The crossover vehicle is so popular. With the wheelbase and chassis of a car, the cargo room of a station wagon, and  features of a small SUV (or dare I say minivan), crossovers are a little bit to a lot of people. That’s where my tester for the week, the 2013 Toyota Venza, comes in.
The Venza tries to find its way in Toyota’s vast line of vehicles, and in doing so, offers traits for mass appeal.
On looks alone, the Venza offers broad styling. Not too flashy, the Venza epitomizes the family vehicle. Sharing station-wagon looks mixed with SUV and minivan influences, the Venza keeps things simple. Does that make it boring? Perhaps, but it also makes it viable to those looking at it for its resourcefulness.
Two engines are available for the Venza. A tame 2.7-liter, 4-cylinder engine is part of the base LE trim. My tester was the next trim up, the XLE, and it came with a well-powered 3.5-liter, V6 engine. This engine produces 268 horsepower. The powertrain is well-suited to be all it needs to be. No jackrabbit off the line (it doesn’t need to be), but great in the middle gears.
The Venza has a 6-speed automatic transmission standard for all trims.
Inside, again, Toyota plays it safe, but offers enough to make the Venza appealing. The five-passenger Venza offers ample legroom, especially in the back, which not every small crossover can say. The lower sight line for the driver takes some adjustment as it’s definitely more car than truck in this capacity. Driving the Venza is more comparable to the Subaru Outback than the Ford Edge, which is more truck-like.
Amenities in the Venza XLE trim include leather seats, heated front seats, reclining rear seats and a 3.5-inch infotainment display. Toyota’s Entune system is used in the Venza, which is a smart-phone based platform, allowing for connectivity to the Internet, and services like Pandora radio, through Bluetooth connection. The Entune system is reasonably easy to use and pairing of the device is a breeze (not so with many other vehicles).
What good is a crossover without useful cargo area? The Venza does not disappoint by offering  34.4 cubic feet of space with all seats up and 70 cubic feet of space with rear seats folded.
Fuel economy varies based upon the engine and the drive wheels. The 4-cylinder Venza offers 20/26 fuel economy while the front-wheel drive V6 with all-wheel drive, which is what I drove, has an EPA rating of 18 city and 25 highway. The front-wheel drive, V6 Venza matches the smaller engine output with a 20/26 average, making it an attractive option, with more power, without losing fuel economy. Time for Toyota to phase out that 4-cylinder engine altogether.
With an optional towing package, the Venza can tow up to 3,500 pounds, adding to its usefulness.
The base trim LE starts at $27,700. The XLE trim has a base price of $31,360. My tester, with optional equipment, had a MSRP of $34,630. The top-of-the-line
Limited trim starts at $37,420.
The Toyota Venza manages to find its way in a crowded field of crossovers, as well as a crowded line of various Toyotas. And it manages to do so with little fanfare.
Jimmy Dinsmore is the Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News and may be reached at (937) 225-2115. Follow him on Twitter @wheelseditor