Used 2013 Toyota Venza Consumer Reviews
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Venza The Un Toyota or the working mans Q5
Iknowcars, 09/23/2016
2013 Toyota Venza XLE 4dr Wagon AWD (2.7L 4cyl 6A)
53 of 59 people found this review helpful
Whatisthat? A Venza. (Blank expression from inquiring person). It’s a Toyota, think of it as a Lexus RX350 lite, as they are based on the same K platform. Only this weighs nearly 600 pounds less, has a 4 inch lower roofline which contributes to much better driving dynamics. Oh they say. That pretty much sums up the Venza. Even Toyota didn’t know what this was. Is it a SUV, is it a Wagon, a car, or is it a Crossover? Motor trend hinted that they may have given this the SUV/Truck of the year award in 09 except Toyota insisted that this was a car, and MT wasn’t buying that. The answer is, it’s all of the above. A stylish Crossover really. It even handles pretty well with firmer suspension and decent handling thanks to the 19 inch tires. It really is the Un-Toyota. Think of it as the working man’s Audi Q5, which is probably why the Toyota faithful shunned it. Too bad. This is a great road and commuter car, with limousine like leg room. After cross shopping every SUV/Crossover out there of 2013/2014 vintage, nothing came close to this in terms of features, driving dynamics and price. Came this close to buying an Audi Q5 (we also own a late model Audi), but this was 10K cheaper and really is almost as good as the Audi driving wise. These are now orphans since they were discontinued so major deals are out there. The good: The 2.7 motor is plenty for this vehicle, even with AWD. The shifter location was not the deal breaker I thought it would be and the tiptronic feature does help to motivate things. All the car magazines say get the six because it gets the same MPG. But in the real world the six struggles to get over 20MPG while I’m getting 25 MPG with the four, a 25% improvement. And never once have I said this thing needs more zoom and I currently own some very fast cars (Camaro SS, Lotus). Plus the six is a service nightmare, check out water pump replacement, for example. The seats are very good; much better than any Toyota seat I’ve ever sat in. The backup camera is a nice addition although it and the display can be very to see in bright sunlight. Five hour drives and no issues. The JBL system is also very good, better than any JBL system from the past. Most people complain about the spongy brakes or weak A/C or vague electric steering or the sunroof leaking or making noises, yet this car has none of these issues even at 45K miles. My guess is that as Toyota quality slipped badly over the last decade that may be the factor in these cars. My suggestion is to do a 2 hour drive on all kinds of roads and see if any of these things pop up. The Bad: Toyota paint. This has to be some of the worst automotive paint ever. The attitude black color is beautiful but it’s so soft you can scratch it with your fingernail and chips VERY easy. The amount of orange peel in it on a car that cost’s over 35K is just unacceptable. I hate to see what this is going to look like ten years from now. Next a foot emergency brake, really? Toyota spent so much time designing this huge console that they left no room for a conventional e brake. The leather on the steering wheel and shifter is something I’ve never felt before I’m thinking road kill. The satin mahogany wood looks like I don’t know what. Also I’m not a fan of push button start, I have my reasons. 19 inch wheels look nice and add to the handling, but just wait until it’s time for tire replacement which can cost $1000 or more. The pano roof is nice but only opens about 12 inches max, what’s up with that, as the roof is over 90 inches long. No luggage rack with the sunroof, most other manufacturers offer one. Yet Toyota sees fit to offer no less that 10 cup holders in a vehicle that holds 5 people. The Distance to Empty readout is a joke; it’s off at least 100 miles. Fog Lights, they can’t be turned on unless the low beam headlights are on. These are FOG lights, Toyota you’re supposed to use them when you CAN’T use your headlights because it would reflect back. How come the window sweeps do not remove the morning dew when you roll the windows down? Speaking of windows, why can’t you open the rear window on the hatch without opening the rear hatch? Then there are tire pressure sensors. Toyota uses Tire pressure sensors unlike lot of manufacturers which have moved to using the abs tone ring instead. Each sensor must be manually logged in the Computer with a special device from the dealer. The problem is the computer only stores 4 sensors. People buy AWD because of bad weather and often run snow tires in the winter. This either requires mounting and dismounting on the same rim, a considerable expense or getting spare wheels with spare pressure sensors and having to take to the dealer and reprogram the computer each time to recognize which sensors are installed, also a considerable expense(fortunately you can clone aftermarket sensors now a days if you “know” the original numbers). Also these sensors tend to leak air due to corrosion and have a finite battery life, all of wh
