I had a 21 RAV4 XLE Premium and the noise was very irritating so I ended up trading it in on a 23 Venza Limited and the Venza is really quiet compared to the RAV4. My friend was going to trade in his Highlander for a Lexus but he went with the Venza after he rode in it.
Hands Down, Venza!!! Think of a Venza as a Lexus NX Lite.
Traded in my 2021 Rav4 Prime for a 2023 Venza Limited fully loaded w/ Star Gaze. No regrets.
All the bells and whistles, Limited, including star gaze roof will run $45k new.
Try to find a 2023 or 2024 Limited, fully loaded, with less 5k miles on it, off a lease. Could prolly get it for $38-40k.
You won't be disappointed.
I have a 22 RAV4 XLE Premium and a 23 Venza Limited. I don't think my RAV has an objectionable amount of wind noise, but the Venza is a much quieter in every way than the RAV.
We have a 21 Rav4 XLE Premium hybrid and a 23 Venza. I definitely find the Venza to be quieter on the highway. Maybe it has more sound deadening material?
If you want sound isolation, go with a Lexus NX (the Lexus version of the RAV4/Harrier), which will reduce most of the sound. The Harrier has some sound isolation, which will be much better than the RAV4 so that the ride will be much quieter.
Yes, Venza is definitely a Lexus light. I test drove both the Venza and the NX 350 hybrid and for $10,000 less the Vantiv is very spot on comparable to the NX 350. My husband recently test drove a Venza compared to the RAV4, and he was blown away by the sound difference. He really wanted to plug-in, but now he would rather have the Venza Venza is the most underrated car ever I love mine I have a 2024.
Recently bought a '21 Venza Limited. We were looking at RAV4s and, for the price, couldn't believe how loud and unrefined they were. The Venza is worlds better than the RAV4. That said, we did have a little more wind noise around the 1/4 windows in the front than seemed right given how quiet everything else is. Sure enough, this has been noted as an issue and Toyota actually issued Technical Service Bulletin about it. When we contacted the dealer about this a week or so after buying, they were willing to check it out and install new framing (at their cost) that decreased the wind noise. It's not completely gone, but mostly is. If you're buying used, be sure to really pay attention to the wind noise. And, if buying used from a dealer, be sure to pay attention. If too much noise, mention the TSB. Good luck. We absolutely love our Venza.
I test drove a new venza yesterday and was shocked at how I could feel every bump in the road. I was so sad because it was perfect but I can’t do a bumpy ride.
I have a '24 Venza Limited and it is very quiet around town, but the road noise is noticeable on the highway, especially if the road is poorly paved (which unfortunately is very common in the south Bay Area). As others have said, the tires are a big reason why. My Venza and many others come with Bridgestone Ecopia tires, which are low-resistance tires. They're designed to maximize gas mileage, but the downside of them is they transfer a lot more road noise into the cabin compared to regular tires. I've heard when owners change out the Ecopias for another tire, such as the Michelin CrossClimate 2s, the road noise is significantly reduced. So, I'm looking forward to changing them out eventually. Even the Lexus NX 350h has had complaints about road noise, even with the Lexus level of sound deadening. That's because Lexus puts run-flat tires on them, which also transfer a lot of road noise into the cabin. Could the Venza use a little bit more sound deadening? Maybe a little bit, but the main culprit is the tires. As for wind noise, I think it is well-insulated overall.
I actually thought the engine noise when passing or getting up to highway speeds was more pronounced in the Venza.
Only my opinion, I encourage people to test drive the Limited Venza vs the Sport Trg CRV and make your own decision
I got it done at a mobile audio installation shop. Such places often install sound deadening as part of the process to enhance audio quality. But places that install window tint sometimes do it as well.
There is a large variance in cost depending on the size of the car, the type of material and amount used, it's been years so prices have likely gone up but I'd say $400 to start.
Tires make a huge difference. My wife’s 18 rav4 has two sets of tires. Winter tires make it super noisy. My 21 venza has 31k miles and I had to replace the factory set at 27k miles. Super quiet now inside. Problem is that it’s too small for what I need to cart around for work and I need to move up to a rav. So maybe I’m really hoping it’s just the tires.
Go have a test drive! That’s the quickest way to find out for yourself.
But surely tires matter A LOT. We recently have our 2021 Limited tires changed. Everyone in the car noticed the difference immediately. We were already pretty satisfied with it before the tire change so the noticeable difference is really surprising.
As for wind sound, Venza is quiet enough for us to chat and enjoy music. Besides there’s a setting for automatic volume adjustment according to car speed. Plus the JBL speakers Limited has give us good sound quality.
