clear as well with a speedometer on the right and a different energy gauge on the left. While the center screen one showed power flow (engine to battery, engine to battery and wheels, battery to wheels, wheels to battery, etc, this one displayed the amount of power being called for.
The needle would swing around along an “Eco” band into a “Power” band and upon release of the throttle it would swing in reverse into the “Charge” band. If the brakes were applied, then the needle would venture deeper into the “Charge” band as the regeneration was increased. There is a little battery monitor on the center screen (on the dash, not in this) showing the state of its charge which went along with my usual displayed selection within the instrument cluster, the fuel economy gauge/display, although I did spend quite a bit of time watching the AWD system screen as well, which I’ll touch on further below.
Below the audio and HVAC controls is a deep bin with a wireless phone charger setup and various outlets for cords etc. and the largest starter (actually a “power”) button I’ve used to date. Between the seats are a couple of cupholders and the very traditional in look and feel (as opposed to for example the Prius) gear lever.
The seat heat and ventilation buttons are in the leading part of the armrest console lid and accessed by sliding it back to the first of several detents. Steering wheel heat is accessed by a button to the left of the steering column which is impossible to see when in motion, this would be a good option to move onto the wheel itself which already has numerous other control buttons on it.
Interestingly the steering wheel heat, as in some other recent vehicles, again only affected the main side areas of the wheel, not the entire circumference. I am becoming more convinced that this is done less to save a little bit of money on wiring, but to subtly encourage proper hand placement on the wheel.
Both the seats and wheel heated up quickly and evenly otherwise and were welcome during the generally chilly weather that was encountered this week. The JBL sound system with cargo area mounted subwoofer sounded good and was welcome although I generally don’t find the non-JBL versions to be at all objectionable either.
Overhead is a twist on the now often-seen panoramic roof. In this case it was a solid, non-opening glass roof (dubbed StarGaze) as in my own vehicle but in addition to a powered black fabric sunshade it also features “electrochromic” glass which at a touch of a roof-mounted button changes it from clear to absolutely visually opaque. I’ve not seen this used in such a volume vehicular application before and it was exceedingly cool to use.
When clear it’s slightly tinted and like a regular glass roof. When frosted, it looks white from the inside and while it lets a lot of light in and brightens things up considerably, it completely diffuses that light. It is quite remarkable although at the end of the day I’d probably take the headroom and save the incremental cost (and weight) of it. I did leave the shade open all week though which is something I rarely do in a normal sunroof or panoramic version and usually had it in the opaque mode.
The rear seat area featured good (i.e. unremarkable either way) access and plenty of leg, shoulder, and head room for someone of my size. The seatbacks recline and comfort was good if perhaps not as “dreamy” as this somewhat hazy picture might make it appear.
Folding the seatbacks (60/40) was intuitive and resulted in a large and flat cargo area. There is not a third row option and in my opinion one would be fairly useless.
The cargo area floor seemed curiously high though, upon lifting the rear floor covering a full size diameter spare revealed itself but also a lot of extra space around and on top of it. On a day trip to a ski area my son and I put various loose items and a couple of grocery bags of food and drinks down there to stop everything from rolling around, there was space for plenty more. In effect it adds quite a bit of extra storage.
The combination of high floor (not higher than the bumper though) and fairly angled rear hatch does result in less cargo room compared to for example the RAV4Hybrid which to compare has 37cu.ft. behind the second row as opposed to the Venza’s 28 and almost 70cu.ft. compared to 55 with the rear seats folded. I’d estimate maybe another four or five cubes under the cargo floor but the RAV4Hybrid may have that as well, and in any case it’s an odd shape down there, more for smaller, loose or squishy items.
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Call it what you want, but that is obviously a Jaguar F-Pace.
(used-car buyer in 2028): “No, it isn’t.”
If only the 2013 Harrier didn’t exist that way predated the cat:
Best looking SUV/CUV out of Toyota/Lexus in years. Hope they tone their other designs down a bit to match (spindle grille, I’m looking at you.)
+1. I’m neither in the market nor its target audience, but that is a very attractive CUV. I even like the color.
Agreed.
I like the looks of this one too (at least on the outside; the inside is adequate but a bit dull). I never would have noticed the Panhard 24 resemblance if not pointed out to me but definitely see it now – a good thing, since the Panhard is one of the best looking cars ever in my book. I wouldn’t have minded if the front looked like a 24 too, but I’m happy to have Toyota’s refined hybrid powertrain instead of a 2-stroke 🙂 . Why did Toyota call this a Venza though? It isn’t at all like the previous, somewhat disappointing model of that name. I would have gone with the longstanding Japanese name “Harrier” in the US too.
I only vaguely understand what a “platform” is anymore – modern platforms like TNGA or Volkswagen’s MQB allow so much variance that the similarities between platform-mates are hard to detect even if you’re looking for them. Nothing at all like older platforms like Chrysler’s K also being highlighted here today, or Ford’s Fox and Panther platforms. With those, if you’ve driven one, you’ll quickly find things familiar if you drive another.
