After seeing the new RX350, this Venza is essentially a baby / lite version of it, whereas the Highlander is the Jumbo (7seat) version. Smart move on Toyco's part...

 

Yeah,
It'll be a great choice for people who can't really afford the RX...it looks similar and appears to have all the utilities...It, too, is growing on me

 

it looks almost exactly the same as the new rx, but better unfortunetly

 

All the more reason, IMO, why Lexus should do a version of it (as I posted in the other Venza thread). That way, Lexus customers could choose between that and the RX.

I know which one I'd take.

 

Soon you'll be ready for a family vehicle though.

 

I saw the sema Venza and it looked really nice. I think thye had the thing dropped on 24" wheels. It looked amazing

 

Toyota is coming back! This might be the future of the car, replacing the traditional sedan.

 

Huh? It's crossover. You know... like the ones we've had for years now.

 

Too sleek and low to be a crossover. It's more of a wagon than anything, despite what Toyota calls it.

 

Posted by Mike at 4:20 PM...



We can dream about cool Toyotas, I guess.

 

It's a crossover "SUV" with all of the off-road capability removed, yielding a more car-like weight and fuel economy. It's no Highlander or RAV4, so it's not really an SUV. It has a decidedly upscale interior that places it above the Camry, long the gold standard of sedans sold in the US. Its cargo-carrying ability far surpasses that of the Camry and all other sedans. Its height allows entry and exit comfort again far surpassing that of sedans, without the excessive entry height of SUVs.

That's why it appeals to me and that's why I feel it's different from the original "Crossover" term, which referred to SUVs built on modified versions of unibody sedan architecture in an effort to replicate the comfort of a car while maintaining enough ground clearance and off-road toughness of traditional ladder-frame SUVs.

The Venza was actually my idea of an ideal "Crossover" since I and most others don't care for off-roading. I'm 6'1" and do not like bending down to enter a sedan. The problem is worse for newer cars since style demands faster rooflines, resulting in less headroom. Who knows, maybe this is what people have been looking for, and all the RAV4 and Highlander-types might face surprising competition in the coming future.

 

My estimate is that only 10% of all SUVs and crossovers sold in the U.S. actually get to see "off road" conditions (and that's a high estimate; I'm considering all those SUVs out in the Midwest and rural areas).

A lot less in urban areas, where SUVs used to be the neighborhood status symbol...

 

probably even less... but then you go to your winter holidays with Venza and get stuck in snow because it is too low to the ground :-).

Everything has its own uses...

I wish Lexus would do their own version but I am pretty sure that RX will end up being better drive too due to the more expensive suspension setup, so at the end it is basically very similar vehicle to the RX. Both are smaller than Highlander, with smaller and narrower wheelbase/chasis so both should be lighter and more drivable...

Venza seems like perfect fit between Highlander and RX...

 

Wagon or Ford Flex for me If it was the Honda Flex, it would be a top 20 best seller

I swear we have GOT to meet. ...at Hooters

 

I kind of like the Venza. It was the coolest new model at the OC auto show. You could only get within about 20 feet of it, but the interior looked very nice and Lexus-like. I hope it sells well.