Saw my first Venza in the real today at local Toyota dealers. A Black one with grey leather, and the Touring Package (which is virtually everything except Navi). It was stickered at less than $40K. The car looks pretty darn good in real life. It was also sold, as were the 2 others in the back getting prepped. IMO it looks better in the real than in the pix.
I stopped by my local Toyota dealer for a quick look today (did not test drive though) and the model they had was the same as you mentioned. I too was VERY impressed. I liked pretty much everything about it and thought it looked better in person than in pics too. One thing I really liked was the ease of entry and exit... you just slide in... you're not stepping down into a car or up into an SUV. The seats were very comfortable and there was a good amount of room all around. Plus, tons of storage in that center console. And the panoramic room was a thing of beauty...gives a nice open feel to those in the rear seats. It's is a feature I've been jealous of that other markets get for other vehicles, but we can now get it here at a great price point.
I have some serious interest in this as my next vehicle, especially now with the very aggressive pricing Toyota released. I was originally looking at the Forester (front runner) or CRV, but the pricing and feature set of the Venza just screams value. Plus, it has a very upscale feel to it... feels like a top-level Camry/Accord (or dare I say entry level Lexus) vs the Civic/Impreza feeling of the CRV/Forester. I still really like the Forester and will have to drive the both when buying time comes, but for the models I'm looking at, the Venza just offers much more for the price and a higher end feel to boot.
People question Toyota on the decision to bring this vehicle, saying it tries to be too much... a sedan, a wagon, a crossover... but I really think they hit the nail on the head by offering something that will cater to many different buyers all at once. I think it'll be a huge success.
