Return of the Venza, Hybrid Style Tested: 2021 Toyota Venza

By William Jinkins

Pros: All-new Venza makes its return in a big way. Strictly a hybrid only this tome around.

Cons: No larger than a RAV4. Tight in every respect.

What’s New: Everything. This is a relaunch of a misunderstood crossover.

The Toyota Venza is a five-passenger mid-size crossover SUV manufactured and marketed primarily for the North American market. The first-generation model was based on the XV40 series Camry platform and sold between 2008 and 2017. It also shared the platform with the AL10 series Lexus RX. For one reason or another the first generation wasn’t all that popular compared to its competition, even though one could say it was ahead of its time.

The second-generation model is a rebadged Japanese-market XU80 series Harrier and has been on the market since September 2020. It offers superb fuel economy in several trim levels. Incidentally, the name "Venza" is a portmanteau of "Venture" and "Monza".

The 2021 Toyota Venza is essentially just a nicer Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, riding atop the same modular platform and using an identical electrified powertrain, sharing many corresponding key components. In fact, the RAV4 Hybrid is a great starting point which is generally very nice to drive, with a 2.5-liter hybrid setup that’s one of the most efficient in the business.

But what the Venza gains in good looks and posh amenities over its boxier RAV sibling, it loses elsewhere. Even though it’s longer overall, the Venza is actually smaller in some key areas, like overall passenger space and cargo room. The new technology is also pretty finicky, the performance suffers a bit, and the sharp looks and lush interior force a markup that makes the Venza nearly the most expensive option in its class.

However, the Toyota Venza exterior is drop dead gorgeous. The front-end wears slim headlights with LED flourishes that wrap around the large (mostly fake) grille. The side profile features sharp body lines that afford this crossover a tapered look, and the sloping roofline blends seamlessly into a svelte rear end. There's also a full-width LED light bar in the back that we quite like. Overall, the design looks luxurious; If someone told me it was a Lexus I'd believed it.

The cabin doesn't feel any less upscale. A unique mix of black and Java Brown faux leather covers the seats, center console, door panels, and dash – and it feels soft and supple like real cowhide. Trapezoidal accent trim adorns the armrest and portions of the center console, and there are some high-quality brushed aluminum elements dotted throughout. Really, the only thing I didn't like visually is the 12.3-inch touchscreen, which looks hastily applied atop the dash and breaks the otherwise nice flow of the cabin. Something embedded within the dash would have aided the look.

The base Toyota Venza LE starts at $32,470, which makes it a pricey proposition for its class. The Ford Escape Hybrid begins at $28,265, the RAV4 Hybrid costs $28,500, with the CR-V Hybrid cat a $30,560 base price. My range-topping Limited model was even pricier, starting at $39,800. Comparable Honda CR-V Hybrid Touring ($36,350), Ford Escape Hybrid Platinum ($33,500), and RAV4 Hybrid Limited ($37,18), which are all more affordable. However, the range-topping Venza Limited does have a number of standard features that the lesser trims don’t.

On the Limited trim specifically, things like power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation and the larger 12.3-inch touchscreen are standard, whereas they cost extra on the mid-range XLE model. The only two options available are the $725 Advanced Technology package that includes a head-up display, combined with the $1,400 Star Gaze fixed panoramic roof. All totaled the puts the door price was $43,100, including a destination charge of $1,175. My tester came in an attractive Coastal Gray Metallic exterior.

Although it shares its platform with the smaller RAV4, the Venza is 186.6 inches long, which makes it nearly as big as mid-size crossover such as the Ford Edge (188.8 inches), Chevrolet Blazer (191.4 inches), or Nissan Murano (192.4 inches). But in terms of overall passenger space, it’s actually on par with (or in some cases) smaller than compact crossovers like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

The Venza's 38.6 inches of front headroom and 40.2 inches of front legroom are worse than the RAV's 39.5 inches of headroom and 41.0 inches of legroom. The Honda CR-V also has more space, with 40.1 inches of front headroom and 41.3 inches of legroom. The Venza's 39.0 inches of rear headroom and 37.8 inches of legroom at virtually identical to the smaller RAV and slightly down compared to the CR-V. Making matters worse, the Venza has less cargo room than the RAV4 – 37.6 cubic feet versus 28.8 cubic feet. What I’m saying is don't be fooled by the Venza's larger exterior.

