The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- All-wheel drive comes standard
- EPA ratings of 39 mpg combined
- Serene cabin worthy of a Lexus
- Good standard features
- Good standard safety tech
Dislikes
- Lackluster acceleration
- Sloped roofline compromises interior space
- Overshadowed by other Toyota crossovers
- Overshadowed by other Toyota crossovers
Buying tip
features & specs
Toyota’s 2024 Venza is a hybrid crossover that prioritizes comfort and efficiency.
What kind of car is the 2024 Toyota Venza? What does it compare to?
The Toyota Venza is a compact crossover that comes only as a hybrid and has seating for five passengers. It’s related to the Toyota RAV4, longer but with less interior space. Rivals include the Chevrolet Blazer, Honda Passport, VW Tiguan and Kia Sportage.
Is the 2024 Toyota Venza a good car?
Yes. It wears a fit and finish worthy of Lexus and boasts good standard features combined with great fuel economy. It’s good for a TCC Rating of 7.2 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2024 Toyota Venza?
For 2024, the Toyota Venza carries over unchanged, including the Nightshade edition that was introduced last year.
The Venza rides on a platform it shares with other Toyota crossover SUVs, most notably the RAV4, though it wears smoother lines and a curved roofline for a more sophisticated look. That carries over to the cabin, with a serene ambience and premium details.
With a quiet, smooth, and comfortable ride, the Venza is a great choice for shoppers who don’t particularly care about acceleration or handling. All-wheel drive comes standard and lends confidence and composure, but mostly, the Venza is all about efficiency. Its hybrid powertrain, consisting of a 2.5-liter inline-4 engine, a trio of electric motors, and a CVT, is good for EPA ratings of 39 mpg combined.
Despite an extra 6.0 inch in length compared to the RAV4, the Venza offers less cargo space than its sibling. It can accommodate four adults in comfort, though, thanks to rear legroom of 37.8 inches, though the rear bench isn’t quite wide enough to comfortably fit three passengers. Power-adjustable front seats come standard and have plenty of support. There’s less cargo space beneath the power tailgate than the RAV4, but those 28.8 cubic feet are easy to access.
Toyota includes plenty of safety tech in the 2024 Venza, such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and blind-spot monitors. It earns good, but not flawless, safety scores from the IIHS and the NHTSA.
The Venza’s curved roofline, LED projector headlights, thin and elegant LED taillights, and sophisticated alloy wheel designs give the Venza a modern look that stands out from more rugged crossovers. The Nightshade edition, based on the mid-tier XLE trim, is available in three exterior colors accented by black and smoked chrome trim, gloss-black 19-inch wheels, and LED fog lamps.
How much does the 2024 Toyota Venza cost?
The Venza, with a $1,395 destination fee, starts at $36,315 for the base LE. That includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloth upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and three USB ports. For $44,460, the Limited model tops the range with synthetic leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, and a surround-view camera system.
Where is the 2024 Toyota Venza made?
Toyota builds the Venza in Japan.
2024 Toyota Venza Styling
The Venza wears more sophisticated lines than other Toyota crossovers.
Is the Toyota Venza a good-looking car?
Yes. It’s smooth, sophisticated, and confident. We award points for its soothing interior and gentle exterior, for a 7.
While the first generation Venza had a wagon-like design, the current generation takes traditional crossover proportions in a different direction by smoothing out the typical angles and creases, which the related Toyota RAV4 uses to great effect. It looks more like a Lexus than a Toyota. In Nightshade edition, the Venza gets a welcome edge from black-finished 19-inch alloy wheels and blacked-out trim.
The cabin is also soothing and sophisticated, though the optional dash-mounted 12.3-inch touchscreen breaks the cohesive lines. Most surfaces within reach are covered in synthetic leather, and seat piping and cross stitching elevate seating surfaces above more expensive Toyota crossovers.
2024 Toyota Venza Performance
Efficiency is more important than speed in the Venza.
The 2024 Toyota Venza is enjoyable to drive not for athleticism, but for its efficiency and calm, quiet road manners. We award a point for the insulated ride, for a 6 here.
Is the Toyota Venza 4WD?
