1999 Chevy Venture Review
1999 Chevy Venture Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Standard ABS. Standard side airbags. Optional traction control. Optional child safety seats. Optional power sliding right side door. Powerful V6 engine.
Cons
- Rear seats are uncomfortably close to the floor. Toothy chrome grille.
What’s new
Venture gets some performance and safety enhancements. Other changes include additional seating choices, four new exterior and two new interior colors, as well as wider standard tires. There's a new LT model that packages an upgraded audio system with a touring suspension, traction control and captain's seats with available leather.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 1999 Chevrolet Venture 3dr Minivan and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.64 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$238/mo for Venture Base
Venture Base
vs
$188/mo
Avg. Compact Minivan
Vehicle overview
It should be no surprise that Venture has surpassed previous Chevrolet minivan sales records, given the limited appeal of its mini-vac shaped, plastic-bodied predecessor, the Lumina Minivan. What is noteworthy is the Venture's competitive edge in today's hotly contested minivan market. Developed in concert with GM's European Opel division,
Venture enters its third model year wearing conservative yet modern sheetmetal capped by a toothy chrome grille. Looks aside, this minivan's strong suit is versatility, which has helped it gain a couple of "Best Buy'' accolades from the motoring media as well as our own nod as an outstanding entry in this ever-evolving segment. Its success can be measured by a number of functional family features, including an available driver-side sliding door, optional passenger-side power sliding door, available modular seating, optional integrated child seats, standard four-wheel antilock brakes and optional tractioncontrol ? even the ability to pull a 3,500 pound trailer load.
Three versions are available, in Base, LS or new-for-'99 LT trim. Choose a 112-inch wheelbase in three- or four-door bodystyles, or the 120-inch wheelbase as a four-door only. All Ventures come equipped with a 3.4-liter V6 that makes 185 horsepower, up from last year's 180, and a healthy 210 foot-pounds of torque. Designed to satisfy consumers on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, the Venture treats drivers with a communicative chassis, sharp steering, and almost nimble handling, all while providing room inside for up to eight passengers and a good amount of their belongings.
While the additional power is welcome, two other upgrades combine for improved driveability. The move to GM's 4T65-E fully electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive better matches shifting smoothness to engine performance. And going from P205s to P215/70R-15 tires as standard equipment provides a bigger footprint and better roadholding.
Other updates this year include making the rear window defogger standard and adding heated outside rearview mirrors. To help sweeten cabin air, a charcoal air filter is now part of the ventilation system. And four new metallic paints, in shades of blue, green, red and silver, join two leather interiors in neutral or gray on the color palette. Some carryover features worth noting are the optional dual-mode audio unit which allows rear passengers to listen to a CD via headphones while front passengers catch traffic reports on the radio, and a load-leveling suspension complete with auxiliary air hose. And for those who want a minivan for work instead of play, a Taxi Van model joins the Cargo Van in the 1999 Venture lineup.
Seating can be configured in several ways, beginning with the standard seven places among the front buckets, second-row 60/40 and third- row 50/50 split bench seats. New this year is an optional eight-seat setup that (thanks to the use of flip-and-fold modular buckets that weigh just 38 pounds each) can be easily removed or re-arranged to handle 32 different combinations of passengers and cargo. Not to be outdone by cubbyhole-happy Chrysler, Chevy's Venture can be outfitted with as many as 17 cup and drink box holders, as well as up to 26 storage compartments, including underseat stowage and a removable CD/cassette bin that can be locked inside the glove box.
Last year, while Chrysler was bragging that it pioneered the four-door minivan and Ford was dodging talk about doors to play up how well its Windstar scored in government crash tests, Chevrolet made the Venture the first of its ilk to receive standard side-impact airbags for both front passengers. Solidly in Venture's court, we had teased Chevy to offer an LTZ model with body-color grille. Well, GM responded with a Venture LT package, complete with custom leather seating, upgraded sound system, rear air and audio controls, a touring suspension and traction control. Not bad, but how about adding the "Z'' part of that equation next time and giving us a lower stance, a sporty wheel/tire package and a throaty exhaust note? Oh, and we'd still like that body-color grille.
Yes, we like the Venture, and whether you prefer the Chevy flavor or the Pontiac (Montana) and Oldsmobile (Silhouette) versions of the same van, we think any of the three finally have the credentials to go toe-to-toe with Chrysler, Ford and import minivans.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 1999 Chevrolet Venture.
5 star(30%)
4 star(30%)
3 star(28%)
2 star(10%)
1 star(2%)
53 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4.13 out of 5 stars
Love It!!!
Anna, 10/05/2002
1999 Chevrolet Venture LS 4dr Ext Minivan
I have had my van for 3 years now, and
my husband wants me to trade it in for
a new sporty SUV. I can't-I have not
found anything that compares to my
van. I prefer the van to the SUV's.
The van has everything I would want in
an SUV (except the 4-wheel drive) for
half of the price.
4 out of 5 stars
Nice Van - Very Frustrated Mechanically
patjoja, 12/18/2002
1999 Chevrolet Venture LS 4dr Ext Minivan
Bought this van new and have loved
everything about it until I hit 60,000
miles. Simultaneously, the
transmission had to be rebuilt, then
the intake manifold gaskets were found
to be leaking internally and externally.
Fortunately the gasket problem was
found soon enough so no major problems
were caused by coolent in the oil.
THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS
ENGINE … and the fix is not cheap.
However the dealer is fixing it at no
cost to me. GM knows this is a major
problem and should issue a recall in my
opinion.
4.75 out of 5 stars
LS Venture 99 with 180000 miles
Juan Rodriguez, 11/17/2002
1999 Chevrolet Venture LS 4dr Ext Minivan
I bough my Chevrolet Venture on
08/01/1999 with 79 miles. I am driving
300 miles on Florida highway every
day. I had to change the engine oil
and filter every 5000 miles;
transmission oil and filter every
60,000 miles; tune-up and O2 sensor at
110,000 miles. My Venture has 180,000
miles now and the engine still is very
quiet. It is making 26 MPG on Highway
and 19 MPG … on city. Let see if it can
make 300,000 miles with original
engine and transmission. This is a
true history.
2.63 out of 5 stars
No attention to detail
Jkurth, 06/02/2002
1999 Chevrolet Venture LS 4dr Ext Minivan
Attention to detail has been sadly
overlooked. I have had nothing but
trouble with the elictrical system of
this vehicle.
I found the problems to be caused by
the rear tail light assembly(s). They
were not put together correctly at the
factory and leaked water.
Worse yet, I have had it in the Chevy
dealer(s) multiple times for electrical
problems. Each time I brought … it in,
they would charge me for repairs of
the various electrical subsystems, but
the problems would keep coming back.
I found out the break lights were
causing the problem getting a warning
ticket. I took the breaks apart
and found water and corrosion
damage!
1999 Venture Highlights
Base
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 18 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $238/month |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5Passenger3 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalPoor
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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