Venza

The Toyota Venza gives the impression of being robust, with a solid feel over bumps.

The Venza includes a power tailgate, a rearview camera, a sunroof, keyless ignition and entry, HID headlamps, a power passenger seat, leather upholstery and steering wheel, wood trim, heated front seats, heated mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2009 Toyota Venza is a five-passenger wagon available in two trim levels that correspond to the two available engines. Standard features on the 2.7-liter Venza include 19-inch alloy wheels, auto on/off headlights, rear privacy glass, dual-zone automatic climate control, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, power driver seat, reclining and folding 60/40 rear seat, auto-dimming rearview mirror, universal garage-door opener, cruise control, trip computer and a six-speaker stereo with in-dash six-CD changer and auxiliary audio jack. The V6-powered Venza adds 20-inch alloy wheels.

Powertrains and Performance

The Toyota Venza is available with four- or six-cylinder engines, as well as front- or all-wheel drive. All feature a six-speed automatic. The 2.7-liter four-cylinder produces 182 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. Estimated fuel economy with this engine and front-wheel drive is 21 mpg city/29 mpg highway; all-wheel drive drops those numbers by 1 mpg.

The 3.5-liter V6 makes 268 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque. Its fuel economy with front-wheel drive is an EPA-estimated 19 city/26 highway and 22 combined. Once again, all-wheel drive produces a 1-mpg loss in all categories.

Safety

Each Venza comes standard with four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag and front-seat active head restraints.

Interior Design and Special Features

The Venza’s front cabin sleek center console is important to note, as its high-mounted shifter located next to the climate controls frees up space between the seats for a large bin covered by cupholders and a smaller bin designed for iPods and other small devices.

There’s another compartment designed specifically to hold Blackberrys, other PDAs and MP3 players. The audio and climate controls are a new design for Toyota, but they remain user-friendly. A high-mounted LCD screen shows trip computer and climate control information along with the optional back-up camera display.

Although it lacks a third-row seat, the Venza provides loads of passenger space – particularly in the rear, which features a reclining seatback. The trunk can swallow 70 cubic feet of stuff with the rear seat folded, while boasting 34.4 cubes with the seats up.