- 2023 Toyota Venza: What We Know So Far
- 2023 Toyota Venza
- 2023 Toyota Venza Review
- 2023 Toyota Venza Engine
- Fuel Economy
- 2023 Toyota Venza Interior
- Toyota Venza Infotainment
- Toyota Venza Safety
- 2023 Toyota Venza Release Date and Price
- Competitors
- 2021 Toyota Venza Limited Review
- 2024 Toyota Venza
- Where This Vehicle Ranks
- Kia Telluride
- Ford Bronco
- Ford Bronco Raptor
- Hyundai Palisade
- Mazda CX-90
- Toyota Venza
- What’s New for 2024?
- Pricing and Which One to Buy
- Engine, Transmission, and Performance
- Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
- Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
- Infotainment and Connectivity
- Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
- Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
- Specifications
2023 Toyota Venza: What We Know So Far
2023 Toyota Venza – The New Venza between the compact RAV4 and the mid-size Highlander SUV in the Toyota range. It’s based on the Harrier SUV that Toyota sold overseas, which we always thought would make a great SUV for the North American market; apparently, Toyota agrees.
Unlike the Harrier, which is sold with hybrid powertrains and conventional non-hybrids, the Venza U.S. market is powered exclusively by hybrid systems. The sleek two-line Venza is a stylish choice among its boxier siblings, but it faces heady competition from the like of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Nissan Murano.
2023 Toyota Venza
2023 Toyota Venza Review
During Toyota Venza’s initial run (2009-2015), it was basically a minivan-SUV crossover targeting a niche market. After the 2015 model year, Venza took a five-year model break and returned in 2021 as a more muscular midsize crossover with more traditional proportions. With fresh, we expect Toyota Venza 2023 to be a carryover model.
The original Venza sits in a very narrow niche, and many buyers see it as too soft. So it’s no surprise the new generation of Venza is more muscular with its strong body line, coupe-like rear glass, protruding back, and flashy taillights. The new generation Venza is not the parent car of its predecessor football. We hope the Toyota Venza 2023 will continue with the same performance.
Inside, Venza offers an equally muscular cabin with many bold shapes and angles. It also includes wide air vents, blazing middle stacks, hard shifters, dashboard-top touchscreens, and surprisingly high-end material. We anticipate no changes to the cabin of the Toyota Venza 2023 when it crashes into the showroom.
Toyota Venza currently has many standard technologies for today’s buyers, including an 8-inch touchscreen, LED headlights, wireless smartphone charging, handshake-free liftgate, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and more.
Buyers can also move up in trim levels and add more premium technologies such as a 12.3-inch touchscreen, navigation, a 10-inch head-up display, a nine-speaker JBL audio system, and even a two-panel electric roof sunroof. We hope the Toyota Venza 2022 is compatible with all these standard and optional features.
2023 Toyota Venza Engine
Venza is offered exclusively as a hybrid, powered by an arrangement consisting of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and three electric motors that together develop 219 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard: One electric motor drives Venza’s rear wheels while a gasoline engine and two other motors work to rotate the front.
During our test drive at Venza, we found ourselves disappointed with its driving dynamics and it did not provide the smooth ride and even what we expected. On our test track, the acceleration was also mediocre at 7.6 seconds to 60 mph, placing it 1.5 seconds off the speed set by the Honda Passport.
Fuel Economy
The EPA estimates that Venza will give the city 40 mpg and highways 37 mpg, which is nearly double the rating of other two-line mid-size SUVs such as the Passport and Ford Edge. On our 75 mph highway fuel-economy test route, we recorded 36 mpg.
2023 Toyota Venza Interior
Based on its dimensions, we expected the Venza cabin to be slightly more roomy than the smaller RAV4 in terms of spaciousness, but in reality, we found Venza a little under-sold. Not only is passenger space tighter here than at RAV4, but cargo capacity is also suffering, although most buyers will find it very adequate.
We loaded seven carry-on suitcases behind the back seat and a total of 18 with folded rear seats, verses 10 and 22 for the RAV4. Venza was the first Toyota to offer an optional electrochromic panoramic sunroof called the Star Gaze company. With a flip switch, the sunroof glass panel switches from transparent to opaque; This impressive feature is something we’ve only found until now on luxury cars like the Mercedes-Benz SL class.
Toyota Venza Infotainment
An 8.0-inch touchscreen is standard at Venza and stands proudly on the SUV’s dashboard; Larger 12.3-inch displays are optional on XLE and standard on Limited. Whatever display you choose, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa connectivity are all standard, as well as SiriusXM satellite radio. Upgrading to the larger of the two displays also unlocks in-dash navigation and adds a premium JBL stereo system of nine speakers.
Toyota Venza Safety
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given a five-star safety rating to Venza and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it a Top Safety Pick. In addition, Toyota includes a series of driver assistance features as standard on all models. Key security features include:
- Standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Standard line departure warning with help keeping track
- Standard adaptive cruise control
2023 Toyota Venza Release Date and Price
There is no sales date for the Toyota Venza 2023 yet, but based on the previous release schedule, we expect it will arrive in summer 2022.
Prices are also unconfirmed for Venza 2023. As no changes are to come, we expect its MSRP to remain close to the $33,645 to $40,975 price range of the current model (including destination costs).
Competitors
This unique crossover will compete with the Chevy Blazer, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape.
