The 18" wheel/tire package should give a more comfortable ride than the 20" package and the 16" package should be even better. There are two factors to consider here.

Firstly, to maintain a proper speedometer and odometer reading, the overall diameter of the wheel/tire package has to remain the same. So if you are downsizing from a 20" diameter wheel to an 18" diameter wheel, the height of the tire's sidewall will have to increase; the sidewall on the 18" package will be higher than on the 20" package. The increased height gives more room to flex and the added space to flex allows for better absorption of bumps, so just changing from a 20" package to the same tire but made for the 18" package should give a more comfortable ride.

Secondly, the increased size of the 20" wheel is going to weigh more than the 18" wheel. This added weight unsprung weight will make the wheel/tire package slower to respond to steering inputs and also slower to respond to bumps; that makes for a less comfortable ride.

I have seen suggestions in another discussion here that the Highlander's base 17" wheel/tire package may fit the Venza. That may make for a more comfortable ride, lower unsprung weight and more options when it comes to shopping for replacement tires (including winter tires). I wonder if Toyota will offer a "base" (decontented) Venza for 2010 that will offer a smaller wheel/tire package and less interior content, like less powered accessories?

 

"...decontended 2010 Venza..."

Toyota's southern california (otherwise known as the land of "fruits and NUTS") design team is much more likely to throw in a set of chrome "spinners" to match those 20" wheels.

Pimpmobiles.....

 

I think one has to be careful regarding the Venza's "perceived" ride harshness -- many reviews I've read (including a recent and detailed one at driving.ca) praise the Venza's "smooth" ride, one going as far as to say it's one of the best riding crossovers out there. So when some reviewers criticize the ride while others praise it, I would say it's mostly a matter of personal perception. Best solution to that would be to take one for a spin and decide for yourself, rather than taking for granted any purely subjective opinions...

 

I think one has to be careful regarding the Venza's "perceived" ride harshness -- many reviews I've read (including a recent and detailed one at driving.ca) praise the Venza's "smooth" ride, one going as far as to say it's one of the best riding crossovers out there. So when some reviewers criticize the ride while others praise it, I would say it's mostly a matter of personal perception. Best solution to that would be to take one for a spin and decide for yourself, rather than taking for granted any purely subjective opinions...

I agree. Test drive one carefully and decide for yourself if you can be comfortable in it for the long term. Remember that the manufacturer designed the vehicle for the wheel/tire size(s) that are original equipment, and if you, as the buyer, decide to switch to a different wheel/tire package, that will be a compromise, meaning there will be a trade off somewhere. For instance, a smaller wheel may not clear the brake hardware, such as brake disk and brake calipers.

don't forget folks that if you downsize wheels you will also need to make sure that your new wheels will clear your brake calipers and other hardware. this problem is common when downsizing.

sulu is correct in that, smaller rim size while maintaining stock wheel/tire diameter will require a tire with more sidewall and hence a "smoother" ride since there is more sidewall there to provide cushioning. smoother here will be at the expense of responsiveness to steering input as well as performance and fuel economy.

The higher sidewall, because of the greater flexing, will likely mean less (slower) response to steering inputs and performance. Fuel economy, however, may not be affected because the energy being wasted in tire flex may be won back due to lower unsprung weight of the smaller wheel. Additionally, a downsize to a smaller wheel usually involves a narrower tire, which means a smaller contact patch and less friction, which should help fuel economy also.

 

don't forget folks that if you downsize wheels you will also need to make sure that your new wheels will clear your brake calipers and other hardware. this problem is common when downsizing.

sulu is correct in that, smaller rim size while maintaining stock wheel/tire diameter will require a tire with more sidewall and hence a "smoother" ride since there is more sidewall there to provide cushioning. smoother here will be at the expense of responsiveness to steering input as well as performance and fuel economy.

