2010 Toyota Venza

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability

Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The Toyota Venza's cabin is extremely spacious, comfortable and well-equipped. Test drivers' very few complaints, however, include the lack of a third-row seat and some sub-par interior materials. Regardless, the Venza's cabin is the highest rated in its class, with the Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia close behind.

• "The five-passenger interior is roomy and tastefully adorned, with comfortable leather-covered seats, semi-gloss wood on the center stack and transmission shifter, plus brushed-metal-like accents along the dash." -- Motor Trend
• "The Venza's interior is cleverly designed and crafted from materials that would be at home in a car that's one price class up." -- Popular Mechanics
• "The Venza's interior is very nice for a vehicle that starts just under $26,000. However, the bulky dashboard plastic stretches far forward and responds with a hollow sound when knocked upon. The panels on the doors do the same." -- Cars.com
• "The inside is exceptional. The 60/60 dash was designed to appear as if both the driver and the front passenger have 60 percent of the dash. Obviously some sharing was created in the center stack. The instruments are easy to read and the flow-cross folding flow of the dash works." -- Detroit News
• "The Venza's interior has clean lines and excellent fit-and-finish, but isn't markedly different from or superior to that of the Edge and other rival crossover vehicles." -- Business Week

Seating

The Venza is comfortable for five adults and is especially easy to get in and out for an SUV. The huge rear seat is a major plus, even if the Venza doesn't offer a third row like most of its competitors. If you need a third row, consider the GMC Acadia and Honda Pilot. Fabric seats are standard, though full leather upholstery is available as part of the pricey Leather Package.

• "Legroom is comparable to that of a four-door family sedan, front and rear. The rear seating area is also deliberately comfort-oriented, with wide seats that recline fourteen degrees." -- Automobile Magazine
• "The Venza has what Toyota calls ‘sweeping rockers' -- a fancy way of saying that the rocker panels are as low and narrow as they can possibly be. You don't have to step up as much to get in as you would in a pure-bred SUV, and there's even less of a sill to step over compared to most sedans." -- Edmunds
• "The front bucket seats are big and comfortable, and the outboard back seats are nearly as good. As usual in most vehicles, the center-rear passenger is shortchanged." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• "The Venza gives you an SUV driver's view out over the road, while back-seaters enjoy reclining seatbacks and limousine-like legroom." -- About.com
• "In back, the huge rear seat fits three adults with little problem, with copious legroom and comfortable 60/40-split reclining seatbacks (although we couldn't get them to fold completely flat for hauling purposes)." -- Car and Driver
• "Venza's rear bench seat is long-haul supportive. Headroom, legroom, and under-seat foot space are generous. A reclining seatback is standard, further enhancing comfort." -- Consumer Guide

Interior Features

The Toyota Venza comes in one well-equipped trim -- although there are plenty of available options. Most reviewers find the dashboard and controls well-laid-out and easy to use. Standard equipment includes dual-zone automatic climate control, a six-disc in-dash CD changer, an auxiliary audio jack, power windows and door locks and a power driver's seat. A plus for families with young children is the optional rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

• "Console. Too clever for its own good. It won't be long before you slide the movable cup holders back or the console lid forward and guillotine a beverage." -- USA Today
  +"Even the least expensive Venza will come well equipped. Standard features include automatic dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, a six-CD changer, tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio controls, remote keyless entry, an electro-chromatic rearview mirror with compass, rear wiper and privacy glass." -- New Car Test Drive
• "I liked the Venza's attention to detail -- things like the low doors sills, versatile center console, and easy-to-fold seatbacks are features that make a vehicle a joy to live with on a day-to-day basis." -- About.com
• "On the center stack, Toyota designers took the opportunity to add specific cell-phone and iPod holders, the second of which conceals the connecting wires inside the console box. It's the best job of integrating iPod and cell phone needs (OK, fine, ‘wants') into a car we've seen yet. " -- Automobile Magazine
• "In my test car, the dashboard was a broad, unattractive expansive of dark vinyl. Otherwise the seats and interior trim remind me a lot of those in a Camry: cleanly designed but not fancy." -- Business Week
• "While the cabin generally looks good, some test models disappointed with sloppy assembly quality, including uneven gaps and misaligned dashboard panels." -- Consumer Guide

Cargo

The Toyota Venza's strength is its utility. In fact, its cargo area bests that of many rivals. The Venza provides 30.7 cubic feet of space with all seats in use and 70.1 with the rear seats folded down. That compares well with others in its class. However, for maximum cargo space, you can't beat the Honda Pilot, which provides 18 cubic feet with its three rows in use and 87 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded down. The Venza boasts lots of storage for small items, including a center console with dual illuminated cup holders. In addition, it comes with rear-seat one-touch fold-flat levers, making it easy to expand the cargo area.

• "Pet owners may appreciate the Venza's line of pet accessories, which goes far beyond the usual cargo barriers. Pet ramps, pet car seats, seat covers, and pet harnesses are but a few of the products available for those who take their dogs everywhere." -- Automobile Magazine
• "Toyota scatters plenty of storage, cupholders and cubbies throughout the cabin, though the sliding front-center console lid and cupholder location seem to function at cross purposes." -- AutoWeek
• "This is one of the easiest cabins to reconfigure based on what you're toting. Standing at the liftgate, if you need to drop the second row, there's a door pull on either side of the cargo area, much like the interior door handles from a Tacoma. One pull, and each side of the 60/40 row folds nearly flat." -- Motor Trend
• "The Venza has more cargo room behind the second row than both the Murano and Ford Edge SUVs and the Subaru Outback wagon, undoubtedly its closest competitors. I'd even venture that Toyota's 34.4-cubic-foot rating is conservative; the wide cargo area would be perfect for golf bags." -- Cars.com
• "There are four Big Gulp-sized cupholders and six bottle holders in the car. The center tunnel console area offers a ludicrous number of different positions, and the caverns inside appear to go all the way to the ground." -- Autoblog
• "On paper, Venza has slightly less total cargo volume than many wagons and SUVs. In practice, however, it holds a good amount of gear. A low deck and wide floor are helpful." -- Consumer Guide