Who Needs a Family Sedan? 2010 Toyota Venza Vs. 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

The Toyota Venza and Honda Accord Crosstour are both the odd ducks of the auto industry. Are they crossovers? Are they SUVs or are they station wagons? Or are they some new strange hybrid of all three? Suffice it to say that, despite what automotive analysts always say about Americans hating hatchbacks, it appears that the family sedan might be a design soon relegated to the history books. And there is good reason to see why people are so attracted to these new age stylistic hybrids.

Both the Venza and Crosstour are lower in ride height than your average SUV and this gives them a number of distinct advantages. For one it makes them easier to get into and out of for older people or the disabled. (Think about that aging baby boomers! Knees don't last forever!) Their cargo floors are also lower to the ground making it easier for people like new moms and dads to load that gigantic stroller in the back without getting a hernia.

Even though the Venza and Crosstour are not as tall as most SUVs or crossovers their seating positions are still upright and thanks to tall ceiling architecture the seats are mounted high so you still get that commanding view of the road. All told, are the Venza and Crosstour the future of the automobile? And most importantly for new car buyers looking for a family vehicle, which one is better?

Toyota Venza

Basically a Camry wagon on steroids, the Venza at least has the benefit of a modicum of stylish flair. A unique chrome grille and tail-lamps aping the style of the old Volvo 850 wagon give the Venza a distinct character that is usually so lacking in Toyota products barring the Prius. The look is both muscular and well defined which marks a new design direction for the notably conservative Japanese brand.

Being that the Venza is a family car the interior is spacious with plenty of cubby holes (though it doesn't have as many large ones as the Crosstour) and the dashboard controls are canted so even the passenger can adjust the A/C, stereo or optional navigation. Now if Toyota would only let said passenger input navigation info when the car was in motion we would have a near perfect package here. (Note: Honda allows you to input navigation addresses on the move.)

The Venza is a few grand cheaper than the Crosstour and you can see that in the lower quality of the plastic in certain parts of the dash and the fact that the "cheap" Venza is equipped with only a four cylinder. Surprisingly enough, this Toyota four is peppy in this application so you needn't worry about freeway on-ramps or passing on hills. The fuel economy gain, however, is not noticeable enough to make it worthwhile solely for efficiency reasons. (Note: The six cylinder Venza is priced and equipped very similarly to the Crosstour which has no four cylinder option.)

Honda Accord Crosstour

Let's get this out of the way now as there was much internet discussion about it when pictures of the Crosstour were first leaked. No, the grille of the Crosstour does not make the front end look too big and in fact this sporty hatch/wagon is very European in appearance especially the vaguely Saab-like rear end design. What is with Toyota and Honda aping old Swedish automotive style cues all of a sudden? Perhaps they assumed (rightly so) that no one would notice.

The interior of the Crosstour feels more like an Acura than a basic model Accord. Standard features include power moonroof, 360 watt audio, dual zone climate control, with luxurious leather, AWD and Honda's ultra-intuitive navigation system standing as the only options. There is plenty of room for passengers in the back and while cargo room is a little down compared to the Venza because of the sloping rear this is the price we pay to look good.

Where the Honda wins this comparison is in the ride, handling and steering department. Simply put, the Accord Crosstour is much more fun to drive than the Venza. Where the Venza has slop in the steering the Accord feels laser precise. And as opposed to just being a transportation implement, the Crosstour might be a car that you actually enjoy driving. Imagine that.

Toyota Venza: (Starting at $26,275)

Engine: (2.7 Liter 182 hp 4 or 3.5 liter 268 hp 6 cylinder)

Economy: (4 cyl: 21/29) (6 cyl: 19/26)

Honda Accord Crosstour: (Starting at $29,670)

Engine: (3.5 Liter 271 horsepower 6 cylinder)

Economy: (18 city/27 highway)