Review Car

2011 Chevrolet Venture

Compared to minivans from Ford and Chrysler, 2011 Chevrolet Venture is more traditional, less overtly streamlined. Its V6 engine is willing, and its ride is smooth and car-like. While neither the most economical minivan you can buy, nor the most powerful, Venture remains competitively priced for a van with V6 power. Its best feature may well be its wide range of seating and cargo configurations. Available modular bucket seats and captain’s chairs allow you to precisely tailor the Venture’s interior for any conceivable combination of passengers and cargo. The 2011 2011 Chevrolet Venture comes in a variety of trim levels. Two lengths are available: the standard 112-inch wheelbase and an extended 120-inch wheelbase. All models are powered by a 185-horsepower 3.4-liter overhead-valve V6 engine, which drives the front wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. The bargain-priced Value Van comes with a surprisingly high level of standard equipment, including air conditioning, side-impact air bags, anti-lock brakes, dual sliding doors, and a tilt steering column. The Value Van rides on the shorter wheelbase, but still provides seating for seven.

The first thing you might notice about The 2011 Chevrolet Venture is the cheery, bright-metal grin of its front grille. Otherwise, Venture’s appearance is either undistinguished or restrained, depending on your point of view. We do like its decisively horizontal lines and relatively short front overhang. It’s a more purely functional look, one that’s entirely appropriate for a practical family vehicle. The 2011 2011 Chevrolet Venture seats seven, and there’s plenty of head room and elbow room no matter which seat you’re in. Up a height-adjustment lever allows the driver to change positions without getting too close or too far from the steering wheel.

The fore-and-aft range of the driver’s seat is long enough for folks over six-and-a-half feet tall. The front seats hold you securely with large side bolsters, yet the seating surface itself is relatively flat, which makes getting in and out easy, while encouraging you to move around on long trips. The 2011 2011 Chevrolet Venture stays abreast of more recently designed minivans with lots of cupholders and bins for passengers to store stuff. There isn’t a lot of legroom in the second row, however, even in the long-wheelbase versions.

Mainly, the longer wheelbase adds extra space in the cargo area. Value Van, Plus, and LS come with bench seats in the second and third rows. The seatbacks are split and fold separately; that’s handy for carrying two-by-fours and a couple of rear-seat passengers at the same time. But the bench seats are relatively heavy to remove and replace, should you need more space for grandfather clocks or dog cages.