2009 Toyota Venza

As many of the current articles on the new Toyota Venza will point out, this is a great family vehicle, with many features, and an appealing trim. In the beginning of our car-shopping bonanza, we decided to look at popular models of crossovers. After looking at numerous other models, nothing was appealing or felt like the right fit for our family. Frustrated, we decided to just drive around to all the local car lots and see if anything grabs our attention. Driving past a local Toyota lot did just that! My wife saw the new Venza and we had to pull over and go see it. The first thing that caught our attention was the room inside the vehicle. After using the controls to move the seats all the way back, both of us had to sit in the back seat and check out the room. On both sides of the car, we had plenty of leisure room and did not even come close to rubbing our knees on the seat in front of us. Having two kids, our next evaluation was placing the car seats next to each other and seeing if the kids could even reach one another. Like most kids, mine seem to love fighting in the car. The pull down armrest and cup holder keeps the kids separate and provides a place for them to put drinks and keep toys. The front seats were no different in terms of space. We had more than enough room and with the electrically controlled seats, the sitting experience felt like a luxury car. The vehicle presented a sleek design and allowed us to sit high or low. We especially liked the massive room in the center console, the lighted cup holders, and auxiliary power outlet in the front. These options are standard on every Venza and don’t cost anything extra. The gear shifter is located on the center console up toward the dash and doesn’t require buttons or special shifting to use. All models also come with an electronic manual shift option if a driver needs to get up and go. As a big fan of sports cars, I was somewhat impressed with the options available. The car comes in with two engines, a V6, and a 2.7 liter four cylinder. After driving both models, we couldn’t tell much difference between the two on the road other than really stepping on the gas. For the higher gas mileage and lower price, my wife and I both felt the four-cylinder engine was the better buy. Admittedly, neither car felt like a sports car. My impression of the vehicle is that it feels like an SUV, but drives just like a Lexus or Avalon. The Venza is by far one of the smoothest driving vehicles I have had the pleasure of driving. The standard 19 inch wheels probably account for the feel. Overall, I have to admit that our Venza is and will be our favorite vehicle. I recommend this vehicle to anyone interested in a nice looking, smooth riding, and extremely nice car. In this family’s opinion, a Venza is perfect for anyone!