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2009 Toyota Venza
Toyota’s Nomad

The Venza is Toyota’s all-new 5-passenger vehicle that Toyota describes as a crossover sedan, combining the styling and comfort of a sedan with the utility of an SUV. Sounds scintillating right, well that’s the official description but really, what exactly it is is hard to define so suffice it to say, it’s a very nice vehicle.

If you happen to be familiar with the FT-SX concept that debuted a few years ago you’ll clearly see the resemblance in the Venza. For me, it conjures up memories of the only ultra cool wagon/car that had a similar configuration; Chevy’s 55 – 57 Nomads.

The Venza sports a low profile silhouette and is very roomy inside, easy to get in and out of, drives like a car but has the flexibility, room and towing capabilities of a crossover. Toyota’s targeting people that need a bit more room than a sedan but don’t want an SUV or mini-van. Part of what gives the Venza a very cool look is the 19-inch wheel and tire combo that comes on the 4-cylinder and the 20-inch combo standard on the V6; very smart move by Toyota.

Power comes from a 182hp 2.7-liter 4-cylinder FWD which is what my tester was, and it was sufficient, but I did get to test drive the 268hp 3.5-literV6 when we were at the press preview and it of course is my powerplant of choice. AWD drive is optional. Both engines are mated to an electronically controlled 6-speed automatic transmission which provides seamless shifts and helps the Venza achieve its 21/29 EPA rating. Both

The STAR safety system is standard on the Venza and includes ABS, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control with a cutoff switch and Brake Assist. Also standard on the Venza is Hill-Start Assist, seven airbags, and driver and front passenger active headrests. Available options include power rear door with jam protection, Smart Key System with push-button start, leather-trimmed seats, panoramic roof, leather seating and a Nav System.

One can tell that a lot of thought went into the interior design in the Venza starting with headroom. Even though the car sports a lower profile than SUV’s, there’s plenty of headroom and while the seats aren’t bolstered, they’re very comfortable and I’m thinking that most Venza buyers aren’t going to be pulling a lot of G’s when cornering so the seats work just fine. The steering wheel does tilt and telescope which helps accommodate different drivers from the diminutive to extra long find a driving position that suits them. There’s plenty of storage space and the center console is large with cupholders that you can slide back and forth to access the console. The center stack houses auxiliary inputs and has a place to put your cell phone or MP3 player.

As far as driving the Venza goes, look for a very pleasant experience that’s comfortable and relatively quite. This isn’t a sports car although with very few modifications it could be made to look and drive much sportier as we saw with the SEMA car that was at the press preview. But in my opinion this car was designed to be functional without being boring and to that end I think the Venza is a success.  Base price starts at just under $26,000 for the 4-cylinder FWD and the AWD V6 starts at just over $29,000 so you get quite a bit for your money.

As far as competitors go, well, I’m not sure where to go there. Toyota believes there’s a psychographic that the Venza will fill the bill for. The family that doesn’t want a mini-van or an SUV, or maybe grandparents that don’t want a “family car” but want to be able to haul the grand-kiddos around from time to time.

It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out for the Venza but I will say that if you’re looking for something a bit different, Toyota’s Venza may fill the bill. Click here for more on the Venza….