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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DONT DO IT!!! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
By BAD Deal! - October 13 - 11:26 amThis van is a piece of junk!! I got this after owning a 7 year old pontiac van that I never had a problem with. This Venture has already had tons of problems!! I have had to replace the headlights 6 times, both of the front blinkers blow out, the window doesnt roll up, the real windshield wiper doesnt work, now there is something wrong with the transmission. Not to mention the fact that it only had 80,000 miles on it when I got it and about every 3 weeks in between oil changes you have to add a quart of oil. Oh yeah, and the drivers seat handle broke off as well as the hatch handle. I am not hard on my vehicles and have never owned something this junky! Not worth it!!
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bad interior design - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
By moo - October 7 - 5:41 pmit performs well Last summer i shuttled a couple of kids to a camp and they said it was kind of uncomfortable. Gas mileage could be a little better It is the overall design that is really blah (hello i am a college student!!!!) The inside is nice but the black dashboard is a little too bland. The outside is worse There is no chevy logo on the back and the one in the front is too small Door handles are easy to hold but the sliding doors are heavy
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Cheap - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
By Cheaply Built - September 29 - 4:53 pmJust had our 6th child so we needed an eight seater. Currently have a 1999 Toyota Sienna and love it. Just bought this 2002 Chevrolet Venture and we are shocked at the overall lower quality of just about everything in and on this van compared to the Sienna. Rattly, interior paneling that is just... cheap. I dont know how else to say it. Good thing is that we paid less for this van with 80k miles on it than we will be able to sell our Sienna with 155k miles on it. The bad thing is that I have more faith in our Sienna with 155k miles on it than I do in this van with 80k miles on it.
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Absolutely no problems - 2005 Chevrolet Venture
By ric - September 25 - 4:08 pmBought from a rental company with 50 K on it. Have put about 90 K on the vehicle myself. Not a single problem! The most reliable vehicle Ive ever owned.
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Worst Vehicle Ever Owned - 2005 Chevrolet Venture
By mama - September 18 - 12:38 pmWe purchased this van when it was almost 1 year old. We have had nothing but problems with it. It has had electrical problems, fuel pump, power steering pump, and now we dont even know what is wrong with it. It is not safe to drive, it is to the point I dont want to drive our children in it. Please beware of this model.
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Like my chevy - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
By Aray - September 16 - 6:59 amI have owned this car for a while now... even been a little slack when it comes to maint. on it, but hey, Im a single mom. Anyway, all I have ever had to replace on it was the 2 front wheel hubs and the fuel pump. Not a bad deal for 8 years right?
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For The love of God this is Bad!!!!!!! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
By Joe Smith - September 8 - 4:16 pmWe purchased this van and have had nothing but problems. At 60k miles the headgaskets blew that was 3 grand then the front end had all types of problems. Next at 97k miles the radiator went, another 700 bucks down the drain and on top of that the transmission is starting to slip. My suggestion is dont buy a gm! My 1994 Jeep grand Cherokee has never had to have any Major repairs so from now on if I buy American Im buying Chrysler
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Excellent ride - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
By Walt - August 16 - 9:44 pmDespite the real rating, we manage about 25 mpg on our Venture. It now has 184,000 miles and probably thanks to regular servicing it has never offered any serious problems. Little things like brake linings and light bulbs are to be expected, and the only complaint I have is that one headlight has condensed water inside it! Comfort is wonderful, size and space is fantastic, it looks like new and it is totally and absolutely dependable.
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Black Hole For Money - Run from this van - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
By Former GM Fan - August 15 - 7:13 pmWe bought this van after a deer totaled our 1996 Lumina sedan. Weve owned 5 Chevrolets before this and all performed wonderfully for us.We needed a car immediately after the deer strike for my wife to drive to work and a good looking 2000 van sat in the lot of my home town dealer, so expecting another trouble free Chevy, we bought the Venture. What a mistake! Rebuilt transmission, replaced the infamous intake gasket, replaced the water pump, ABS quit working, headlights fill up with water when it rains, rear a/c quit, interior/exterior/headlights/tail lights go on and off at random, repair shops cant figure out why. Overheats in hills. No more GM vehicles for this former customer ever again
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Excellence performance for 110000 miles - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
By AlwaysChevy - August 14 - 9:01 amI bought the car brand new. Liked the 8 seats. Computer shows average gas mileage as 25 mph. Reliable performance for all these years. I strongly recommend a Chevrolet minivan if you want a good vehicle for carrying 8 people for long distances.
