Toyota is well-known for making safe and reliable cars that get the attention and praise of critics, and usually, consumers agree with that praise. That isn’t always the case, however, and there are some Toyota models that, although they get good reviews, car shoppers simply ignore. This is the case with the 2022 Toyota Venza. Here’s a look at how critics love the car, but consumers aren’t reciprocating. 

Car critics love the 2022 Toyota Venza

According to Consumer Reports, the Venza is one of the best options in the midsize crossover SUV segment right now. Toyota reintroduced the Venza in the 2021 model year, so it’s a fairly newer car. Currently, Toyota only offers the Venza in one powertrain configuration. It’s a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that’s paired to a CVT and all-wheel drive.

This allows the Toyota SUV to get 219 hp and a great estimated fuel economy of 40 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on highways, for 39 mpg combined. The Venza starts at about $33,000, and it’s recommended by Consumer Reports.

Other car critics had similar things to say about this new Toyota. For example, U.S. News also gave the Venza a good score, and the car critic wrote that the SUV has a lot of positives.

In particular, the Venza’s interior comfort is one of its strongest areas. Despite being a Toyota, U.S. News wrote that the Venza, “has a premium interior that verges on luxury.” The Japanese automaker gave the car a lot of standard features, and it used quality materials in its design, too. The seats are comfortable and spacious, and the Venza has good ride quality as well.

With all that praise you’d expect this car to be flying off dealership lots, but that has been far from the case.

The 2022 Toyota Venza hasn’t been selling very well lately

Despite all the good press that the Venza has received, it simply hasn’t been selling well. According to GoodCarBadCar, when Toyota reintroduced the Venza in the 2021 model year, it actually broke the car’s sales record. In that year, it sold just under 62,000 units, and that’s far more units than its previous record of 54,000 units back in 2009. 

And while the Venza started 2022 off strong, its sales numbers have steadily declined month-to-month compared to last year. For example, in May 2021, Toyota sold over 9,000 units of the Venza. In May 2022, the Japanese automaker only ended up selling about 3,000 units. That’s a massive drop compared to last year, and the overall picture isn’t that much better. 

As of November 2022, Toyota’s only sold a total of just under 27,000 units of the Venza in 2022. Sales data isn’t available for November and December just yet, but it’s unlikely that Toyota will be able to make up much of the difference compared to last year. As such, when all is said and done, Toyota will likely see a 50% drop in sales for the Venza in 2022 compared to 2021. 

There are some possible explanations for the lackluster sales

That steep decline in sales could mean that car shoppers just aren’t sold on the Venza. After all, one of its negatives is that it is more expensive than its competitors, and it’s possible that car shoppers don’t want to pay the premium. However, there are other possible explanations.

The supply chain crisis that COVID-19 has caused is possibly an explanation for the drop in sales. A lot of automakers, including Toyota, have had to make cuts in production simply because they don’t have the parts they need to build the cars. As a result, it’s possible that car shoppers want the Venza, but Toyota can’t make enough right now.

Whatever the case may be, don’t let the poor sales dissuade you from checking out the unique Venza if you’re in the market for a new car.

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