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SUVs Toyota Venza 2009 Toyota Venza Crossover
1078 messages, Last post on Nov 17, 2009 at 1:50 PM
You are in the Toyota Venza Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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I test drove 2009 Venza (V6 w/AWD) yesterday and noticed a few issues with it, not sure if some of you had the same observation. 1) There was a burning smell outside the car after the test drive and the salesman mentioned that it was because the car was new and still needs to break in. 2) The cargo area with the trunk closed and the second row in position is not that great. 3) I always position my elbow either on the door or door handle, did not find a good position in this vehicle and the leather seats we not comfortable. 4) 20" wheels are way too big for this vehicle. 5) Too expensive for a Camry Wagon. |
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Replying to: sanish (Oct 06, 2009 2:57 pm) Saturn VUE is affordable. It doesn't have the burning smell nor 20" wheels. I don't have the same observation like yours. I love every bit and driving my VENZA that I accumulated 15000 miles within 6 months.
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Replying to: normvenza09 (Oct 06, 2009 3:12 pm) You seem to love your Venza so much that you cannot tolerate others observation. BTW, nobody asked for your advise on which vehicle one should buy. I am planning to buy 2010 RX350 in December but since I read from various posts that Venza is a good vehicle and in comparison with RX350, I thought of checking it out and post my observation. I am not trying to explain to you but to others who may get offended by my post. "I am not here to trash Venza but for good input from sensible owners".
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It is grayed out. I want to connect my IPHONE with OS 3.1 for Bluetooth Audio streaming. Does anyone here have this kind of set-up? I saw the youtube video from Cars.com but it doesn't show the steps. My Iphone cell phone is connected to the car's bluetooth but not the audio bluetooth. UPDATE: I got it to work for both bluetooth phone and audio. However, you can't connect at the same time. The trick is to change the password for Bluetooth Audio same as the Bluetooth Phone. |
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Replying to: sanish (Oct 06, 2009 2:57 pm) 1) There was a burning smell outside the car after the test drive and the salesman mentioned that it was because the car was new and still needs to break in. -That is normal in a brand new vehicle. It can last for a while as various surface waxes and oils left over from the build burn off. 2) The cargo area with the trunk closed and the second row in position is not that great. -Form over function. People tend not to like squared off rear ends these days. Raking the back reduces cargo but the buying public prefers the look. If you are considering the '10 RX, look at the profiles - looks like it's just the Lexus version of the Venza, so don't expect much improvement from your choice. 3) I always position my elbow either on the door or door handle, did not find a good position in this vehicle and the leather seats we not comfortable. -That's always personal and varies by body size and shape. I could never find a comfortable driving position in our Sienna. My wife loved it. 4) 20" wheels are way too big for this vehicle. -I agree wholeheartedly and the wheels on the Lexus look better IMHO. Many people here don't. Personal taste on that one. 5) Too expensive for a Camry Wagon. - Maybe, but the premium for the AWD option is worth it to some of us. I personally agree with you if folks are considering the FWD version. OTOH some might argue the RX is expensive for a Venza with a Lexus badge, wood trim and fancier leather.
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Replying to: sanish (Oct 06, 2009 3:56 pm) |
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Replying to: sanish (Oct 06, 2009 3:56 pm) That said, I wouldn't buy a V-6 AWD unless I lived in a snowy, mountainous area, or had a few secret backwoods fishing holes that were isolated by mud bogs. Why? Because it's much more expensive than the base model. The FWD 2.7L with Avalon-level standard equipment is the bargain buy. Less than $28k. And fine in snow (with decent all-season tires). 2010's will have standard Bluetooth and USB audio input for iPod. My lease is up in February, and am beginning the countdown. |
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Replying to: volkov (Oct 06, 2009 6:08 pm) I was worried about this too, given the steep slope of the rear window. I had the same concern when I looked at the RX. On paper, the '10 RX has more cargo room than the Venza (30 vs. 40 cu ft), but I think part of it's due to the RX being 4 inches taller. There's a difference between numbers on paper and actual usable space for the kinds of things you expect to carry. Before I bought my Venza, I took several suitcases (which is probably the most cargo that I'd carry at any one time) to the dealer to see if it would all fit. Fortunately, it did, so the cargo area became a non-issue for me. 3) I always position my elbow either on the door or door handle, did not find a good position in this vehicle and the leather seats we not comfortable. I agree on the driver's side -- the door is too high to rest my arm and the armrest is too low. Not a big deal for me, though. The best right-side armrest that I ever had was the seat-mounted one on my 2001 Highlander, which lacked a center console. Everything else has been too low for comfort, though I find myself resting my hand on the Venza's gear shift. 4) 20" wheels are way too big for this vehicle. Count me in as one of those who like the 20" wheels. The 18" wheels on the '10 RX look tiny and plain. Notice how all the photos on Lexus' site are of the optional 19" wheels. 5) Too expensive for a Camry Wagon. If it really was just a wagon version of the Camry, I'd agree. But the Venza is better than a Camry. If you had to call it a wagon version of something, it's closer to being an Avalon wagon, IMHO. I took a good look at the '10 RX (which had just gone on sale) before deciding on the Venza. Without the navigation system, you're stuck with a cheesy black and white display and a large plastic tray where the remote touch controller would have been. With the Navigation, you're looking at over $45K based on the package combinations my distributor brings in. To some, the real wood (yes, the Venza's attempt at wood is not fooling anyone), softer leather, longer warranty, premium dealer experience, exclusive tech options (HUDs, PCS, dynamic radar), etc. are worth it. For others (like me), the Venza was the right balance of luxury and price. Either way, both are great vehicles. I think the parallel experience follows those cross-shopping the Forrester and the CR-V against the Venza. Is the Venza worth the premium over those fine vehicles? I think it is, but neither the Forrester nor the CR-V were serious contenders for me when I was shopping, so I really didn't take a good look at them.
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Replying to: qs933 (Oct 06, 2009 11:42 pm) But I would be THRILLED to buy a hybrid F/awd (drive shaft rear drive) Venza with the I4, DFI, and extended VVT-i. Or even a CX-7 under the same "build". |
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