Used 2023 Toyota Venza

You wouldn’t be far off to think of the Toyota Venza as a Prius stretched out into a small-ish midsize SUV. It has many of the virtues that Toyota hybrids are famous for, like excellent fuel economy, modern safety features, and great resale value. The Venza also comes standard with all-wheel drive and has a stylish new Nightshade Edition available. In the growing field of hybrid SUVs, the chief rival of the Venza is the Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid.

The Toyota Venza is slotted between the hybrid variants of the Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Highlander, and that’s exactly how it drives. Although it shares a powertrain with the RAV4 Hybrid, it’s less noisy in the more upscale cabin of the Venza. It’s not as powerful as the bigger Highlander Hybrid, but it’s a bit more agile thanks to its smaller footprint.

Toyota’s hybrid expertise is on display, with the gas engine and electric motors perfectly synced with each other. The hybrid system is smooth and hardly noticeable, making this an easy SUV to drive.

We love that all-wheel drive (AWD) comes standard on every Toyota Venza. This makes the Venza a compelling option for drivers in snowy climates who would benefit from a practical SUV with excellent fuel economy.

The Toyota Venza has a welcoming 2-row/5-passenger cabin with roomy seating space and a clean design. We found the controls easy to use from the driver’s seat, and the interior materials are high-quality. The top Limited trim reaches a Lexus-like level of luxury.

We found the bolstering of the front seats to be comfortable but not too aggressive. We fit just fine in the rear seats (which recline), and there’s an abundance of handy storage cubbies throughout the interior to ensure phones won’t be sliding around in the turns.

A word of caution about the optional 12.3-inch infotainment system: it doesn’t have a volume knob. Instead, it has capacitive controls that some find frustrating to use while driving. Thank goodness for those steering wheel audio control buttons.

The cargo space in the Venza is disappointing for an SUV this size. The cargo hold is big enough to be useful, but the one in the Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid is significantly bigger. Even the compact Honda CR-V Hybrid has more cargo room. It also has a relatively tall liftover height, so loading and unloading require extra effort for shorter drivers.

The handsome styling of the Toyota Venza matches its upscale interior. The new Nightshade Edition for 2023 gives it a darker edge with black exterior trim, a black grille, and 19-inch black wheels.

In terms of size, the Venza is a midsize 2-row SUV slotted between the RAV4 and Highlander in the Toyota lineup. Its dimensions are similar to the Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid.

Hybrid powertrain
The hybrid powertrain under the hood of the Toyota Venza returns excellent fuel economy. According to the EPA, it gets a combined fuel economy rating of 39 mpg. At current gas prices, the Venza can save $50 per month in fuel costs compared to the average new vehicle.

Standard AWD
All-wheel drive comes standard on every Toyota Venza. This provides confidence-inspiring traction when the roads get ugly, making it suitable for snowy climates.

Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+
The improved Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ system is new to the Venza for 2023. This standard safety tech includes enhanced automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and emergency steering assist, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign assist, and more.

Wireless smartphone connectivity
Both of the infotainment systems available in the Venza have wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. That means connecting your phone to your car’s screen without fussing with wires is easy.

Nightshade Edition
The new Nightshade Edition ups the style factor of the Toyota Venza. It turns some exterior accents black, like the mirrors, window trim, and emblems, and adds stylish 19-inch black wheels.

Star Gaze panoramic roof
This optional feature makes the interior feel more open and airy with a fixed glass panoramic roof. Rather than having a sliding shade, it can transform from opaque to transparent at the press of a button.

The Venza is powered by a hybrid 4-cylinder engine that returns excellent fuel economy. It’s rated at 39 combined mpg, which beats its chief rival, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. Every Venza is equipped with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and all-wheel drive (AWD).

2.5-liter hybrid 4-cylinder
219 total horsepower
163 lb-ft of torque
EPA combined fuel economy: 39 mpg (40 city, 37 highway)

More Venza fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

The Venza is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. The hybrid systems get a longer 8-year/100,000-mile warranty, and the hybrid battery gets a whopping 10-year/150,000-mile warranty.