The Venza is a rather unusual car because it offers the ride height and abilities of a crossover combined with the looks and internal space of a wagon.
This is also likely the reason why the car did not sell as good as Toyota hoped and also because of that, it has been discontinued from the US market altogether.
The good part is that the
2016 Toyota Venza and the 2017 MY are still going to be sold in Canada and a few other countries but the bad part is that after that, the car will be discontinued completely and replaced with the smaller RAV4, just like what happened with the US model.
We do hope that in the future, Toyota will continue to make a similar model to the Venza because it has been a very fun car and while the design or even the engines might not have been the greatest, the car was one of the few wagons still being sold in the US.
The 2016 model sold in Canada is still available and just like the US version, it comes in three different trim levels and there are two different engines available.
The price is not as good as that of its competitors but an entry level Venza can still be had for less than $30,000 which makes it good value for money considering what it has to offer at this price point.
2016 TOYOTA VENZA SPECS
Engine wise, the 2016 Toyota Venza comes with the same two engines as the now-discontinued US model. The base car comes with a 2.7 liter naturally aspirated inline 4 petrol engine which is good for 185 horsepower and 182 lb-ft of torque. The option comes in the form of a 3.5 liter naturally aspirated V6 which is now one of the older engines in its class.
This is capable of 270 horsepower and 246 lb-ft of torque which are enough for the car but the bad part is that it will average more than 12 liters/100km which is worse than pretty much any of its direct competitors.
The good part is that both engines come mated to a 6 speed automatic gearbox as standard and to top it all off, Toyota is offering their excellent all wheel drive system even on the base 2.7 liter engine which could make the Venza one of the better choices in its class. When equipped with the V6, the car will tow just over 1,000 kg which is not as good as we would’ve hoped from a V6 engined car but it is understandable considering it is based on a unibody design and the car is quite old at this point.
EXTERIOR
The exterior looks of the car did not change a bit ever since the 2013 update and the 2016 model is no different. The front end offers the same headlights and grille as before which make the car seem imposing and quite muscular. Also, the sides have the unusual lines of an SUV on a body that is not much higher than that of a wagon while at the back, the Venza looks menacing to say the least.
As standard it sits on large 17 inch rims wrapped in all season tires and together with the tall ride height, it should be able to get pretty much anywhere.
TOYOTA VENZA 2016 INTERIOR
Inside the cabin, the 2016 Toyota Venza offers the classic interior of a minivan but despite its rather large size, it only comes with five seats. The good part is that the driving position is high and the visibility is above average. Also, the trunk space is massive and the car, while not the greatest when it comes to the materials, offers a rather comfortable experience.
