First Drive: 2011 Toyota Venza AWD

Toyota has endured some tough knocks lately, with a series of recalls over the past year, as well as constantly being lambasted by critics for having "boring" cars. The Venza crossover breaks out of Toyota's safe and conventional mold, at least from a styling standpoint. Granted, there's not much edgy or daring about crossovers anymore, contrary to what the marketing departments want you to think. The unibody, car-based tall wagon is about as ubiquitous now as the mid-sized, truck-based SUV was in the early to mid-90s. The Venza is a relative latecomer to the scene, with the trail blazed by the pre-Facebook era Nissan Murano way back in 2002 as a 2003 model. Ford followed with the Edge for the 2007 model year, and Honda with its oddly proportioned Accord Crosstour in 2009, around the same time the Venza debuted.

Much like the more upscale Acura ZDX and BMW X6, it's best to think of the Venza as a highly stylized version of a more pedestrian model. In this case, that model is the Highlander SUV. Sharing near the same wheelbase and basic dimensions as its more reserved sibling, as is usually the case, the more comely Venza makes some sacrifices for its beauty. Simply put, the Highlander is more practical and capable. In total passenger volume, the Highlander trounces the Venza by more than 37 cubic feet. In cargo capacity, the Venza's Celtic-themed kin bests it by more than 10 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and by a substantial 25 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Max towing capacity on the Highlander is also 1500 pounds greater than on the Venza, with a nearly identical powertrain. The key difference? The V-6 Highlander still soldiers on with a five-speed automatic, while the V-6 Venza gets a six-speed. The one, and increasingly important, area in which the Venza bests its larger sibling is fuel economy. The all-wheel-drive V-6 Highlander rates 17/22 on the EPA cycle, with the sleeker, 400-pound lighter Venza AWD returning 18/25. For those seeking even greater fuel economy, the Venza is also available with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder shared with the base Highlander that returns 21 city and 27 highway mpg on the front driver, and 20/25 on the all-wheel-drive model. Considering the minimal fuel economy penalty with the V-6, and the fact it offers 86 more horsepower, go with the six.

Motor Trend Rating:  

View the original article here