If you're in the market for a mid-size Sport Utility Vehicle, good luck. With an overwhelming amount of options available in the mid-size SUV segment, choosing a vehicle can be challenging. Automakers now offer multiple compact and mid-size SUVs in their lineup only to confuse buyers even more.
Thankfully, the number-one-selling brand in the world reintroduced us all to the Venza. Although this time it isn't a wagon trying to be a crossover. Instead, the Toyota Venza LE is a base model crossover trying to be a luxury vehicle.
Frankly, it's difficult to distinguish the Venza from its bougie Lexus cousins. From its styling to all the bells and whistles the base model LE offers, the Venza is a more sensible option than its Lexus equivalent. What makes it even more of a logical choice, is its fuel economy. The Venza LE starts below $34,000, well below the average vehicle purchase price in the U.S.
Yet, American consumers are creatures of habit and continue to buy vehicles based on their reputation alone. This new Toyota crossover is now here to stay and ready to make a nameplate of its own.
Toyota Venza LE Should Be On Everyone's Holiday Shopping List
Buyers of SUVs are no longer just adults with kids who like to go camping. The crossover consumer now ranges from the teenager who just got their license to the grandparent that wants a safe car that's easy to get in and out of. Basically, everyone could be in the market for a crossover today. While each buyer has their specific hot buttons, must-haves, and deal breakers, most consumers today want the same three things.
The first thing is affordability because vehicle pricing is a key factor in how buyers determine which cars they can even consider. The Toyota Venza provides all the beautiful, luxurious, and sleek styling cues you would find on a Lexus but at an affordable Toyota price tag. Starting well below the average price of a new vehicle, the Venza LE at around $34,000 could fit within most buyers' budgets.
The second is safety technology because everyone wants to feel like they're getting the latest tech that will keep them out of harm's way. The Toyota Venza LE comes standard with Toyota's Safety Sense system. Which includes Pre-collision warning with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering, and Lane Tracing Assist. Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Road Sign Assist, Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Automatic High Beams. All of these options are on the entry-level Venza LE, resulting in multiple 5-star safety ratings.
And third, practicality, because everyone wants to get from point A to point B without any headaches. The Toyota Venza LE is a standard hybrid, meaning there is no strictly gasoline-powered version. This translates to exceptional fuel economy in a mid-size SUV that has plenty of back seat leg room. It may not have class-leading cargo capacity due to its curvy frame but its 39 EPA combined MPG is astonishing for a mid-size crossover. That amount is not completely accurate, in real-life driving the Venza can consistently average as high as 50 MPG depending on driver functionality.
The Toyota Venza LE Has A Ton Of Standard Features
Besides the safety features already listed above, the Venza LE comes with a handful of options you never find on any base model. The Smart Key includes keyless entry with remote start. It also has Wireless smartphone charging, Dual-zone automatic climate control, and Push Button Start with automatic Brake Hold. And on every grocery-getter's wishlist, is a power hands-free rear liftgate that opens up with just one swipe of your foot.
Standard exterior features include alloy wheels, dual chrome exhaust tips, and LED headlights and taillights. Compared to other base models the Venza LE is in a league of its own when it comes to creature comforts.
You simply do not need to compromise and pay more for a higher trim when the LE comes equipped with all the modern bells and whistles. For example why upgrade to get navigation when Apple Car Play comes standard on the 8-inch display?
Toyota Venza Hybrid Is The Perfect Bridge To An All-Electric Future
While most automakers are reinventing their lineups to meet Electric Vehicle demands, Toyota is taking its time. The brand that redefined reliability was at the forefront of hybrid technology. Their hybrid power-train continues to improve year after year which begs us to ask; Why all the rush to shift to EVs?
The Toyota Venza hybrid drivetrain supports the 2.5-liter engine by producing 219 horsepower all while providing a smooth and comfortable ride. The Venza's soundproof materials and standard leather-trimmed steering wheel make you feel like you're driving a quiet luxury crossover.
Being a hybrid, the Venza supplies an abundant amount of vehicle information revolving around efficiency. Like most Toyota hybrids, the Venza has a multitude of screens that provides the driver with data that tracks fuel economy and energy usage. An Eco Score rates how efficiently you drive, breaking it down into three components; Start, Cruise, and Stop.
All this data creates a replay value that could not be replicated in an internal combustion car. When driving a hybrid you can't help but find yourself constantly wanting to improve your driving efficiency. Because who doesn't want to save money at the gas pump?
In an automobile world flooded with indiscernible crossovers, the Venza checks all the boxes. It's stylish, affordable, full of technology, and incredibly fuel efficient. Not to mention it is made by the most reliable car brand in the world. When in the market for a mid-size SUV the choice is obvious, the Toyota Venza LE is a no-brainer.
Source: Toyota