2021 Toyota Venza vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2021 Toyota Venza, when it was revealed, was noted for its resemblance to a Lexus, with critics highlighting its grille and elongated profile that blurred the lines between the brands. The Venza's design was reminiscent of the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept shown at the 2018 North American International Auto Show. Toyota offered the Venza in three trim levels—LE, XLE, and Limited—with a choice of seven paint colors, though not all colors were available on every trim. Standard features included a dual chrome-tipped exhaust, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, puddle lights, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The base LE model came with a wireless charging pad, 4.2-inch driver’s information display, leather-trimmed steering wheel, Bluetooth, dual-zone automatic climate control, fabric-trimmed seats, and an 8-inch infotainment touch screen, among other amenities. The XLE trim added black bumper garnishes, silver roof rails, 19-inch alloy wheels, and more, while the Limited trim featured a digital rearview mirror, illuminated footwells, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, with the option to add the Star Gaze panoramic roof.

The 2022 Buick Enclave, historically known for its conservative styling, underwent a significant transformation over the past 15 years, shifting from a sedan-heavy lineup to an all-SUV portfolio. The Enclave, which debuted in 2008, replaced older models and helped revitalize the Buick brand. The 2022 model received a mid-cycle refresh with new exterior styling, including a new grille, front and rear fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and wheel designs. The top-tier Avenir trim featured unique styling elements and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave boasted a restyled center console with new push-button gears and upgraded materials. The Avenir trim included standard climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and unique trim and seat stitching. The Enclave was available in Essence, Premium, and Avenir trims, with our test vehicle being an Avenir with the optional Technology package, featuring Ebony perforated leather seats and a deep red Rich Garnet Metallic exterior.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, resulting in a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system used an electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT) with a sequential-shifting feature for increased regenerative braking. While the Venza's power output was less than some competitors, it provided smooth acceleration and confident handling. The Venza excelled in fuel economy, achieving an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined, outperforming rivals like the Murano, Passport, and Blazer. Toyota backed its hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct injection, producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Enclave came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave provided a smooth and quiet ride, enhanced by the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The Enclave's powertrain was responsive, with good off-the-line acceleration and a nine-speed automatic transmission that performed seamlessly. Despite its size, the Enclave handled well on various terrains, and the cabin remained serene thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology.

The 2021 Toyota Venza offered a practical and comfortable interior, with premium appointments in the center stack and a unique cabin design. The deep center console featured resizable cup holders, a traditional stick shifter, drive mode buttons, and a wireless charging pad. The driver and passenger seats were accommodating, and the rear seats provided comfort for two adults. The Venza had more headroom than the RAV4, slightly less legroom up front, and nearly equal shoulder and hip room. The Venza's cargo space was around 60 percent of the RAV4's, with a maximum of 55.1 cubic feet, which was sufficient for daily driving needs.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered easy ingress and egress, with excellent visibility and comfortable seating. All Enclaves came standard with an eight-way power driver seat and six-way power front passenger seat, both heated and with power lumbar control. Premium and Avenir trims added four-way power lumbar with massage and second-row heated seats. The Enclave's spacious cabin provided ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room for passengers in all three rows. The second-row captain's chairs made accessing the third row easy, and the restyled center console featured new push-button transmission gears. The Enclave offered 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats up, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. Our test vehicle included power-folding third-row seats for added convenience.

The 2021 Toyota Venza featured an 8-inch infotainment system on the LE and XLE trims, while the Limited trim had a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Entune infotainment system, though not the best in the industry, had improved over the years. The Venza included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, AM/FM/HD Radio, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker audio system as standard. A Wi-Fi hot spot was also standard, with a free trial period. The XLE and Limited trims offered a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system. Toyota connected services included a one-year trial of Safety Connect and Remote Connect, and a 10-year trial of Service Connect. Dynamic navigation was available on models with the larger screen.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came with a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, with Premium and Avenir trims featuring a larger 8-inch reconfigurable version. The Essence trim had an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The Enclave's infotainment system could pair up to 10 devices, with a built-in WiFi hotspot for up to four devices. The Premium and Avenir trims included a 10-speaker Bose audio system. Standard features included a following-distance indicator, HD rear vision camera, and Teen Driver technology. Notable available features included adaptive cruise control, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, hitch guidance with hitch view, a digital rear camera mirror, and HD surround vision.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite, which included a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Standard safety features also included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, tire pressure monitoring system, and adjustable front seatbelt anchors. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard, with an upgrade to similar technology with automatic braking available on the XLE and Limited trims. The Venza had two full sets of LATCH connections on the rear outboard seats.

The 2022 Buick Enclave made significant updates to its driver-assist and safety tech, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package now standard on all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Other standard safety features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, rear-seat reminder system, and HD reversing camera. Premium trim added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The Enclave received a four-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in most IIHS crash tests, with an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.