The new Uplander

['97ventureowner]

Saw my first commercial for this vehicle on tv tonight. Nice looking. Is this the replacement for the Venture? I thought I had read something awhile back that Chevy was replacing the Venture with this making many improvements to lure more buyers to it, (sportier, more of a crossover vehicle,for those who want a minivan type vehicle but don't want it to look like one.)

[broughy84]

Yeah I believe this is the Ventures replacement. They are SUPER NICE. Went to the dealership in town and test drove one about a week back. Man If I could get what I owe out of my Venture I would trade it in in a heart beat!!!

The one I drove was Red w/power EVERYTHING! Leather....WOW!.....They have some speed too! At least comparied to the Venture!

[broughy84]

It was all wheel drive too! That's a plus where it snowed 22" last week!!!

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by broughy84

It was all wheel drive too! That's a plus where it snowed 22" last week!!!

Eh, I'm not a big fan of all wheel or even 4 wheel drive. Worked in a garage in the past and saw the costs of repair bills for these vehicles, and said to myself, "I'll take RWD or FWD anyday." I actually started out a "dyed in the wool" RWD fan in the early '80s. Over the years, I have owned FWD and becomed accustomed to driving and working on them. My opinion is that it's not the vehicle, but rather the driver's ability first, then a good pair of snow tires for the winter. Our area regularly received close to 200 inches of snow a year,and I get around without any problems. Heck I used to pass 4WD on the highway or going uphill with my '81 Monte Carlo RWD w/ snows. We see a lot of 4WD and AWD in the ditches and off the highways here probably because the drivers get a false sense of security with their vehicles and do not drive sensibly when road conditions are bad. Is the Uplander AWD or do they also come in FWD? My wife saw that commercial and said she wanted one. (And here I'm thinking, "Not a new one, probably never buy new again. Been through that, let someone else take depreciation hit, and see how these vehicles hold up for a year or two." I'm also glad at what I've been reading in the past few years about a "re-birth" of RWD platforms for vehicles among the Big 3 automakers in the next few years.

[gonenuts15792]

The Uplander is the replacement for the Venture, and is a sort of stop gap van until they come up with an all new van. Its available in AWD and FWD models.

[trent_ky]

i would get a honda oddessy instead. the uplander is not much different from the venture.

[gonenuts15792]

Originally Posted by trent_ky

i would get a honda oddessy instead. the uplander is not much different from the venture.

Bullshit have you seen one. Fucking import biased assholes, thats all this board contains. You like GM or you talk about GM, you're automatically shit.

[broughy84]

Originally Posted by trent_ky

i would get a honda oddessy instead. the uplander is not much different from the venture.

have you driven one? I have I LOVE these new van/sport minivan. Much better than the Venture in My opinion. But the truth about them will come out with time, just like it did with the Venture.

['97ventureowner]

I haven't seen any literature on these yet. What is the engine that they are putting in these? (Hopefully NOT a 3.4!) I'd love a V8 hehe.

[gonenuts15792]

The new 3.5 Its a very good engine.

[J-Ri]

Originally Posted by trent_ky

i would get a honda oddessy instead. the uplander is not much different from the venture.

Just because a Porsche is an import, and so is honda, that doesn't mean driving ANY import gives you the "sophistication" associated with the high-end ones. (by sophisticated, I mean "rich asshole in upper management") Buy American or go home.

I'd love GM to come out with a RWD V8 minivan. I used to have an '87 Astro that had the crap beat out of it for 12 years... still it ran great. Every now and then I'd beat a civic or sentra in a for-the-hell-of-it drag race. I can't even imagine a V8 in a lighter vehicle with todays technology. Might make me go buy a minivan.

[Chris1222]

I purchased a Uplander LS three weeks ago. Really happy with the the vehicle, lots of perks and a reasonable price. Sticker was $29,240.00, but after rebates and bargining with the dealer I was able to purchase it for $24,000.00. The dealer had two LS models with the exact same pricetag. I picked the Blue Granite Metallic with the Medium Gray Custom cloth interior. The 17" aluminum wheels really make it standout, and one year free OnStar is a nice bonus as well!



Chris

[G35XAndTrailBlazer]

Chris, 24k for a LS is alot. You got the cheap of the cheap.

97 venture. I hardly believe you passed 4WDs goiong up hill. We were out in South Dakota in our Trailblazer when the 4WD was not working, in 2WD on a flat surface pulling out snowbile trailer and evcery time we would go to pass somone the backend would break lose. a Monte Carlo going up hill in RWD would not pass a 4WD.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by G35XAndTrailBlazer

Chris, 24k for a LS is alot. You got the cheap of the cheap.

97 venture. I hardly believe you passed 4WDs goiong up hill. We were out in South Dakota in our Trailblazer when the 4WD was not working, in 2WD on a flat surface pulling out snowbile trailer and evcery time we would go to pass somone the backend would break lose. a Monte Carlo going up hill in RWD would not pass a 4WD.

Believe what you want to believe, but if you go back and re-read my post you will understand the point I was getting across. here is a copy of it,"My opinion is that it's not the vehicle, but rather the driver's ability first, then a good pair of snow tires for the winter. Our area regularly received close to 200 inches of snow a year,and I get around without any problems. Heck I used to pass 4WD on the highway or going uphill with my '81 Monte Carlo RWD w/ snows. We see a lot of 4WD and AWD in the ditches and off the highways here probably because the drivers get a false sense of security with their vehicles and do not drive sensibly when road conditions are bad" Notice I mention 'driver's ability', and a 'good pair of snow tires'. Too many owners of SUV and 4x4's are too confident in their vehicles, and do not know how to drive in certain conditions,and are inexperienced, hence my ability to pass them on the roads. The same can be said of my Venture in the winter. I STILL pass SUV's and 4x4's that are stuck in the snow and on the ice.

[kc9dre]

Basically GM took all of their mini van fleet and raised the nose to give it a look of an SUV. It's still based off a car unibody construction. For the price that is being paid for this SUV wannabe I would buy a Trailblazer. In 5 years its going to be worth $7,000 and the trailbazer will be around $11,000.