IMO this is a good-looking car but yes it’s slicing the market fine.
The high cargo load floor seems to be the Toyota house style, and has been for a while. It was that way in my 2008 Yaris, in the Corolla hatchback I looked at last year to replace it – one of the reasons why it was scratched off the list was that it didn’t offer enough extra room to make the jump to a C-segment car worth it over snagging a B while I still could – and going back to the original Matrix/Vibe. They seem to prioritize a flat loadspace with a single-fold back seat (as opposed to fold-and-tumble) over having a lot of well space with the seat in use.
The VW Golf gets this right – the cargo floor can be installed in either of two positions, the low one which yields a deep cargo area, and a higher one which is level with the fold-down back seats, and which also opens up some space in the spare tire well for storing rarely used items.
Another reader who’s car buying days are off for a while, having bought a new Kicks and a four year old Bolt in the past six months, but that’s a good looking car. Inside and out.
I’m getting scared. I’m starting to find crossovers attractive. Does this mean I’m slowly getting beaten down?
I’ve started lusting after the Buick Encore. I do like how I don’t have to bend my head over at a 45 degree angle to sit in one…. guess I’m getting old.
Looks like you’re having the same kind of snow year that we are in the Wasatch.
Reading this reminds me of one year ago, when we were in downtown Denver and I took a day to ski Copper after a 12″ overnight snowfall. Those 11,000 ft passes are no joke at 6AM in a storm and I was happy to have brought the 4Runner on winter tires, though it decidedly did not return 37mpg. One of my top 5 ski days, but hellish traffic for TWO HOURS to get back to Denver. Still had a nice dinner with the family and the whole trip is a great memory.
This weird coronavirus was starting to make the news at the time. That was the last weekend of normalcy.
The car? Not my cup of tea. Makes sense, though. Conservatively styled upscale RAV4 with near-lux trimming for not-lux prices in a ravenous crossover market? You’d be foolish not to. That hybrid powertrain is a nearly ideal blend of efficiency and real world torque. They just need to spray some more foam on the firewall to quell the engine thrash and you’d rarely miss a V-6. Speaking of skiing, those backseats should fold 40:20:40 or at least have a pass-through for people like me who expect to fit 8-foot 2x4s in wagons of this size. The 4Runner has it, as does the CX-5.
Well, I’ve been shoveling for the last 24 hours so that weather was short-lived…and yes the passes get very hairy and the weather changes frequently with oftentimes completely different conditions on opposite sides of the peak. You could have headed the other way and been home after a somewhat longer, but probably more relaxing drive. 🙂
The Venza is surprisingly quiet, engine noise is very well suppressed in this car with its 2.5l hybrid, it’s quieter than a 4Runner’s V6 for example on an uphill run, that’s where part of my Lexus simile comes from. Nothing like an older Prius for example where you absolutely knew when the foot was to the floor.
Yeah, we’ve been hit by the same storm. Not fond of scraping windows and bathing the car in road salt, but we desperately need the water.
I-70 was in pretty good shape on the return to town, it was the massive volume of traffic that did it. Wasatch resort roads get locked up as well, but you’re only 15 minutes from town so the pain doesn’t last as long.
Nice to hear the Venza is quiet, I thought the RAV4 with this powertrain was too loud when the gas engine kicked in during moderate/heavy acceleration. Funny you referenced the 4R V6, I was thinking about Toyota’s smoother 3.5 in my comment rather than the old tractor engine in the 4R. That hasn’t been a model of refinement for about 15 years now. The key with the 4R is to manually lockout 5th or even 4th to prevent gear hunting on grades. Engine draws far less attention to itself that way.
I’m not a lover of SUV styling but when I first saw a Venza in person I was really taken by the design.
A rather compelling package. Is this the closest hybrid alternative to a Model Y?
It’s a bit hard to decide. The Model Y is or at least feels a bit larger inside, especially in the rear seat (The Venza isn’t bad by any means but not as roomy). It’s also not nearly as fast/quick and doesn’t handle as well while still being very competitive with most of the “normal” V6 competition.
The Venza though is less expensive and in its favor the hybrid is still very economical going uphill in very cold weather which is not a strong suit for any electric vehicle.
The Lexus RX Hybrid may be closer, at least from a market perspective. Or the BMW X3e plug-in hybrid although both cost more similarly equipped.
There’d perhaps be a business case for the Venza to spawn a plug-in hybrid variant, the price has room to increase a bit and there seems to be room for more batteries under the rear floor.
I think that would be the RAV4 Prime PHEV, with a 40 mile EVOLVE range, a more powerful drivetrain, 0-60 in 6 seconds.
The catch is the limited supply of bigger batteries, resulting in people paying close to if not above MSRP to get one of the 5000 imported for this model year.
This is a really handsome vehicle, especially in the blue color on the featured car. While I still haven’t totally reconciled myself to CUVs and their inherent compromises (despite owning two of them), this Venza is a highly attractive package and would fit my needs quite closely.
