Very roomy, great pickup, very soundproof, love the 2 sliding doors.

Takes longer to stop, and I wish there was a split bench seat option for the back on the Warner Brothers Edition.

This is the best minivan that I've ever driven! The ride is much smoother and quieter than the other minivans that we've owned! I can't believe that two adults can hold a conversation in the front seat with the kids in the back seats! I don't even have to yell to get the kids' attention!
The seats are very easy to remove, the sound system is great, and the engine has great pickup! This is the 5th minivan that we've owned, and it is the best of the bunch! I think Chevy has done a wonderful job with this one! We got the Warner Brothers Edition for the kids, so they could watch movies on long trips. It really has some neat options with this package. With headphones, you can be watching a movie, listening to a CD, and listening to the radio all at the same time! I think this is a definite plus! I didn't think I really wanted that automatic sliding door, but have found that it's a wonderful addition! I only wish that the 2 sliding doors had been available when the kids were younger and in carseats!

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Ford Aerostar, Ford Windstar

The power and handling are wonderful, little outside/ big inside, the seats are easy to remove, capable climate control with rear air, lots of standard equipment.

Driver's seat was too low (fixed in 20 minutes with a quarter's worth of washers), and it doesn't stop quickly. Not as pretty as a Chrysler (but not as ugly as a Honda).

I love cars and car shopping, so I took about 3 months to sift through all the data and check out everything. In fact, I anticipated buying a Chrysler or a Honda. Once I decided on a Chevy, I called dealers all over the state looking for the best price on a 99 like I wanted (to get the $2000 rebate). It took about 25 calls (used chevy.com to get phone #s and addresses), but I got just the right car, which listed for $25,820, paying a bit under $19,000 (base model with a few options...apparently it was too plain to sell...dealer was motivated). I also was aware of the IIHS offset-crash test, but noted that this type of crash occurs in four-hundredths of a percent of all serious accidents (.004). At the same time, the GM vans did fine in the NHTSA crash tests, so I'm satisfied on the safety issue.
We've had the car 5 months now, and have driven in snow, and on a long trip to Florida. It has performed flawlessly. Passing on the highway is a breeze; the engine & transmission are perfectly mated. This has simply been a wonderful family car.

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Looked at all extended vans on the market. Had no expectation that I'd get a GM van, but did.

Flashy looks caught my eye. A nice ride, on par with the competition.
Plenty of room, able to haul 4x8 plywood sheets.

Cheap interior, fit and finish lacking. I found the engine noisy, wish they used thicker insulation. Doors feel ultra light, had to make 3 attempts before it closed properly.

Dealership wanted 27K. If your looking for a safe vehicle this is definitely NOT it. Joke going around the internet with people calling this the "Orphan Maker". One wonders how GM can make a family hauler that is a deathtrap for the people in the front seats (Usually mom and dad).

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Sienna, Odyssey, Winstar, Caravan

Plenty of room and thats about it.

SAFETY/Qaulity

I agree with will (The Orphan Maker). GM has failed to design this vehicle for the family. I did not know how bad this car did in crash tests. I went to the government web site and I was appalled at what I saw.
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/vans/crashvan.

Chevrolet did an excellent job of laying out this minivan.
It is the most practical vehicle I have ever owned. Adults and kids have easy access in and out with the dual sliding doors. The extended wheelbase version gives it plenty of storage room at the easy flip of the module seats.
The engine is very peppy when getting on the highway. The drive is smooth like a car. This is a top contender in the minivan market!

I haven't had any problems. Everthing is layed out well.

I bought the Venture a few months back and would highly recommend it so far. I compared it to the competition (Honda, Chrysler, Ford and Toyota).
Dollar to dollar, it was a great deal, especially after rebates and the GM reward loyalty program.
Heh.... American made and excellent quality.
A true family vehicle!

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I compared it to Chrysler, Ford, Honda and Toyota vans.
All 4 know they have big competition with the Chevy Venture!

I really liked the interior room and sufficient head room.

The car quality is poor. The engine makes too much noise. Overall this is not a very good vehicle.

