2009 Venza

Toyota builds its newest five-passenger crossover on the same line as the Camry, and the 2009 Toyota Venza is indeed the tall Camry wagon it appears to be. But to Toyota, the Venza is more than that. It's the product of almost seven years of deliberation and development work — an eternity in the car business. Nor is it a preordained, off-the-rack, three-row answer to family transportation like the Highlander and Sienna. In building the 2009 Toyota Venza, the Toyota planners have tried to read your thoughts years before you'd actually get around to thinking them. This package of everything is as long as a Camry (with the same 109.3-inch wheelbase) but as wide as a Toyota Highlander. All three vehicles ride on Toyota's K-platform architecture also used by the Avalon. The Venza has the same ride height as the Highlander, so it's 5.5 inches taller than a Camry, yet it's still 4.7 inches shorter than the Highlander. Still, the Venza (the name is a combination of venture and Monza) is a fairly conservative design. Nevertheless, Toyota argues with some justification that it's more of an image car than its shapeless platform mates. Initially, Toyota expected its new crossover to appeal mainly to women, but 55 percent of early hand-raisers are male.
THERE IS ONE NEAR YOU