The 2009 Toyota Venza is a brand spanking new vehicle. A crossover SUV designed to compete with the likes of Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent, Dodge Journey, Ford Edge or Mercury Mariner from America or foreign competitors such as the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-7, Subaru Outback, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Nissan Murano.

Built with the United States in mind, Venza is a midsize with a sporty look between a station wagon and an SUV, as a crossover should be, but with a higher driver seat than is normal for a station wagon. It introduces Toyota's new 2.7 liter, 4-cylinder engine.

Concerning the engines, there are two choices. Besides the 2.7 liter, 182 horsepower I4 unit already mentioned, there is a 3.5 liter 268 horsepower V6. Either gets a six-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. Maximum towing for the I4 is 2500 pounds and 3500 pounds for the V6. Both are a little light for a midsize SUV, but respectable for a midsize car.

Trims are unusually simple for the Venza. There is the 4x2 I4 and the 4x4 I4, and there is the 4x2 V6 and the 4x4 V6. For the three folks who need just another second to figure it out, that means there is really a single trim which can be purchased with either engine and in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

The I4 engine gets 21 miles per gallon in the city and a very respectable 29 miles per gallon highway with front-wheel drive. You can subtract one mile per gallon in both categories for all-wheel drive. The V6 gets an also respectable 19 miles per gallon city and 26 miles per gallon highway with front-wheel drive, also having a one mile per gallon drop with all-wheel drive.

NHTSA has only tested the Venza on rollover, which garnered four-stars, very common for the class. Since there is no previous version of the Venza, there is no real evidence of what to expect when the NHTSA get around to completing the tests. The Venza has all the up to date safety features including child safety locks, antilock brakes with electronic braking assist, traction control and stability control, and airbags everywhere.

Fuel economy with either engine, and the power to weight ratio with the V6 engine, are better than class average. Power to weight ratio on the I4 engine is behind class, as is front legroom.

At $25,975 the 2009 Toyota Venza is priced almost $9,000 less than class average. Even the V6, which starts at $27,800, is a real bargain for the class. It's too early for any hard evidence, but with a good price, decent power and mileage, and promising safety ratings the Venza looks like another good bet for Toyota.