Compare the2022 Toyota VenzaVS 2022 Audi A4 Allroad

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Venza are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Venza XLE/Limited has standard Rear Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Venza has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A4 Allroad’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Venza has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the A4 Allroad.

The Venza’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Venza and the A4 Allroad have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Venza the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 137 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A4 Allroad has not been fully tested, yet.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Venza 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A4 Allroad. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the A4 Allroad ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Venza for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A4 Allroad.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Venza’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Audi is ranked 14th.

On the EPA test cycle the Venza gets better fuel mileage than the A4 Allroad (40 city/37 hwy vs. 24 city/30 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the Venza’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Venza uses regular unleaded gasoline. The A4 Allroad requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Venza higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi A4 Allroad (5). This means the Venza produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A4 Allroad every 15,000 miles.

The Venza has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Venza XLE/Limited has standard 19-inch wheels. The A4 Allroad’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Venza is .9 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than on the A4 Allroad.

For better maneuverability, the Venza LE’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the A4 Allroad’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.4 feet). The Venza XLE/Limited’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the A4 Allroad’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Venza has a 1.18 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the A4 Allroad (7.68 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the Venza to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Venza uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Venza has 6.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A4 Allroad (98.3 vs. 92).

The Venza has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 2.1 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the A4 Allroad.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Venza’s rear seats recline. The A4 Allroad’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Venza has a much larger cargo volume than the A4 Allroad with its rear seat up (28.8 vs. 24.2 cubic feet).

The Venza’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Venza has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the A4 Allroad only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Venza has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the A4 Allroad Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

Insurance will cost less for the Venza owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Venza will cost $2075 to $6340 less than the A4 Allroad over a five-year period.

The Venza will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Venza will retain 56.16% to 56.27% of its original price after five years, while the A4 Allroad only retains 44.07% to 44.29%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Venza will be $21458 to $26588 less than for the Audi A4 Allroad.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Venza as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Venza outsold the Audi A4/S4 by 32% during the 2021 model year.