Review: 2009 Toyota Venza

Article Courtesy of: Left Lane News CLICK HERE

Posted By Mark Elias On November3 @ 12:02 am In Toyota, Van, Wagon | 34 Comments

Southwestern Pennsylvania is a strange but beautiful place to launch a new vehicle, especially when the trees are in full roar at the end of autumn. Normally a car company would use such a location to mask the fact that their new vehicle is just “so-so.” So we now find ourselves at Nemacolin Resort for the introduction of the new 2009 Toyota Venza with one question in mind: Had Toyota picked this location for the same reasons?

What is it?
The Venza is a five-passenger “vehicle” (Toyota’s word) that combines attributes of a sport utility vehicle with the convenience of a passenger car. Why not call it, uh, a station wagon? It’s the closest thing we’ve seen to one yet, and by the way, “station wagon” is not an objectionable phrase. There. I’ve said it again. It rides low and looks good when pimped. It’s the anti-SUV.

What’s it up against?
The 2009 Toyota Venza can be lumped in with all the other family/cargo haulers in the niche. Among them are the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 328i wagon, the Ford Flex and Taurus X, Saab 9-3 SportCombi, and Subaru Forester and Legacy are but just a few of the competitors.

Any breakthroughs?
Being based on the Camry platform opens up many possibilities for ways to build a crossover. Front-wheel or all-wheel-drive? Seating for five. High or low ride? These were many of the options presented to the designers.

There are not many “breakthroughs,” but lots of innovative use of existing technologies. Lowering the rocker panels has enabled easier ingress and egress. Ditto for the rear load-in height, which Toyota claims is lower than that of a Sienna. On another front, High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps don’t make their first appearance on a Toyota, but do show up with the “electric eye” (auto-dimming) feature you may remember from your grandfather’s Cadillac.

We had a chance to try both the all-wheel and front-wheel drive models, as well as the four and six-cylinder versions. It looks like Toyota is serious about having Venza reflect the direction the company’s design philosophy is heading. The object was to improve interior utility while at the same time enhance the driving experience. We think they might be on to something. Finally.

How does it look?
Some of the auto-scribes in attendance at Toyota’s launch were of the opinion that the Venza shares the same profile as its cousin, the Lexus RX SUV. To our eyes, it’s similar but different. It just rides lower.

Designed by Toyota’s Calty Design Studios for the North American market, they are responsible for making the Venza more car-like in its approach. Character lines echo the shape of the wheel wells, and at the same time point towards the trailing edge of the vehicle. Arched window openings with a high waistline break up the largish slab-sided doors which thankfully now have jam protection. The grille area is a Camry-derived style that carries the corporate face forward with a look that at first glance reminds us of Lincoln‘s new winged identity. Wrap-around taillights finish the rear of the Venza, which is enhanced by a rear hatch spoiler and crisp folds in the rear fascia. Chrome accents help to add a little bling to sheetmetal.

And inside?
Inside is mix of contrasts and colors. A two-toned color scheme sets things off with a blacked-out dashboard and carpet, contrasted in our test vehicle with light grey leather seating and matching interior plastic. The interior is laid out in what Toyota is calling a 60/60 design, which gives either the driver or front seat passenger the impression that they are able to access 60 percent of the dashboard controls from where they sit. On the driver’s side, a large blue-illuminated speedometer dominates the center of the gauge binnacle, while the other gauges flow outward. A large center stack houses the navigation screen, audio system and climate controls and was covered in a nicely done satin mahogany finished wood grain panel that helps to bisect the front seating area.

The seating is covered with a solid leather look and accented with a contrasting piping. It’s a good style, at least in our gray example, but we would like to see more in the way of side bolstering to hold occupants more firmly in place. While we are on the topic of seating areas, we think it’s time for Toyota to ditch the puckered leather upholstery look that was last seen in Chrysler LeBarons from the mid-seventies. A new smoother finished upholstery style is long overdue and will do much to bring this part of the interior up to contemporary standards and along with the rest of the inside accouterments.

A 60/40-split rear seat offers the ability to make the Venza into a serious cargo hauler. A nice added touch is the addition of two door latch-style handles to cause the rear seats to fold forward for added cargo space. That, and the addition of a cargo area-mounted power port finish out the “way back” with a capacity of 34.4 cubic feet with seats up, and 70.1 cubic feet when they are down.

But does it go?
Well, it’s no Speed Racer, but it is offered with an inline 2.7-liter 4-cylinder that pumps out 182 horsepower and 182 lb-ft. of torque. If you need more, there is the 3.5-liter V6 with 268 ponies and 246 lb-ft. underhood. Both are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions and are available in either front or all-wheel-drive. EPA mileage estimates place the four-banger at 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg highway for the front driver, and 20 mpg in the city and 28 highway, for the all-wheeler. The six-cylinder achieves 19/26 and 18/25, respectively.

Steering was direct and responsive without a trace of sloppiness. Driving through the back roads of Pennsylvania, and then crossing the West Virginia and Maryland borders found us cruising through pouring rains and slick asphalt for our 80-mile test loop. And although Toyota breaks no new ground with front and rear MacPherson struts and electronic rack and pinion steering, it doesn’t seem to matter, as the all-wheel drive sample continued to plow through the downed leaves and wet conditions with nary a whimper. Or a skid.

