Chevrolet Venture Overview

In the rising tide of minivans, General Motors has been treading water for years. Its long-nosed, plastic-bodied minivans--the Chevrolet Lumina, Pontiac Trans Sport, and Oldsmobile Silhouette, aka the "Dustbusters"--never managed to catch a wave with consumers.

For 1997, General Motors launched a brand-new lineup of front-drive minivans. The designers have kept the best of the old--the sturdy 3.4-liter V6 engine, the modular seats that can be removed individually, and the power sliding door--and changed just about everything else.

The result is a group of thoroughly competent vehicles that belong on the shopping list of any minivan buyer.