Compare the2024 Toyota VenzaVS 2023 Tesla Model X

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Venza are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Venza has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Model X doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited has a standard Rear Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Venza Limited has a standard Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Venza’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Parking Support Brake on the XLE/Nightshade/Limited automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Venza has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Venza and the Model X have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Venza is safer than the Tesla Model X:

	Venza	Model X
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Venza is safer than the Tesla Model X:

	Venza	Model X
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	101
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	138 lbs.	157 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	39 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Venza the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 72 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Model X has not been tested, yet.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Venza for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model X.

There are over 8 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Venza’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Venza’s reliability 41 points higher than the Model X.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. With 63 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Tesla.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Tesla is ranked 19th.

The Venza has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model X; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Venza LE’s turning circle is 4.7 feet tighter than the Model X’s (36.1 feet vs. 40.8 feet). The Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the Model X’s (37.4 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Venza has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Model X (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Venza to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Venza may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1350 to 1500 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

The Venza is 1 foot shorter than the Model X, making the Venza easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Venza is 5.7 inches narrower than the Model X, making the Venza easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Venza has a much larger cargo volume than the Model X with its rear seat up (28.8 vs. 15 cubic feet).

The Venza’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Venza’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Venza’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

The Venza Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Venza has a standard rear wiper. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Venza’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Venza has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Venza’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

The Venza has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Venza, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Venza outsold the Tesla Model X by 40% during 2022.