The front driver was equally at home in a variety of conditions especially as the roads dried out, which instilled more confidence in us to push the Venza harder. As slick and as good looking as the Venza is, it is still going to be treated as an appliance by most of its buyers. Which is unfortunate, because we like wagons, especially hot wagons, and it would be as close to a hot wagon as Toyota has come in a long time. We found the Venza considerably agile considering its weight of 3,760 lbs. with the 4-cylinder, and 3,870 lbs. for the V6. Add another 185 pounds for the all-wheel-drive system.

Speaking of hot wagons, we had a chance to look over two concept cars that will be presented this week at the industry-only SEMA show in Las Vegas. Designed by Five Axis and Street Image for Toyota, they both featured slammed versions of the Venza that rolled on “no”-profile tires and wheels and were fitted with custom body work that gives you the idea of what the Venza could look like in full pimpdidlyumptious mode.

Don’t forget to check back here later this week for Leftlane’s exclusive live coverage of SEMA.

Why you would buy it:
Because you have moved beyond the minivan and the SUV and you are ready for the next suburban mall prowler.

Why you wouldn’t:
You loved the high ride of an SUV or the sliding doors of your old minivan and you miss having all the juice box holders all around.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

Toyota Venza

Toyota brings fun to its hybrid cars

The Prius led a revolution in green vehicles. Can Toyota’s new car keep it out in front? Ray Hutton
How we laughed at the Japanese. We ridiculed their humourless engineers, with white coats and polyester trousers. We scoffed at their boring little cars with fake-wood dashboards and engines that sounded as if they were made of plastic. Well, we interrupt history – and the recession – to bring you the man who is shaping the future of motoring. He’s Japanese. And he likes a laugh.

“My dream car is a Lamborghini. If I won the lottery, I’d buy one,” said Yutaka Matsumoto. The tall, 50-year-old general manager of strategy at Toyota is driving around his firm’s headquarters in down-town Tokyo in a supercar for the 21st century. It’s not a sporty Italian, but an affordable four-door saloon that offers emission-free – and conscience-free – motoring.

“If I use this car for commuting in Tokyo, I can travel at up to 60mph but there are no emissions whatsoever,” he said.

Matsumoto is behind the wheel of Toyota’s first plug-in hybrid car. It has an electric and a petrol engine but differs from the Prius – the popular hybrid Matsumoto’s team also developed – because its battery can be recharged from a normal socket in less than two hours.

This means the new model travels twice as fast as the Prius and at least 10 times as far on electric power alone.

If the new plug-in hybrid is anything like as big a hit as the Prius – more than 1m have been sold since its launch in 1997 – it will not only boost Toyota’s sales and share price but will set a new green standard for other manufacturers to reach.

The prototype plug-in car that Matsumoto is driving has a meagre seven-mile electric range before the petrol engine kicks in. But by the time the car is released, it will have a 15-mile EV – electric vehicle – range.

Fifteen miles might not sound much to American commuters, but in Japanese and European cities most journeys are less than that. With recharging costs of just a few pence, the plug-in hybrid, therefore, creates the prospect of totally green and almost free driving in town, while retaining the option of taking a family of four 1,000 miles or more on a single tank. “You can use it just like your old car,” said Matsumoto.

By 2020, he said every Toyota model will be available as a hybrid, and perhaps a plug-in. This is a remarkable goal when you consider that some firms, notably Jaguar Land Rover, do not have a single hybrid model for sale and have had to ask the government for funds to develop one.

However, making the new plug-in hybrid a global hit will be tough – especially for Toyota. Consumers like the Prius precisely because it is not a plug-in. They fear plug-in cars will run out of juice and say they are about as stylish and fun to drive as a pedalo.

To make matters worse, for the first time the Prius is jostling for space on the road. Honda has just launched its new hybrid, the Insight, in Japan and America, selling 18,000 in Japan in its first three weeks. General Motors will launch its electric Volt early next year, which it claims will travel 40 miles on a single charge, and electric or electric hybrid models from BMW, Mercedes, Renault/Nissan, Mitsubishi and Ford will soon hit the road.

Matsumoto points out that the petrol engine means the plug-in cannot run out of puff. And to help attract more than just granola-crunching greens, the new plug-in will boast many of the frills to be found in the third-generation Prius that goes on sale in Britain this summer, including a bigger engine, automatic braking, cruise control, automated parking and solar-powered climate control and air conditioning.

Customers may even be able to order “engine noise”. One of the complaints about the Prius – from drivers as well as pedestrians and cyclists – is that it is too quiet. “We are working on an artificial noise,” said Matsumuto. A Lamborghini noise? “No,” he laughs. “A Toyota noise.”

Making the plug-in car look, handle and sound like a “normal” car, just one with vastly better fuel consumption, will, he believes, ensure it “appeals to a much broader range of customers . . . If a car is not attractive or fun, people will not buy it, no matter how green it is”.

