Toyota’s V6 is great. It displaces 3.5L, produces 268 hp, and combined with an unremarkable six-speed automatic transmission gets essentially the same highway fuel economy as the four-cylinder version, and isn’t far off on the city. Official ratings are set at 12.8 L/100 km in city and 9.3 L/100 km, with observed fuel economy in mixed driving was right at 11 L/100 km. For a pretty hefty sportutilitywagoncrossovervan, that’s not bad at all.

However, the all-wheel-drive system on the Venza is still the old slip-and-grip, and that’s literally what it does. On a typically damp West Coast day, I ran the car up the Sea-to-Sky, finding little issue with the overall drive, but being slightly irritated at the Venza’s scrabbling when a quick right hand turn into traffic was required. Toyota’s mostly fixed this on their Highlander, so look for that update to come soon.

Really, that’s the takeaway lesson here. The Venza is a decent car overall, with styling that still appeals from the curb. However, it’s been eclipsed by newer offerings from other manufacturers, what with the Outback and Murano now arriving in dealerships. Heck, you don’t even need to leave your Toyota showroom to find slightly better value in the Highlander.

The trappings once bragged about in rap videos have faded, and likewise time has started to pass the Venza by. It’s time for Toyota to roll out a new one of these things, dawg. You can’t stay fresh if you don’t innovate, T-Vizzle – a little less bling, and a little more flow.

Warranty:
3 years/60,000 km; 5 years/100,000 km powertrain; 5 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 3 years/60,000 km 24-hour roadside assistance

Competitors:
Ford Edge
Nissan Murano
Subaru Outback
Snoop Dogg’s ’64 Impala

Pricing:2015 Toyota Venza V6 Limited
Base price (FWD): $29,610
Base price (V6 AWD): $33,065
Options: $6,985 (Limited Package – JBL 13-speaker audio, Entune infotainment, power leather seating, parking sensors, power liftgate, LED running lights)
Freight & PDI: $1,690
A/C Tax: $100
Price as tested: $41,840

Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

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