2023 Toyota Venza

How does Venza move? The four-cylinder hybrid engine in the Venza appears to have few impressive features on paper, but in practice, this SUV accelerates quickly enough. During Invoice Pricing testing, it went from 0 to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds. This vehicle is slower than a V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee but faster than a Honda Passport.

While navigating curves, the Venza’s handling is neat and assured, but it doesn’t quite live up to its sporty looks. The Venza accelerates smoothly and almost without lag when driving around town, demonstrating Toyota’s mastery of fusing gas and electric power.

How does Venza move? The four-cylinder hybrid engine in the Venza appears to have few impressive features on paper, but in practice, this SUV accelerates quickly enough. During Invoice Pricing testing, it went from 0 to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds. This vehicle is slower than a V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee but faster than a Honda Passport.

While navigating curves, the Venza’s handling is neat and assured, but it doesn’t quite live up to its sporty looks. The Venza accelerates smoothly and almost without lag when driving around town, demonstrating Toyota’s mastery of fusing gas and electric power.

How comfortable is the Venza? Toyota concentrated on improving comfort in Venza. The engine lacks the unpleasant drone found in the RAV4 Hybrid, and the cabin is effectively soundproof from outside noises. The Venza also has excellent ride quality, handling highway dips and bumps more like a Lexus than a Honda.

The chairs in the front are supportive and comfortable. The front seats in our Limited trim test car had heat and ventilation, though we didn’t think it was particularly effective. Fortunately, dual-zone climate control provides more than adequate cooling. The rear seats are likewise well-designed for passenger comfort, with adjustable air conditioning, heating, and reclining backrests.

How is the interior? The Venza competes with other midsize SUVs, such as the Subaru Outback and Honda Passport. It is comparable to the RAV4, which is in a smaller class but has less interior space. It’s not that it’s small on the inside; instead, other SUVs in the same price range have more space.

The interior rest is frequently perfect. Toyota’s new 12.3-inch infotainment screen has a user-friendly design and menu layout. Below this screen is the radio and enhanced touch-sensitive HVAC controls. Even though they work reasonably well and are responsive, we prefer traditional push buttons and knobs.

The Venza’s slim body provides excellent forward visibility and is relatively easy to get in and out of. Although the sizable rear roof pillars obscure your natural vision behind you, blind-spot monitoring is standard to help you change lanes. A traditional 360-degree parking camera system on our Limited trim eliminates much of the guesswork in navigating confined spaces.

How is technology? Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now included as standard equipment in the Toyota Venza, demonstrating that the automaker has recently caught up to the rest of the industry regarding smartphone integration. The 12.3-inch optional touchscreen is mainly covered by apps projected from your phone, but more on-screen controls are still possible. Although the native navigation system lacks the elegance, speed, and ease of use of phone-based navigation apps, it is still helpful in case of a cell signal outage. Four USB ports and a wireless charger power all the devices on board while in use.

Toyota has made significant advancements with its cutting-edge driver assistance systems, many of which are now standard. When you come to a complete stop, adaptive cruise control engages, and lane centering assist maintains your position in your lane without ping-ponging off the markers. It is one of the more comprehensive and well-designed systems on the market.

It’s also worth mentioning Venza’s optional tint-on-demand electrochromic panoramic sunroof. A simple push of a button transforms the white glass from see-through to opaque. While keeping the cabin’s interior bright effectively blocks most direct sunlight and heat.

What about the storage situation? Regarding storage space, size matters, and the Venza is far more compact than the alternatives. In isolation, the cargo space appears adequate and is relatively small, but with 28.8 cubic feet of space behind the back seats, it falls well short of the class average (only the RAV4 has more room) and has an awkward liftover height. The cargo cover and 60/40-split seats can be folded flat and stored beneath the load floor when not in use. It comes standard with a hands-free tailgate, which many competitors only offer on top-tier models.

Small-item storage is limited in the cabins. Most compartments are smaller than those found in a typical midsize crossover, and there is no overhead compartment for sunglasses. Things have significantly improved for those who require child seats. We had no trouble installing a large rear-facing infant seat because the anchors are easily accessible. On the other hand, drivers over 6 feet tall will most likely need to take the passenger seat.

How efficiently does it use fuel? The EPA estimates the Venza to get 39 combined mpg. However, we achieved an excellent 44.3 mpg on our 115-mile real-world evaluation route. Despite being only available as a hybrid, the Venza outperforms every other vehicle in its class in terms of efficiency. The Subaru Outback, which is significantly slower but gets 29 mpg combined, is the second most economical SUV. We expect Venza to frequently match or exceed its EPA estimate if our findings are correct.

Is the Venza a good buy? Despite having a higher starting price than most vehicles in this class, the Venza has a Lexus-like interior and exterior. A Venza won’t be available for less than $33,000, but it does come standard with a slew of high-tech safety features, LED headlights and taillights, and a hands-free liftgate. The fully equipped Limited trim is reasonably priced compared to other market leaders.

The Venza comes with an eight-year, 100,000-mile hybrid powertrain warranty in addition to Toyota’s standard three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. Toyota recently extended its battery warranty to 10 years/150,000 miles. Complimentary scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance are included for the first two years and 25,000 miles of ownership.

The Venza is back and has a lot of character. Its daring new look alone suggests it will be more popular than its predecessor. However, athletic performance needs to be more of a sportier appearance. It’s fast and fuel-efficient, but it’s the vehicle you’d take on a weekend road trip if the goal is to see how far you can go on a gas tank.

However, if you value substance as much as we do, the Venza excels in nearly every critical area for this class of midsize SUVs and will reward you with a well-rounded driving experience.

Toyota has not made any formal announcements about the 2023 Venza as of this writing. Based on our experience with the Venza last year, we recommend the base LE trim for its lower starting price and an impressive array of cutting-edge safety features. We’ll change our rating if anything changes.

Toyota Venza models include

The Toyota Venza is a midsize SUV with more standard features than most others. Four trim levels are available: LE, XLE, Nightshade Edition, and Limited. It is only available as a hybrid with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive.