Toyota Venza Yearlong Review: What We Loved—and Didn't
When we took delivery of our long-term 2021 Toyota Venza, we asked ourselves if luxury could be mainstream. With its upscale exterior design and polished interior, the Venza could easily be confused for a Lexus, but its attractive price says otherwise. After 12 months with us, the Venza delivered comfort and luxury in a compelling and affordable package.
As a midsize two-row SUV, the Venza sits between the RAV4 and Highlander in Toyota's SUV lineup, but as a hybrid-only SUV, it plays a different game in its segment. Some of the competition includes the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Volkswagen Atlas, Chevrolet Blazer, and Honda Passport, with every player tackling the segment in its own way. Whereas Toyota took the upscale hybrid approach, Kia and Honda opted for the rugged way, Chevy went a sportier direction, and Hyundai and VW went down a more mainstream path.
At MotorTrend we make every attempt to live with these vehicles like you would so we can identify the things you need to know but might not uncover on a test drive. Our hybrid SUV served as the carriage for the newly expanded Loh family during an important visit to Sacramento, and it took us deep into Texas when we visited Big Bend National Park and Marfa on the way back to Los Angeles.
We chose the XLE model, sandwiched between the LE and Limited in the Venza lineup, because it offers the most bang for your buck. With the SofTex package—a $510 option—we got heated and ventilated faux leather seats, which proved comfortable. The vegan leather was designed to hold less heat over traditional leather, something we appreciated during the hot summer days. The $2,050 Premium Audio package upgraded the 8.0-inch touchscreen to a 12.3-inch display with capacitive controls, navigation, and a nine-speaker JBL audio system. Although the big screen was a nice upgrade, the touch controls for the HVAC and screen were harder to operate over the traditional physical buttons; they were very sensitive, and we missed having knobs for the volume and radio tuning. All in, our Venza checked out at $39,735, a great deal considering its magnificent equipment.
Although the Venza aced at its primary job, it wasn't perfect. Its hybrid powertrain—a 2.5-liter l-4 with three electric motors for a combined 219 hp—felt stressed at medium throttle input, loudly roaring when accelerating from a stop or when passing on the freeway. Its traction control system was also touchy—when going over a bump, rough pavement, or a steel plate and applying the brakes, the system would briefly cut power and lock the wheels. This didn't happen often, but I noticed it multiple times throughout the year.
We also complained about its interior space and poor packaging given its size. The Venza is longer than the RAV4, yet it has less passenger and cargo space than its smaller sibling. Its cargo floor is too high, and its swoopy roofline and overall shape limit cargo space.
Visiting the dealer was easy. Thanks to the Toyota Connected Services app, we were reminded when it was time to go in for service, and booking an appointment through the app was a breeze. Toyota's maintenance plan covers normal factory scheduled services for the first two years or 25,000 miles, so customers don't have to pay a penny. (We did have to, however, because our Venza was part of a fleet; we spent less than $200 over four visits.)
Compared to other long-term two-row midsize SUVs, the Venza was inexpensive to maintain. Our 2015 Nissan Murano SL AWD cost $589.76 over the 12-month period it stayed with us. That's more expensive than the Venza or the $77.90 we paid for our 2018 Dodge Durango V-8 long-termer. Although we like the two-year complimentary maintenance, we'd prefer to visit the dealer less often; the Venza has scheduled services every 5,000 miles. We never had to visit the dealer outside of the maintenance schedule, though. We avoided any chips on the windshield, flat tires, or other unexpected surprises throughout the year.
The few gas stops we made didn't go unnoticed. The Venza delivers 40/37/39 mpg city/highway/combined per the EPA—pretty good numbers for an SUV this size. We didn't quite hit those numbers on our average, but we weren't far off (35.1 mpg). Still, we saved money at the pump, which we appreciated as gas prices skyrocketed toward the end of 2021.
Overall, our 2021 Toyota Venza long-termer delivered exactly what we expected it to. It's not necessarily a fun SUV to drive, and it isn't perfect, but it does a lot of things well. It's comfortable, it's full of upscale touches, and it comes at a great value—and plenty of people will be happy about that. Although its technology isn't top notch, it has enough to simplify some of your day-to-day commuting needs. And with incredible reliability and a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, the Venza is quite an attractive package.
Looks good! More details?POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS 2021 Toyota Venza XLE Hybrid DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD ENGINE TYPE I-4, alum block/head, plus front/rear permanent magnet electric motors VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 151.8 cu in/2,487 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 14.0:1 POWER (SAE NET) 176 hp @ 5,700 rpm (gas), 118/54 hp (f/r elec); 219 hp (comb) TORQUE (SAE NET) 163 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm (gas), 149/89 lb-ft (f/r elec) REDLINE NA rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 17.4 lb/hp TRANSMISSION Cont variable auto AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO NA SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 14.4:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.6 BRAKES, F; R 12.0-in vented disc; 11.0-in disc, ABS WHEELS 7.0 x 19-in cast aluminum TIRES 225/55R19 99V Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus (M+S) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 105.9 in TRACK, F/R 63.3/64.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 186.6 x 73.0 x 65.9 in GROUND CLEARANCE 7.8 in APPRCH/DEPART ANGLE 18.0/22.0 deg TURNING CIRCLE 37.4 ft CURB WEIGHT 3,818 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 56/44% TOWING CAPACITY Not recommended SEATING CAPACITY 5 HEADROOM, F/R 38.6/39.0 in LEGROOM, F/R 40.9/37.8 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 57.4/56.9 in CARGO VOLUME 55.1/28.8 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 2.4 sec 0-40 3.6 0-50 5.2 0-60 7.1 0-70 9.3 0-80 12.0 0-90 15.2 0-100 — PASSING, 45-65 MPH 3.8 QUARTER MILE 15.4 sec @ 90.4 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 122 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.82 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.3 sec @ 0.63 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH NA rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $37,175 PRICE AS TESTED $39,735 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee, passenger thigh BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles, 10 yrs/150,000 mi (battery), 8 yrs/100,000 mi (hybrid sys) ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 2 yrs/25,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 14.5 gal + 0.93 kWh battery EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 40/37/39 mpg RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded regular Our Car SERVICE LIFE 12 mo / 19,583 mi BASE PRICE $37,175 OPTIONS Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation and JBL ($2,050: 12.3-in touchscreen, HD radio, 9 speakers including subwoofer, amplifier, 1 USB and 1 aux media ports, 3 additional USB charge ports, hands-free phone capability and Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa compatible, SiriusXM with 3-month trial, SofTex Package ($510: Perforated seats, heated and ventilated front seats, eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat with memory and power lumbar support, four-way power-adjustable passenger's seat, heated leather-trimmed power tilt/telescopic steering wheel PRICE AS TESTED $39,735 AVG ECON 35.1 mpg PROBLEM AREAS None MAINTENANCE COST $0 (2- tire rotation, inspection; oil change) NORMAL-WEAR COST $0 3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE* $32,600 (82%) RECALLS None *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of 3-years Show AllYou may also like
ford f-150-lightning Full OverviewProsBig, clear screenNavigation with charging stations180-degree lie-flat seat backs ConsBorrows F-150's cabinNot as nice as a Rivian's interiorThe Ford F-150 has been the bestselling truck in America for decades, but its interior hasn't stood out much. And when the latest Ram 1500 made its debut, it became the new benchmark not only because of the way it drove, but also because of the cabin's attention to detail. Although pickup trucks are generally known for being work vehicles, Ram took its truck to the next level. And even though a new F-150 generation arrived for 2021, Ford kept most of its interior the same. However, with the introduction of the F-150 Lightning, Ford has finally upgraded its cabin experience.Similar but BetterThe 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning was made for existing F-150 customers interested in going electric. So there are many similarities between the two models, and just like its exterior design, the Lightning's interior comes straight from the regular F-150. There's no learning curve; everything is exactly where it's supposed to be, and you can still fold down the shifter and open the center console to set up your workstation.What's better, though, is the massive 15.5-inch screen that's straight out of the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Although we aren't usually fans of "soft" virtual buttons, Ford's screen makes it easy to adjust the temperature or fan speed and hop between menus. Everything is displayed via cool graphics, and the computing processor works quickly. What's more, the navigation shows all the electric charging stations nearby and will tell you where to stop and for how long, depending on your state of charge. It's not as useful as Tesla's supercharger map, which lets you know how many superchargers are available in real time, but it displays each station's brand and kilowatt-hour rating.The vertical display will also wow your friends; it takes up the entire center dashboard, upping the technology and in-cabin experience.Our 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat example came with a denim-like trim on certain parts of its door panels and dashboard, and it looked premium and different from the regular F-150. Other textured plastics around the cabin don't feel as nice as the materials inside the Rivian R1T, but it's not a huge drawback, as the rest of the truck feels fancy.Time to RelaxFord made some changes to the driver's and front passenger's seats, allowing them to recline 180 degrees so you can nap while the truck charges. This is a clever feature, but it's not the most comfortable position—your knees still have to be bent, and you have to lift the rear seats to get the full 180-degree experience. Still, it's nice to have and something we're sure some folks will use. (And, hey, why not take a nap when waiting at a public charger?) Overall, the seats are comfortable, supportive, and wide, should you want to turn on your side when catching some Zs.Just like the regular F-150, there's plenty of space in the back with lots of headroom and legroom for rear passengers. Heck, there's even more space than in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class.Should I Buy a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning? We've already compared a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning with a 2022 Rivian R1T, and although the competition was incredibly close, the F-150 Lightning claimed the win. Although these pickup trucks live in different segments, we found more value in the F-150. But it's worth noting that as software and over-the-air updates play a more important role in the EV market and in the vehicles' performance in the future, our comparison result could flip.All in all, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning's in-cabin experience is superior when compared to the regular F-150, and we appreciate the upgrades Ford's designers delivered. So if you're thinking of purchasing an F-150 soon, the Lightning is your best option and certainly worth taking a long look at.Looks good! More details?
There is a legitimate debate to be had over whether Autopilot, Tesla's lane-centering and adaptive cruise control driver assists isn't as safe or capable as it claims. But as with many things Tesla, things can easily get muddy, and not just because the pioneering automotive automaker evaporated its PR team years ago. Take, for example, The Dawn Project founded by Dan O'Dowd, who also owns Green Hills Software, which technically competes with Tesla's software. O'Dowd himself has kicked off a congressional bid vowing to rid the world of the "scourge" that is Autopilot, and recently released a video showing a Tesla running Autopilot running over a child mannequin to "prove" the system's failings.Of course this gambit went viral, not least because it inspired Tesla's cult-like owners to use their own children—or try and borrow other children, and we're not joking—to disprove The Dawn Project's claims. Now, Tesla is declaring the original video is defamatory and demanding that the clip be removed, since it "misrepresents" the safety and capabilities of Autopilot and FSD (the step-above, still-not-yet-in-production Full Self Driving feature Tesla is real-world testing using its customers). As regular followers of Tesla's ups and downs are surely aware, there is mounting evidence that the Autopilot software isn't as perfect as Tesla and CEO Elon Musk claim it is. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating the feature after several instances of Teslas crashing into stationary vehicles or objects roadside, namely emergency vehicles.The Video In QuestionOne video shows a Tesla Model 3 with FSD Beta 10.12.2 running over a child-sized mannequin in a crosswalk; the Tesla never slows down, even once it hits it. Another clip has better production value and is taken at Willow Springs International Raceway using a similar child-like mannequin, which is summarily mowed down by a Tesla in the same manner as in the other video.Initially, the response from Tesla's overzealous fans with small children of their own was to march those kids in front of their moving cars to "prove" that FSD and Autopilot work as intended. Fortunately, no children were sacrificed at the altar of Tesla's public relations, but YouTube did step in to remove many of those videos, leaving for the originals made by The Dawn Project.Now Tesla, according to a letter attained by the Washington Post, is demanding that The Dawn Project and Dan O'Dowd remove those videos because of their defamatory nature that have disparaged "Tesla's commercial interests" of Tesla's Full Self Driving technology. Dinna Eskin, senior director and deputy general counsel at Tesla, also demands in the letter that O'Dowd and The Dawn Project "immediately cease and desist further dissemination of all defamatory information, issue a formal public retraction within 24 hours and provide Tesla with the below demanded documentation."Many of the complaints or concerns aired by O'Dowd and his project are seemingly legitimate or possible to make in good faith, though it seems best to leave such investigation to the unbiased experts at NHTSA, which, again, has begun investigating other safety issues surrounding Tesla's Autopilot. While not every bad messenger needs to have a squeaky clean background, it's tough to paper over the obvious conflicts of interest between O'Dowd and software related to driver assistance features and, well, Tesla.Who is Dan O'Dowd?Dan O'Dowd is a software engineer who graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in 1976. He then went on to work on embedded development tools for early microprocessors used in Mattel's handheld electronic games of the late 1970s. O'Dowd also worked with National Semiconductor (who is now owned by Texas Instruments) to design the NS32000 32-bit microprocessor used in 1980s personal computers such as the IBM RT PC, the BBC Micro, and others. His company, Green Hills Software, was founded in 1982 and its claim to fame was being the "first and only" software company to develop an operating system (OS) that meet the NSA's certification for EAL 6+ High Robustness, meaning that it's incredibly difficult to attack this OS no matter how well funded and "hostile" your hacker is.Green Hills also states that it developed the OS for the Boeing 787, the Lockheed Martin F-35 multirole fighters, Boeing B1-B bomber, and Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle manufactured by Lockheed Martin and operated by NASA (which, coincidentally, has a glass cockpit derived from the 787's). Green Hills is also the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) software supplier for the 2022 BMW iX EV crossover, which raises yet another, if slightly tangential conflict of interest here.O'Dowd also had a brief run as a Democratic primary candidate for California's Senator Seat (eventually won by Alex Padilla) and his campaign message was all about cybersecurity and Tesla's FSD and Autopilot safety. It was roughly around this time that The Dawn Project launched but it was a full-page New York Times ad back in January 2022 that got the attention of the general public. In that paid ad, The Dawn Project led with "Don't Be A Tesla Crash Test Dummy" and then laid out a case for why Autopilot and FSD were "unsafe at any speed." It and O'Dowd then began several video campaigns demonstrating the failures of Autopilot and FSD with child mannequins as was demonstrated above.Again, while Tesla may have a case against O'Dowd and O'Dowd might be merely asking fair safety related questions, the situation here is, frankly, a bit of a mess. To answer the obvious question here, which is whether or not a Tesla will indiscriminately flatten children should it meet them in a roadway while its Autopilot or FSD features are active, a lot more investigation needs to take place. We'll need more scientific endeavors than possibly biased social media clips of mannequins (or real children) being aimed at by moving Teslas. So, while it might seem like Tesla has a brewing problem here, so far, there isn't much to go on. That could change should anything come from the separate investigation being conducted by NHTSA and any corrective actions it recommends. But for now, can we think of the poor mannequins? Oh, and while Tesla has no PR team to reach out to, we assume (based on its cease and desist letter to O'Dowd) the automaker would prefer you not try and replicate The Dawn Project's, uh, project.
After confirming the return of the legendary Integra nameplate to the buzz of many car enthusiasts, Acura unveiled the Integra prototype last November in near-production form. The next-generation Integra model is more mature-looking and appropriately bigger than the ho-hum ILX compact sedan it effectively replaces, though like the ILX and Integras of yore, it shares its underpinnings with a Honda, in this case the Civic hatchback.Now a five-door liftback sedan, the 2023 Acura Integra arrives this spring and should have a starting price of $30,000 more or less. Acura has finally announced an online sign-up form for customers who want to be among the first notified when reservations open on March 10. According to Acura's announcement, the new Integra will initially launch in limited production, with reservations handled at participating dealerships.While specifications of the sporty compact are not yet released, it will come powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter I-4 engine coupled with a six-speed manual transmission. The engine should develop just over 200 hp (and is thought to be essentially the Civic Si's powertrain), though the recently trademarked Type S model might raise the performance bar much higher. And if you missed it, we finally got a look inside the highly anticipated car at Daytona International Speedway, revealing other Civic similarities.More concrete details should be available closer to the on-sale date. We will keep you updated as soon as that information comes our way.
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