As the market for crossovers continues to grow, Toyota will add to its selection of crossovers with the 2009 Venza.  Toyota says the 5-passenger Venza is 70 percent car and 30 percent truck. It feels like a larger version of the Camry, but with more utility.  Toyota offers the Venza in one well-equipped trim level, and within this trim are eight option packages. Standard equipment includes cloth upholstery, a reclining 60/40 split-folding rear seat, an AM/FM/CD stereo with 6-disc CD changer, XM Satellite Radio with 90-day subscription, and an auxiliary input jack. Other comfort and convenience features include cruise control, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel with audio controls, dual-zone automatic climate control, an interior air filter, multi-information display, universal garage-door opener, rear spoiler, fog lights, a rear tonneau cover and alloy wheels. Four-cylinder versions have 19-inch wheels and the V6s have 20-inchers.  The 2009 Toyota Venza is offered with 4-cylinder or V6 power, each with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). Both engines come with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Toyota estimates Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy ratings at 21/29 mpg (city/hwy) for the 4-cylinder with FWD, 20/28 mpg for the four with AWD, 19/26 mpg for the V6 with FWD and 18/25 mpg for the V6 with AWD. The Venza's interior makes particularly good use of space, and there are plenty of organizational features. The rear cargo area has 34.4 cubic feet of storage space behind the second-row seats, and a more useful 70.1 cubic feet with the 60/40 split-folding second row down. Those seats fold mostly flat and they fold down with an easy pull on a pair of handles in the cargo area.  The controls are simple and easy to read; furthermore the Venza may be the easiest vehicle to get into and out of available today, thanks to a natural step-in height and short side sills.

Standard safety features on the Venza include dual front airbags, front side airbags, side-curtain airbags, a tire-pressure monitoring system, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, traction control; electronic stability control and hill start assist.

For the Venza’s performance, well it isn’t exactly sporty, but it drives smoothly and bumps are hardly noticeable. The Venza's new 2.7-liter engine is the largest four cylinder on the market. This engine has 182 lb-ft of torque compared with the 2.4's 158 lb-ft. The extra torque helps get the Venza moving confidently from a stop.  Overall, this engine is an excellent fit for a crossover.  Still, many will prefer the 3.5-liter V6 that the Venza shares with the Camry, Avalon, Highlander and RAV4.