Compare the2022 Toyota VenzaVS 2022 Lexus UX

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 UX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Venza. But it costs extra on the UX.

The Venza Limited has a standard Bird’s Eye View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The UX only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Venza and the UX 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Venza is safer than the Lexus UX:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Venza for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the UX (2/25000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 5 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Venza’s warranty.

The battery on the Venza is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Venza’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The UX’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

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

The Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 50 more horsepower (219 vs. 169) than the UX 200’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 38 more horsepower (219 vs. 181) than the UX 250h’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Venza is faster than the Lexus UX:

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

The Venza has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Venza has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 12.4 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Venza higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus UX (6 to 7). This means the Venza produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the UX every 15,000 miles.

The Venza stops shorter than the UX:

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

The Venza has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the UX; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Venza’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the UX (105.9 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Venza is 2 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than on the UX.

The Venza Limited handles at .80 G’s, while the UX 200 pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Venza Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the UX 200 (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

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 UX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Venza has 7.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the UX (98.3 vs. 90.4).

The Venza has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 2.7 inches more rear headroom, 4.7 inches more rear legroom and 4 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

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

The Venza has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (28.8 vs. 17.1 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. An easy entry system costs extra on the UX.

The power windows standard on both the Venza and the UX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Venza is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The UX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the UX.

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 UX only retains 49.41% to 50.6%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Venza will be $4176 to $4803 less than for the Lexus UX.

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 Lexus UX by 28% during the 2021 model year.