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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  Good Buy - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By repol - May 15 - 2:00 am

  Great Van. Drives well on trips. Not too noisy on the road. Could use some improvement

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  Better value than the most popular van - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Rat - May 10 - 2:00 am

  More features for the same price of a Dodge. Bigger engine with more power and better gas mileage. We average between the high 24s to the high 25s. That is city and freeway combined. It is well into the 30s and 40s on the freeway. We like the overhead computer to keep track of these things. The Venture is very quiet, comfortable and handles well. We would like to buy a 2002 next. The only thing I would add is a tach.

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  Manifold Gasket Failure - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By mariposaken - May 8 - 2:00 am

  Until now, Ive been pretty happy with my 1999 Chevrolet Venture LT. But on May 6, 02, I found out that the manifold gasket has failed & replacement gaskets are on a nation wide back order. Service at Anderson Chev. in Los Gatos, CA have no idea when the repair will be made. I have a rental car for the duration. I was told the manifold is made of aluminum & the engine block is made of cast iron. The two metals expand and contract at different rates stressing the manifold gasket. Long term prognosis: frequent manifold gasket replacement.

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  2000 Venture Plus Ext. - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By big_daddy - May 8 - 2:00 am

  Reliable, decent fuel mileage and very practical.

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  Good Job Chevrolet - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By Kevin - May 8 - 2:00 am

  This is our first van and Chevrolet. We are comming up to one year of ownership, no problems what so ever. Thats a first for us. The van has nice ride, good gas mileage and tons of useful gadgets. Onstar is a nice safety and security option. Given the high level of satifaction from the van and the dealer we will be buying another Cheverlot product from Mike Shaw in Denver.

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  GOOD - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By DAN GOODWIN - May 6 - 2:00 am

  I THINK THIS VEHICLE IS FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY TO USE AND OR DRIVE

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  I Love It - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By djl6533 - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I Bought the van in January and I am very pleased with it. Great gas mileage for a mini-van. I get about 27 miles to the gallon highway. Loaded with extras and not over priced.

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  1997 Venture - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By Abraham - April 16 - 2:00 am

  Numerous electrical problems. Power door faild constantly. Rear window wiper stopped working one month after purchase and the dealer never could find the cause. Many squeaks and rattles.

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  Overall very good van - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By Samir - April 13 - 2:00 am

  This is our first minivan. My two young kids use to give us hard time getting into car seats until this van came into play. Now they sit in their car seats without any problem. Overall this van drives smoothly. My entire family loves it. We drive it every where. we have put 7000 miles in less than 5 months. I would recomend this van to anyone.

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  A nice van - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By lcabrera - April 11 - 2:00 am

  The power doors, backup alarm and audio components make me very happy that I chose the LT edition. The Venture rides very smooth and gives reasonablly good gas mileage (~20 MPH average over the last 7000 miles) considering.