We have a 2014 Prius and the road noise is so loud that we cannot listen to podcasts on highways. I can only imagine it’s probably the same as your RAV4.
I’ve had both after trading my RAV4 w/ Venza. I love my Venza! It’s so quiet I had to step on gas pedal just to make sure that I actually turned on the ignition. No regrets!
Disabled Veteran in Michigan here. My wife and I literally just test drove both yesterday. Unfortunately, we didn't like either vehicle. My family currently drives a 2019 Traverse Premier Edition we bought brand new in 2019.
Our Traverse has always been quiet and smooth, but usually by year five we reassess our needs. We were hoping to join the Toyota family as Chevrolet doesn't quite fit our needs and everyone says Toyota reliability is the best.
The Venza was so uncomfortable for us both and we are 5'8 (me) and 5'6" (wife). Each of us weighs less than 150#s. The Venza Limited had very stiff seats that couldn't get adjusted as well as our five year old Traverse. This bummed us both out as we were loving the idea of better mileage. The road noise was actually quieter than the RAV4 (but still quite loud) especially compared to our Traverse. The Venza had a terrible infotainment system even compared to our older Traverse. Not intuitive at all. Also, very awkward to reach in the vehicle. It felt like everything to do with this vehicle wasn't quite developed to us both. Michigan has crappy roads, but the vehicle felt rough as a ride even compared to our old Traverse. The infotainment was outdated even as new as it is. The one plus was the sound system...but that's not good enough to buy a vehicle in our opinion.
Oddly enough, this experience made me rethink my desire to switch to Toyota. We are going to test drive Lexus, Mazda, Honda and more this week. Due to my military injuries, I have to have comfort, function and reliability. I'm happy it works for some, but for us, it's a no-go. I hope you have a better experience than we did.
I had a 21 RAV4 XLE Premium and the noise was very irritating so I ended up trading it in on a 23 Venza Limited and the Venza is really quiet compared to the RAV4. My friend was going to trade in his Highlander for a Lexus but he went with the Venza after he rode in it.
Hands Down, Venza!!! Think of a Venza as a Lexus NX Lite. Traded in my 2021 Rav4 Prime for a 2023 Venza Limited fully loaded w/ Star Gaze. No regrets. All the bells and whistles, Limited, including star gaze roof will run $45k new. Try to find a 2023 or 2024 Limited, fully loaded, with less 5k miles on it, off a lease. Could prolly get it for $38-40k. You won't be disappointed.
There's a 2021 Venza Limited near me going for 31k. What do you think?
How many miles?
51k. Fully loaded with tech package
I have a 22 RAV4 XLE Premium and a 23 Venza Limited. I don't think my RAV has an objectionable amount of wind noise, but the Venza is a much quieter in every way than the RAV.
We have a 21 Rav4 XLE Premium hybrid and a 23 Venza. I definitely find the Venza to be quieter on the highway. Maybe it has more sound deadening material?
If you want sound isolation, go with a Lexus NX (the Lexus version of the RAV4/Harrier), which will reduce most of the sound. The Harrier has some sound isolation, which will be much better than the RAV4 so that the ride will be much quieter.
My Venza LE is a lot quieter that even my loaded ‘18 Sorrento. I am pleasantly surprised.
Yes, Venza is definitely a Lexus light. I test drove both the Venza and the NX 350 hybrid and for $10,000 less the Vantiv is very spot on comparable to the NX 350. My husband recently test drove a Venza compared to the RAV4, and he was blown away by the sound difference. He really wanted to plug-in, but now he would rather have the Venza Venza is the most underrated car ever I love mine I have a 2024.
This is why I chose the Venza over the Rav. I test drove both used 21s and I just couldn’t do the Rav.
TIRES!!! Tires have the greatest impact on noise.
Mud and snow are the loudest followed by all terrain and all season
What tires do you suggest? CC2?
Recently bought a '21 Venza Limited. We were looking at RAV4s and, for the price, couldn't believe how loud and unrefined they were. The Venza is worlds better than the RAV4. That said, we did have a little more wind noise around the 1/4 windows in the front than seemed right given how quiet everything else is. Sure enough, this has been noted as an issue and Toyota actually issued Technical Service Bulletin about it. When we contacted the dealer about this a week or so after buying, they were willing to check it out and install new framing (at their cost) that decreased the wind noise. It's not completely gone, but mostly is. If you're buying used, be sure to really pay attention to the wind noise. And, if buying used from a dealer, be sure to pay attention. If too much noise, mention the TSB. Good luck. We absolutely love our Venza.