That said, the Venza doesn't feel cramped, it just isn't as spacious as its dimensions might suggest. The front compartment is airy with the expanded glass sunroof and the rear bench has a low seating position, which counteracts the sloping roof and makes it comfortable for average-sized adults. The seats in the Venza are comfortable and supportive as well. Even though there is no genuine leather option, the faux leather is soft and supple.

The cushy suspension and inoffensive steering also make the Toyota Venza the perfect vessel for whiling away highway miles and puttering around town. The pure EV mode affords it a quiet and smooth demeanor at low-speeds, and even though the transition between electric and gas can sound a bit harsh, the Venza's powertrain is exceptionally smooth otherwise.

As standard equipment the base Venza sports a 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility – and a volume knob. I mention the knob specifically on the base setup because the Venza's larger 12.3-inch screen (standard on my Limited tester and a $2,050 option on XLE) loses it in its entirely. Instead, it uses finicky touch-capacitive controls that doesn't respond well to inputs and is difficult to use while driving. The setup also ditches the tuning knob in place of the same frustrating controls that are closer to the passenger than the driver. At least Toyota moved many of those buttons to the steering wheel, but the steering wheel seemed too cluttered. However, the wheel did include the appropriate paddle shifters.

What's more, the infotainment setup itself is difficult to use. The screen responds well to touch inputs and is within reach of the driver, but the interface is extremely convoluted, with odd rounded edges, contrasting colors, and a split-screen function that's too invasive (all borrowed from the larger Highlander). While other systems confine their split-screen settings to a smaller corner box, Entune takes up nearly half of the display when running CarPlay or Android Auto.

Power for the Venza is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid setup with three electric motors (two up front and one in the rear). Unlike the RAV, the Venza is strictly a hybrid-only which produces 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet, powering all four wheels. The Venza isn't quick, nor does it feel zesty – even in the Sport driving mode – but the instant torque from the electric motors does giveit instant torque. Even though the Venza tips the scales at a weighty 3,900 pounds, it doesn't feel slow.

For better or worse, the Venza handles like every other compact crossover. The steering is lightweight, over boosted, and not super responsive. Body roll is noticeable, and the suspension is super squishy, which gives it a rather lifeless feel in the corners. At least the Venza does have Active Cornering assist, which engages the stability control to help with understeer. And again, the Venza is no sports crossover. Toyota designed this vehicle for comfort, which is a good thing.

All Venza trim levels come standard with Toyota’s advanced Safety Sense 2.0 suite, which includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and road sign recognition. And all of those systems work well for the most part, but we have to ding the lane-keep assist feature for being too aggressive – whisper on a lane marker and the system gives off a warning. The lane-tracing function, meanwhile, isn’t aggressive enough; the Venza ping-pongs fairly harshly.

With a rating of 40 miles per gallon city, 37 highway, and 39 combined, the Venza achieves a perfect 10 in this category. Like nearly every hybrid option in this class, the Venza is extremely efficient, beating the Honda CR-V Hybrid (38 combined), and only slightly behind its sibling the RAV4 Hybrid (40 combined) and its rival the Ford Escape Hybrid (41 combined). And like those three alternatives, the Venza has a low-speed EV mode for city driving.

What's New For 2022

Toyota could add another trim level – a sporty XSE model is a reasonable possibility. But that won’t fundamentally change the 2022 version of this boutique take on the automaker’s RAV4 compact crossover.

2022 models won’t change beyond a new color choice or two. They’ll again showcase Toyota’s latest crossover styling themes. In particular, the thin, wrap-around LED headlights and narrow LED taillamps echo those on the larger, midsize Highlander. So does the body’s ratio of two-thirds metal to one-third glass. It’s a decidedly spicier look than the more upright RAV4, and while it is eye-catching, from some angles it’s more awkward in person than in photos.

Visual distinctions between the 2022 trim levels should again run to details such as chrome bumper garnishes and more elaborate LED daytime running lights for the XLE and Limited. Those models should also return with sliver roof rails, which Toyota deletes when you order the Star Gaze roof, an option that should again be exclusive to the Limited model. Expect the LE to return with 18-inch alloy wheels, the XLE and Limited with fancier 19s.