2021 Toyota Venza vs 2021 Volkswagen ID.4

At first glance, the 2021 Toyota Venza looks more like a Lexus than a typical Toyota, which is fitting, because the Venza is anything but typical. The new Venza blends a new approach to in-car technology with fresh exterior and interior design.

Like the Nissan Murano, Honda Passport, Ford Edge, and Chevrolet Blazer, the 2021 Venza is a two-row SUV meant to be more sophisticated than the family-friendly Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox, and Toyota RAV4. There is no three-row Venza option.

It also comes only with a hybrid powertrain—for better or worse—something that its competition is lacking. All-wheel drive is also standard.

The Venza’s $38,490 Canadian starting price is slightly higher than the Murano and Blazer, but it comes with the traditionally more expensive hybrid powertrain. Is the hybrid worth shelling out a little more for in a new vehicle?

The “Dieselgate” emissions scandal forced Volkswagen to double down on electric cars, and now we’re finally seeing the first result of that: the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover.

VW has made an electric car before, but its last attempt, the e-Golf, was built to satisfy emissions standards, not rack up sales. It was barely advertised, and it was sold only in certain locations. With the ID.4, it will launch in the three largest Canadian EV markets—British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario—and will even be built in North America, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, starting in 2022. Volkswagen views the ID.4 as a rival not to other EVs, but to mainstream gasoline vehicles like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

Being late to the party means there are already several other EVs trying to coax new-car buyers away from internal combustion, however. If you want a reasonably priced EV, the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Kia Niro EV already exist, and General Motors has the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV—a new variant of the Chevy Bolt EV with a crossover body style similar to the Volkswagen.

Our test car was an ID.4 1st Edition, a U.S.-only model released to commemorates the car’s launch. Its closest Canadian equivalent is the ID.4 RWD Pro with the Statement Package.