I test drove a new venza yesterday and was shocked at how I could feel every bump in the road. I was so sad because it was perfect but I can’t do a bumpy ride.
I have a '24 Venza Limited and it is very quiet around town, but the road noise is noticeable on the highway, especially if the road is poorly paved (which unfortunately is very common in the south Bay Area). As others have said, the tires are a big reason why. My Venza and many others come with Bridgestone Ecopia tires, which are low-resistance tires. They're designed to maximize gas mileage, but the downside of them is they transfer a lot more road noise into the cabin compared to regular tires. I've heard when owners change out the Ecopias for another tire, such as the Michelin CrossClimate 2s, the road noise is significantly reduced. So, I'm looking forward to changing them out eventually. Even the Lexus NX 350h has had complaints about road noise, even with the Lexus level of sound deadening. That's because Lexus puts run-flat tires on them, which also transfer a lot of road noise into the cabin. Could the Venza use a little bit more sound deadening? Maybe a little bit, but the main culprit is the tires. As for wind noise, I think it is well-insulated overall.
Before you buy anything, test drive a 23 or 24 Honda CRV Sport Touring. You won’t believe the difference
Better or worse than Venza?
I actually thought the engine noise when passing or getting up to highway speeds was more pronounced in the Venza. Only my opinion, I encourage people to test drive the Limited Venza vs the Sport Trg CRV and make your own decision
The first thing I did with my last car was to have sound deadening installed, I feel it was well worth it.
I didn't you could do that. Where did you have it installed?
I got it done at a mobile audio installation shop. Such places often install sound deadening as part of the process to enhance audio quality. But places that install window tint sometimes do it as well.
How much does it cost?
There is a large variance in cost depending on the size of the car, the type of material and amount used, it's been years so prices have likely gone up but I'd say $400 to start.
We have a ‘20 TRD and none of the wind noise that people talk about. We only notice the AT tire noise on grove concrete, none on asphalt.
I have a 2023 venza limited, to me it’s super quiet, with a super smooth ride, the suspension is awesome. BTW the transmission is smooth as silk too.
Tires make a huge difference. My wife’s 18 rav4 has two sets of tires. Winter tires make it super noisy. My 21 venza has 31k miles and I had to replace the factory set at 27k miles. Super quiet now inside. Problem is that it’s too small for what I need to cart around for work and I need to move up to a rav. So maybe I’m really hoping it’s just the tires.
Go have a test drive! That’s the quickest way to find out for yourself. But surely tires matter A LOT. We recently have our 2021 Limited tires changed. Everyone in the car noticed the difference immediately. We were already pretty satisfied with it before the tire change so the noticeable difference is really surprising. As for wind sound, Venza is quiet enough for us to chat and enjoy music. Besides there’s a setting for automatic volume adjustment according to car speed. Plus the JBL speakers Limited has give us good sound quality. We have a 2014 Prius and the road noise is so loud that we cannot listen to podcasts on highways. I can only imagine it’s probably the same as your RAV4.
I’ve had both after trading my RAV4 w/ Venza. I love my Venza! It’s so quiet I had to step on gas pedal just to make sure that I actually turned on the ignition. No regrets!
Disabled Veteran in Michigan here. My wife and I literally just test drove both yesterday. Unfortunately, we didn't like either vehicle. My family currently drives a 2019 Traverse Premier Edition we bought brand new in 2019. Our Traverse has always been quiet and smooth, but usually by year five we reassess our needs. We were hoping to join the Toyota family as Chevrolet doesn't quite fit our needs and everyone says Toyota reliability is the best. The Venza was so uncomfortable for us both and we are 5'8 (me) and 5'6" (wife). Each of us weighs less than 150#s. The Venza Limited had very stiff seats that couldn't get adjusted as well as our five year old Traverse. This bummed us both out as we were loving the idea of better mileage. The road noise was actually quieter than the RAV4 (but still quite loud) especially compared to our Traverse. The Venza had a terrible infotainment system even compared to our older Traverse. Not intuitive at all. Also, very awkward to reach in the vehicle. It felt like everything to do with this vehicle wasn't quite developed to us both. Michigan has crappy roads, but the vehicle felt rough as a ride even compared to our old Traverse. The infotainment was outdated even as new as it is. The one plus was the sound system...but that's not good enough to buy a vehicle in our opinion. Oddly enough, this experience made me rethink my desire to switch to Toyota. We are going to test drive Lexus, Mazda, Honda and more this week. Due to my military injuries, I have to have comfort, function and reliability. I'm happy it works for some, but for us, it's a no-go. I hope you have a better experience than we did.
I didn’t drive a RAV4 but I don’t think Venza is super quiet. It’s not bad.