Consumer Reports has glowing reports for this car, and you can't go wrong here. Fuel economy is around 38mpg highway with the 5 spd (was hoping for well into the 40s), and it's quiet and comfortable for four adults or 2 adults and three kids for modest trips.

I bought this car used for commuting - and it has to be the king of non-diesel, non-hybrid fuel efficient cars. I regularly get over 50mpg (5.4L/100km) for fuel economy on my trips down the freeway. I have the five-speed model, but have rented the automatic before, which has very similar economy with remarkably good performance - so not much difference in performance between the automatic and the manual, though I still prefer a manual ;-)

Performance is not bad given the small powerplant, and there's good room for four adults. There are belts for 5, but it would be a tight squeeze. I have the sedan (not the hatchback), and the trunk has plenty of space and actually fits my son's goalie gear entirely within it. I looked at the new Chevy Cruze and Hyundai Elantra and neither of them could take the bag.

I expect to get years of driving out of this car. It has 240K on it now and I'm sure it will still be doing great at 400K.

We bought this van new as we were looking for seating for 8, and liked how all the seats were easily removable. We have tried other brands' seats where the seats fold into the floor and didn't find them as comfortable. I had looked at the Venture in earlier model years, but the head gasket problem associated with the 3.4L V6 motor put me off. But that was fixed after the 2002 model year, so that has not been a problem for us.

In direct contravention of Murphy's Law, the vehicle has been more reliable since it's been off warranty. (An internal seal failed on the transmission while it was on warranty, and GM replaced it.) Since then, it's just been the normal stuff: tires, brakes, and spark plugs at 200K.

I replaced the headlights when they began to leak water into the units with non-OEM models that I got on the US Amazon website, a common problem with cars as they age.

Like any other vehicle, good maintenance keeps cars going. The transmissions on minivans are worked pretty hard, so ensure that you change the transmission fluid at least once every two years – more often if you drive in hilly areas or are carrying a full load frequently. The transmission fluid must always be pink when you look at it on the dipstick. If it’s not, get it in for service ASAP.

The power windows for the driver and passenger can get sticky – lubricate the slots for the windows with Jig-A-Loo, a silicon-based lubricant you can get anywhere.

Our motor doesn’t burn any oil, and the van still looks good despite being designed back in 1997 – 16 years ago! We get over 30 mpg (9L/100km) highway (I can get 33-34 on long trips as long as there aren’t many steep hills) and about 24mpg (12L/100km) around town.

I would highly recommend the 2003-2005 model years of the Venture to anyone. There’s lots of them around, parts are cheap, and the vehicles are great people movers.