2002 Nissan Serena vs 2002 Kia Sedona LS vs 2002 Chev Venture

[niky]

Good thing they were able to sell theirs already.

It's quite strange that theirs was really unreliable while ours was okay. Save for some expensive casa maintenance bills. But maintaining it outside was waaaay cheaper.

But I think the problem is they got the first batch of Ventures. Ours was the two tone and with slightly different interior trim. Not sure if Chevrolet did something to the latter Ventures.

There could have been a technical change that made later models less prone to overheating... same as with the Vanettes and the Expeditions. The last release Vanettes, the Grand Coach with the two-tone, had two radiator fans instead of one... never had a problem, though my Tita's, just two years older, overheated all the time. The early grey market Expes were known for heat problems because they weren't tropicalized spec. This might be the same case as with the Ventures, but I don't know where the cut-off between "hot" and "cool" Ventures is.

All i can say is: if there are signs that the Venture has overheated or has been overhauled already, chances are the problem will be recurring. If it's like yours, which doesn't have the issue, it probably won't ever be a problem (until you have to replace the radiator and water pump... but that's SOP on older cars).

[basti08]

i have several friends who are very much satisfied with their Kia vans (a Sedona and an older Carnival). plus the features and amenities of the Sedona esp, the LS version, is really bang for the buck (sunroof, captains chairs, cd stereo etc).

[sm2by]

How about the 2001 Hyundai Starex? Some are selling for as less than 300-320K and their all diesels.

Avoid the Chevrolet Venture, when the A/T transmission breaks repairs cost 100-200k+++...

[nic]

No experience with the Sedona so I can't comment on it.

Engine:
Serena - powerful enough if you're alone but on full capacity, it's A BIT lacking. (emphasis on A BIT).
Venture - Has more power compared to the Serena since it's a V6. Not extremely powerful but can easily do 140kp/h up even at full capacity


Fuel Consumption:
Both can do around 5 to 6km/L city driving, 8 to 9 on long drives

Space:
Serena - Spacious enough for 8 people but your passengers in the second row will slide around corners. Not enough seat support. What's nice is you can slide the 2nd and 3rd row to your preference. (Choose between more legroom or more luggage space)

Venture - Big space all around and still has roomy cargo area even with the last row occupied. Cargo area is huge when you fold the 3rd row seats.
Interior
Serena - I find the interior of the Serena nice but it's hard to maintain since it's Tan. I suggest getting custom matting.
Venture - Interior looks dated compared to the Serena but it's very comfortable inside

Maintenance
Serena - Alternator is one of the problems with the Serena. I think we replaced ours twice? Not so sure but definitely it has been replaced. We encountered some problems with the interior trim. Aside from that, I don't recall changing any major part with our Serena. As long as you maintain it properly, it won't give you much problems

Venture - A bit more expensive to maintain compared to the Serena but if you source parts outside and do the servicing outside the Casa, maintenance cost won't be very high. We've been lucky with our unit, we never experience any problems unlike other Venture owners. I think the problem was mostly with the first batch. Ours was the LT version with slightly different interior trim. Battery is a hassle to replace as you have to remove some metal parts to access it.

Other comments:
Serena - It's very easy to drive and doesn't feel very big when you're driving it. Not a big hassle to park
Venture - Very soft suspension, very comfortable ride but it be careful not to scrape the bottom on huge humps. Feels big to drive around cramped city streets but feels at home cruising on the highway

My take: As long as you get good units at around 250 to 300k, then you're good to go. Set aside a small budget if there are minor repairs needed. Maintain it properly so it won't give you much headaches. At these prices, I think sulit na din. Just don't expect it to be as easy to maintain as a corolla or other more common cars

Very nice and comprehensive review. Nagkataon meron pa kayo nung 2 units.
Thinking of getting a Serena or Venture also as a weekend car. 250-350k budget pasok na (350 yung mga 2005 Venture).Captain seats, leather, seating capacity, comfortable ride for that price!
Kung may updates kayo sa condition ng units nyo pa post nalang. Thanks!