Review

The Venza is built on the Camry platform, and made in the same plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. But the Venza is more than an upscale, contemporary rendition of a Camry station wagon. The Venza is more original than that, and more functional, loaded with a mix of highly evolved features and fresh design ideas. Venza compares most closely with the Honda Accord Crosstour.

It's essentially a tall car, with a roomy, cleverly designed interior, that can handle the hauling tasks that make SUVs a popular choice. It's a family car, a good daily runabout that's easy to drive and park. And it's highly useful, for moving people, pets and grocery-getting. We found it spacious and comfortable.

Venza is available with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or a 3.5-liter V6, both backed by a six-speed automatic transmission. It's available in all-wheel-drive (AWD) and front-wheel-drive (FWD) configurations.

The four-cylinder makes 182 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque and gets an EPA-estimated 21/29 mpg City/Highway. The V6 is rated at 268 horsepower and 246 pound-feet of torque and is rated at 18/25 mpg with all-wheel drive.

Venza was launched as a 2009, and the only changes for 2010 involve the audio system. 2010 Venza models come with iPod connectivity, a USB port, and Bluetooth.

On the road, the Venza feels like a car. It rides smoothly and quietly and steers easily. We were impressed with its stability on slippery roads, whether equipped with all-wheel drive or not. Although there are some SUV attributes, such as the higher seat height and a high degree of cargo versatility, from the driver's seat you'd swear you were in a four-door sedan.

Line-Up
The 2010 Toyota Venza comes with choice of four-cylinder ($26,275) or V6 ($28,100). All-wheel-drive is available for either ($1450). Four-cylinder models ride on P245/55R19 tires on 19-inch, 10-spoke aluminum wheels; V6 models upgrade to P245/50R20 tires on 20-inch, five-spoke wheels.

Standard equipment includes cloth upholstery; dual-zone automatic climate control with air filter and second-row vents; cruise control; AM/FM audio with XM satellite radio and six speakers; six-disc CD changer with MP3/WMA playback, iPod connectivity, a USB port; Bluetooth; tilt/telescopic adjustable steering wheel with integrated audio controls; dual vanity mirrors; power windows with auto up/down function and jam protection on all four doors; cargo tonneau cover; rear personal overhead lamps; 14-degree rear seat recline; rear spoiler; and one-touch levers to fold the rear seats forward from the cargo area. Also standard are multi-projector-beam headlamps with auto on-off; integrated fog lamps; power outside mirrors; UV reduction glass windshield; privacy glass on two rear side windows and back window; variable intermittent windshield wipers; rear window intermittent wiper; remote keyless entry system; carbon fiber interior trim; overhead console with map lights; center console with sliding cover and armrest; three 12-volt auxiliary power outlets.

Options include navigation system ($2,590), JBL Premium Audio ($1,090), panoramic sunroof with tilt-and-slide forward section ($1,050), and rear-seat DVD entertainment ($1,680).

The Leather Package ($1600) includes leather-trimmed seats, shift knob, and steering wheel with satin-mahogany wood-grain style trim and a four-way power passenger seat. The Security Package ($570) features a backup camera and anti-theft alarm. The Convenience Package ($860) adds a power rear lift gate and Smart Key. The Lighting Package ($815) adds HID headlights and automatic high beams. The Tow Prep Package ($220) includes an engine oil cooler, heavy duty fan, and larger alternator.

Safety features include seven air bags and active headrests (front); Hill-Start Assist Control. Toyota's Star Safety System comes standard and includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC) systems with a cutoff switch, plus Antilock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. A tire-pressure monitor system and child protector rear door locks are standard.

Walk Around
Smooth, fluid lines and aerodynamic sculpting characterize the Toyota Venza, which is slightly shorter and lower overall than most crossovers we've been in.

Viewed from the front, a high, wide grille that flows into flame-shaped headlamps functions to accentuate the overall wide stance of the car. The combination of lamp types gathered in the headlamp clusters, contrasted with the simple. separate fog lamps below, creates a crisp, technical feeling.

In profile, the Venza appears sleek and contemporary, thanks to low rocker panels and narrow doorsills, much more like a car than a SUV. In keeping with the FT-SX concept vehicle that inspired the design, the wheels are placed out at the corners of the body, snugly positioned in the wheelwells, and there is minimal overhang on either end.

The 20-inch wheels of the V6 versions become especially prominent, suggesting something surefooted in everyday driving, even sporty on a winding road. Their five spokes are dramatically three-dimensional, whereas the standard 19-inch, 10-spoke wheels look clean, machined, and high-tech.

At the rear, S-shaped tail lamps contribute to the sporty feeling. The end result is to convey the impression of a smart, modern, and practical car. Most of all, the design conveys Toyota's long-view DNA, a way of saying that none of the Venza's visual elements are clich�s likely to become dated or out of style during the life of the car.

Interior
The Toyota Venza is intended to be a refined, potentially luxurious alternative to a five-passenger sedan. And to offer more cargo and passenger space in the process. So the interior has been endowed with an unusual mix of qualities, selected to combine easy-to-drive attributes of a premium car with high-utility flexibility of an SUV.