Given this summary of the vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses, it appears that the closest competitor may be the Ford Edge, which also is smooth, quiet and well-finished inside. The Ford, though, lacks the hybrid option offered by Toyota, which strikes me as a great way to move toward an EV without plunging all the way into that pond. And, needless to say, reliability is a Toyota strong suit, while the Edge has posted average to somewhat better than average reliability scores at Consumer Reports.
While perhaps not the most exciting vehicle tested here recently, the Venza exudes competence, which sometimes is the most exciting automotive virtue of them all.
Thanks for the review. We have a Lexus GX coming off lease and do not need the towing capacity any longer, and would like to save some $s.
Could be a good alternative to many more expensive alternatives.
Our other cars:
2017 Tesla Model S
1974 MGB
1960 Austin Healey 3000 Mk I
2001 Donny Smith custom HD Road King
Can’t get rid of the toys……
Dave
Sooo, is this an “old man’s car”? I only ask because I like it, and my tastes have often run to what the market thinks of as an old man’s car.
Actually, I kind of liked the last Venza, and from what you describe this one ought to hit a sweet spot here just as it did in Japan.
Am I alone in finding many things about its interior and exterior styling Honda-esque?
Having recently purchased a 2021 Rav4 Hybrid for my wife, who has almost purely functional vehicular interests, our observation is that it is an excellent platform, and her favorite vehicle ever (that she has owned) by a large margin. I find that it does everything well, and if boring, at least does not have any annoying attributes or features. In her usual driving it is getting the same mileage (39 MPG) as her previous vehicle, a 2012 Lexus CT200h, which is, to my mind, rather impressive, all things considered.
Thank you for this review. Built on the same platform but almost 1000lbs heavier, C&D got 7.7 seconds 0-60 and 29mpg with the ’21 Sienna they tested late last year. Oh, and a 15.8 second quarter mile!
37mpg for the Venza and 29mpg for the Sienna are pretty amazing numbers for such hefty vehicles.
“Toyota do a good looking car” – read alla bout it.
Thanks Jim – neat review of a classy looking and not oversized choice. Could be tempted.
That front end looks as though Toyota might be moving away from their UglyMug™ styling motif at last.
Not a fan of the Toyota/Lexus spindle grill…. or the darth Vader grill that is replacing it.
The biggest gripe I have is the pointed belt line at the windows and the useless quarter windows. Seems to be a trend that will not go away. I really wish rear sight lines were a serious consideration when styling a new car.
While it is true that you can’t add the power ratings of all the motors because the peaks occur at different points it is the battery that limits peak HP in Toyota AWD Hybrids.
You can think of it as having a 176 hp engine and 43 hp battery. That is why the RAV-4 Prime has a combined peak of 302 hp which is due to a 176 hp engine and 126 hp battery. The battery’s max discharge rate is of course the real reason, the smaller battery and starter/generator just can’t supply enough current to give both traction motors full power simultaneously. The plug-In version’s battery is designed to deliver more current and thus can power both traction motors to their full potential.
Good looking front and rear (for a CUV). Atypical body styling is reminiscent of European vehicles. I like!
Great and thorough, informative review on the new Venza.
I have a 2009 Venza and was wondering about the new Venza when it was announced..
Briefly looked at the specs of the new Venza and it appears to be smaller than the old Venza both in exterior and interior dimensions…..between RAV4 and Highlander.
The “glass cockpit” display and controls looks overly complicated with a steep learning curve compared to my old Venza. No doubt a thorough reading of the manual.
By the way, about the Venza name: A Japanese person told me Venza sounds like the Japanese word “Benza”, which translates to “toilet seat”.
Oh well…….at least I’m not driving a La Crosse in Quebec.
Gen 1 Venza has definitely grown on me over the years to where I kinda want one. When they first arrived I didn’t understand the point and I wasn’t crazy about the looks. But they have aged well and I “get” the styling now more than I did a decade ago. Definitely a bit quirky and not for everyone, it’s a bit more interesting visually than say, my Avalon.
This new generation is very appealing though. I haven’t been a big fan of the Rav4 personally in the past. I’m a Toyota fan, but it’s usually been towards the bottom of my list of favorite models since it was introduced in the late 90’s. I always found the C-RV to be more palatable for me personally although my hunger for power precludes me from ever owning one. I don’t think that the 4cyl would be adequate enough for me. The Rav4 never seemed plush enough to me. I’d honestly take a Sienna before a Rav4, but Personal preferences aside, this new Venza is a very nice looking vehicle. If it wasn’t such turbulent times, I’d be tempted for sure, but Ill hold onto the 114k Avalon for the time being.
The new Venza is a very nice looking car though. An understated NX/RX with Toyota Badging as the Avalon is to the ES. Luxury and style without the added flashiness and pretentiousness of the Lexus but also without the Fisher-price, toy-truck-like look of the current Rav4. Interest officially Piqued!
Hopefully it won’t come with the fire risks that seem to be looming in the shadows of the current Rav4’s existence. I’m sure they will sell plenty.