The Venza is a five-passenger premium crossover SUV from Toyota that would be right at home in a Lexus showroom. This is an odd model with a poorly thought-out name that flies under most shoppers’ radar. Mechanically, the Venza has a powertrain that is similar to that offered by the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Lexus NX Hybrid. However, it has its own style and even has features not available on the Lexus NX.

The Toyota Venza's design changed in 2021, and it shares almost nothing with its first generation. In other markets, the current Venza is called the Harrier, and it’s a shame Toyota didn’t use that name or a new one for this great crossover SUV. The Venza is a luxurious, refined, compact hybrid crossover SUV.

The Venza is offered in four trims for 2024, but if you shop Toyota inventory you will likely only find the Nightshade and Limited in stock. Both are very well-equipped, near-luxury vehicles. Every 2024 Venza shares the same powertrain. It is the proven reliable and super efficient 2.5-liter all-wheel drive hybrid system that Toyota has used for about six years in the RAV4 Hybrid, and it is also found with some minor changes in the Lexus NX.

The Venza Limited we tested (and purchased for personal use) has every amenity one may expect in a premium or luxury vehicle. These include heated and ventilated front seats with SoftTex premium faux leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, a multi-information head-up display, and a large 12.3-inch infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Venza also offers a unique fixed glass Star Gaze roof that can be made opaque or clear with the touch of a button. In addition, the roof offers a full shade. This is a feature you won't find in popular green vehicles like the Tesla Model Y or Lexus NX. In fact, in ten years of vehicle testing, your author has never seen a roof like this in any vehicle at any price point.

Like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the Venza offers a temporary spare tire, a feature almost extinct in most green crossovers today.

Mechanically, the Venza and RAV4 Hybrid are virtual twins. However, the Venza is a more upscale model. Toyota cut the rear roofline at a sleek angle in the Venza, sacrificing a bit of height in the cargo area in comparison to the RAV4. The Venza offers a ride we found quieter, and the interior is much more upscale than the RAV4 Hybrid. When comparing top trims, the Venza is a bit more expensive. We shopped for a RAV4 Hybrid in Metro Boston for a year and found zero in stock. By contrast, we found Venzas on multiple dealer lots available for immediate delivery.

Like the RAV4 Hybrid, the Lexus NX 350h AWD is very similar mechanically to the Venza. The NX has a slight bump in power. One difference important to us is that the NX rides on run-flat tires, and the Venza has a spare. In terms of luxury appointments, the comparison is a tie, with the Venza Limited’s trick roof offering a unique future one cannot get in the NX. When comparably equipped, the Lexus is roughly $2K higher in price.

Hyundai/Kia is the only branding pair giving Toyota a run for its money in the green crossover SUV space. Both the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson scratch the same itch the Venza does. Each is less expensive in its top trims. Both also offer a much better warranty package than Toyota’s Venza.

For 2024, the Venza has four trims. The Base LE starts at about $37K. The top-trim Venza Limited we tested (and purchased) had a sticker price including MSRP, Toyota’s Delivery Processing and Handling Fee, Star Gaze Roof, and All-Weather Package of $46,319. After a discount and the Dealer Doc fee were factored in, we paid a bit above MSRP.

New for 2024, Venza’s last year in existence, is the Nightshade Edition. This is an appearance package similar in content to the mid-trim XLE with a price of $41,375 before options but inclusive of the Delivery fee. The Nightshade and XLE are the value trims.

The 2024 Venza Limited is a smooth, refined, very quiet crossover SUV. It isn’t what we would call sporty, but the Sport Mode does offer good acceleration. This vehicle is designed for comfort and a feeling of luxury. The Venza is silent from the start and at low speeds since the gas engine is not operating. The Venza’s multiple electric motors can provide enough power for low-speed operation. When the gas engine does kick in, the transition is as silent as any hybrid we have tested, including Lexus systems. In fact, the Venza was smoother and quieter than a recent Lexus RX hybrid we tested just a few weeks back. Toyota clearly added a lot more soundproofing insulation to the Venza in comparison to the RAV4 Hybrid.

Even with the Limited’s larger 19-inch wheels and lower-profile tires, the Venza is smooth over bumps. Steering and handling are predictable and perfectly tuned for daily driving and highway use. While a Mazda CX-5 has a bit more of a sporty feel, the Venza surpasses it in refinement. The simple summary of the Venza’s driving personality is that it drives like a luxury vehicle.

The Venza employs Toyota’s state-of-the-art electric rear-wheel power system as part of its AWD. There is no drive shaft from front to rear. We’ve tested this AWD system many times in many Toyotas, and we feel it is one of the best on-road and winter weather AWD systems made today. The Venza is not designed for off-road use, and therefore, the AWD system is perfectly suited to its mission.

The Venza has an EPA-estimated combined rating of 39 MPG, which we have verified in real-world winter temperature testing. The Venza has an approximately 50% higher fuel economy rating than many popular crossovers with its interior volume and power. In our Metro Boston market, where electricity costs more than $0.30/kWh and gas around $3.00/gallon, the Venza's per-mile energy cost rivals that of battery-electric vehicles. Another plus is the Venza's 566-mile range between fill-ups. Like all Toyota hybrids, the Venza has no timing belt to change, no accessory belt, no starter, no alternator, and offers an extremely low cost of maintenance. For example, there is no required transmission fluid change at regular intervals. The wear items in the powertrain have, for the most part, been designed out. Unlike most battery-electric vehicles in its segment, the Venza uses normal (more affordable) tires.

IIHS tested the Venza in 2023 and awarded it the Top Safety Pick designation. The NHTSA has not tested it. The Venza comes with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, which features an endless list of active safety systems. What we like most about Venza’s many safety systems is that they are not annoying, and in multiple weeks of testing, we have never had any false positives.

Lexus and Toyota scored 1 and 2 on the 2024 J.D. Power Dependability Study, respectively, and the Venza has elements of both brands. For 2024, Consumer Reports gave the Venza a predicted reliability score of 72/100, and in 2023, it earned the equivalent of a 5/5 score.

The hybrid system that the Venza employs did have a defect when it debuted in 2021 (rare for Toyota). However, as of the 2022 model year, the defect was fixed in a redesign. The defect was a hybrid power cable that was subject to corrosion in markets with road salt. The cable’s cover has been redesigned.

If your budget allows for it, the Limited and Nightshade offer the unique Star Gaze roof. This is a novel feature with some real-world benefits. It illuminates the cabin with natural light but also offers the opaque option to reduce cabin heating. If you like big glass roofs, this is the coolest one in the industry today.

Toyota’s warranty is nothing special, but many owners take solace in knowing it is unlikely they will ever need it. The hybrid aspects of the Venza have a longer warranty than the powertrain warranty in most vehicles from most brands. Toyotas come with two years of included maintenance.

• Basic: 3 years / 36k miles
• Powertrain: 5 years / 60k miles
• Hybrid powertrain: 8 years / 100k miles
• Hybrid battery: 10 years / 150K miles
• ToyotaCare 2 years of included maintenance
• If buying used look at our best extended warranties

Our review here only covers the 2021-2024 Venza. If you can find a used one, it is a solid purchase. We would suggest a 2022 model year version based on the reliability data we noted in the Consumer Reports history. A Certified Pre-Owned Venza could be a very good buy if the discount versus new was substantial enough.

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