kevTL888

i know Acura is a more premier brand than Toyota, but Toyota has packed a ton of premium quality into the new Venza, especially the XLE and Limited models. anyone crossshopped the two? which has a roomier interior?

geocord

I always kind of liked the exterior styling and overall concept of the Venza several things really turned me off. One the interior quality is horrible. Hard plastic panels everywhere and cheap looking plastic at that. Second, when you get the V6 you get 20" rims. Not cool IMO. The third thing is the price. Decked out it is almost the same price as the RDX. That's for a non-luxury brand with less warranty. As far as roomier interior I'm not sure but I would guess the Venza may be a little larger.

dirvin

I traded in a Venza for my RDX. I had a base model 2010 Venza, so it was a huge step up to go to the RDX (w/ Tech). But before I did it, I test drove a loaded up XLE which I was very impressed with. But one of the larger deciding factors for me was that the Venza was noisy. Both my old one and the new one that I test drove suffered from noticeable wind noise at highway speeds. The RDX was sooooooo quiet. That helped make up my mind (I spend at lot of time on the highway).

That said, the Venza had a few nicer tech features (via the Entune system). But in the long run, the RDX won out.

kevTL888

between the two which has a roomier interior?

dirvin

The Venza has more room, but it's in the rear seats and cargo area. I couldn't tell that much difference in the front seats.

geocord

Go here and check all the measurements for yourself. Not difficult.
http://www.cars.com/go/compare/trimC...,USC30ACS121A0

BLEXV6

You are exactly right. In 2009 when the Venza came out I loved it's look, probably because it looks like Lexus RX which is a real nice looking car. Then I went for a test drive. The dash is the cheapest big hunk of hard plastic, that looks like crap, the leather seats are just plain aweful, I don't even know how to explain them, and it struck me it looked like a mini van interior. My Wife and I said next.

dcpc08161992

Hi,

I owned the 2010 Venza V6 AWD w/Nav for 30 months. I sold it for the 2013 RDX AWD with Tech. Let me tell you from my personal experiences between the two cars.

The pro for Venza:
1) Venza is MUCH bigger in the inside the RDX.
2) Venza V6 is quieter and smoother then the RDX. But the ride itself is on the rocky side (maybe the tires are too big...20")
3) Venza Nav is much better and friendlier to use than the RDX and it is touch screen!
4) Venza has better storage areas (cup holders with ambient lighting, center bin, even a holder specially for iPhone in the center stack)
5) Venza has rear AC vents.
6) Venza rear seats recline to a certain degree.
7) Venza trunk if much wider and deeper.

The cons for Venza:
1) RDX ride over all quality is better and give driver a better view of the road even if the driver's seat does not adjust as high as the Venza.
2) Interior quality is much higher than the Venza. The Venza's leather is fake and it shows sign of wear and tear (small cracks) within a year of use.
3) Every panels are hard plastic and none of them fits together right. This is where it turns me off... every panels misaligned and cheap, cheapy, and cheapo looking... did I already said the workshipment on the dash sucks??????
4) Its center stack squeeks and rattles and cannot be fixed (dealer refused to fix it because that is how it is designed).
5) RDX feels experience when you sit in it vs Venza you feel like you are sitting in a cheapy car due to poor workmanship of its interior quality.
6) DRX ELS sound 10 speakers system is much better than the Venza JBL premium 13 speakers system.

I traded the 2010 Venza for the 2013 RDX because I cannot stand looking at the speaker covers/interior panels that looked like they were put together by a three years old. I also cannot stand the center armrest that squeaks and rattles very time I rest my arm on it. Also, somehow Toyota reliability is not as it used to be anymore (at least for that Venza)... it went to the dealer three times to fix the clock spring in the steering wheel column because it rattles on very turns.

I don't know if 2013 Venza rectified all these problems. Quiet frankly, it is a pretty cool car.

for now, I am enjoying my RDX.

Thanks

kevTL888

^^^ good review, thanks. squeaks and cracklings come with all cars, even some premium brand. hell, my IS350's dashboard squeals like a pig whenever sits under the hot sun for a few hours, but i get used to it. this will be our family car so interior space is one of our main concerns. my other concern regards to RDX is the VCM of the 3.5 V6, i've read a ton of articles about how it's overdone, and yet only achieves marginal MGP gain. your review somewhat proves my point as the Toyota V6 is smoother and more refine than the Honda 3.5 V6 with VCM.

geocord

Sounds like interior room is the most important thing to you and the Venza definitely has more of that. Engine wise, the RDX has more hp, is faster and gets better MPG than the Venza. Some of that probably has to do with how much the Venza weighs and aerodynamics. If you can stand the cheap interior materials and don't mind running and replacing 20" tires(god forbid you ever have to replace a wheel) you'll probably like it better for the room it gives you.

fleuger99

I looked at an AWD XLE Venza but as stated above, the interior looked like my 1987 Corolla did and the price was steep for what they are so I continued looking. Also, the steering had absolutely ZERO feel to it.

dcpc08161992

_____****_____
Venza V6 AWD real life MPG around town average between 16-19... where as RDX average 18-24.

Yes, the Venza is much smoother and quieter. If you can stand the squeaks, rattles, misaligned trims, and lifted paneling... Venza is a better choice because the back seats are huge (kids and adults will love it) and it is a little cheaper as well.

