2023 Venza Review by Motortrend.com

May 4th, 2023 by

2023 Venza Review

by Kelly Lin

2023 Toyota Venza Grey

 

A refreshing take on the midsize SUV, the upscale Toyota Venza is back for 2023 with small but meaningful updates. New standard features should keep the 2023 Toyota Venza competitive as it fends off rivals such as the Subaru Outback, Kia Sorento, and Ford Edge.

What’s New

  • Nightshade Edition with black exterior accents
  • Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 standard on all trims
  • The new infotainment system for all trims includes dual Bluetooth phone connectivity as well as standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  • Upgraded USB ports with one USB Type-A and two USB Type-C ports, updated Qi wireless charger for all trims
  • LED fog lights are now standard on XLE and Nightshade Edition
  • A 7.0-inch instrument cluster display is now standard on the base LE trim
  • A 12.3-inch touchscreen is now standard on the XLE trim
  • Limited trim adds an eight-way power passenger seat, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
  • Wind Chill Pearl paint color replaces Blizzard Pearl

What We Think

The Toyota Venza doesn’t waste time trying to be everything to everyone. Choosing to be comfortable and upscale rather than sporty, the Venza has a specific focus. It’s available only as a hybrid, which gives it great fuel economy. But there’s more to this midsize SUV than just saving fuel.

In past reviews, we’ve praised the Venza’s strong feature-per-dollar value. We expect this trend to continue for 2023 now that the crossover receives an improved safety suite and more standard features across all trims. A 2021 Venza we drove for a year was also cheap to maintain thanks to Toyota’s complimentary maintenance program for the first two years or 25,000 miles. Comfortable seats make the Venza even more appealing.

Unlike some non-hybrid rivals including the Chevrolet Blazer, this Toyota isn’t particularly fun to drive, though.  The powertrain can feel stressed at medium throttle input, and acceleration is loud when passing other cars on the highway.What is the Toyota Venza Nightshade Edition?

The Venza is the latest in a long line of Toyota vehicles to receive a Nightshade Edition. It adds black accents to the grille, outer mirrors, door handles, rocker panels, and roof rails. Lower bumpers receive smoked chrome moldings. To top it all off, the Venza Nightshade Edition gets 19-inch black alloy wheels and black rear badges.

Performance And Fuel Economy

All 2023 Toyota Venza models come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, three electric motors, and a lithium-ion battery. The total system output comes to 219 hp, and AWD is standard. In our tests, the Toyota Venza accelerated from 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds, which makes it quite a bit quicker than a base Subaru Outback, but slower than an Outback with the upgraded turbocharged engine. For 2023, Toyota once again estimates 39 mpg in combined city and highway driving. Compared to non-hybrid midsize SUV rivals, the Venza is unmatched in driving range and efficiency. Match it against a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid and the Toyota is still on top. But we’d note that the 32 to 34 mpg Hyundai is more spacious inside.

Safety

For the 2023 model year, the Venza comes standard with Toyota’s updated Safety Sense 2.5 suite of driver assistance features. This suite includes an enhanced pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert, lane tracing assist, automatic high beams, and road sign assist. Other standard safety features include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear seat reminder.

Technology

All models get Toyota’s latest multimedia system with dual Bluetooth phone connectivity and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The multimedia system is capable of over-the-air updates so Toyota can add new features and upgrades without drivers having to take their Venza to the dealership.

The base 2023 Toyota Venza comes standard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen and a six-speaker sound system. XLE models upgrade to a 12.3-inch touchscreen. A nine-speaker JBL Premium audio system is optional on the XLE and standard on the Limited trim. While lower grades get a 7.0-inch digital gauge screen, Limited models receive a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster.

-TJ

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