2009 Toyota Venza

However, Jeff Sabatini at The Wall Street Journal finds the Venza's all-wheel drive useless on winter roads, which he blames on its oversized wheels (one of the little touches that make it look less like an old-fashioned station wagon). Testers at ConsumerGuide.com blame the Venza's big wheels for its unduly harsh ride.

Reviewers also can't agree about the Toyota Venza's interior: Some say it's classy and beautiful, but BusinessWeek's Thane Peterson finds the dark vinyl dash "dull." MotherProof.com's Lori Hindman says the combination of pale leather seats and dark carpeting on her test model cleverly drew attention away from a messy floor, but Sabatini finds the optional leather seats rubbery and cheap-looking -- like "captain's chairs you might find on a pontoon boat."

Sabatini achieves only 19 mpg combined in his road test -- 2 mpg less than the EPA estimates (18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, 21 mpg combined). Sabatini tests the priciest Toyota Venza AWD V-6 (*est. $29,250), with its 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine.

The Toyota Venza also comes in the appropriately named FWD V-6 trim (*est. $27,800), AWD four-cylinder (*est. $27,425) and 2WD four-cylinder (*est. $25,975). Each gets slightly better gas mileage than the last, with the 2WD four-cylinder delivering 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA (no combined estimate was available). That's slightly better mileage than the critics' favorite four-cylinder, all-wheel-drive wagon, the Subaru Outback. Reviewers say the Toyota Venza's base 182-horsepower, 2.7-liter four-cylinder is adequate, but the V-6 provides extra power for passing and climbing hills. All Venzas come with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Venza's warranty -- three years/36,000 miles, and five years/60,000 miles for the powertrain -- is average for a wagon.

Although the Toyota Venza starts in the middle of the mid-priced range, reviewers say options quickly jack up the cost. For example, a backup camera and backseat DVD screen both come as part of a $6,935 "Premium Package" that also includes leather seats and imitation wood trim.

Like other new-for-2009 wagons, the Toyota Venza had not yet been tested by ConsumerReports.org when we checked. However, we found a good, test-based overview of the Toyota Venza at Edmunds.com. Objective tests at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provide valuable safety and fuel-economy data. Several other credible review sources have tested the Venza, and it's interesting to read them all; the Venza's various attributes can be seen as either good or bad, depending on what each particular reviewer is looking for in a wagon.