Ford Edge (used of course, given rapid depreciation)
Toyota Venza (new or used, in a year?)
MB GLK (used or off lease? Again, likely rapid depreciation.)
Subaru Outback Wagon (My preference for the Turbo, better half prefers the fuel economy of the 2.5i; This was a surprise, I like it better than the new Forester)
X3 (compared to any Infiniti product we looked at, it is roomy by comparison. The EX hatch area is a joke, and the FX isn’t much better. Again, used.)

There was no new A4 wagon to poke around at, but I’d like to see it. I had a ford escape a while back and I still like them, but sig other find them to “Trucky”, yet still likes the GLK. Go figure.

One thing that my brother pointed out – 20″ wheels. For a family vehicle, those are some pricey tires. Especially for a non-sporting vehicle. They look nice, but man, what a bill to pay every couple of years. . .
And then 33k for a well optioned 6cyl? Doesn’t bode well with a GLK 4Matic starting at 35,900 a few stalls over.

It’s a return to an AMC Eagle wagon, except reliable, which is great. And then I look at the price.

The space inside is nice, great to downsize from the bloated space that is infrequently used. But there’s this price.

Yet another automaker thinking they can somehow maintain the SUV margins of yore by repackaging. The Crossover thing was a last bated gasp. Chrysler had the nerve to introduce the Pacifica in only full-trimmed units, with a whisper campaign that it really had Mercedes bits, and then threw it up for grabs at 40k.

This Camry wagon should be nice. But no one can afford $35-40k middle-of-the-road cars just now. And it’s not even a Lexus.

The saddest thing of all will be when these pile up at first the lots, then the ports, then on ships anchored outside the ports (having no return cargo anyway). And then we will hear, America doesn’t really like wagons.

And so the segment will be blamed rather than the outrageously unrealistic pricing. And yet knocking off $15k-20k for this model would have shown how much America actually does care about wagons.

You should do a bit more research. All reviews of the Venza 4 cyl have it accelerating in under 10 seconds. Once again you have not mentioned the fuel economy, so I will mention it for you. A 2WD 4 cyl Venza gets 21/29 EPA. These are class-leading numbers.

The Prius boosts the mileage figures in their favor? You mean just like the Civic hybrid boosts Honda’s mileage figures?

You seem to have something against Toyota, yet nothing to say about Honda. Toyota has V8s and Honda doesn’t, which makes Toyota’s CAFE numbers more impressive than Honda’s.

KalapanaBlack:
The FT-SX concept that this is (very loosely) based on looked spectacular. This looks like a Camry with Ford headlights and a Dodge Journey rear.

The wheels are absurd. I’ve seen one with the optional 20s on the road (actually, Toyota dealer lot), and it just looks horrid.

Look again: http://www.toyota.com/concept-vehicles/ftsx.html

Fact is the Venza looks a lot like the FT-SX concept.

So the Venza with the optional 20s looks horrid, yet the FT-SX with 21″ wheels looks spectacular?

ponchoman49:
Wow another sport ute/ CUV type vehicle from the geniuses at Toyota. And it weights 4000 lbs, has 20″ overkill wheels and doesn’t come as a hybrid. So that means we now have the Matrix, RAV4, Highlander, Venza and Sequoia, 4runner, Land Cruiser and FJ Cruiser which are all wagon/CUV/Crossover based vehicles that get under 30 MPG. And GM is getting bashed over not being green or making vehicles that get good mileage. The ugly Prius is the only model that truly gets top MPG along with a 5 speed manual Yaris. The bland Camry with 4 cylinder and 5 speed automatic is rated at 31 highway which is 1 less than Optima and Sonota and 2 less than Malibu/G6 and Aura with 4 cylinder and 6 speed automatic. The big Tundra with the almighty 5.7 is rated at only 13/17 in the pickups while GM is getting 14/20 with the 5.3/6 speed and Ford is claiming 15/21 with the new 3 valve 4.6. The FJ Cruiser needs super unleaded for it’s stunning 16/20 rating. The Sienna van which is rated for 17/23 MPG doesn’t even compete well with Chryslers Caravan/Town and Country with the top most powerful 4.0 liter V6 at 18/25 MPG. The reviewer got some of it right. The porky weight, the rediculous 20″ rims, the blandness and unsporty driving characteristics. Glad to see that not everybody is drinking Toyota coolaid these days.

You conveniently forgot to mention the fuel economy of the Venza, which is class leading. I will also remind that Toyota had the highest CAFE fuel economy average last year among major automakers, higher than Honda.

Oh you mean the not yet available base 2.7 liter 4 cylinder that should accelerate from 0-60 in 11-12 seconds! Please. And the only reason they had the highest average MPG was the Prius which bloasts the mileage figures in there favor.

