The 2011 Toyota Venza is unchanged from the 2010 Toyota Venza. All 2011 Venzas include an electronic brake override designed to thwart unintended acceleration, a feature Toyota began phasing in during model-year 2010.
Should you buy a 2011 Toyota Venza or wait for the 2012 Toyota Venza? Wait for the 2012 Venza if you want the freshest styling details.
Credit the car's proportions and interesting rear styling, which features swoopy taillights. Exterior features include:
The base engine in the Venza is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder that makes 182 horsepower and 182 pounds-feet of torque. Mechanical features include:
The Toyota Venza has been called many things, including wagon, crossover and compact sport-utility vehicle. But Toyota insists that it's a car. That bolsters Toyota's claim that the Venza is a car.
But the Venza's ground clearance, the distance between its chassis and the ground, is 8.1 inches - nearly three inches higher than the Toyota Camry's ground clearance of 5.5 inches. That, in the minds of many, puts the Venza in SUV territory.
It rides and handles like a midsize family sedan. Equipped with optional all-wheel drive and the standard 2.7-liter in-line four-cylinder engine (182 horsepower, 182 foot-pounds of torque) - the arrangement sampled for this column - the Venza accelerates and handles in the manner of an underpowered midsize family sedan.
The standard engine in the all-wheel-drive Venza is overwhelmed by the high-riding posture and factory weight (3,945 pounds before occupants and luggage) of that vehicle.
For that reason, this column recommends the Venza's optional 3.5-liter V-6 (268 horsepower, 246 foot-pounds of torque). The Venza, originally launched in 2009, is aimed at Toyota loyalists who need more space than what is afforded them in the Camry sedan. The problem for Toyota is that the Venza is not a leadership vehicle.
The 2011 Toyota Venza is not class-competitive. Why? Because the Venza has no competitors. If BMW is the “Ultimate Driving Machine,” Toyota is the exact opposite, the “Ultimate Commuting Machine.” Notable features include dual front-side mounted airbags, passenger airbag occupant-sensing deactivation and a whiplash protection system. The Venza’s interior puts on a four-star performance. The Venza comes well-equipped with a breadth of features, and optional packages quickly transform the Venza into an entry-level luxury vehicle.
The dashboard-mounted shifter is a design marvel, and frees space in the floor-mounted center console for retractable cup holders and an iPod/MP3-player bin. With all seats down, the Venza boasts a very healthy 70 cubic feet of storage space.
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