2009 Toyota Venza

Four-cylinder crossover combines exceptional fuel economy with a versatile interior

By Nina Russin

2009 Toyota Venza

The Venza fills the gap between Toyota’s mid-sized Camry sedan and the Highlander sport-utility vehicle. Toyota calls the Venza a five-door sedan because it rides on the Camry platform. But it’s really more of a crossover vehicle in terms of its appearance and function.

Last fall, I had the chance to drive the six-cylinder Venza in southern Pennsylvania during a media preview. Recently, I drove the four-cylinder version on a weekend trip between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

While the four-cylinder Venza lacks the power and towing capability of the V-6, its fuel economy is significantly better. The Venza is a fairly heavy car: curb weight on the front-wheel drive model is 3760 pounds: 3945 pounds for the four-cylinder all-wheel drive model.

I wanted to determine whether the smaller engine would have the power to keep up with high-speed traffic, and have adequate torque to perform emergency maneuvers. The speed limit between Phoenix and Tucson is 75: the average speed of traffic on the 10 freeway is about 80 miles-per-hour.

The other big difference between the current test drive and my experience last fall was the climate. The weather in Pennsylvania during the media preview was a pleasant 70 degrees. As I write this story, the temperature outside is 114 degrees: hot enough to melt running shoes in the trunk of a car, and make the average 12-volt battery come unglued. Read the rest of this entry »