Keyless entry allowed us to just walk up to the Venza and hop in; all five doors unlock at one touch. The Venza is easy to get into, because the step-in height is quite low, same as a Camry, but the higher roofline makes entry easier for taller people. Once in the seat, we pressed the Start button and the instrument panel came to life. While the gauges are brightly lit and highly visible, the car is very quiet at idle.

Seat quality is appropriate for a car that might convey a family and their pets on long-distance drives. The cushion length and seat back width are designed for comfort, and there is just enough side bolstering to allow for side-to-side support when the driving is more spirited. The seating position is a tad higher than the average car, more like a minivan, which affords easier visibility of the road ahead. The power seats have a nice range of adjustment, easily accommodating our average frame, and the steering wheel telescopes and adjusts about an inch and a half, each way. It takes only a moment to adjust for legroom and seat angle, set the mirrors, and select Drive.

From the inside, the feeling is of spaciousness, especially in the front row. The front dash layout uses a cleverly arched console and centrally mounted information pod to make it appear as though 60 percent of the front space is devoted to each side.

There is not much difference in quality between the leather interior and the cloth. Both include a nicely textured dash; the cloth interior makes use of carbon-fiber accents for a high-tech appearance, while the leather interior has wood-grain accents to achieve a clean, modern take on classical materials. Both convey the look and feel of quality. The shift lever is canted slightly to the driver's side. There are two interior colors: ivory or light gray.

The instrument cluster prioritizes an oversized speedometer, which is at the center of the cluster, with a slightly smaller tachometer to the left. Semi-circular fuel and temperature gauges are smaller and located to the right. The shift position indicator is a modest LED display at center. The instruments look good, are bright enough even when the sun hits them directly, and pleasing at night.

Twisting stalks for lights, wipers and washers, and cruise control are mounted on the steering wheel.

The center console is designed to be simple, clean, and uncluttered. It contains low-relief, soft-touch controls for the information center, the audio system and the HVAC (heating/air conditioning) system. The console has a soft armrest cover over an unusually deep storage area, which is highly organized. There is a built-in MP3 player cubby designed to hold players such as iPods securely. The Auxiliary plug is located out of the way, under a retracting lid that houses cup holders, and the wire can be run so that it is hidden while in use, providing near-perfect integration of the iPod into the Venza's interior. There is also a covered slot that made a perfect place to put our Razor cell phone. The doors have bottle holders and a map slot.

The back row seats are surprisingly accommodating. With the driver's seat adjusted for a 6-foot person, we easily had enough legroom to be comfortable for long trips. While the Venza is wider and taller overall than the Camry, it shares the same wheelbase, and (within a fraction of an inch) the same overall length. These dimensions make the Venza appear wider and lower, and permit increased hip room, head room and a higher seating height. Interestingly, while the Venza has a little more rear seat legroom than the Camry, too, it has a little less in front. Overall passenger volume is about 6 percent greater in the Venza than in the Camry.

The Venza is thoughtfully designed for people with pets. Among the available accessories are a selection of pet products, including a travel harness, rear pet barrier, a pet tent for smaller dogs, and seat cover for the rear bench seat. The harness, dog fence and tent add greatly to safety because the forces involved in a flying dog can be deadly to both dog and humans.

Driving Impressions
On the road, the Venza feels like a car, and not much like a truck. In ordinary driving it rides smoothly and quietly, just like a car, steers easily, and seems as quiet as a Camry. We drove smoothly from place to place, wipers and headlights on in the rain, observing speed limits between 35 and 55 mph, with minimal need to concentrate. At those speeds, cornering was achieved with minimal body roll (lean), and steering was light and accurate. The Venza sits higher off the ground than a Camry, so there is a bit more body lean in the corners, but suspension travel is more like a car than an SUV, so the Venza transitions from side to side cleanly and easily.

We were impressed with the stability of the Venza on steep, curving roads covered with wet leaves. We never felt a wiggle in these slippery conditions, under throttle or braking, all day long. As the day wore on, we tried out both four-cylinder and V6 models, and all-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive versions, and drove the now-familiar roads harder, occasionally hitting speeds up to 70 mph. We still never got into the traction control, or the anti-lock brakes, which speaks well for the tires and the wide stance of the Venza.

The brakes respond to pressure with a nice, easy-to-control mix of pedal assist and firm feedback.

The Venza is not designed to be an off-road vehicle, although it does have 8.1 inches of ground clearance, comparable to compact SUVs. The all-wheel-drive system (also used on the RAV4) can bias torque equally on a 50/50 basis, front to rear. With that kind of flexibility, the AWD Venza has the capability to be an especially sure-footed, all-weather transport, and that includes snow.

Summary
The Toyota Venza combines the virtues of cars and SUVs resulting in a vehicle that's nice to drive and easy to live with. The Venza seats five, can carry cargo, and should work well for hauling dogs around. It's roomy and comfortable and climbing in and out is easy. It offers good, smooth performance and handles well in slippery conditions.

John Stewart filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com from Farmington, Pennsylvania.