This Overlooked Toyota Could Be The Best Used SUV No One's Talking About

Whilst good cars are often cherished by consumers, some well-made models tend to fly under the radar of buyers. The Toyota Venza is one such often-underrated car. Toyota created the Venza as a midsize crossover SUV based on the sixth generation XV40-series Toyota Camry, and debuted it for the 2009 model year. It sold an impressive 54,410 units in its first full year on the market, but those numbers dropped steadily each year to just over 20,000 units in 2015. After watching this decline progress through the model's first-generation run, Toyota killed off the Venza in 2015 before reviving it for 2021.

The updated Venza is a rebadged version of the XU80 series Toyota Harrier sold in Japan, and shares much of its underpinnings with the popular RAV4. The second-gen Venza recorded the nameplate's best sales year ever in 2021 at over 60,000 units, but again, sales declined each year. Toyota moved less than 30,000 Venzas in 2023, and the next year was only about 10% better. With history repeating itself and the RAV4 outselling it by more than 10:1, Toyota replaced the Venza with the Crown Signia after 2024.

Despite its lack of consistent sales, the Venza is a decent car and a pretty good bargain on the used market. The 2022 version is ranked among the most reliable Toyota SUVs, which is high praise considering the vast array of reliable models Toyota has produced. The Venza also has standard all-wheel drive, delivers decent fuel economy, looks good, and boasts a comfortable interior with top-notch materials. Despite these pluses, it's been mostly overshadowed by models like the RAV4, the most popular SUV in the USA.

The Toyota Venza may not be the most high-tech car you can buy, but it does have all the features that modern SUV buyers have come to expect. Base-spec models come standard with a touchscreen Alexa-enabled infotainment system, a digital gauge cluster, wireless smartphone charging, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Upper trims include multiple USB ports, HD or satellite radio, and a six-speaker audio system. If you want upgraded versions of these features, the Venza XLE has a 12.3-inch display and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, plus a nine-speaker JBL sound system.

The Venza also comes with Toyota 's Safety Sense 2.5 package as standard equipment. It bundles adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and rear seat occupant reminder systems. A 10-inch color head-up display and surround-view camera system are also available in higher trims. The second-generation Venza is often praised for its premium interior, with niceties like a heated steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats available on certain trims to provide owners with warmth and comfort. Even with a busload of equipment, the Toyota Venza remains relatively affordable on the used car market. As of this writing, the 2021 Venza LE is valued at about $26,000 by JD Power and the fully-loaded Venza XLE is worth several hundred to a couple thousand more. We were able to find dozens of available examples of Venzas in various trims priced from the mid-$20,000 range to just over $40,000.

A used second-gen Toyota Venza  is also cheap to run over time, thanks in part to the efficiency offered by its hybrid engine. The setup comprises a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated with three electric motors to produce 219 total horsepower. Based on EPA testing, the Venza averages an impressive 39 mpg in combined city-highway use. Along with being an efficient runner, the Toyota Venza is comparatively cheap to maintain at an average cost of $6,108 over a ten-year period, per car repair website CarEdge. When you factor its solid reliability record, affordability, and efficiency, the Venza becomes an enticing used car buy. But like any car, the second-generation Venza has faced its fair share of criticism. for example, some reviewers have noted that the cargo area is not terribly spacious. 

The Venza provides just 28.8 cubic feet of space with all seats in use, and folding the rear seats down extends cargo carrying capacity to 55.1 cubic feet. While that's enough for a few suitcases or bags of groceries, some consider it disappointing for a midsize SUV, especially when compared to the RAV4, which is 5.7 inches shorter. Paradoxically, the smaller RAV4's rear cargo area is larger than the Venza's at 37.6 cubic feet with the seats up and 69.8 cubic feet with everything folded flat. The Venza also might not be quick enough for some owners. In a Car and Driver test, it took a leisurely 7.6 seconds to hit 60 mph. That's almost a second slower than the competing 2024 Honda Passport, which Edmunds clocked at 6.9 seconds. Most people aren't buying mid-sized SUVs to smoke the tires, though, and despite these limitations the Venza is a decent — yet underrated — choice as an economical family hauler.