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The hybrid Venza compact crossover seats five people and is half a foot longer but no roomier than the related Toyota RAV4. The Venza rivals mid-size crossovers such as the Honda Passport and Chevy Blazer, as well as large compact crossovers such as the Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan.
With excellent fuel economy, good standard features, and a Lexus-like fit and finish, the Venza earns a TCC Rating of 7.2 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
The Venza is the latest Toyota to undergo the Nightshade treatment with blackout trim, 19-inch gloss black wheels, and a red, white, or black body. Built off the mid-grade XLE, it joins base LE and top Limited grades. The XLE and above come with a much improved 12.3-inch touchscreen designed for North American consumers. Toyota also updated its safety suite across the board for 2023.
Sharing a platform with the RAV4 and other Toyota crossovers, the Venza smooths out the edges and angles of its punky sibling with a more mature, urbane look with a gently curving roofline and rounded corners. The sophistication carries over inside, with premium touches and features on all but the base grade. It could be a Lexus as easily as it is a Toyota.
The Venza prioritizes the kind of performance most important to most crossover shoppers: It’s quiet, comfy, and secure with standard all-wheel drive, but mostly it’s reassuringly efficient at 39 mpg combined. With its 2.5-liter inline-4 and three compact electric motors, the Venza might reach 60 mph in seven seconds, but it shuffles through its CVT without notice or noise. It rides comfortably and is composed as well, even when it leans into corners.
The two-row Venza stretches six inches longer than the related RAV4, but has less cargo room in back. Still, the Venza plies its trade in comfort and roominess for four adults, with 37.8 inches of rear leg room. Squeezing three kids in the back bench would squeeze everyone’s patience. The front power seats have ample support and automatically shift to the rearmost position when getting in and out. The rounded roofline trims a little bit of head room in back, and shaves nearly 12 cubic feet of cargo room from the RAV4. That 28.8 cubic feet of space is easily accessed, however, with a standard power tailgate.
Every Venza comes with Toyota’s latest suite of safety and driver-assist systems, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitors, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control. The NHTSA and the IIHS give it top safety ratings, though the feds found fault on front driver-side protection.
How much does the 2023 Toyota Venza cost?
Pricing for the updated 2023 model hasn’t been announced but expect it to be more than last year’s base $34,000 Venza LE. It rolls on 18-inch wheels, and comes with a power driver’s seat, cloth upholstery, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and three USB ports, including two Type-C ports. The Venza Limited tops the lineup at about $43,000 for a surround-view camera system, synthetic leather upholstery, and heated and cooled front seats.
Where is the 2023 Toyota Venza made?
In Japan.
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