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The 2011 Toyota Venza is a true crossover: it gives a car-like ride and SUV-like space. No matter what you call the Venza, reviewers are impressed with it.



It’s an SUV! It’s a 2011 Toyota Venza: riding on the same platform as the Toyota Camry, the Venza drives like a car but has the space of an SUV. "Truth be told, the Venza makes the average SUV look like yesterday's news," says Automobile Magazine. Reviewers like the Venza for how comfortable and useful it is. On the road, the Venza is smooth and comfortable – something many family car buyers appreciate. While it’s expensive for a wagon, the Venza is fairly affordable for an SUV. The Venza competes closely with the 2011 Ford Edge.



The Toyota Venza is unchanged for 2011.

It's a wagon. It's a crossover. The 2011 Toyota Venza is a strange creation, one rife with contradictions and difficult to properly define. Unlike with most midsize crossovers, the Venza features a four-cylinder base engine. In the front cabin, the Venza is filled with a variety of innovative storage solutions. The Venza's rear seat doesn't slide, it's not split three ways and there's no option for a third row.



Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2011 Toyota Venza is a five-passenger wagon available in two trim levels, which correspond to its two engines. The four-cylinder Venza comes standard with 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlamps, foglamps, privacy glass, a power tailgate, keyless entry, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver seat (includes power lumbar), a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a large color trip computer display, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and an iPod/USB audio interface. The Venza V6 adds 20-inch wheels along with its bigger engine.



Mostly grouped into packages, options include a rearview camera, a panoramic sunroof, xenon headlamps with automatic high beams, keyless ignition/entry, a four-way power passenger seat, heated front seats, leather upholstery, leather-wrapped wheel and shift knob and a 13-speaker JBL surround-sound audio system with a six-CD changer. The 2011 Toyota Venza is available with a four- or six-cylinder engine and can be had in either front- or all-wheel drive. In Edmunds performance testing, a four-cylinder, front-drive Venza went from zero to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds -- an average time compared to similarly powered crossovers. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 20/25/22 with all-wheel drive.



Safety

Every 2011 Toyota Venza comes standard with four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag and front-seat active head restraints. In Edmunds brake testing, the Venza came to a stop from 60 mph in 122 feet regardless of engine.

The Venza has not been rated using the government's new, more strenuous 2011 crash-testing procedures.



Interior Design and Special Features

The 2011 Venza doesn't quite exhibit the top-notch interior quality of past Toyota models, but it is a tad nicer than its current Camry stablemate. Although it lacks a third-row seat, the Venza provides loads of passenger space, particularly in the rear, which features reclining seatbacks.

In Toyota's well-stocked lineup, the 2011 Toyota Venza slots in between the base five-seat RAV4 and the more bloated Highlander seven-seater; while the RAV4 and Venza have three rows of seating, the Venza has two rows and seats five.



The 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 gives the Venza a smoother, stronger character, but fuel economy is the penalty. In repeat drives, editors have found the Venza's driving experience to be adequate but numb and uninspiring. In Toyota's well-stocked lineup, the 2010 Toyota Venza slots in between the base five-seat RAV4 and the more bloated Highlander seven-seater. The tall roofline allows a rather high, upright driving position and plenty of headroom. Overall, the Venza goes down the road with a certain isolation that pleases riders, not drivers. Highlights from the options list include leather upholstery, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, a power liftgate, a Smart Key system with push-button start, leather trim, a cargo mat, and all sorts of pet-friendly accessories. The available, top-of-the-line JBL premium audio system is impressive sounding, and also earns Bluetooth audio streaming.