A great family car

I bought my 2004 Chevy Venture off a dealer's used car lot for one simple reason: seating. I had previously owned a Dodge Caravan (1994), and while I had no problems with the car, I simply did not like the seating arrangement. Because the Dodge had two bench seats in the back, it was difficult for the kids to get out of the backbench seat (and next to impossible for adults). I have five children and do a lot of pick up and drop off, so ease of getting in and out of the vehicle was important to me. As any parent knows, kids are very competitive about seating!

The Venture offered a seating arrangement of three independent buck seats in the middle and a bench seat, which seats three in the back. Along with the two front bucket seats I can seat eight, one more than the Caravan. The Venture also has two side sliding doors (one electric). I leave out the middle bucket seat, and this allows kids to enter either side door and easily get to the back to sit down. On drop-offs at school, even someone sitting in the back seat can disembark fairly easily. There is also lots of room for those backpacks as well! With the two side doors there is even less competition for the seat next to the door. Overall, it works out much better.

This Venture also has room behind the back seat for groceries, which many minivans lack. The backbench will also fold down, so large items and big grocery runs are not a problem. The middle bucket seats are also removable, if I need to use the entire inside for cargo. On a recent summer vacation I put the cooler in the place of the middle bucket seat, adding a handy table for on-the-road activities for the kids.

The Venture also has an option for rear heating and cooling, which I have, and love. It is great for keeping kids cool in the back in the summer, and for warming up the back seating in the winter when picking them up from school or going out sledding. There are controls in the back to control the back heating and cooling, but the front panel allows the driver to override this feature and retain control (which solves all the arguing). Some Ventures also feature audio/visual stuff in the back, but I do not have this feature.

The Venture is comfortable both for passengers (in any seat) and for the driver. On long drives the cruise control makes driving even more enjoyable. It handles well on the freeway and in wind. The large windshield gives you a great view, and the mirror placement makes parking a breeze (although the tinted windows are a drawback at night). The radio has some nifty features, such are finding stations that play traffic reports and showing information on the station such are the current song being played (not all radios and stations offer this feature).

I am pleased with my used Venture, and would recommend this vehicle for family use. The dual side doors and folding/removable seats make keeping the car clean much easier as well.