The Venza’s back in the Toyota lineup; it’s been gone five years.

Few missed it; some didn’t know it had gone away.

When I mentioned its return to Jan, she said, “that is Toyota’s small car, right?” “No, you’re thinking of the Yaris, or maybe the Nissan Versa,” I said.

The 2021 Venza returns as a hybrid for the midsize crossover market. It’s of coupelike style; don’t call it a coupe, though, it has four doors and a rear liftgate.

It is one more step in Toyota’s continued dominance of automotive hybrids. Toyota took charge of the hybrid market 20 years ago with the Prius and hasn’t lessened its connection.

Built in a Toyota plant in Aichi, Japan, the Venza comes to the U.S. as a hybrid-only, two-row crossover with all-wheel drive. In size, it falls between the RAV4 and Highlander. Though at 105.9 inches it shares wheelbase with the RAV4 , the Venza is 6 inches longer in overall length and 400 pounds heavier.

The added weight is noticeable; it’s not so nimble and drives like a bigger, heavier vehicle than the popular RAV4.

Power combination for the AWD Venza is a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine and three electric motor-generators – two up front and a third on the rear axle – with a lithium-ion battery pack and continuously variable transmission. Combined horsepower is 219, and off-the-line acceleration is strong.

The battery/gas power boosted the Venza’s EPA fuel estimate to 40 miles per gallon in the city and 37 on the highway. My overall average for the week was 41.3 mpg, and included two drives in to Denver, one to DIA to meet Kim Parker on her return from Atlanta and another for meeting with Ted and Shirley King at Cheddars Scratch Kitchen in Thornton.

The Venza delivers a smooth ride and very quiet interior, embellished with heated and cooled seats, wood trim and a digital rearview mirror. Drive modes are normal, eco and sport, and an EV Mode moves into all-electric power for low speeds for short distances. Regenerative braking, the cause of a spongy feel of the depressed pedal, regains some of lost electric power.

The Venza is equipped with a relatively small, 14.5-gallon fuel tank; yet, multiply that by 40 mpg and it registers a driving range of 580 miles. Its cargo space of 28.8 cubic feet behind the second row of seats falls short of both RAV4 at 33.5 and Highlander at 40.

The Venza Limited’s sticker price of $43,100 includes 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible, heated steering wheel, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, emergency braking, radar cruise control and lane-departure alert.

The Toyota RAV4, best-selling SUV/crossover in the country, has rolled into the world of electrics with a plug-in hybrid.

The new model, 2021 RAV4 Prime, offers up to 42 miles of all-electric drive, lending quite a boost to the Toyota’s overall gas/electric hybrid fuel mileage.

In 350 miles aboard the Prime, during which on three nights I charged the lithium-ion battery pack, the RAV4 posted an average of 51.1 miles per gallon.

In addition to the new battery pack, the Prime uses three motor-generators and a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder Atkinson gas engine similar to that which powers the RAV4’s regular Hybrid model.  The Prime gains quick, smooth acceleration from the combined 302 horsepower.

To opt for the ’21 Prime over the standard Hybrid is a jump in cost. Sticker price on the well-equipped RAV4 Prime XSE with all-wheel drive is $48,461; that’s about $10,000 higher than the regular RAV4 Hybrid.

Toyota has been the car industry’s hybrid leader for 20 years, since unveiling the Prius in 2000.It’s not surprising that Toyota’s entry into the plug-in hybrid category with a rating of 42-miles all-electric would be highest to date. That surpasses the Ford Escape plug-in rating of 37.

With 42 miles, many commuters would be able to drive to work and back home each day, and by using the plug-in charging overnight, would seldom need gasoline.

The battery pack and electric powertrain swells the curb weight of the compact RAV4 to 4,300 pounds, 600 pounds heavier than the 2019 RAV4 Adventure I drove last year. The Prime’s maneuverability remains impressive, with little difference in feel than that of the 2019.

The RAV4 Prime, built in Japan, can be driven in EV or Hybrid mode, with choice of Eco, Normal or Sport response.

The RAV4 is equipped with a very effective lane-guidance system, which easily moves the vehicle back toward the center of the proper lane.

With the battery pack positioned beneath the floor, the Prime retains 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, and, with the rear seats folded, that increases to 63 feet. The RAV4, on a wheelbase of 105.9 inches, is 180.9 inches in overall length.

Regenerative braking, which helps in recharging the batteries, is scarcely noticed, as the car coasts when acceleration demand is lifted. Some electric models apply braking on deceleration.

Among options pushing the RAV4’s price to $48k are 9-inch touchscreen for premium audio and navigation, heated and leather-trimmed steering wheel, 10-inch color head-up display and panoramic glass roof. Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth are standard.

Nine to 12 hours is necessary for recharging the Prime from a 120-volt household outlet; it can be done in 4 ½ hours from a 240-volt outlet.

