The Toyota company is successful not only because they make the cars people want, but also because they’re able to anticipate what people want and have it ready and waiting as soon as they figure it out. After all, sometimes people don’t know exactly what they want – or that they want something different – until they see it. The new 2009 Venza is a perfect example of how Toyota met an unknown, unmet need.
Toyota suspected that there would be a market for a car that wasn’t as big and luxurious as an SUV, nor as boxy and utilitarian as a wagon. Without even having a name for this new category of car, they developed the Venza. In the Toyota lineup, it falls between their Camry sedan and their Highlander crossover SUV.
But will Toyota’s gamble pay off? Time will tell, but this car does have Toyota’s design skills and reputation for quality to back it up before it ever rolled off the assembly line, putting it head and shoulders above many other cars out there.
The Venza has a low center of gravity that gives it better handling – more like a wagon, which is an improvement over the Ford Edge or the Nissan Murano. Unsurprisingly, the car drives easily and handles well, much like the Camry on which it’s based. Some reviewers have called the driving experience dull, but a utility vehicle can’t be expected to handle like a high performance car. If you’re looking for reliability in a utility vehicle, look no further, as Toyota has a proven track record of providing cars that buyers can depend upon.
Currently, the engine is available in 4- and 6-cylinder options, and you can choose from front or all wheel drive. Standard features include 19 inch alloy wheels, automatic on-off headlights, rear privacy glass, dual zone automatic climate control, tilt wheel steering, and cruise control. The 6 CD changer in-dash stereo system comes with 6 speakers, and the car even features a built-in universal garage door opener.
In addition, the Venza has an estimated fuel economy of 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. And while there’s no third row seat, there is plenty of passenger space. The second row has a reclining seat back, and when you fold the rear seat down, you have 70 cubic feet of space for transporting things.
The exterior styling of the car is clean and attractive. Physically speaking, the car is easier to get into and out off, and the large gauges are easy to see. These features should be especially appealing to older drivers – an increasingly large market in the United States.
However, if you’re looking for luxury and high end features, you won’t find them here – you are, after all, dealing with a utility vehicle. But for a utility vehicle, the Venza fits the bill, meeting needs you didn’t know you had with class, style and Toyota’s unmatched level of reliability and longevity.
