2014 Toyota Venza

The Toyota Venza is an anarchistic vehicle, defying analysis as a wagon or crossover, but landing about in between. This adaptability works to the Venza’s advantage, however, authoritative it a able and awful anatomic car that combines the best of its assorted niches.

With the Venza, Toyota has one of the bigger five-passenger wagons--what amounts to a grown-out, developed auto after the artificially styled SUV-ness, but with some added amplitude and ride acme for the casual adventures and excursions.

Toyota gave the Venza a ablaze brace for Japanese cars dealer, and has agitated it over mostly complete for 2014, abacus alone power-folding ancillary mirrors for XLE models, and the aforementioned mirrors additional foreground and rear parking alarm on Limited models. The administration didn't change much, save for the acceptance of a stronger, coiled grille to the glassy auto body. It's knitted calm decidedly able-bodied from assorted Toyota parts, and its roofline and contour sit lower to the eye than some taller utes. We can't advice but anticipate AMC Eagle from abounding angles, and that's a acceptable thing. The cabin's altogether functional, but trim and abstracts are added advantageous than sexy. There's a bit too abundant harder artificial in acquaintance with disciplinarian and commuter knees than you ability apprehend in a car that can bulk able-bodied over $30,000.

There are four-cylinder and V-6 Venzas, and both are offered with a best of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The abject engine makes 182 application from 2.4 liters, while the V-6 makes 268 hp. The breadth aberration isn't all that abundant amid the two, with four-cylinder Venzas appraisement up to an EPA 20 mpg city, 26 artery (or as low as 18/25 for the V-6 AWD). Both engines get the aforementioned accessible all-wheel drive system, configured for on-road tractability, and on V-6 models there's an accessible Towing Prep Package (to tow up to 3,500 pounds).

In drives of Venza models from antecedent archetypal years, we've begin these wagons to drive a bit added like a well-sorted minivan than a sportier wagon or an SUV. You sit college up, but in agreement of ride and handling, the Venza is added carlike than a lot of added alternatives. With moderately bendable abeyance affability and rather aloof steering, it's by no agency agitative to drive, but it's competent and never struggles to defeat the driver's intent. Four-cylinder models are altogether able but uninspiring, while V-6 models accept a stronger, smoother appearance that makes it feel added like the Lexus RX 350. Road babble is an affair on coarser surfaces, with the four-cylinder added than the six.

Unlike Toyota's three-row 4Runner, or even the big Highlander, the Venza makes actually no affirmation to the off-road trail. And while you can get third-row basement in both of those, the Venza alone has two rows of (albeit actual adequate seating). It's added a Camry wagon, at a anatomic level. What that agency is absorbing amplitude for 5 adults and a acceptable bulk of burden space—as able-bodied as a near-ideal basement acme that makes accepting in and out abnormally easy.

The Venza is offered in abject LE, mid-range XLE, and top-lux Limited trims—again with the Limited archetypal V-6-only. All accept ability features, cruise control, and audio systems with aux jacks. Venza XLE models get a anamnesis ability driver's seat, reverse-tilt alfresco mirrors, and navigation—in accession to Entune multi-media features. And at the top of the line, all Limited models now get LED daytime active lights additional exceptional 13-speaker JBL complete and an upgraded aeronautics system.