A couple of ’21 Acuras have shown up, back-to-back, at my doorstep, one with a splash of flash and enough improvement to merit a second look; the other is a holdover from established strong qualifications.

The star entry is the redesigned Acura TLX four-door sport sedan, which is lower and wider, and much sleeker from its new upright grille to its carbon fiber spoiler at the rear. The TLX’s wheelbase has been extended by almost 4 inches.

Preceding the TLX for reviewing was the RDX compact crossover, Acura’s best seller.

Acura, based in Japan, is the luxury division for Honda. It has never been big in sales numbers, leaving that to the Honda side of the ledger. Honda sells 10 times more cars and crossovers than does Acura.

The ’21 TLX was equipped with SH-AWD (super-handling all-wheel drive), which makes it particularly suitable for year-round driving in our state.

A turbocharged, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine, borrowed from the RDX, develops 272 horsepower and

280 lb.-ft. of torque; it’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Strong control of the throttle and use of sport setting from the Dynamic Mode dial turns the mild-mannered sedan into a crisp responder. With a nod to higher performance for the TLX, Acura plans to soon resurrect the Type S package built around a 355-hp, 3.0-liter V-6.

The automatic transmission is controlled by a somewhat awkward push-button-type shifter – a push, a pull, a tap. EPA fuel estimate for the TLX is 21/29 miles per gallon; my overall average was 25.2.

Acura’s new platform replaces struts with control-arm front suspension, stiffening torsional rigidity and improving handling.

LED lighting and seat cushion inserts are upgrades to a pleasant interior, highlighted also by surround sound audio. Regarding its infotainment advancements, we finally gave up on a request of navigation for Fowler street in a drive to Longmont. It misread all attempts at correct address. Rear seating is tight.

The A-Spec trim, including adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and CarPlay/Android  Auto integration, carried sticker of $47,275.

The 2021 Acura RDX SUV crossover was equipped with same 2.0-liter turbo, 10-speed automatic, SH-AWD system as was the TLX.

The RDX is built in East Liberty, Ohio, and the TLX in Marysville, Ohio, 15 miles apart.

Like the TLX, RDX’s trim level was dressed up with leather-trimmed sport seats with Ultrasuede inserts. Sticker price on the RDX was $47,625.

The RDX is Acura’s top seller; TLX is third-best, behind the MDX crossover.

Like other makers, Acura sales are depressed after nine months this year, due to the shutdowns for the Covid-19. Though Acura sales are down 15 percent for the year thus far, the RDX and TLX helped it to a slight increase in the just-concluded third quarter.

Tuesday morning’s rain and light snow was a cool calling for me into the driver’s seat of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss just an hour before it was picked up by Automotive Media Solutions representatives. It was a last-minute opportunity to appreciate its 4X4 handling on wet highways and some muddy dirt trails.

The pickup was in my possession the previous six days, all of which were hot and dry.

The Trail Boss 1500, modified from the Silverado Z71, has undergone a 2-inch lift on the suspension with Rancho shocks and a 4-inch longer wheelbase, adding stability to its offroad performances.

This one has been upgraded with Chevy’s 6.2 liter V-8, boasting 420 horsepower/460 lb.-ft. of torque, and mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Response was more immediate and the highway recovery time much stronger than a Trail Boss I reviewed last year with the 5.3 V-8 of 355-hp/383 torque and 8-speed automatic.

The lift for the Trail Boss review model means an extra-high step-in height, for it is not equipped with step rail or running board. The Trail Boss I drove last year had running boards, so entry and exit were no problem.

I gain access by gripping the grab handle on the A pillar with my left hand, stepping very high onto the cab’s floor edge with my left foot and making a pull and leap into the driver seat. Jan, 10 inches shorter in height, can’t do that maneuver, so carried out a 9-inch step-stool for assist whenever she rode along.

 The high step-in drew interesting remarks from Kathy and Bill Allen, passengers on a drive to Strasburg for dinner with Mike and Hannah McKenner, and the following day from Mary Conway and Ken Baldwin, who joined Jan and me on a lunch drive to Kenny’s Steakhouse in Greeley.

Chevrolet might consider, for these lifted pickups without step assists, a Trail Boss-enscriptioned step stool. That could be a step up in the sales battle with F-series and Ram pickups (I’m kidding, friends).

Though a serious offroad competitor, the Trail Boss has a smooth side, too, in which the 10-speed automatic transmission is a major contributor. Even with the Trail Boss’ Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac M&S LT 275/65R18 tires emitting a bit of howl here and there, the highway run to Strasburg confirmed the softer side of this Silverado. Body control is outstanding.

With the bigger 6.2 V-8, the Trail Boss’ EPA fuel-mileage estimate is 14-18; I averaged 16.8. Last year, with the smaller 5.3 engine and a 15-20 estimate, it averaged 18.1.

