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Review: 2009 Toyota Venza is one surprisingly slick wagonoid

The wagons we all know, love and grew up with gradually fell out of favor as the minivan took hold in the '80s. Led by Chrysler's practical little boxes, the van became the king of Mt. People Mover, only to be usurped by the SUV, which took the wagon formula and added a heaping dose of machismo. The wagons have all but vanished, and today, both SUVs and minivans resemble Hollywood stars whose salad days are clearly behind them. The so-called "crossover" is the new king, at least according to marketers who coined the maddeningly broad term, which now applies to everything from large, ... Read More

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    Toyota Venza
    Study: NADAguides reveals six top auto picks based on low depreciation
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    NADA Guides has released its Quarterly Car Buyers Market Report, and six models earned the organizations Top Recommended Buys designation. The 2011 Acura TL, Dodge Challenger R/T, GMC Terrain SLE-2, Hyundai Azera Limited, Toyota Tacoma Double Cab V6 Manual and Toyota Venza I4 AWD all made the cut. While low first-year depreciation rates factor into which ...

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    Toyota Venza
    Confirmed: Toyota recalls 52,000 Prius hybrids for steering defect
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    Toyota is recalling 106,000 Prius models built between 2001 and 2003. A total of 52,000 of those units were sold in the States. Toyota says that if the steering wheel is strongly turned to the full lock position over and over again, the electric power steering pinion shaft nuts may become loose. Over time, that may result in the driver having to exert ...

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    Toyota Venza
    Bang for Your Bark: AAA picks best canine-friendly cars
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    Dog owners looking for a new set of wheels can take heart; the American Automobile Association has taken the time to pick a handful of vehicles best suited to moving your furry friend from one place to another. With around 45 million households across the country boasting at least one dog in the family, it should be no surprise that the ability to ...

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    Toyota Venza
    Lotus imagines the Toyota Venza, circa 2020 and minus 400 lbs
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    When General Motors got to work seriously changing the Chevrolet Volt from blocky concept to sleek production model, company engineers discovered that by improving the aerodynamics by 80 counts, the car netted a six mile per gallon improvement in its highway fuel economy rating (note: a "count" is a thousandth of a point of a Cd number, so reducing a Cd ...

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    Toyota Venza
    Records reportedly suggest Toyota delayed U.S. Venza recall by six weeks
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    Toyota just can't seem to get out from under its recall woes. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the feds are once again taking a close look at the Japanese manufacturer, this time for failing to recall the Venza here in the U.S. promptly enough. The company first recalled the crossover in Canada back in December, but postponed the move ...

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    Toyota Venza
    More Toyota accidents allegedly caused by sudden acceleration occur in Wisconsin, Canada
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    The past few days have seen a new rash of stories about Toyotas run amok. First, a 2009 Venza struck a house in Hamilton, Ontario. According to The Hamilton Spectator, the driver said he lost control of the vehicle after experiencing uncontrolled acceleration. While 2009-2010 Venzas were recalled for the infamous floor-mat issue, police have yet to ...

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    Toyota Venza
    BREAKING: Toyota adds another 1.1M cars to floor mat recall
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    If you need to announce another recall around the same time a controversial president is making his highly anticipated State of the Union address, you probably won't curse that particular luck. That is exactly what Toyota felt it needed to do, revealing yesterday evening that it's recalling a further 1.1 million cars to fix "pedal entrapment problems" ...

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    Toyota Venza
    Road Trip: 2009 Toyota Venza a few refinements short of a great ride
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    Earlier this spring, our own Alex Nunez reviewed Toyota's latest crossover type thingy, the Venza, and came away rather impressed. I do a fair bit of traveling for my day job, which usually entails schlepping a sizable amount of video equipment around. Typically we pack up our A/V gear and FedEx it to a location since airlines charge so much for extra ...

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    Toyota Venza
    LA 2009: Toyota and Billabong craft one funky Venza
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    No, this isn't a leftover post from SEMA, although to be perfectly fair, it is a leftover vehicle from SEMA. While reporting on the Hot Rod Toyota Tundra and Tacoma All-Terrain Gamer, we somehow missed this tricked-out Venza. Kitted out by the Australian surfwear mavens at Billabong, it's called the Ultimate Venza Concept. Umm, yeah. While the vast ...

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    Toyota Venza
    Review: 2009 Toyota Venza is one surprisingly slick wagonoid
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    The wagons we all know, love and grew up with gradually fell out of favor as the minivan took hold in the '80s. Led by Chrysler's practical little boxes, the van became the king of Mt. People Mover, only to be usurped by the SUV, which took the wagon formula and added a heaping dose of machismo. The wagons have all but vanished, and today, both SUVs and ...

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