Critics say that since it still burns fossil fuels, the plug-in is not a long-term answer to cutting carbon-dioxide emissions. Matsumoto concedes that the criticism is valid while the car uses petrol but the new model could soon run on clean biofuels or even hydrogen fuel cells. Toyota is testing a hydrogen fuel cell powered 4×4. “The beauty of the hybrid platform is that it can work with any fuel.”

Detractors also point out that while plug-in electric cars may sound clean, they are not, because most of the electricity used to charge the batteries is generated by coal-fired power stations that spew millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Electric cars, they argue, “run on coal”.

Matsumoto is in talks with Japanese electricity suppliers and European generators, such as France’s EDF which supplies power to millions of homes in Britain, to help develop green electricity generation programmes. EDF is currently testing the plug-in hybrid in Britain and France.

“I talk to so many people about things other than cars that sometimes I wonder whether I am even a car guy any more,” he jokes. But then he remembers the Lamborghini. “When I was a kid I used to read comics. My favourite character was called Wolf. He used to drive supercars on the freeways at midnight. That’s why I wanted a Lamborghini. Maybe I could still have one. I would keep it in the garage and polish it.”

Surely, he would turn the engine on every now and again? He grins, raising a single eyebrow. He may be saving the world one volt at a time but there’s still oil running through the jolly green giant’s veins.

Courtesy of: Edmunds.com

2009 Toyota Prius Hatchback

As with many of Toyota’s vehicles, the Prius has become a standard-bearer in its segment. While many automakers have yet to even develop a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, Toyota is already on its second generation of the Prius. This four-door hybrid has become a hit with consumers because of its stellar fuel economy, relatively uncompromised driving and acceleration characteristics and reasonable price.

The Toyota Prius (its name comes from Latin and means “to go before”) exists as a partial solution to the automobile’s problem of tailpipe emissions.  The Prius, like other hybrid vehicles, has a special powertrain that combines a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine with an electric motor.  This powertrain, along with other advanced features, allows the Prius to deliver higher fuel economy and lower emissions compared to regular cars.

Due to its popularity and relatively long sales history, Toyota’s original hybrid car is a strong candidate for a shopper interested in a used hybrid vehicle. So far, it seems Toyota’s reputation for reliability and durability is holding true for the Prius.  Early concerns about long-term durability have turned out to be mostly unfounded.  However, potential buyers of a used Prius should take extra care during the research process.  As the Toyota Prius is quite complex, future repairs and part replacements could be quite expensive.

Current Toyota Prius

The current and second-generation Toyota Prius was introduced for the 2004 model year.  It features a four-door hatchback body and can seat up to five people.  The car’s hybrid powertrain features a small 1.5-liter gasoline-fueled engine that’s used in conjunction with two electric motors and a special planetary gearset that functions as a continuously variable transmission.  The result is adequate power, high fuel economy and reduced tailpipe emissions.

Under full acceleration, both power sources work together to provide maximum oomph.  But under lighter load conditions such as stop-and-go traffic, the Prius alternates between the two, often running on battery power alone.  A regenerative braking system converts energy normally lost as heat into electricity to charge the car’s battery pack.  The gas engine produces 76 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque, while the electric motors generate the equivalent of 67 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

In most other ways, the Toyota Prius functions like a regular family car.  The interior is comfortable for four adults and comes standard with most modern convenience features.  On the Prius’s dash, there’s an information display that can be used to show the operational status of the hybrid system.  The vehicle’s hatchback design provides extra versatility in terms of carrying items, and the rear seat can be lowered flat.

In our Toyota Prius reviews, our editors have cited outstanding mileage, ultra-low emissions, hatchback utility and a reasonable price as the car’s greatest strengths.  Downsides include soft handling characteristics at highway speeds and, compared to regular midsize sedans, unimpressive maximum acceleration.  Most Prius owners say their cars typically achieve real-world mpg ratings in the mid-40s.  The current Prius model hasn’t been subject to any major update as of yet, though 2006 and later models have a few improved features.  Also, a “standard” trim level, which lacks cruise control and heated mirrors but in exchange has a significantly lower base price, was added in 2008.

Past Toyota Prius Models

The original Prius debuted in the North American market for the 2001 model year.  However, Toyota had been selling it in Japan since 1997.  This model was the second hybrid vehicle available to U.S. consumers after the Honda Insight.  In just about every aspect, the original Prius has been eclipsed by the second-generation car.  The first-generation Toyota is slower, smaller and not as comfortable.  But this in no way means that it is to be avoided. For a consumer interested in a used hybrid vehicle, this first-gen Toyota Prius could be a smart choice.

Though less advanced than the one in the current model, the older Prius’s powertrain still paired a gasoline engine with an electric motor.  Its 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine made 70 hp at 4,500 rpm and 82 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm.  The electric drive motor was worth another 44 peak hp.

Selecting a used Prius based on year shouldn’t be too difficult.  Models built for 2002 and 2003 might have more of a draw, as it was then that Toyota started to offer additional optional features, such as a navigation system, side airbags and cruise control.  Most first-generation owners seem quite happy with their cars and overall reliability has been very good.  For additional peace of mind, these models came with an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery pack.