Yes, all-wheel drive is standard across the lineup.
How fast is the Toyota Venza?
Not the point here, but it’s good for a run to 60 mph in about seven seconds. Every Venza gets a hybrid system that makes 219 hp from its 2.5-liter inline-4 engine paired with three motors, two of which power the rear wheels. It’s smooth and quiet, though the electric gearless transmission prioritizes efficiency, which makes for inconsistent acceleration.
Other quirks in the driving experience are the result of the Venza’s priority of efficiency, as well. The regenerative braking system has a bit of a learning curve, taking away the familiar linear braking feel in favor of recapturing as much energy as possible, and the native navigation system finds fuel-efficient routes rather than the fastest or most direct.
The Venza’s suspension system is tuned for comfort and insulation, more like a Lexus than like Toyota’s own RAV4. The experience is soothing and quiet, though not especially engaging.
2024 Toyota Venza Comfort & Quality
Toyota encroaches on Lexus premium territory with the Venza.
The 2024 Venza is close in size to the RAV4, but offers a more premium fit and finish, with touches like synthetic leather upholstery on most surfaces, seat piping and contrast stitching, and a refined overall look and feel. We award points for the supportive front seats with a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a spacious rear row, and good cargo capacity, for an 8.
Cloth upholstery comes standard, though it doesn’t cost much to upgrade to synthetic leather, heated and cooled front seats, and a power-adjustable passenger seat. The seats aren’t truly luxurious, but borrowing Lexus’ adjustable thigh cushions would go a long way. The driver’s seat automatically slides back when the driver enters and then moves back to the saved position, which is a nice touch.
The two-row Venza offers room for four adults, and though rear headroom might be tight for taller passengers, there is 37.8 inches of rear legroom. Three kids will be a tight squeeze across the rear bench.
The Venza beats the RAV4 in length by 6.0 inches, though the stylish roofline encroaches on cargo space by almost 10 cubic feet. A standard power tailgate offers easy access to the 28.8-cubic-foot cargo area, and the standard 60/40-split rear bench folds for a total of 55.1 cubes.
2024 Toyota Venza Safety
The Toyota Venza’s good safety tech bolsters some imperfect crash tests.
How safe is the Toyota Venza?
The Venza fares decently in crash testing and comes standard with plenty of driver-assist tech, good for an 8.
It’s a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with four stars in frontal crash and rollover testing. The IIHS awards the Top Safety Pick rating, with “Good” scores in all tests except for an “Acceptable” in the updated side-impact evaluation.
Toyota supplies every Venza with the brand’s best safety tech, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, intersection assist, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, blind-spot monitors, a rear-seat reminder system, and automatic high beams. The Venza is available with a surround-view camera system and parking sensors, which are worth considering to help compensate for the rear vision blocked by the raked roofline.
2024 Toyota Venza Features
Toyota delivers value with the Venza’s feature set.
The Venza brings a modern and user-friendly infotainment system, a good list of standard features with wireless smartphone compatibility, and complimentary maintenance. We award three points, for an 8 here.
Toyota backs the Venza with a 36-month/36,000-mile warranty with eight-year/100,000-mile hybrid component coverage. Toyota includes two years or 25,000 miles of scheduled service.
Which Toyota Venza should I buy?
The 2024 Venza LE costs $36,315, including a $1,395 destination fee, and covers the bases. However, the XLE, at $40,525, adds the 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone charging, keyless entry, and 19-inch alloy wheels. The Nightshade edition, $41,650, is largely an XLE with the styling details.
How much is a fully loaded Toyota Venza?
The Limited, $44,460, includes a surround-view camera system, navigation, synthetic leather, and heated and cooled front seats. It’s available with a clever fixed glass roof with adjustable opacity, though at that point, a Lexus might be a better buy.
2024 Toyota Venza Fuel Economy
With a standard hybrid powertrain, the Venza’s efficiency impresses.
Is the Toyota Venza good on gas?
Yes. With EPA ratings of 40 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, 39 mpg combined, it’s a 5 on our scale. It falls just short of the Ford Escape Hybrid and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which get 40 mpg combined.
