Overview & Reviews

At its introduction, the Chevrolet Venture and its corporate siblings were top-notch examples of the hot minivan class. We went so far as to describe it as "outstanding," impressed with its communicative chassis, sharp steering and nimble handling. Well, in a "the 320-pound left tackle was surprisingly nimble" sort of way.

At the time, the Venture matched Chrysler's innovative new minivans by offering a driver-side sliding door and two wheelbases, then added a few tricks of its own to entice families. We weren't so impressed with its toothy chrome grille and uncomfortable modular seating, but in general, we considered the Chevrolet Venture a good buy.

Time and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) was not kind, however, as newer minivans and a poor offset crash rating conspired to sink the Venture's favorable opinion marks. The downturn of all minivan sales also torpedoed Chevy's entry, forcing General Motors to throw together a replacement van using the Venture's body, a long aardvark-inspired nose and raised ride height to create the supposed SUV-like Uplander. Nobody bought the idea of a crossover minivan and for that matter, nobody bought the vehicle either, signaling the eventual end of Chevy's participation in this mom-mobile segment.

Most Recent Chevrolet Venture

The Chevrolet Venture was sold from 1997-2005. Buyers could choose from standard and extended wheelbases, and three- and four-door bodies. The three-door body disappeared in 2000, while only the long-wheelbase model was available in 2005. Seven-passenger "modular" seating with individually removable chairs was standard, while eight-passenger capacity and middle-row captain's chairs were optional.

Standard features included antilock brakes, front side airbags (starting in 1998), a tilt steering wheel and an acceptable quota of cupholders and storage bins. Traction control, a power-sliding door, rear seat audio and climate controls, and a load-leveling suspension were options. As its life progressed, features like leather seating, rear parking assist, OnStar and satellite radio became available. A Warner Bros. special edition featuring special badges and a VHS entertainment system (later DVD) was offered from 2000-'03. Although initially satisfied with Venture's fit and finish, we eventually saw it as increasingly cheap and as just one area where Chevy's minivan was being outclassed by a new generation of competition.

The Venture's safety was also put into question by the IIHS' frontal offset crash test, which slapped a poor rating on the minivan's Pontiac Trans Sport clone. Although it did just fine in the NHTSA's full-frontal crash test, other minivans at the time did better at handling the added structural stresses of an offset collision. However, the Venture was the first minivan to offer front side airbags as standard equipment, while standard antilock brakes and optional all-wheel-drive improved traction.

During its first few years on sale in the late-1990s, the Venture was our top pick in the minivan segment. But once the next millennium dawned, so did other, more attractive family haulers – particularly those from foreign manufacturers. Although a well-equipped Venture could present a good bargain, it would be a wise idea to shop newer minivan designs that have better safety ratings.

Past Chevrolet Ventures

There was only one generation of the Chevrolet Venture. It replaced the Lumina minivan.

User Reviews:

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  It Drives and Drives - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By Drives and Drives - November 17 - 2:26 pm

  Bought this is with 24K miles on it, 3.5 yrs later its at 115K+ and we have had very few complaints. Very reliable, comfortable, great mileage. Got from Raleigh NC to Allenton PA on one tank of gas, with a little to spare. Numerous long trips to the Midwest with no complaints and lots of comfort. Plenty of city driving, too. Basic extended model, no whistles and bells but it does the job. AC stopped working on level 5 this summer, and 4yrs old messed up the CD player with pennies, but other than a set of brakes and some new belts, tires, general maintenance, have been surprisingly happy with an American made vehicle. Would recommend it!

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  Personal Experience - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By dmt1541 - October 26 - 11:21 am

  We searched far and wide for the perfect family van and after owning this Venture for 2 years we are confident we found it. We love the ways the seats fold and move individually, they give you so many options. The gas mileage is great. We got 25mpg driving to FL with a family and luggage to boot. The integrated child seat is awesome, I just wish we had two instead of one. Im a Ford guy myself, but this Chevy Venture is awesome. My wife and I wanted 8 passenger seating and we could only find it in the Chevy Venture (in 2005). Yah we have 3 kids but what if the grandparents or friends want to ride, 8 passenger is a must. Weve had no operational problems and were closing on 40,000.

