do you think this is good deal

Hi all,

Well, despite everything we're leaning toward buying a Venture this weekend. The rebates on 'em are just too good to pass up. Any opinions on this deal:

2005 LT with 8 passenger seating, XM radio and the convenence and security packages:

MSRP: 32,560

$29900 - 6000 (rebates) = 23900 + tax, tag and fees

I've looked at other vans and I can't seem to get near that price for a new van with a built-in DVD and the other nice features on the car.

Yet despite the deal, part of me is screaming that I'll regret not buying Japanese, if it turns out I hate it, and the resale drops 50% the 1st year. I've always been an import guy - SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO???

thanks for your attention

I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised with the Venture, particularly if you have not owned a domestic vehicle for a number of years. For peace of mind (if you tend to keep your vehicles for a long time), I'd pay for an extended engine/powertrain warranty. I usually buy the 5 year/100,000 mile warranty.

Talk to the dealer about your concerns and have them addressed until you are satisfied. After all, you are the one in charge, so take control.

That's not a bad price for a 2005 when you consider I paid $19995 for a 1997 Venture with 16,000 miles on it in 1998. That's not really much of an increase over 7 years, and it's new, not used.Are you also trading something in to lower the price even more?

If you don't mind taking a HUGE hit in resale value, go for it. We got our '99 LS extended wheelbase in 2002 for $13,995 with 29,000 miles on it. Its loaded pretty well, has rear air and traction control, etc. but no DVD player. We were thinking of trading it in before we decided to fix the intake gaskets, and we were only offered $4000 for it with 80,000 miles on it.

Thanks for everyone's reply. It turns out there is another $1000 worth of bonus cash for the March Madness sale. This was just announced yesterday - damn, the internet is great - I would have never known about this and I'm *sure* Mr. Dealer wouldn't have insisted I take home more money. Looks like Chevy really wants to clear these suckers out before they heavily advertise the Uplander. Anyway, we'll see tomorrow, but we'll probably get it - I don't want to wait too long as there are only a handfull of the ones with the features we want left in Georgia.

Now I have to just get over the stigma of being a minivan owner...

If you need a reliable quality van go for a toyota or honda but the only drawback is that these are much more expensive than the venture.plus the venture's value depriciates a lot more faster than jap made vans.
"Its just getting what you paid for".It is all up to you to decide.

Now I have to just get over the stigma of being a minivan owner...
Don't worry about that. I used to feel the same way. When we had our first daughter, we needed more room. My wife actually wanted an SUV, but I talked her into a minivan. She loves it now. Fuel mileage is much better than an SUV. We get 21 in everyday driving, 25+ on the highway. I absolutely don't mind driving the Venture at all. It is probably the most comfortable travel vehicle we have ever owned. If resale value is not a concern and you're gonna keep it forever like we probably will, then you should be pleased. Just keep an eye on the coolant resevoir, because if the antifreeze starts disappearing with no obvious leaks, its the intake gaskets.

Just keep an eye on the coolant resevoir, because if the antifreeze starts disappearing with no obvious leaks, its the intake gaskets.

I'm not sure about this, but from my research I remember seeing somewhere that in 2002, Chevy admited the engine flaw, and in 2003 and later models the gaskets in the 3.4 L V6 are new material that isn't(as) prone to failure. If anyone knows this to be true, please confirm as it may help me sleep better at night ;-)

I'm not sure about this, but from my research I remember seeing somewhere that in 2002, Chevy admited the engine flaw, and in 2003 and later models the gaskets in the 3.4 L V6 are new material that isn't(as) prone to failure. If anyone knows this to be true, please confirm as it may help me sleep better at night ;-)
I don't see as many problems with the post 2002 model year Ventures with the intake problem on this forum. However, I would like to add that you might want to change the Dex Cool antifreeze more frequently in your cooling system than the original timespan offered by GM (5 years or 150,000 miles.) More proof is now coming out concerning the longevity of Dex Cool, and it would end up being cheaper to flush and refill your system on a more regular basis to head off any problems associated with old, contaminated coolant.

^^^^^^
100% agreement with the previous poster. I always change my Dex-Cool more often, every 2-3 years at least rather than every 5 years. As a matter of fact, my local Chevy dealer where I bought my Cavalier changes the Dex-Cool every 30,000 miles. Some might say thats overkill, but for me thats about 2 years of driving right there.

Well, after some rough and tumble negotiation, and not mentioning my $3000 GM Card earnings until the bitter end, we ended up getting the Venture for about $20,800, which is almost 12K off sticker. The sales dude said he was selling at a $500 loss (yeah, right), and said i was getting one of the best deals he's ever been involved in. I'm quite satisfied with the price. So far, my impressions:

We'll love the room and fold flat 3rd seat, the DVD will be great (daughter #1 already loves it - we brought along teletubbies dvd for test drive), XM radio very cool, handles decently for the size. The brakes seem a little mushy and stopping distance is long (but I'm used to my Protege5 which is an awesome little handling and braking vehicle).

Thanks for everyone's advice, and I'll stop back every now and then. Hopefully as KRich said, I'll be able to get over the stigma of being a minivan owner - well my wife'll be behind the wheel for 90% of the miles so maybe my coolness won't be mortally wounded ;-)

Oh yeah - I almost walked away when I saw where the battery is on this van. What the hell was GM thinking on that one?

Oh yeah - I almost walked away when I saw where the battery is on this van. What the hell was GM thinking on that one?
Don't worry too much about it. When the time comes to replace it, and you are a DIYer, you can refer to the removal and installation instructions found in this forum.LOL Actually I am pleased with GM OEM batteries. The one in my Venture is original and the van is a '97. That's pretty good when you consider the area of the country I am located in and the extremely cold winters we get. I know a bunch of other GM owners who have had the same good luck with their original batteries lasting a long time. Good luck with the new van, ENJOY!

Wait til you have to change the air filter, which happens even more often. :p Or the spark plugs. :lol:
But anyway, he's right, the GM batteries are pretty good. The original AC Delco battery in my wife's old 1990 Cavalier lasted about 8 years. Pennsylvania isn't the most extreme temperature state, but we do get warm summers and cold winters, and the battery held up well. We still have the original battery in our '99 Venture, also.

Well, after some rough and tumble negotiation, and not mentioning my $3000 GM Card earnings until the bitter end, we ended up getting the Venture for about $20,800, which is almost 12K off sticker. The sales dude said he was selling at a $500 loss (yeah, right), and said i was getting one of the best deals he's ever been involved in. I'm quite satisfied with the price. So far, my impressions:

We'll love the room and fold flat 3rd seat, the DVD will be great (daughter #1 already loves it - we brought along teletubbies dvd for test drive), XM radio very cool, handles decently for the size. The brakes seem a little mushy and stopping distance is long (but I'm used to my Protege5 which is an awesome little handling and braking vehicle).

Thanks for everyone's advice, and I'll stop back every now and then. Hopefully as KRich said, I'll be able to get over the stigma of being a minivan owner - well my wife'll be behind the wheel for 90% of the miles so maybe my coolness won't be mortally wounded ;-)

I'd say you got an awsome deal. I bought an LT used - 2004 with 19k miles on it - for 15.8k and thought that was a good deal.