The Chevrolet Venture operates seamlessly. The drivetrain is smooth, nearly invisible. The engine delivers good response in traffic, even though the Chevy is less powerful than the Ford or Honda minivans. It's quiet, isolated. You can hear a distant growl from the engine, a pleasant muted sound that appeals to the closet hot-rodder in some of us.The traction control system, which came standard on our LT, engaged under hard acceleration. You are reminded constantly that this is a front-wheel-drive vehicle, especially when there is a lot of weight in the back, like a motorcycle, for example. The front wheels spin easily, and in corners this feels like small tugs on the steering wheel. All of this is addressed by the available all-wheel-drive system, which GM calls Versatrak. This system keeps the vehicle moving as long as at least one wheel maintains traction with the road. In normal conditions, power is delivered to the front wheels, but when the system detects those wheels losing traction, it automatically transfers power to the rear wheels. The touring suspension makes the Venture a good highway cruiser. It does hop around a bit on bumpy metro surfaces, but you won't notice this if you do most of your driving on well-paved suburban roads. We also drove Ventures with the standard smooth ride suspension, and did not see a big difference between the touring and smooth ride suspensions. The brake pedal of the Venture feels more spongy than in Chevy's sedans. The anti-lock brake system engages smoothly and without drama on loose surfaces. The rear parking assist system is a terrific aid. It can warn the driver of that little red wagon in the driveway, which is especially important when the little red wagon is occupied. But it comes in really handy when parallel parking or when backing up to a wall. Besides helping to avoid bumping a bumper, it can speed up the parking process and make it easier. That's nice when there's an audience. We put the load-leveling suspension to work on our long-wheelbase LT by hauling a 450-pound motorcycle in the rear for a ride across several states. The full-size bike fit with room to spare, though we had to compress the front fork to get it through the rear hatchback. The seat mounting latch bars in the floor made perfect tie-down points. The load leveling system compensated for the extra weight of the motorcycle, so our headlights weren't pointed to the stars. Nor did our loaded down Venture wallow or lean excessively during quick maneuvering through downtown Chicago. We don't recommend you try this at home, but shows that the Venture is a capable cargo hauler.
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