Don't bother parsing it. Toyota says the name of the new Venza is a phonological construction out of the words "adventure" and "Monza," the famous Italian racetrack. Good Lord. That's so far-fetched you need a starship to get there.
How about Camragon, which marries "Camry" (the Venza is largely based on the Camry platform) and "station wagon," which it most certainly is? I'd also accept HighRex, since the car combines the ground clearance of the Toyota Highlander with much of the Lexus RX350's techy swash.
The Venza, being a little longer and several inches lower, actually looks like a slightly deflated version of the Lexus RX, as if they had pulled a magic cork and drained about $12,000 out of it.
Might I also modestly suggest the name Crossolepsy, to signify the crossover it is and the narcolepsy it will induce?
Right, I know -- that's mean. Expecting driving thrills from the Venza is like reading the Book of Revelation for party jokes. This is a perfectly serviceable and safe apparatus to move bits of suburban protoplasm back and forth. Moreover, the Venza is priced right: $25,975 for the front-wheel-drive base model with a 2.7-liter, 182-horsepower four-cylinder.
All-wheel drive will cost you $1,450; the six-cylinder engine (3.5-liter, 268 hp) will dun you an additional $1,850. Put the two features together and Venza still comes in at $29,250, which is very respectable for an AWD wagon with a six-cylinder and six-speed transmission.
If you really go bonkers, you can brush $40,000. Tempting options include the panoramic moonroof, auto-dimming high-intensity headlights, the JBL sound system, an optional large-display navigation and rear-camera system -- wrapped up in a leather-upholstered bow.
It's not like this segment was crying out for another player: Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Murano, Saab SportCombi, just to name a few.
Though varying in prices and degrees of crossover geometry, these are all midmarket four-doors with hatches, all five-passenger kid-schleppers with some Snow Belt appeal. Perhaps more so than any other segment, consumer choice here isn't ruled by flyspecking comparisons of price, features and cost of ownership, but by taste, sensibility and brand allegiance.
Which is to say, if you love Toyota -- the distinctive reek of its upholstery; the unmistakable gliding lightness and Novocain thrum of the steering; the frictionless way the starter engages; the whole tactility of Toyota -- then you'll love the Venza. This is the automotive equivalent to comfort food.