The wheels are absurd. I’ve seen one with the optional 20s on the road (actually, Toyota dealer lot), and it just looks horrid.

Look again: http://www.toyota.com/concept-vehicles/ftsx.html

Fact is the Venza looks a lot like the FT-SX concept.

So the Venza with the optional 20s looks horrid, yet the FT-SX with 21″ wheels looks spectacular?

ponchoman49:
Wow another sport ute/ CUV type vehicle from the geniuses at Toyota. And it weights 4000 lbs, has 20″ overkill wheels and doesn’t come as a hybrid. So that means we now have the Matrix, RAV4, Highlander, Venza and Sequoia, 4runner, Land Cruiser and FJ Cruiser which are all wagon/CUV/Crossover based vehicles that get under 30 MPG. And GM is getting bashed over not being green or making vehicles that get good mileage. The ugly Prius is the only model that truly gets top MPG along with a 5 speed manual Yaris. The bland Camry with 4 cylinder and 5 speed automatic is rated at 31 highway which is 1 less than Optima and Sonota and 2 less than Malibu/G6 and Aura with 4 cylinder and 6 speed automatic. The big Tundra with the almighty 5.7 is rated at only 13/17 in the pickups while GM is getting 14/20 with the 5.3/6 speed and Ford is claiming 15/21 with the new 3 valve 4.6. The FJ Cruiser needs super unleaded for it’s stunning 16/20 rating. The Sienna van which is rated for 17/23 MPG doesn’t even compete well with Chryslers Caravan/Town and Country with the top most powerful 4.0 liter V6 at 18/25 MPG. The reviewer got some of it right. The porky weight, the rediculous 20″ rims, the blandness and unsporty driving characteristics. Glad to see that not everybody is drinking Toyota coolaid these days.

You conveniently forgot to mention the fuel economy of the Venza, which is class leading. I will also remind that Toyota had the highest CAFE fuel economy average last year among major automakers, higher than Honda.

It has a good 300 lbs more weight,too high a floor, too low a roofline with relation to the floor,and low-profile tires that are ridiculous anywhere that potholes occur.

As someone who grew up in a big family during the late ’50s through mid-’60s, I can say that the old big station wagons have a funky look and make great collectibles, but for utility and for passenger comfort in any position behind the front seats, minivans or minivan-based crossovers like the Aztek/ Rendezvous make much better daily drivers.

Problem is, the pricing on this is creeping into RX-land (the Lexus dealers in south Florida have very aggressive pricing). And having owned a Toyota 4-Runner before the RX, I can tell you there is no joy is having your near $40k vehicle serviced at Toyota dealerships thinking “couldn’t I have bought a Lexus for this type of money?”.

Maybe it’s just me, but the Toyota dealers in West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale are no place to spend any time…

The wheels are absurd. I’ve seen one with the optional 20s on the road (actually, Toyota dealer lot), and it just looks horrid.

Toyota: Just give us a regular Camry wagon, one that is 400 lbs lighter than this pig.

Ha! Done and done, as of 2007. I found your problem: you’re on the wrong side of the dealership.

If you want a Camry wagon: look for the “Scion” logo and ask for the “new xB.”

Based on the only demographic I driving in that car, as a Camry ‘enthusiast’ you should find everything you’re looking for. Cheers!

Reliability info soon after enough owners sign up to participate in TrueDelta’s research.

http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php

Looking at the curb weights of a V6 Camry and a FWD V6 Venza, there is only a weight difference of about 400lbs. Considering the Venza is a physically larger vehicle, and also considering the Venza has bigger wheels the increase in curb weight is very reasonable.

And no, this does not look like a Ford Edge from the front. This looks like a Camry, and it also looks like Toyota’s FT-SX concept, which debuted WAY before the Edge was released.

As for the tire size, the Venza is obviously a compromise. Toyota sacrificed some practicality in order to give the exterior a more sporty and stylish look. This vehicle won’t appeal to some Toyota buyers, and it wasn’t designed to. The Venza was designed mainly to get conquest buyers from other brands, and also to reclaim buyers who left Toyota after the new Highlander became too large.

I’m not a fan of the shifter or it,s position. I would rather see a column shifter. What happened to all the column shifters these days?

In the meantime, I wish they’d fit that drivetrain into the Matrix S. That thing is a dog with the 2.4L and four-speed automatic courtesy of General Motors.

I had never even heard of the Venza until I read this review. When I saw it listed over there in the reviews column I was expecting one of those rare Euro or Asian market reviews. I guess either they don’t market this thing very much, or I don’t pay attention to Toyota very much.

That’s a good point. I hadn’t thought of that. It’s a bit of both I’d say, load floor and curvature of the roof/trunkline.