Have you ever seen a kid with his or her parents - doesn't matter the age of the kid - and thought, "they must be the aunt and uncle, 'cos there is no way that is their kid."
Or you look at the people with the kid and think only one of them could possibly be blood related. The other must be the southern cousin in for a flying visit, some hillbilly handfishin' at West Lake and a big plate of possum pie before heading back to the cabin in the woods.
You know what I'm talking about.
Yeah, I know it may not be politically correct, but most of us have had this thought at some point in our lives, or at least those of us who are honest with ourselves.
And I know firsthand. I have seen the he's-too-cute-to-be-your-son looks every now and then. After all my wife is, as some would say, cute as a button, whereas me on the other hand, may be seen as more like cute as a bumpkin, has a face only a mother could love, etc.
Anyway, this is a bit like how my head was thinking this week when I test drove the new Toyota Venza.
It isn't typically what you would categorize as an SUV, and it is not what most people think of when they hear stationwagon. Yet the Venza is what might be called an XUV or cross utility vehicle, or in my eyes, the result of a short, but torrid love affair between an SUV and a stationwagon.
The Venza sits higher than a wagon thanks in part to its 20-inch rims, and it has similar storage and seating to both a wagon and an SUV.
However it does not come with any of the ugliness usually associated with a stationwagon, which explains why so many manufacturers these days stay away from the nasty word.
Although there are some similarities to a wagon, they are those of a beefed-up wagon, a sporty wagon, after all, when did grandpa's stationwagon have 20-inch wheels, all-wheel drive and 268 horsepower?
The Venza - thanks to all that power - is quick off the mark, and the handling is quite tight as I did a little "how does it handle" turning in an empty parking lot.
Inside there is lots of room and amenities, and the comfort is at a high level. On the safety side of things, Toyota has included what it calls its Star Safety System. This is standard on every Venza, and includes vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist and smart stop technology.
These independently do wonderful things to help keep passengers safe, but combined, Toyota says they help drivers avoid accidents in the first place.
As well as the safety items mentioned above, the Venza also comes with a direct tire pressure monitoring system which alerts the driver when a tire has very low air pressure. There is also hill-start assist control to prevent rolling on hills, as well as all the side and curtain air bags, the Venza also comes with a driver's side knee air bag.
Although not on this model, a neat feature on the touring version is the automatic high-beam system. This comes in the form of a sensor located behind the rear-view mirror, which detects oncoming vehicles up to 600 metres away and can automatically switch between high and low beam.
If you have ever driven at night and accidentally left your high beams on when a vehicle passes, you will attest to the immediate retina shock when the on-coming driver flips his high beams on because you haven't flipped yours off, which could also lead to the other driver flipping you the bird. This little gadget would be a welcome addition for anyone who has to do a lot of nighttime driving.
The Venza did come with Bluetooth, satellite radio, dual zone climate control, power seat, rear heater vents, all four power one-touch up and down windows, windshield de-icer, two large storage compartments in the centre console, a sliding armrest and more.
For some, SUVs are large, brutish, ugly, in-your-face vehicles that have no place on the road.
Others see stationwagons as a thing of the past, something withered by time that probably should be buried right beside the rocks of Stonehenge. But, when you merge the two, especially into something as good-looking as the Venza, you start to see these vehicles from a whole different perspective.
SPEC SHEET
Vehicle:
Toyota Venza
Vehicle type:
5-door XUV
Transmission:
6-speed manumatic
Engine:
3.5-litre V6
Horseppower:
268 @ 6,200
Torque:
246 @ 4,700
Price as tested:
$35,765
Mileage:
11.4 l/100km 25 mpg city
7.9 l/100km 36 mpg hwy