I purchased a 2000 Venture. The purchase price was 25,942 dollars. The Venture really looked good in the show room, but after only two months of ownership, I am slowly being disillusioned about my first hypothesis. This vehicle is poorly made. The engine makes too much noise, even when our going slow. For some reason, the ride in this vehicle feels like your on a boast on rough waters. I cannot recommend this vehicle to anyone. I took the advice of a person that posted their opinion on this vehicle, and my mouth was wide open when I read about how the Venture failed to perform in crash tests. The pictures that showed the crash test dummy made me realize that I was in high risk for being injured in this minivan. If this vehicle failed to perform in what should be consider the highest priority in a minivan, I cannot recommend this vehicle. Safety should be the major concern when you put your children in a minivan. I am very disappointed in the interior quality of this car and the whole safety issue for this minivan. =(

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1998 Ford Windstar

GM Genes, Interior room

Safety,Lack of Quality,and mechanical problems

Well, I would like to start off my review by echoing the thoughts of the previous person who submitted there opinion on the Venture. I also did not know how terrible this minvan did in government crash tests. I purchased a 00 Venture for twenty-seven thousand dollars. I first thought that this was a pretty good minivan. I priced other minivans, and although this wasn't the cheapest one, I went for it. The dealership experience was not pleasurable to say the least, but I was extremely satisfied for the first two months of taking ownership. The Venture is slowly disappointing me. In the third month, one of my daughters told me that one of the rear side panels was becoming loose. And indeed the side door panel for the rear sliding door was coming loose. Also above the door panel there is another panel that covers the sliding door mechanism, and that is really loose now. I took it back to the dealership and they told me that its normal and that if it ever comes loose again that I could just screw it back again. Well I don't think its normal for panels to becoming loose after only three months. A major engine problem that occurred lately was one of the hoses ripping. That caused the enigne to "workovetime"and then it stalled. It spilled water all over my driveway.Well to be honest, I feel embarrassed to buy a minivan then regret my buy, but I wouldn't want anyone to go through this. I don't recommend this van to anyone. GM has done a poor job is designing this family car.

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99 Caravan

Peppy engine. Lots of room. Good sound system. I have the deluxe sound package that came with van when I bought used.
Good gas mileage (approx 25 mpg Hwy)

The driver seat is uncomfortable for trips two or more hours long. The fuel gauge has given a false reading in the past. The rear inside door handle has broke-(Mfgr design flaw). Wiper arms when on intermitten acts up at times.

I would recommend this model to anyone searching for a minivan. I don't know however how it stands up in collisions but do like the overall performance of this vehicle. As I've stated already, I bought this vehicle two years old and it's working out for me.

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Test drove Dodge Caravan (several problems with test model)
and Ford Areostar (Too much money).

peppy engine .. smooth

gas mileage wipers instruments controls ride lack of heat poor build quality ... etc etc ...

leased new .. wipers buried in deep channel ..hot water needed to free up .. washer hosesfell off wiper arms due cheap plastic clips ... never got more than 19mpg on highway . gas gauge dangerously unreliable .. wipers failed twice in rainstorm .. vacuum hoses dragged on ground every other month ..inside handle on hatch came off in my hand ...electric sliding doors never operated the same way any two consecutive times.. rode likea farm wagon . seat recliners poor .. cup holders buried on side of passenger seat.. cruise/wiper/wash/dim etc on old-fashioned stalk hidden behind wheel .. much more,but it's boring.. probably the most poorly designed vehicle i've ever owned over 35 yrs..finally got gm to let me buy out of lease .. cost me,but well worth it .. 91 lumina i had was almost as bad.. now have 97 taurus .. so far so good [1 year] ertainly light years ahead in basic design,gas mileage,etc ..

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88 caravan 92 astro

This vehicle is POWERFUL! I am completely excited,overwhelmed and overly enthusiastic about this vehicle. I never thought a mini-van could be this powerful. It handles like a dream. The seating is awesome (extremely comfortable). This baby Hauls Butt! The gas mileage is excellent. The controls and panel are soo easy to read. If I had any idea that I could have this much fun driving a mini-van, I would have purchased one a long time ago.

I am loving this vehicle soo much that I haven't noticed any weaknesses. IF there are any, they would definately be too insignificant to comment on!

I am leasing it for 3 years, however, after driving this vehicle I could never part with it. I know that I will be purchasing this vehicle at the end of the lease or maybe even going for a newer model of this same vehicle! You get much more than what you pay for!

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Tested the Oldsmobile Silhouette, and the Pontiac Montana. I have owned the Chrysler Eagle Premiere, Honda civic, Chevy Cavalier, Nissan Stanza and Nissan Sentra. They don't compare. My friend owns a Chevy and recommended it highly. After reading about the Venture on this page, I had to give it a try. It is the best. So far so good. If I don't experience any maintenance problems, this will be by far the best vehicle that I have ever owned.