2021 Toyota Venza Limited Review
2024 Toyota Venza
The Toyota Venza goes big on efficiency and features but struggles to match the utility and spaciousness of most offerings in its competitive mid-size two-row SUV class. Its thrifty nature comes by way of a hybrid powertrain comprised of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and three electric motors. That means standard all-wheel drive and fuel economy that rubs the faces of competitors like the V-6-powered Honda Passport and the Nissan Murano in the dirt. Or it would, but the Venza is more focused on a feature-packed cabin designed for commuting than for venturing off-road. An available panoramic sunroof that shifts from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button is a good indicator of its priorities. Unfortunately, its RAV4 Hybrid-based bones limit its interior space and cargo area compared to most other crossovers in this mid-size segment. Combined with a buzzy engine and dozens of hybrid and nonhybrid competitors—including Toyota’s own RAV4 and Lexus NX350h—the Venza remains a an outlier in the segment—a good-looking but smaller and less practical alternative.
Where This Vehicle Ranks
Kia Telluride
Ford Bronco
Ford Bronco Raptor
Hyundai Palisade
Mazda CX-90
Toyota Venza
What’s New for 2024?
Nothing. If you liked the 2023 Venza, you’ll like the 2024 Venza, as Toyota is carrying the model over without a single change.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
All Venza models come with all-wheel drive and Toyota Safety Sense as standard kit. Our pick is the XLE, which adds rear parking sensors with automatic emergency braking, the larger 12.3-inch infotainment screen, upgraded upholstery, a power front-passenger seat, 19-inch aluminum wheels, LED foglamps, and a few other additional tweaks that make the $4000 jump in price from LE to XLE worth it. The Nightshade edition is the XLE with black styling accents at the cost of about $1100.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The Venza is a hybrid-only proposition. The powertrain is comprised of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and three electric motors, which produce a combined 219 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard: One of the electric motors powers the Venza’s rear wheels while the gasoline engine and the other two motors work to spin the fronts. The Venza is a traditional self-contained hybrid with no provision for plug-in capability. Our test drive of the Venza found it lacking in driving dynamics, and we were disappointed that it didn’t deliver the smooth ride that we expected. At our test track, its acceleration was also mediocre at 7.6 seconds to 60 mph, putting it 1.5 seconds off the pace set by the Passport.
More on the Venza SUV
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The Venza is rated to return 40 mpg city and 37 mpg highway by the EPA. Impressive for the segment, these figures are nearly double the ratings of other two-row mid-size SUVs such as the Passport and the Ford Edge. Unsurprisingly, the Venza fuel economy numbers are within 1 mpg of the EPA ratings for its RAV4 Hybrid and Lexus NX 350h siblings, with which it shares its platform. On our 75-mph highway fuel economy test route, we recorded 36 mpg. For more information about the Venza’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Seeing as the Venza shares the RAV4 Hybrid’s 105.9-inch wheelbase but is about half a foot longer overall, we figured Toyota might find a way to carve a little more interior room from the Venza’s husk. Alas, passenger volume is nearly identical, the Venza losing a few tenths of an inch in hip and shoulder room. Cargo space is not as lucky, with the Venza’s 29 cubic feet of behind-the-second-row volume falling short of the RAV4 Hybrid’s 38. In C/D testing, we fit seven carry-on suitcases behind the rear seat and 18 in total with the rear seats folded, versus 10 and 22 for the RAV4. Notably, the Venza offers Toyota’s electrochromic panoramic sunroof. Dubbed “Star Gaze” in ‘Yota-speak. Despite the name, it’s cool; the sunroof’s glass panels go from transparent to opaque with the flip of a switch. This impressive feature is something (until now) that we’ve encountered only on luxury cars such as the Mercedes-Benz SL-class.
The Car and Driver Difference
Infotainment and Connectivity
The base LE Venza has a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen positioned atop the dashboard, while XLE and up models get a 12.3-inch unit. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and wireless charging connectivity are all standard across the board, as well as SiriusXM satellite radio. The XLE has a 10-inch head-up display and the option of a nine-speaker JBL premium stereo system, the latter of which is an option on the XLE.
How to Buy and Maintain a Car
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Toyota includes a suite of driver-assistance features as standard on all Venza models. For more information about the Venza’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Toyota’s warranty coverage is typical as compared to other mainstream brands, but it sweetens the deal with two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance. The Venza’s hybrid components are covered by a specific eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty, and the battery is covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles.
- Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
- Hybrid-component warranty covers eight years or 100,000 miles
- Complimentary maintenance is covered for two years or 25,000 miles
Specifications
Specifications
2021 Toyota Venza
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED
$43,045 (base price: $33,590)
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline-4, 176 hp, 163 lb-ft + 3 permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors, front: 118 hp, 149 lb-ft; rear: 54 hp, 89 lb-ft (combined output, 219 hp); 0.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
TRANSMISSION
continuously variable automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink
Brakes (F/R): 12.0-in vented disc/11.1-in disc
Tires: Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus, 225/55R-19 99V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 105.9 in
Length: 186.6 in
Width: 73.0 in
Height: 65.9 in
Passenger volume: 95 ft 3
Cargo volume: 29 ft 3
Curb weight: 3879 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.6 sec
100 mph: 20.9 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 7.9 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.8 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.2 sec
1/4 mile: 15.8 sec @ 89 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 118 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 179 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.79 g
Standing-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 36 mpg
Highway range: 520 miles
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (MFR EST)
Combined/city/highway: 39/40/37 mpg