The Toyota Venza is sort of the ugly duckling within the Toyota lineup, except it’s not ugly at all. But being a Japanese import based on the compact roots of the RAV4, it does struggle to fit in. When we first tested the Toyota Venza back in 2020, it was an odd period in time, the world was at a standstill and our seat time behind the wheel was limited since we were glued to our homes and we here in Phoenix even had a strict curfew. This left us feeling unsatisfied with the Venza outcome. So, when a Venza XLE Nightshade Edition was offered to us again, we figured this was a good time to give it a second chance and see if it could swoon us over. To help persuade us, we took it on an unscheduled, last minute 800-mile road trip to Long Beach, California.   

The Venza is only available as a hybrid in all-wheel drive that uses the same powertrain as the RAV4 Hybrid. It possesses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two front mounted electric motors and a third rear mounted electric motor making a combined performance output of 219-horsepower. At the core, the Venza uses a more modern way of storing its electricity with the use of lithium-ion batteries versus the RAV4’s nickel-metal-hydride system. Unfortunately, because this battery pack isn’t nearly as big as the RAV4, it doesn’t hold as much energy. This makes the Venza slower than the RAV4 as it sees 0-60-mph in just under 8-seconds. Whereas the RAV4 Hybrid is closer to 7-seconds.    

There is no hiding that the Venza has a prettier face than the RAV4 – we see the RAV4 as a more masculine, rugged type whereas the Venza has a classier, sophisticated palate. But because it didn’t take notes on the RAV4 refinedness, there is some unfamiliarity. For instance, the suspension is softer, which some would say is a good thing, but in the case of the Venza it creates body lean in the corners. The steering is lazier than the RAV4 that results in a lack of feel behind the wheel. Unfortunately, even with dual pane insulated front glass, there is also noticeable wind noise, and the hybrid system gets buzzy when we lay our foot into the accelerator. And the brake pedal reminds me of the earlier years of Toyota hybrids that had an odd spongy sensation due to the hybrid regenerative braking system. Something we thought Toyota was long pass.

We get the sense that the Venza is not meant for the youthful demographic as the interior is outfitted with plenty of faux leather soft touch materials on every touchable surface. But for the aging audience, the lack of buttons for climate control and infotainment functionality is really annoying with the use of touch sensitive buttons, even for this middle-aged writer who tries to keep up with the latest technology. Toyota did do some cleanup on the center stack and moved the volume controls closer to the infotainment screen that are physical push buttons, but what is wrong with a knob? Even more annoying is the interior design. To give the Venza a more upscale look, the center console is bulging outward into the driver and passenger seats that gives it a snug, unsettling experience. And because of the sloping roofline, back seat comfort takes a hit for anyone over six-feet tall.     

There is an even bigger problem with the Venza – Toyota is targeting those mid-sized two-row crossovers like the Honda Passport and Chevrolet Blazer. And since the Venza was based on the RAV4, it carries compact traits. On the upside, the Venza offers its hybrid powertrain, whereas those mid-size SUV have not yet prevailed. Even though our findings on the Venza are relatively the same as our original test in 2020, its safe to say after driving our example 800-miles, it is genuinely a nice crossover that gets wallet saving fuel economy of 38-MPG’s. So, if you’re someone that doesn’t quite fancy the masculine tone of the RAV4 and wants to keep a classy look without stepping into a more expensive Lexus, the Venza could be a suitable alternative.