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  I Love My Warner Bros.Edition! - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By tawnie - October 22 - 4:11 pm

  I have had little to no problems with my van. It makes road trips a blast and is very comfortable not to mention roomy I have driven my family all over and have only had to pay for recurring maintenance and minor repairs. I would definitely buy this van again.

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  Satisfied Owner - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By Satisfied Owner - October 19 - 8:30 pm

  We bought this van at 72,000 miles. We now have 138,000 on it and it is still driving well. We are ready to dispose of it because we decided to buy an SUV. We are guessing it will drive for another 80,000 miles. We loved the Venture. We have travelled hundreds of miles each time from one state to another. We never had a breakdown. The only complaint is the driver side window gear failed. We would consider buying another Venture again in the future.

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  Dont buy this car used! - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By mguzman - September 16 - 12:28 am

  I bought this car used and the interior fell apart within weeks of bringing it home. As many others have stated, the intake manifold issue was the last straw. If you only had to pay $800 you were lucky, I paid 1500 and still have issues with overheating, leaking etc. Ive replaced the transmission. The seats weigh a ton and are hard to get out and are hard to get back in. We still own it, but only because we would never get back the money we put into it. If anyone tries to sell you this car and the intake manifold has not been replaced, dont buy it!

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  Ok despite a few flaws - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By the captain - August 31 - 4:21 am

  The 97 Venture is OK except for a few flaws. The major one is the transmission. Ive had to replace mine shortly after the purchase. Now it seems to be functioning great. I dislike the location of the cupholders next to the seat...easy to spill stuff. I also dislike the fact that the wiper system breaks. I do wish the driver side door was standard but that doesnt come until 2000. However, I do love the look of the minivan interior and exterior. I just wish it didnt rust and chip easy. It has great acceleration and has great gas mileage (better than my friends Caravan Sport). It handles pretty great. Need to haul stuff...take out the seats and you have yourself a cargo van.

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  Sort of fun, sort of a lemon - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Shannon - August 11 - 8:32 pm

  We had sort of a rough start with our Venture. The CD player, VCR, and airpump all went out in the first month. In the 7 years we have had it, weve put in a new master cylinder, new front tie ends on both wheels, something new in the transmission, and now the computer chip in one of the new tie ends has gone and so the abs system and traction control dont work. I would definitly get an extended warranty with this car. Other than that it has been really great for family trips. Very comfortable to ride in and good amenities

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  Not as good as I expected - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By jumeplatt - June 9 - 2:58 pm

  I purchased the van with 55,000 on it so I expected it to be used and have minor repairs. The problems started with the intake gaskets blowing this turned out to be a very typical problem with the Venture coolant deteriorates gaskets (Dex-Cool). Then there is the engine rattling also typical for the 3.4, caused by short piston skirts (design defect). Water pump went out ended up being related to the intake gaskets (Dex-Cool). Then there is the transmission hydraulic pressure defect that results in having to replace the transmission also typical of the 1999 Venture. These are all very costly repairs and I would not have purchased the van if I had known they were all so common to the Venture.

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  Underrated van - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By uzbekbashi - April 24 - 8:37 pm

  This vehicle has performed more than adequately. Rides smoothly, swallows more cargo than previous SUV we owned and only cost $20,500 after rebates and discounts--saved $6000 over Honda Odyssey. True, resale is less now than other minivans but this matters only if you plan on selling it quickly. At 58,000 miles, only the rotors needed to be replaced and othewise no problems noted. Interior could be more high-class but we didnt buy this car for style but for basic transportation and it has fulfilled this function well. Even gas mileage is good--25-26 miles in suburban driving. Overall, very satisfied.

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  Nice features, mechanical problems - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By mom3 - April 17 - 8:45 pm

  Lots of nice features to enjoy, but would really like to see more rear seating options like a split 3rd row seat. The spare tire is a real hassle to get to. Poor performance going up a hill.