 

When I posted this I had already had my Venza for about 2 months, and I am extremely satisfied with the ride quality, smoothness and low road noise. I was in no way considering changing to a smaller wheel size, as when I first saw the Venza in person, the 20" wheels and body styling is what initially drew my attention to it. I was just curious because I do not see how much smoother it could be with smaller tires. For anyone still considering a Venza, like others have menitoned, go try it for yourself. I just can not imagine anyone not being satisfied with the ride this vehicle will give you.

 

When I posted this I had already had my Venza for about 2 months, and I am extremely satisfied with the ride quality, smoothness and low road noise. I was in no way considering changing to a smaller wheel size, as when I first saw the Venza in person, the 20" wheels and body styling is what initially drew my attention to it. I was just curious because I do not see how much smoother it could be with smaller tires. For anyone still considering a Venza, like others have menitoned, go try it for yourself. I just can not imagine anyone not being satisfied with the ride this vehicle will give you.

My wife loves her Venza but the one thing I do have a problem with is the ride. It definitely is not as smooth as the Camry V6 XLE we traded in on it. This isn't subjective, I can place my Garmin street pilot on the Venza dash with the bean bag mount and after 30 minutes of tollway driving it's danced 6 inches and needs to be repositioned again. Not so with the Camry. Her Venza came with Michelin tires. V6 AWD 20 " rims. Now it may very well be smoother than other crossovers but not as smooth as the full sized sedan it replaced.

 

Let's not forget that the 20" wheels are wrapped in a 50-series tire; plenty of sidewall in my opinion. What some are not considering is the Venza's suspension and its impact on ride quality. I've owned vehicles (Mini Cooper S) which, when I replaced the OEM struts with Koni FSD's, the ride quality/comfort was greatly improved. Another thing to consider is the tire selection by Toyota for the Venza. In my case that is the Goodyear Eagle RSA, the cheapest, lowest treadwear and lowest rated/reviewed tire you can put on a Venza based on technical information and reviews on the Tire Rack website. You would be amazed at the difference a better tire can make in comfort, noise and handling.

 

Another aspect is that the OUTSIZED wheels remind many of us of a PIMPMOBILE....

Not good.

 

Another aspect is that the OUTSIZED wheels remind many of us of a PIMPMOBILE....

Not good.

I have heard this remark from a couple of people but I really don't get it. The majority of people I talk to think that any smaller wheel does not look right on the Venza. One of the syling cues I like about the Venza is the 20" wheels. It's what makes the car stand out from a "soccer moms" car...which I did NOT want.
These days, anyone thinking that 20" wheels equals Pimpmobile must be a very right-wing conservative and should probably get a Sienna instead.

And, once again, the reason the Venza rides rougher than the Camry is NOT because of the 20" wheels, it is because of the suspension setup for the Venza as a SUV-type hauler.

 

I agree with wwest. The 20 inchers are a contradiction - they make the Venza look like a Scion, when in fact Camry Station Wagon owners are family oriented people who are way beyond the "I gotta look hip" phase in order to attract the opposite sex.

The Venza would ride like a luxury car and get better fuel economy if Toyota had equipped it with conservative 16 inch wheels and narrower 65-70 series tires.

 

big surprise it is the herpes virus from quality aftermarket
please refer to the warm vibes you got from that thead and crawl in a dark place and never come back
please feel the same warmth expressed for wwest as i believe you folks are two of a kind

 

big surprise it is the herpes virus from quality aftermarket

:thumbsup: Love it! And another surprise.. she agrees with wwest! Comparing the Venza to a Scion pretty much assures nothing you say will ever be taken seriously.

 

It appears the herpes virus has spread all over...... Mistress Kathyricks, the sage of all things automotive, has been around a long time..... hence she ain't the spring chicken she would suggest with her avatar. With ALL the high miles you put on all of you vehicles over the MANY years where do you have the time to post all of your contributions(?) on so many blogs and forums.... must have an imbedded satellite link (you pick the location) so you can drive and blog simultaneously? So much unappreciated knowledge! :clap::clap::clap:

Mistress does like to dominate all threads no matter where!?!? AND here's a BIG surprise..... she been quoting the Owners Book Bible wherever she posts!! :clap: That record has been stuck on broken for a loooong time...... blah....blah.....blah.....