I just cannot stand the poor workmanship for that particular car.

One other thing, Venza may look sporty with the 20" wheel but don't take it around the corner too fast (don't ask me why I know this ) because it WILL remind you that it is made for an over 50 crowds .

dcpc08161992

---****
Yes, you are correct. The steering is zero feed back. That is why I remind the OP not to take it fast around the corner because it will tell you it does not like doing so at all!

TBC787

"Over 50 crowd" WTF does that mean...kid?

dime5150

I test drove the Venza about a year ago and liked the concept. But inside the creaky armrest, cheap interior with misaligned panels, and the bad rear visibility killed it for me. Also I couldn't help thinking how much tires would cost to replace. Oh lordy....

dcpc08161992

____****
It means I might be a little younger than you - LOLzzz. I bought the Venza so 'kid' isn't going to describe me for sure though I wish for a fountain of youth. Oh don't let the 1992 fool you, it ain't the year I was born for sure... far from it.

Look at what Venza marketing materials and commercial... have you seen one?

danmangto

I test drove a bunch of Venza's when I considered buying one back in 2010.. I will disagree on the engine, the RDX V6 is quieter/smoother more refined, esp at high RPMS's vs the Toyota engine. As for ride.. Agreed.. Venza 20 inch wheels very hard impacts on bumps, however the RDX rides on the hard side itself on certain roads.

Agreed. Interior was very cheap...the fake wood grain was very cheap for the price... (ones I were looking at were $35k?)

aquaholik

I test drove a used 2010 4 cylinder Venza XLE and it is extremely noisy and underpower. I thought to myself, this car engine is not wearing very well. I test drove a brand new 2013 4 cyliner Venza XLE and it pretty much had the same noise. I then test drove the V6 version and while it had more power, it felt very noisy. The 2013 RDX is MUCH quieter as far as road and engine noise. Plus the price is almost the same when compared to a V6 fully loaded Venza.

The thing I like best about the Venza was the reclining rear seat and much bigger cargo area and a better towing capacity. But for the same price, the 2013 RDX was a much better choice.

TyroneBiggums

I am in the early stages of car shopping and will definitely give the Venza a closer look. What I like about that car are all the tech features, many of which are lacking in the RDX. The new ’14 Venza offers LED DRL, auto highbeam control, panoramic moonroof, hill start assist, HD radio, power folding mirrors, and front & rear parking sensors. And it has more rear & trunk space, which is important for us as we want our next car to be able to fit 2 baby seats and related cargo.

Of course, the poor interior materials and fit & finish have been a constant Venza complaint. So this will be a dealbreaker if the issues weren’t fixed in the mid-cycle refresh they did last year.

Kyrra

RDX is about fit & finish, driving, and engine. Venza may look good on paper, but if you drive them back-to-back you'll feel the difference. Pay attention to road noise, ride quality over bumps, etc... They are very different cars.

Also, I believe the seats are overall lower in the Venza vs the RDX. Loading and unloading kids from car-seats may be easier in the higher up car (so you're not bending over as much).

Badenoch

I didn't need to take one for a test drive. In my preferred driving position I found the Venza didn't have adequate head room and I felt I was sitting too low. The backseats are bigger but I don't care. I don't sit there and they are rarely used. I did like the RDX and am thinking seriously about buying one.

wildeklave

I like the Venza but it is too big for me. I like that it is only 62 inches tall vs 65 to 66 for most SUVs and 57 to 58 for most cars. A vehicle with the Venza's heigh that is 180 inches long and 71 to 72 inches wide would be perfect for me. If the X1 was 62 inches tall instead of 60 that would be my leader for my next vehicle.

CoachRick

Is it about the seating height? Why would the overall height being 2" shorter preclude a particular model? I'm with you on the 180" overall length, although I believe the RDX interior length to be about right for me. If they could trim 4" off the exterior without sacrificing interior usable length, that would work. Any reduction in interior usable length wouldn't work for the bicycles.

davisinla

I also think that's a puzzling criteria for choosing, or rejecting a vehicle.

YMMV

wildeklave

the X1 is basically a station wagon and not an suv. The extra 2-3 inches of height would make it an suv but providing more space in te rear for baggage and other things that need to be carried. The current X1's storage space is not much different from the sedans with the seats up.