2023 Toyota Venza Review

With standard On-Demand all-wheel drive, the Venza is clearly a true SUV. The rear wheels receive from 20 to 80 percent of the driving force from the electric motor. This suppresses front wheel slip, improving take off. It reduces understeer for better cornering.

The SUV has 7.8 inches of ground clearance. Behind the rear seats, the cargo hold measures 28.8 cubic feet. That’s plenty of space for luggage and gear. Owners can store the tonneau cover under the deck board when they need to utilize more space in this Venza Hybrid.

You don’t have to wait for a sale. The Toyota Venza price continues to be very competitive, especially when compared to its value packaging.

With 98.3 cubic feet of passenger volume, this midsize SUV cabin targets wiggle room where it is needed most. The second row has 39 inches of headroom and 37.8 inches of legroom.

The driver’s cockpit includes a standard 8-way power chair. In fact, it has a unique auto slide-away function. This helps with getting in and out naturally. Once in the chair, the driver can signal for the seat to return to a set position just by starting the engine.

On the dash, the 8-inch touchscreen provides owners with advanced connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This Toyota Audio Multimedia set-up adds access to Siri Eyes Free and Google Assistant. HD radio, Amazon Alexa connectivity, and special apps are aboard for your entertainment.

Toyota and the luxury company Lexus have developed S Flow technology that makes air conditioning much more efficient. It can target cooling to occupied seats only. As with the 2022

Stepping up to the XLE or Limited trim levels, you can add even more comforts to this mid size SUV. The front seats can have three-way power heating. Even better for our climate, these can be ventilated as well. Limited models wear stylish seat bolster stitching and add a power passenger chair.

With the dual-zone automatic system and the largest touchscreen, Intelligent Control allows drivers and the front seat passenger to use the dash tech to regulate their air conditioning. The standard 4.2-inch driver display is upgraded to a 7-inch display in the top trims.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen expands what the infotainment system can do. Built-in navigation and more advanced voice features allow for greater connectivity.

A JBL sound system was designed specifically for the Venza. This 1,200 watt system has a 12-channel amp and 9 speakers. A head up display puts speed and safety functions at eye level on the windshield.

Ready to bask in the moonlight? The Star Gaze panoramic roof has a switch that allows the driver to go from transparent to frosted modes. In frosted mode, the sunlight can light the cabin without any glare or heat. This is especially useful in our hot summers where we don’t want to feel contained but we have to fight the strong sunlight.

As a customized edition straight from the factory, the Venza Nightshade edition is a handsome version of the XLE. There are designer touches to the exterior ranging from the acrylic front grille trim to smoked chrome moldings at the bumpers. Inside the interior also receives a special black trim for bolder accents.

The Venza’s emergence as a fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain is not a huge surprise, given Toyota’s dominance in the hybrid market. However, it is surprising that a vehicle this large can achieve true hybrid fuel efficiency. While some other brands add hybrid technology just to boost horsepower, this SUV actually delivers on the label “hybrid”.

Producing 219 horsepower, the hybrid powertrain feels normal and responsive to driver commands. Torque has been tuned to prevent pitch when speeding up or slowing down suddenly.

This highly compact system includes a four-cylinder engine, trio of electric motors, and hybrid battery pack. An electric motor drives the front wheels, another drives the rear wheel, and the third powers accessories.

This AWD SUV earns 40 miles per gallon in busy city driving. It earns 37 mpg on the highway. That’s a combined 39 mpg according to EPA estimates.

There’s a Sport mode if you want peppier driving responses. In EV mode, the Venza goes a short distance without gasoline. Eco mode focuses on the greatest efficiency.

For this model year, standard safety features include Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 with its advanced pre-collision system and emergency auto brake. This system can watch for vehicles in regular or low light as well as spot pedestrians or cyclists in daylight. A lane departure alert may trigger a steering assist in certain situations.

For other side crash scenarios, it is essential to have a blind spot monitor to watch for trouble. Additional standards include the road sign assist and high beam assist.

Unlike many midsize SUVs, every 2023 Venza has standard adaptive cruise control. This is a high-speed system (DRCC) with dynamic radar for accuracy. A natural companion to DRCC is lane tracing assist which can take over light steering duties.

With navigation aboard, this hybrid has a secret weapon. Predictive Efficient Drive learns your routes and habits. It can then anticipate how much acceleration or braking force is needed. This allows it to optimize the battery despite traffic, hilly terrain and other challenges.

When equipped, the digital rearview mirror shows what’s behind the Venza on the road. This just takes a flip of a switch to activate the rearview camera. A wide, unhindered view provides a good look at the traffic. Drivers may use this at night to maintain a watch without dealing with the glare of headlights.

Kia lets you upgrade the rearview camera with a camera cleaning system. Plus the rear cross traffic alert watches for cars coming from the side. When equipped with the Bird’s Eye View Camera, drivers can do a perimeter scan and see everything around the midsize SUV.

XLE and Limited trims have an automatic reverse braking system. It may be triggered by whether the front or rear parking assist.

One concern with a quieter powertrain is the risk of a louder ride quality. Toyota engineers counter this by isolating and preventing noise at its source. The standard platform was made to curb unwanted vibrations. A well-tuned suspension counters rough roads, providing excellent ride quality.

An expansive silencer pad blocks noise coming up from the floor. Tire noise is dampened by targeted insulation. Well-padded, the headliner screens out wind noise. Engine insulation and dual resonance chambers reduce air intake noise. Acoustic glass blocks windshield noise.

If you want to have the best of an SUV and the best of hybrid efficiency, the 2023 Toyota Venza is definitely the one to test drive. Check out the inventory and be in touch with your questions.