 2013 Toyota Venza. Click image to enlarge |
| Manufacturer’s Website Toyota Canada |
Review and photos by Jim Kerr
Photo Gallery:
2013 Toyota Venza Touring AWD
Of all the vehicles Toyota makes, the Venza is one of my favourites. It looks good, performs well, is comfortable and is sized just right for grocery shopping, garage sales, cross country adventures and around-town errands. The 2013 model continues to rank high in my books.
It seems hard to believe that the Venza nameplate is just four years old. When this crossover utility vehicle was introduced as a 2009 model, it was offered in both four-cylinder and V6 configurations and with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive for either powertrain. That continues with the current offering. We tested a Venza with all-wheel drive and 3.5L V6 engine. If you wish to visually tell them apart, the easiest way is to look for the dual exhaust and the 20-inch five-spoke alloy wheels on the V6 models. The 2.7L I4 models come with single exhaust, 19-inch wheels and a 10-spoke wheel design. You wouldn’t be disappointed with either.
Exterior changes for 2013 include a new front grille and bright fog light bezels that really set off the rich Sunset Bronze paint on this vehicle. The outside mirrors now incorporate integrated turn signal indicators, blind spot convex mirror and puddle lamps. New taillights freshen the rear end but the basic styling of the Venza remains untouched, which is good because it already looked good.
 2013 Toyota Venza. Click image to enlarge |
Inside, simulated woodgrain trim is found on the centre console and dash, and a three spoke steering wheel includes audio and BlueTooth connection controls. The interior styling appears more unified than the original Venza, with a smooth curving dash and better colour matching of adjacent panels for a more unified look.
All-wheel-drive models, both four- and six-cylinder, are available with one of four option packages. A Leather Package includes leather seating and heated front seats. The Premium package builds on the Leather Package, adding power rear hatch, backup camera, panoramic sunroof and theft deterrent system. Our test vehicle came with the Touring Package, that adds navigation, power front passenger seat, premium leather seating, Smart Key system for keyless entry and Push button starting, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, driver’s memory seat and mirrors, auto-leveling HID headlamps and LED daytime running lights. It feels very luxurious inside. The final JBL option package includes all the other packages and adds a 13-speaker JBL audio system and automatic high-beam system.
