BiWeekly Review:2004 Chevrolet Venture

[nsap]

NSAP Long Term Test
2004 Chevrolet Venture
Its time for it to go!





Last week my family and I went to Ohio, which is a twelve-hour drive from where we started. Due to the lack of room in a sedan for six people we reserved a rental minivan from Enterprise. We were promised a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country, but instead got a 2004 Chevrolet Venture because they could not get the Town & Country, or so they said anyway. That was the first time I had ever rode/drove a Venture, and it was certainly quite an ad-Venture alright! Let's just say that it is a good thing they are replacing it!!!!

Design

Design wise, well… Ugly! It is way too outdated! Really I don’t have much to say about the design of it, since it is in last year of production. But I do however wonder why GM cannot hide the sliding rear door track like every other minivan maker! It is a huge eyesore on the side of the vehicle. All other minivan makers have had the track hidden in the third-row window for years! Even the new 2005 CSV’s have it on the side, and not hidden like the rest of the minivan clan.

Interior

The interior was the worst part of the whole vehicle! The seats were the most uncomfortable I have ever sat on! There was not even any armrests in the whole van, leaving it very uncomfortable for the driver. There was however one part of the seats that I liked; in the second row the smaller seat folded and tilted foreword with ease, allowing passengers to jump out from both sliding doors. They lacked support on your back and the headrests were useless unless you were a small child. In the second row it had GM’s built-in car seat for children, which made it twice as uncomfortable! Then while I was loading my luggage in the rear, I noticed that some plastic cover pieces fell off, and were not even broke! The air unit just plain sucked! Your feet froze while the rest of you was extremely hot and I had the air on the floor setting!

Powertrain

I have no complaints on the van’s power. It had plenty of pep to make it through the very fast-pace traffic of Indianapolis. I do think the handling was terrible! When at high speeds on the Interstate the rear just shakes like a fish’s tailfin! The suspension is really bad, and way too soft. The van did however get really good fuel economy, averaging at just over 25, but that is all highway, with an average speed of probably 70.


Pros: Okay power, good fuel economy

Cons: ALL OF THE ABOVE

[atlantaballer101]

i agree that chevy needs to change the ventures look to something a little more modern, as for the powertrain it sounds good.

[blkfire]

Yea it definatly has some problems. I have a 2003 Montana - if you get the right trim level most of the problems you mentioned are fixed. The styling is still almost 10 years old, the engine is underpowered, ect but the price is right compared to Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

[LGRpup]

Yes a hiddin door track would be nice, but I think since they made the back window seperate in the new CSV's that would probably be inpossible. Oh ya everyones favorite, the Honda Odessey, has a track that you can see but masked it somewhat in a body crease. My grandpa has a Silhoutte, and I agree that the power is nice (from that nasty ancient 3.4 ) and his seats are actually pretty nice, but no matter how much fake wood, the dash and the exterior need the update its getting.