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2009 Toyota Venza Crossover

1243 messages,  Last post on Feb 26, 2013 at 9:04 PM

You are in the Toyota Venza Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Venza, SUV

    

Messages Page 102 of 125

#1006 of 1243 Re: Was This A Consideration ? [atlantabenny] by volkov

Apr 09, 2009 (9:54 am)

Replying to: atlantabenny (Apr 09, 2009 8:09 am)
a "non-poseur" vehicle, i.e. not trying to be an SUV (because 95% of SUVs aren't taken off-road anyway, etc.). I'm starting to think that the Venza has started a valid, solid vehicle trend that's all about functionality
 
You mean what Subaru started 10 years ago with the Outback?? BTW here's the new one:
 
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/wagons/112_0904_2010_subaru_outback_first_lo- ok/index.html
 
With it's new sizing it will be more of a direct competitor for those who can get past the fact it's not a Toyota.

#1007 of 1243 Re: Was This A Consideration ? [volkov] by atlantabenny

Apr 09, 2009 (10:29 am)

Replying to: volkov (Apr 09, 2009 9:54 am)
Nice. Just saw that photo on Inside Line but didn't realize it seems to have a higher driving position and a bit larger than previous Outbacks (wife is 5'2" and seat height is a factor).
 
Although I'd say that previous gen Outbacks - while I liked them for myself - were raised Legacy wagons which didn't have significantly more space than the wagon platform. This new model appears to have corrected that.

#1008 of 1243 Re: Was This A Consideration ? [atlantabenny] by venzayaris

Apr 09, 2009 (11:41 am)

Replying to: atlantabenny (Apr 09, 2009 8:09 am)
For our young family (have a 2yr old) we picked the Venza because:
 
style (interior mostly)
pricing (~$30k in Canada)
functionality (folding seats & hatchback comes in handy for the stroller or trips to IKEA/Costco)
 
We're cross shopped against the CRV/Edge (didnt like the interior), Suzuki Grand Vitara (won't go offroading), and Nissan Rogue (storage was limited)
 
Other cars like the Murano/MDX were out of our price range

#1009 of 1243 Re: Was This A Consideration ? [atlantabenny] by lal_clt

Apr 09, 2009 (12:35 pm)

Replying to: atlantabenny (Apr 09, 2009 8:09 am)
I fell in love with the Venza when it was first introduced at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show and have been watching it ever since. I ordered a Blue V6 FWD with Prem Pkg #2, JBL System and Pano Roof. I currently have an 05 Highlander. I need room to carry stuff but I don't need 3 rows of seats. The Venza appealed to me because its a Toyota, its upscale, there's plenty of room, yet I could get all the features I wanted for a reasonable price. If I had gone for the I4 it would have been even more reasonable, I guess. I looked at the RAV 4, CRV, Edge, and Vera Cruz and they just didn't measure up to my expectations in one or more areas. I think the Venza is an ideal car for baby boomers or a small family or a single person who likes to carry stuff in style.
Can't wait to boogey on down the road in my Venza with that nice sound system listening to my "oldies".

#1010 of 1243 Re: Was This A Consideration ? [lal_clt] by atlantabenny

Apr 09, 2009 (12:53 pm)

Replying to: lal_clt (Apr 09, 2009 12:35 pm)
Thinking along those lines as well. Observing a few on Atlanta roads, seems to me that the Venza can't be stereotyped as a male or female vehicle - a good thing. Toyota's on to something with this car...

#1011 of 1243 Re: Was This A Consideration ? [atlantabenny] by kharris

Apr 09, 2009 (2:25 pm)

Replying to: atlantabenny (Apr 09, 2009 8:09 am)
I looked at the Venza as well as the Highlander recently. I didn't need a third row seat but I wound up buying the Highlander mainly because it has substantially more cargo volume than the Venza while having the same length and width. That said, I think Toyota did a good job designing the Venza and if my needs were different I might well have purchased it.

#1012 of 1243 Re: USA TODAY review in 11/2008 [normvenza09] by normvenza09

Apr 09, 2009 (4:44 pm)

Replying to: normvenza09 (Apr 03, 2009 1:59 pm)
No wonder no one was replying to my question, I forgot to include the link of the USA TODAY review....
 
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2008-11-06-drive-toyota-venza- _N.htm

#1013 of 1243 "Toyota Venza beautiful inside and out" by normvenza09

Apr 09, 2009 (4:50 pm)

Excellent review from Canada.com
 
"The Venza takes Toyota to a place it has never been before.
 
Not only does this big crossover deliver SUV-like utility without the unruly ride, it boasts a degree of style for which Toyota is not normally noted. From the grille to the tailgate, the Venza has road presence."
 
http://www.canada.com/Toyota+Venza+beautiful+inside/1481376/story.html

#1014 of 1243 Re: Was This A Consideration ? [volkov] by qs933

Apr 10, 2009 (12:10 am)

Replying to: volkov (Apr 09, 2009 9:54 am)
You mean what Subaru started 10 years ago with the Outback??
 
I like Subaru, but I think the Outback is the opposite of "non-poseur." At least for the first couple of generations, Subaru took a station wagon, gave it some ground clearance, two-tone paint/cladding, large fog lamps, white-letter tires, a hood scoop, etc. to make it look like an SUV.
 
The 2010 is pretty nice looking, though. Definitely will be worth driving/comparing with the Venza. One disappointment: the center position in the back seat still uses a roof-mounted shoulder belt.
 
Regarding the original question about whether the "trueness" of the Venza influenced my decision, not really. I didn't want to own a "station wagon."

#1015 of 1243 Re: Was This A Consideration ? [qs933] by lilengineerboy

Apr 11, 2009 (9:11 am)

Replying to: qs933 (Apr 10, 2009 12:10 am)
I like Subaru, but I think the Outback is the opposite of "non-poseur."
 
Yeah I was kind of sad when they killed the Legacy wagon. I am hoping our '05 lasts a long long time. The ride/handling combination, the utility of a wagon, the towing capacity, the easy of ingress/egress, the AWD, and the fuel economy make it pretty much the perfect vehicle for our family.
 
I have looked at the Venza twice (our Subaru dealer is also a Toyota dealer) and I just can't warm up to the styling or price. I do like that the curb weight of the 4cyl AWD is under 4k, although the Subaru is closer to 3k lbs.
 
Its just funny because the early-mid 90s Camry wagon was one of the best vehicles ever for utility and longevity, now all the wagons are replaced by posuer-pods.

Messages Page 102 of 125

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