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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
| I also walked away from a dealer this week. Though I liked the test drive, they couldn't get me color and features I wanted and would not deal on price. Told me Toyota is selling Corollas very cheap and have to make money on new Venzas. I'll wait or look elsewhere where customer service is better. That Honda looks interesting. Anyone know about its seat height? What attracted me to the Venza was seat higher than sedan but not as high as some SUV's. Comfortable to get in and out. | |
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My dealer finally received its demonstrator -- a FWD V6 with the Premium Package 1 and the JBL system (no Nav, no glass roof). MSRP is $33K+ (over 33, less than 34). I kept the test drive pretty short due to the afternoon rush hour traffic in the area. I just wanted to feel how it drove and whether I felt elevated like an SUV. Power was not a problem (and not expected to be). The road noise was remarkably contained. It drove pretty much how I expected to. No surprises (and none wanted). I was prepared for the worst for the interior after reading mixed reviews on the dash and door surfaces. I was pleasantly surprised that the upper door surface and parts of the dash are actually covered in a rubber-like covering. It's not as soft as the surfaces on my 4Runner, but definitely much better than rock hard plastic (compare it to the Highlander). Interestingly, the upper door panels on the rear doors are hard plastic. I guess Toyota figured that the back seat passengers can get the cheaper surfaces. It looks OK, so it's not a problem. The rear also has plastic door sill trim and no courtesy light on the doors. Again, not a problem. I won't be riding back there.  I was also worried about the graining of the plastic. If you look at some of the photos of the interior (like the listings on eBay), the pattern looks strange from certain angles. In person, it's much less noticeable. The leather on the seats also share a similar grain, so there is consistency throughout the interior. The console is a snap to use. The Venza's headliner (also a sore spot in many Toyotas) looks and feels much better than the headliners in the Highlander and 4Runner. The mat in the cargo area also felt much more plush than your typical car carpeting. My biggest concern right now is cargo space. It actually looks smaller in person than it does in photos. My 4Runner can fit about 4 medium sized suitcases without too much of a struggle. I think I can fit 3 in the Venza if they are stacked properly. The space-killer is the steep angle of the rear window, although that's what gives the Venza it's sleek appearance. A surprising secondary concern -- the exterior mirrors looked big in the photos, but seem (and actually are) much smaller than those on my 4Runner. Probably not a deal-killer, but it will take a little getting used to. Overall, I was very pleased. One more thing: the JBL system -- in my limited testing with just radio stations -- sounds much better than the JBL in my 4Runner. |
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I haven't taken a close look at the Venza yet, but from what I've seen of the Highlander and what I've read(same V6 engine, virtually the same length,width and ground clearance, Highlander roof doesn't taper down toward rear so it has greater cargo capacity, same AWD system as I understand it, etc.), why would a person buy a Venza rather than a similarly priced Highlander? Ken |
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Replying to: kharris (Dec 23, 2008 2:05 pm) I think that is a fair question. For me it is because I would like something that drives and handles and has a smoother ride more like a car and takes up less space, easier to manuever etc. I'm tired of driving SUVS/"Trucks." Now that I have less kids, I don't need as much room. I also believe the gas mileage is significantly better, so it would be more economical to own (especially the i4). I also think that the interior is way nicer in the Venza. And, doesn't the Venza cost less than a similarly priced Highlander? (Although they do seem to be discounting Highlanders by quite a bit lately) And then for me personally, the console seemed to invade space for the driving foot too much. There is no room to relax your foot to the right. (The Rav4 provides a nice little space or this). But that's me, this seems to be a trend in a lot of cars these days and it probably doesn't bother most people that they have to hold their foot straight up and down. I haven't even sat in a Venza yet either though so we'll see. I have been seriously thinking about buying an Avalon (I have an 97 now as my second car with my Suburban that I want to get rid or). The two things that I don't like about the Avalon are the lack of 4wd (live in snow country) and wanting a little more room and versatility for luggage and hauling things. |
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That was such a good post, Macpro, I moved it into its own discussion: macpro, "Toyota Venza iPod and MP3 integration" #2, 24 Dec 2008 6:30 pm |
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Replying to: kharris (Dec 23, 2008 2:05 pm) We already have a Gen 1 Highlander just for the two of us driving on long trips and it has plenty of excess space for anything we need to carry. The Gen 2 Highlander is just too big and too expensive. The Venza, when a hybrid option is offered, will fit the bill perfectly for us. Also the first Venzas being offered are the loaded variety at $37K-ish. This is a stretch except for someone who desperately loves the Venza and all its options. When the new 4 cyl is offered in the Spring with a price in the $26K-ish range then it makes a lot more sense than the Highlander. The question then will be 'why buy a RAV4?'.
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Dec 25, 2008 7:25 am) I think the new HL is a dinosaur now.
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Replying to: roho1 (Dec 25, 2008 8:58 am) I had been seriously considering an Equinox. The one thing I really don't like about it is the steering. One of the bigger complaints seems to be the play in the steering and that is one thing that drives me nuts about my current Suburban that I am looking to replace, especially on the highway. I will have to investigate the 2010 Equinox and see if that is likely to change. |
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Except for Toyota's web site and a few web ads, I have yet to see any Venza advertising. Nothing in the auto magazines (except a few 'first drive" articles - but no commercial ads), no television commercials and nothing in newspapers. Has anyone seen anything to promote the Venza? With the auto sales market as bad as it is, you would think Toyota would be spending a few bucks to promote their newest model.
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