From Tundra Solutions Forum....

kathyricks
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Re: Synthetic: Mobil1 vs. Walmart generic?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanosuke
kathy ricks, Are you speaking from working experience or from just ancodental experience? Because it sounds like you just drone on about how good dino is compared to synthetic without a real opinion from your mind. Sanosuke!
Working experience. I had the good fortune to know another fellow with the same Toyota engine as mine (a 22RE) who was also employed in sales and we both drove 55,000 miles per year. We both used Toyota filters, but he used Chevron Delvac 15W-40 dino oil and I used Mobil 1 10W-30. We both changed the oil every 5000 miles. After 470,000 miles both of our engines were running equally well (like new) and had the same rates of oil consumption (about 2500 miles per quart, down from 7000 miles per quart when our trucks were brand new). Thus both oils lubricated our engines equally well. If the Mobil 1 in my engine had reduced engine wear better, then the rate of oil consumption in my truck should have deteriorated at a slower rate. But it didn't. Clearly, both of our engines could continue running up to around 800,000 - 1,000,000 miles before the rate of oil consumption would have deteriorated to 600-1000 miles per quart - a level at which time an engine rebuild would be needed to prevent spark plug oil fouling.

Im the 1970's I also had the opportunity to compare Mobil 1 vs dino oil in two new Chevy Vega engines. Vega engines had design deficiencies that rsulted in severe piston ring wear after only 50,000 - 75,000 miles and so they became oil burners after than little amount of mileage. I found Mobil 1 did nothing to prevent the Vega engine from becoming an oil burner due to piston ring wear after only 50,000 - 75,000 miles.

 

If you think the camry is smooth try the avalon. I went from an avalon to the venza and it was a bit of an adjustment but I survived and very please with the vehicle.

 

Our dealer delivered our Venza V6 AWD with Goodyears pumped to 38 lb. Told us that if he set them to the required 32lb. and the outdoor temp dipped significantly, the tires sensors might go off signalling a flat. I set them at 35 all around and it rides fine. No complaints here. Although in comparison, the ride quality does makes our 07 RX350 seem like a Town Car. Regardless I still like the Venza ride better than our Lexus.

 

Ours can set to 38 lbs here too. I'll leave them at that setting since for trips you want to add 3->5 lbs any way.

 

Latest issue of Car & Driver magazine: "the ride is edgy. The Venza bucks and bumps a bit too actively over all but the most groomed surfaces."

So that's the price you pay for monster truck wheels and tires.

 

Latest issue of Car & Driver magazine: "the ride is edgy. The Venza bucks and bumps a bit too actively over all but the most groomed surfaces."

So that's the price you pay for monster truck wheels and tires.

Yep. I ran over a "smart car" the other day and hardly noticed it.

 

Considering (by Toyota's own admission) the Venza is aimed an Empty Nest Baby Boomers (which I am one) I don't consider myself fashion conscious and I do wish the ride was a little "cushier". Even on well groomed tollways the ride is a tad rougher than I'd really like. But I'll live with it and I love the extra ground clearance, easy ingress egress but the grill is almost "too much". Kind of like a big chrome smilie dot. In my case the only person that needs to be happy is the wife and she is very happy with the car.

 

Mistress is still stuck in a 70's Vega for comparison... sad.... that and her fake/out-of-date avatar......:headbang::headbang::headbang::


WWEST - maybe you ought to listen to mistress - "The" Owner's Manual says 32 psi UNLESS you are traveling @ 90 mph speeds where legally permitted, then you add 3 lbs of pressure. So much for even tire wear and alterations NOT recommended in "the" Owner's Manual or by Mistress.

