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Venture vs. Caravan


lansdowne
05-14-2005, 05:54 AM
Hi from Canada: I'm thinking of entering the used minivan market.. I have been told by a number of so-called "in-the-know" types to look for a Dodge Caravan. I have seen quite a few more Ventures and Pontiac Montanas on lots however. I have tried to make a deal with one dealer on a Caravan and wound up a few hundred dollars apart (could have swung it but did NOT like his attitude). My qustion is.....DO Caravans jump of the used car lots quicker than Ventures because buyers tend to consider them a better value??????? I have also been told Venture steering mighty be suspect.
Many thanks.......Lansdowne

DRW1000
05-14-2005, 09:39 AM
Well I own 2 of the three types of N/A minivans. A Windstar and a Venture. (I am from Toronto - Mississauga actually).

We bought the 99 Venture new and at time the Caravans were significantly cheaper but I was hesistant about a Chrysler (although they seem to be coming back witha vengence these days).

Anyway all three seem to have their troubles I amnot one to be worried about minor troubles that come up now and then and I eexpect to have to replaced parts now and then. I worry more about transmission....:

Windstars - Transmissions are known to go and a couple of TSBs that can be reparied by the DYIs but annoying.

Venture - Intake manifold leaks, and a few annoying problems that seem to be common such as Blower resistors, Water pump...

Caravan - Known to have transmission problems.

Personally I like my Windstar a lot better than my Wife's Venture but they are both resonable vehicles. I am worried about the Windstar transmission although I believe the worst years we before my year. On a Caravan I would worry more about the transmission than anything else. They are also underpowered (If I remeber correctly). In any event it all depends on how well the car was maintained and a used car is hard to know


You said that you seem to see a lot more Montana's on lots. That could be because owners are unloading them or perhaps the Dodges aren't holding their resale value and people are hanging on to them. (Could be a lot of things). I think there were a lot of Caravans sold so I would tend to believe the used market would be full of them.

cdru
05-14-2005, 09:55 AM
The last caravan that I have driven was my parents circa 1994 van, so I can't draw a direct comparison. My inlaws however have a 03 I believe and my mother in law says that she likes the ride and handling of our 98 Montana more then her 03 Caravan.

She did say though that my father-in-law fit better in the driver seat in their van when they were test driving different models. He's a big guy, so it was a concern, but he's close to the same size as me and I have no problem with the Montana so it may not be that different.

Kevcules
05-14-2005, 08:02 PM
Hello fellow Canadian.

I don't think there is much difference with the mentioned vans. They are all priced fairly close to each other so it's really a, test drive it and see if you like it. I've owned a 98 Venture now for the last 4 years and it has been good, to my surprise.Very little repairs (knock on wood) and good fuel mileage on the highway. There are horror stories on the domestic vans so I would recommend a honda odysey or toyota sienna.You pay a little more up front but worth it.That being said, I couldn't afford to get one of those so I settled for gm and got lucky. Your taking a shot in the dark when choosing a used vehicle so good luck. One thing to think of is that they "ALL" can't be bad! Ha!

PS. Chev Venture,Pontiac Montanna,and Oldsmobile Silouette are the same van with the same engine and tranny. They just have different extras and better quality hardware. Personally I would never touch a caravan.

Kevin

leah664
05-28-2005, 12:44 AM
Well, I have been the owner of a used 2000 Venture LS for about a month now. I researched big time and decided to by-pass another Caravan. I previously drove a 1993 Grand Caravan, and it was a good enough van, but the tranny was a bit of a problem, and the ride did not compare. I love my Venture. It is totally loaded, power door is a must!
We shall see what the future holds, but so far I am lovin' it!

trannyman52
05-31-2005, 11:29 PM
one note!!!!!!!If you are an aggressive driver,,,,,you're going to be buying
transmissions,,,,,no matter what you buy!!!!! Most ,,,er,,,all,,,, are duty rated and will not take much punishment before taking a dump!!!!!

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