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October 2, 2009
 2009 Toyota Venza four-cylinder. Click image to enlarge |
Unlike some of its competitors, the Venza doesn’t offer a third row of seats. Given the interior space available, a third row would likely be very cramped anyway.
The rear hatch opening is wide and tall, but the liftover height is fairly high. As with the seats, the light-coloured carpets and light-coloured plastic side walls are likely to get dirty and scratched within a year.
Underneath the trunk floor carpet is a removeable ribbed plastic floor, under which sits a temporary spare tire. In addition, there are two under-floor storage areas behind the rear wheelwells where the jack and cargo net are kept.
The Venza driver sits higher up than in a Camry but lower than in a Highlander. Visibility is good to the front and sides, but the rear view is partially blocked by the Venza’s thick rear side pillar which makes lane-changing more difficult. A small side window at the rear helps, but it’s not really big enough. The centre rear head restraint sits flush with the seat top so as not to impede the view through the rearview mirror.
The Venza feels substantial going down the road – it weighs 200 kg (440 lbs) more than a Camry sedan – but with its long wheelbase, big tires and fully independent suspension, it offers a comfortable ride and excellent highway manners. Still, the suspension is a bit stiff over rough roads. Handling though, is surprisingly flat for such a tall vehicle with a generous ground clearance of 205 mm (8.1 in.).
  2009 Toyota Venza four-cylinder. Click image to enlarge |
Given the Venza’s 1705 kg (3760 kg) curb weight, I was pleasantly surprised at the performance of the base 182-hp 2.7-litre four-cylinder engine, despite the fact that its zero to 100 km/h time averages close to ten seconds. It’s not the powerhouse that the V6 is, but it is quick off the line, and the Venza’s responsive six-speed automatic transmission helps keep the engine’s revs up when a little acceleration is required. In addition, the manual mode can be used in situations where there is a full load of people and cargo on board.
Unlike the smooth V6, the four-cylinder engine is a little buzzy on acceleration but it’s mostly noise – there’s very little vibration. When cruising on the freeway at a steady 100 km/h, the engine turns over just 1,900 r.p.m. and is very quiet. I experienced some tire noise from its standard Bridgestone Dueler 245/55R19-inch all-season tires but that may have been because the engine was so quiet.
Energuide fuel consumption is rated at 10.0 L/100 km city and 6.8 L/100 km highway, compared to the Venza V6 with 11/7.6 L/100 km city/hwy.
Steering effort is very light around town, which helps when parking, but the Venza’s poor rear visibility and lack of sonic parking sensors makes it difficult to parallel park. The standard rear wiper (with intermittent setting) and washer will certainly come in handy once winter hits.
Though a big vehicle, the Venza is easy to drive and very roomy and comfortable inside. It would be ideal for a family with teenagers who need more rear seat legroom than a standard sedan offers, and generous cargo space for recreational and sports equipment.
Competitors with four-cylinder engines are few and far between: the recently redesigned 2010 Subaru Outback would probably be the closest as well as SUV-like crossovers such as the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.
The Toyota Venza with a four-cylinder engine offers better fuel economy than the V6 model, while offering acceptable performance. But it’s a large vehicle that feels bigger and heavier over the road than traditional mid-size wagons.
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Pricing: 2009 Toyota Venza (four-cylinder)
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Specifications
Competitors
Crash test results
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Related posts:
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- Inside Story: 2009 Toyota Venza AWD four-cylinder
- Test Drive: 2009 Toyota Venza V6 AWD
- Toyota Venza sketch debuts on YouTube
- Buyer's Guide: 2009 Toyota Venza
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