Tow capacity for the 6.2-liter Trail Boss is 9,300 pounds; that can go over 13,000 pounds with a maximum trailering package and 20-inch wheels.

The 6.2 V-8 adds $2,500 to pricing of the Trail Boss, for which sticker price on this Double Cab review model is $44,510, including a plain, though functional interior.

Several Silverado models in 2021 are to get use of the GMC Sierra’s 6-way MultiPro tailgate; it will be known as MultiFlex on the Chevrolets.

Sporting new design to its grille and headlamps, the 2021 Honda Odyssey showed up at my place in, also, a new hue – forest mist metallic.

The Odyssey is one of three strong minivans battling it out amidst lessening market share for that category. The rivals are the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna.

I drove the Odyssey on a Wednesday morning to Sterling where Jan and I joined in a memorial service at Riverside Cemetery for Walter “Wally”Dermer, 85, of Aurora. Wally, raised on a farm at Atwood, in the 1950s attended Sterling High School and Northeastern Junior College, where he was an outstanding wrestler. After his marriage to Janice Ashby in 1958, they moved to Aurora, where they raised three sons and a daughter, Stephen (deceased), Jeff, Mark and Melanie.  Officiating the memorial service was Craig Fortunato, community life pastor at LifePointe Church in Fort Collins.

The drive across U.S. 34 to Wiggins and along I-76 to Sterling produced good fuel mileage from the Honda’s 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine with variable cylinder management and 10-speed automatic transmission. For more than 330 miles in seven days, the Odyssey averaged 24.4 miles per gallon.

An interior redesign for the ’21 model enables the second row of seats to fold almost flat for easier removal. That middle row features MagicSlide in which two bucket seats will slide sideways individually with the pull of a handle. Up front, a busy audio/navigation display offers ease of selection. Small inboard armrests on the front seats weren’t particularly comfortable and proved difficult to adjust.

The 203.2 inches of overall length for the Honda van is near the same as that of the Chrysler Pacifica; they’re 3 inches longer than the Toyota Sienna. The roomy Odyssey opens up 38.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the back seats folded.

Standard on all Odysseys in the coming year is HondaSensing safety technology of collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise, lane-keeping, traffic sign recognition and other driver-assist features.

The Odyssey Elite model, built at Lincoln, Ala., carried sticker price of $49,335.

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The annual National Drive Electric Week kicked off in late September, and there I was reviewing the 2020 Chevy Bolt Electric – excellent timing.

The special week “heightens awareness of today’s widespread availability of plug-in vehicles and highlights the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars and trucks,” said Charline Delkhah of WeberShandwick in Los Angeles.

Providing me with the electric Bolt the week before the national celebration was not part of any plan, as far as I know. I did, though, decline the offer of several eco-friendly road-trip routes.

I’ve enjoyed driving a variety of plug-in hybrids and electrics in recent years. One which I can’t shake from my mind was in early March a couple years ago (I forget the brand). Delivered to me on a sunny day, the car’s battery pack “will easily get you to Sterling and back for the funeral of your friend,” an auto executive said. “It will make a good column either way,” I replied jokingly. Overnight, the weather turned cold and snowy, and, with no charging station at Sterling, we found one on our return drive in Fort Morgan with 18 miles of charge remaining in the battery pack. 

The Bolt is a sharp-looking, all-electric hatchback with a range of 259 miles. Its electric powertrain produces 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. It is only 164 inches in overall length on a wheelbase of 102.4 inches, with curb weight of 3,563 pounds.

Jan and I on a Monday morning drove the Bolt EV west out of Greeley on U.S. 34 to Loveland, then south on U.S. 287; our destination was Hygiene, the quaint and quiet village northwest of Longmont. The weather was warm, the drive was wonderful.

With the Bolt’s easy turnaround and parking capabilities, we were back and forth and here and there in the little town before driving on west on narrow Hygiene Road to U.S. 36 Foothills Roadway to the south as far as the Greenbriar Inn at Lefthand Canyon, then turned around for the return trip.

Back home, the Bolt’s information center indicated we had driven 98 miles, using only 83 miles of the battery pack’s range. Regenerative braking was a major contributor to the eco success. By pulling a paddle at the steering wheel, the vehicle is slowed gradually without using the brake, converting energy into more electricity to transfer back to the battery. Shift into “Low” mode, lift your foot from the accelerator and the slowdown is much more immediate. The battery pack, very flat, spans the entire length of the vehicle’s floor.

The Bolt rides on Michelin Energy 215/50R17 tires, containing silica-based compound that helps keep the rolling resistance low.

The Bolt competes with the Nissan Leaf Plus, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Soul EV and Niro EV and Tesla Model 3.

The Premier trim level of the Bolt carries a sticker price of $43,735.