Toyota Venza

2009 Toyota Venza

Toyota dares you to call the 2009 Venza a station wagon. Station wagons gradually became declasse after SUVs took the U.S. by storm, but with the U.S. economy in flux and the era of the big family rig fast fading into recent history, the time may come, and soon, when Toyota happily calls the Venza a “station wagon” and sells a ton them because of it.

The world of style is cyclical, and Toyota’s move toward a station wagon-like vehicle will be welcomed by customers who never had anything against them in the first place. The Venza is available in a 4 or 6 cylinder model, with mileage ratings of 21/29 and 20/28 respectively for city and highway. All-wheel drive is also available. Families looking for more cargo space than a mid-size sedan but better fuel-efficiency than an SUV will appreciate the roomy interior and aggressive performance of the Venza, which is easily in the same class as the Audi A5 or Cadillac SRX.  Expect a rash of copycats by other manufacturers in 2010.