Toyota Venza Review: Toyota's Return To Relevance?

 

I think it's fair to say that for the better part of eternity, Toyota's products have been the poster child of mediocrity. The Camry, Corolla, Avalon, RAV-4, Highlander, Prius, etc... have all been extremely boring cars, content with merely getting their passengers from point A-B. As you can tell from the title of this blog (MoreThanTransport), I, among millions of others, are not satisfied with such a cynical approach to transportation. Toyota has heard the voices of the enthusiasts, and are now making moves that actually make sense. Bringing a sports car to the lineup, in the form of the legendary Supra, turned out to be a homerun. So did adding some much needed spice to the extremely bland Camry. Now they are moving in the right direction with the Venza, a hybrid that combats the infamous ugliness of the Prius. I cannot believe I'm writing this, but Toyota have a good-looking SUV on their hands. Not only does it look good, it is a highly impressive SUV in every aspect, earning it a place in the finalist round of Motor Trend's annual SUV Of The Year award. Though the Land Rover Defender ultimately ran away with the gold medal, many praised the Toyota for "Getting the balance [Of Luxury, practicality, and fuel efficiency] just right" If you are seeking a "green" SUV, it would be wise to consider the Honda CR-V Hybrid, Tesla Model Y, Kia Seltos, etc.., but, for the first time in a long while, Toyota offers a car that you wouldn't be an idiot to buy.