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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  Seating for 8 - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By novemberme - October 19 - 2:00 am

  We have the WB edition. We have seating for 8. Its a solid vehicle. I am not blown away by it but I am not disappointed in it either. The third seat will fit three mid-sized kids. Dont bother putting a car seat back there if you need all the seating positions - it will take up two. The middle seating position in both rows only has a lap belt. It is also difficult to get the outer seats in the second row to pop forward to enter the back row. On the positive side, the van has great pickup - it doesnt lag even with the A/C. Cargo is good. Seating is confortable and the ride is smooth. Dual power doors are a nice bonus too.

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  1st vann owned lt fwd - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By 1walt - October 17 - 2:00 am

  this is the first vann i have owned. i like driving it. with leather seats, it is easy getting in & out. we also like the heated seats and sitting up higher which provides better vision. 1walt

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  excellent - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By tadea akin - October 10 - 2:00 am

  It is a great Mini-van, I like it.

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  Love this van - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By jcpmn - October 2 - 2:00 am

  The whole family loves this van! I originally decided on the Venture to use my GMCard dollars - I paid less than 22K. We had a 98 Venture that we were very satisfied with. I was happy that they had made several improvements - 2nd row lights, seat reclining is easier, cupholders are much better now. It seems minor, but I also like that the accessories stay on when you turn off the ignition until you open the door. We ended up with the towing pkg and DVD, which is great - the air compressor is really handy, DVD keeps the kids occupied. Ive had no problems with it so far, but I havent had it very long. Ill check back in in a couple years.

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  love it -great price - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Jan & Kathy - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Still getting acquainted with the long list of features. Wonderful ride, great sound system, very quiet inside. No kids...got it for the convenience and for traveling, and couldnt be more pleased so far. Dealership (Feldman/Novi) made buying a really positive experience.

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  Venture LS is Great! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By kellyhawkmark - September 28 - 2:00 am

  We replaced a 1998 Ford Windstar with a 2003 Chevy Venture and we couldnt be more pleased. Venture has lots of room for people because it seats 8 instead of 7. Its got less horsepower than Windstar, but it still seems to have the same amount of get-up-and-go. The features that come with the LS make the Venture a great value for the money. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, you can easily get into a Venture with alot of extras for less than you can get into an older Ford Windstar. Venture is comfortable, easy to drive, has a smooth ride and still has room for all of your stuff.

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  DONT buy a Venture! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By amaglotti - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I previously owned a 01 venture (and was happy with it) and traded it in for the next model up, only to find out GM totally stripped a lot of convenient features from the 03 ventures that were on my previous van,which was a cheaper model. I am totally dissatisfied with it and plan on trading it in on something else as soon as it is financially feasible. I also lost quite a bit of money on my trade-in because ventures dont hold their value. The only thing that seems to be consistent from 2 years ago is the air leaks under the dash, which has to have more foam put in at the dealership to keep the cold air out.

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  Wonderful and fun to drive - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Rhonda - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I am a soccer mom and I spend a lot of time in my Venture. It is a great van for anyone with an active life.

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  A Really Good Van! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By F Baldwin - September 24 - 2:00 am

  No problems through 6,000 miles to date. Excellent performance, a very satisfactory Van.

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  Excellent - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Anna Feldman - September 24 - 2:00 am

  It is an excellent vehicle and fun to drive. I generally bring 5 17-20 year old hockey players to their practice, and have plenty of room