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5 year & 3 month Update
tduke, 06/20/2013
updated 12/26/2019
2013 Toyota Venza Limited 4dr Wagon (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
27 of 30 people found this review helpful
Have over 73K miles on my 2013 Venza. Mileage remains about 21/22MPG though and occasionally ~24 but no better than that. Reliability has continued to be first rate and what you'd expect from Toyota, it's quite impressive. The "premium" JBL infotainment system continues underwhelm me. The screen's to small and the GPS system logic comes up with befuddling directions at times. It's bad enough that I frequently use Google Map on my phone as a back up and always defer to it's guidance over the in-dash unit. As others have noted the interior while nice enough it's kind of low rent for the "Limited" trim level. Toyota has ceased manufacturing the Venza but those in the market for a pre-owned crossover vehicle and don't need 3-row seating might find this a worthwhile choice. Overall I have been satisfied with the Venza and prize it's bullet proof dependability. UPDATE 26 Dec 2019: I traded in this vehicle in March when I purchased a new 2019 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring model. The Venza was the most reliable automobile I have ever owned in 45 years of driving. I'm enjoying the CX-9 so far and selected it over the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot.
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versatile, good looking, good value
donpnelson, 12/16/2012
2013 Toyota Venza XLE 4dr Wagon AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
76 of 88 people found this review helpful
I've only had my gray XLE AWD for a few days but so far I'm pleased. I was looking for a reliable, good looking ride with decent mpg and utility that's reasonably fun to drive. The Venza is great looking. The sheet metal which hasn't changed since the model was introduced in 2009 looks great from all angles and is enhanced with the bold 20" alloy wheels and the dual chrome tipped exhaust. Most notable change is the grill which looks good It's nicely equipped including the entune audio/nav system with backup camera, power tailgate, smart key, homelink Solid feel, reasonably fun to drive, quick and nimble. Good headroom (no sunroof) was essential as I'm 6'-6. Seats are comfortable.
Another great car
pontoon, 06/13/2013
2013 Toyota Venza Limited 4dr Wagon (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
Had 2010 Mercedes GLK350. Traded for Venza and so glad we did! This suv and I call suv as it is closer to suv than wagon by a big margin. Is a great automobile. Smooth ride, great construction and space that exceeded our expectations. The v-6 performs wonderfully, shifts smooth and ride meets all expectations. We had now for about 3 months with no problems, mileage on road about 26-29 mpg, not bad. (note at least this auto has a spare tire the Glk 350 had just a air pump-no spare tire. We got the LIMITED version of Venza and so glad we did, many many improvements with top notch equipment. We did not want to spend extra money on Limited, but after using features would not do with out.
Hidden performance car.
bernardus vanmourik, 04/05/2017
updated 10/09/2017
2013 Toyota Venza XLE 4dr Wagon AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
This 2013 crossover car with 55000 miles on the odometer is great. Still drives like a new car, no rattles or squeaks. It's very sure footed in all weather conditions, I live in the North West and drive in lots of rain and snowy mountain conditions. The car is fun to drive with the 6 cylinder engine and a silky smooth transmission. From a driving/road-handling/traction perspective this car is superior to many much more expensive vehicles out there. I like the slightly higher build of this vehicle, getting in and out is great. Sitting just a few inches higher gives one a commanding view of the road. My only knock is the dated dash layout, radio and A/C controls appear dated to me. However, seating is great, with lots of legroom front and rear. most of my family members are over 6' and love the seating. Overall this is a great vehicle and is fun to drive. Toyota should bring this crossover concept back. Taking the Venza out of production might have been premature since it appears that more car makers in the last year or two are starting to produce similar looking/sized vehicles. The new crop of (2017/18) import crossovers look a lot like the 2013 Toyota Venza. Many car makers are starting to bring back the crossover wagon since they are a great choice for those who wish the roominess/size/safety of an SUV. Yet enjoy the feel and the nimbler handling characteristics of a four door full-size sedan/wagon. I highly recommend this car.
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