My Blizzard Pearl was delivered thursday nite with 35 psi..... where I typically run my tires and the ride is comfortable - it's not the Avalon but a nice stout and responsive ride on the 19's . They're Bridgestone's...... don't know if that's good or bad given the Firestone tie-in...

 

Mistress is still stuck in a 70's Vega for comparison... sad.... that and her fake/out-of-date avatar......:headbang::headbang::headbang::


WWEST - maybe you ought to listen to mistress - "The" Owner's Manual says 32 psi UNLESS you are traveling @ 90 mph speeds where legally permitted, then you add 3 lbs of pressure. So much for even tire wear and alterations NOT recommended in "the" Owner's Manual or by Mistress.

My Blizzard Pearl was delivered thursday nite with 35 psi..... where I typically run my tires and the ride is comfortable - it's not the Avalon but a nice stout and responsive ride on the 19's . They're Bridgestone's...... don't know if that's good or bad given the Firestone tie-in...

Bridgestone makes excellent tires. I've owned several sets and they have the best wet pavement traction I've ever had on a car. I think they are very well balance in their performance on all surfaces, and have pretty good ride.

 

Larger size = smoother ride?

Hi all,

Just a question. I know I could look this up but the forum is more fun.

Going back to my daddy days, I remember pushing a stroller with small 3" wheels was harder and rougher than 18" wheels.

Do the Venza 20" wheels/ tire combination have a larger diameter than say the 19" or 18" (the obvious answer of course seems like a "yes", but maybe they're just decreasing the amount of rubber, increasing the amount of steel, keeping the total diameter constant).

If 20" wheels + tire have a higher diameter, I would expect the baby stroller effect to kick in and provide a smoother ride. On the other hand, keeping the diameter constand, decreasing the amount of rubber, would provide a bumpier ride.

So, which is it (or do we have both happening at the same time, larger diameter but more steel leads to same or worse "bumpiness").

Cheers!

 

Hi all,

Just a question. I know I could look this up but the forum is more fun.

Going back to my daddy days, I remember pushing a stroller with small 3" wheels was harder and rougher than 18" wheels.

Do the Venza 20" wheels/ tire combination have a larger diameter than say the 19" or 18" (the obvious answer of course seems like a "yes", but maybe they're just decreasing the amount of rubber, increasing the amount of steel, keeping the total diameter constant).

If 20" wheels + tire have a higher diameter, I would expect the baby stroller effect to kick in and provide a smoother ride. On the other hand, keeping the diameter constand, decreasing the amount of rubber, would provide a bumpier ride.

So, which is it (or do we have both happening at the same time, larger diameter but more steel leads to same or worse "bumpiness").

Cheers!

Overall rolling circumference is roughly the same; the 'standard' 19's have a slightly taller profile (55 series) than the '6-cylinder-mandatory' 20's (50).

 

Up to a point that may work. But I think we are seeing very large wheels with very thin sidewalled tires. Taken to the extreme analogy, like the old time bicycles with very large front wheel and very small tire = very rough ride.
Racing bicycles have very small tires and higher inflation pressures. You can run over a dime with those and tell if it's heads or tails.

 

Up to a point that may work. But I think we are seeing very large wheels with very thin tires. Taken to the extreme analogy, like the old time bicycles with very large front wheel and very small tire = very rough ride.
Racing bicycles have very small tires and higher inflation pressures. You can run over a dime with those and tell if it's heads or tails.

Well, not exactly.

In order to keep the CSA, roadbed contact patch, within a fairly reasonable range Toyota has opted for a WIDE tire tread area, which is why the recommended PSI is uncommonly high.

 

With corresponding higher tire pressure and less sidewall flex = rougher ride.

 

And the award for the most overused joke (that was never funny even once) goes to... wwest! And mistress Ricks, good to see your consecutive useless post streak is intact. Congrats to our winners.

 

http://www.buysell.com/search/Flash...otos/20070109152238430/20070109152238430_20094291224531116017_display3.jpg&zd=3

Pimpmobile? Regretfully, 20" doesn't cut it any more, and it's a Toyota. I've done the research...google remains our credibility friend. These babies are 24" on a real ride....Escalade.

And since you're right on the monster truck spec I don't know where this leaves us....maybe just broke when we go for the winter tires.

Give me a few minutes to find my tin hat while the humourless on this thread get their keyboards warmed up.

 

You forgot to mention the clueless lol

 

Soooo, mistress IF your theory were true on engine efficiency and a manual trans, then why is there ONLY a 1 MPG differential between the new Tacoma auto trans and manual models? hmmm? So why bother with a manual trans at all..... many of us drove manual trans for years but there is little incentive to do so today - certainly not for 1-3 mpg's......

you are still stuck on vega in the 70's...... stylizing a vehicle is a matter of sheet metal and plastics. And as I am certain you know, weight has an influence on fuel consumption and performance...nes pas?

 

Soooo, mistress IF your theory were true on engine efficiency and a manual trans, then why is there ONLY a 1 MPG differential between the new Tacoma auto trans and manual models? hmmm?

Thats easy...she has to dig up 22 year old data to attempt proving a point. Obviously newer automatics are much more efficient which the comparison doesn't take into account. Apples to grapefruits is what you have here.

 

kr i believe the 87camry didnot have nearly the safety feature(added wieght) nor the space which lowers fe.
please go back to the owners manualand leaves us in pease because we really don't give a rip about your unintelligent comments

 

Despite Toyota's claim that the Venza is in its own market segment, it is in fact in the crossover vehicle segment that includes the Nissan Murano and Ford Flex; those are its 2 main competitors. All three are station wagons disguised as SUVs, hence the large wheel/tire combination, the high ride height and the agressive styling.

Among its main competitors, it is the only one available with a 4-cylinder engine and it also has the lowest fuel consumption (highest fuel efficiency). Toyota was able to do this without the currently expensive and complicated technology of direct fuel injection (DI) or continuously variable transmission (CVT). This has kept the price down and should ensure a more reliable vehicle.

Will Toyota add DI or CVT or even a hybrid model in the future? Perhaps they will but only when it is necessary to keep the Venza competitive. Currently it is competitive without DI, HSD or CVT.

 

Despite Toyota's claim that the Venza is in its own market segment, it is in fact in the crossover vehicle segment that includes the Nissan Murano and Ford Flex; those are its 2 main competitors. All three are station wagons disguised as SUVs, hence the large wheel/tire combination, the high ride height and the agressive styling.

Among its main competitors, it is the only one available with a 4-cylinder engine and it also has the lowest fuel consumption (highest fuel efficiency). Toyota was able to do this without the

currently expensive

One injector/cylinder, fuel pressurizing pump, specially "shaped" piston head. Expensive...I guess I never realized the CX-7 was non-competitive in its market segment.

and complicated technology

You just might have a point there. The Lexus GS series uses 2 sets of injectors, SFI & DFI, so maybe the technology is so "complicated" the Toyota & Lexus design engineers couldn't quite grasp the technique.

of direct fuel injection (DI) or

continuously variable transmission (CVT).

CVT's are being used almost exclusively in the low end of the market, 200HP and less, so I doubt if expense is an issue. So that leaves us with "complicated technology" as the only excuse. For the engineering team that came up with the absolutely BRILLIANT e/CVT design concept used in the Prius, RXh, HH, Ford Escape, Mariner, and Tribute.

This has kept the price down and should ensure a more reliable vehicle.

Will Toyota add DI or CVT or even a hybrid model in the future? Perhaps they will but only when it is necessary to keep the Venza competitive. Currently it is competitive without DI, HSD or CVT.

Since the Venza still remains the "new kid(toy) on the block", and will likely remain so for awhile, it might be a bit before we know if the Venza is truly competitive in the marketplace.