Nissan Quest
Selling out ain't so bad after all |
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By Richard J. Newman
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NITS: Stowing the third-row seat is a simple two-step process, except that reaching the button you need to push requires a far stretch. Small operators may need to summon help.
G-FORCES: The 240-horsepower V-6 engine puts you in the league of a large sedan, though not a muscle car. The Quest's handling is among the best in the minivan class, with good side-to-side stiffness and a smooth, firm highway ride.
GIZMOLOGY: The Star Ship Enterprise-inspired instrument panel seems funky at first, but it's quite easy to use. And the radio is integrated nicely with the digital information screen in the dashboard–it's not overcomplicated. With the speedometer and other gauges mounted in the center of the dash, I found that I looked at them less and the road more.
KID MARKS: Well, it's a minivan, so there's plenty of room for the whole play group. Center-row captain's chairs, each equipped with its own cupholder, make kids feel like kings. The deep cargo well can handle a week's worth of luggage, even with the third-row intact.
ENVIROMETER: Not yet assigned a "green vehicle" rating by the EPA. Mileage ranges from 18 mpg city to 26 mpg highway.
CRASH COURSE: Has not yet been crash-tested by the government or by private testing organizations. Safety bonus: "Side-curtain" head protection airbags are standard across all three rows.
HOT OR NOT: Hot. For a minivan anyway. The Quest's lean, sloping posture almost make it look like ... a wagon.
PRICE POINTS: Base prices range from $25,130 to $33,530. Price as tested: $27,240. (All prices include delivery fees.)
MORE INFO: http://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/
ModelHomePage/0,,29706,00.html
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Model year tested: 2004
I can't believe this is happening to me. I have long lectured anyone who would listen about the soul-shredding evils of minivans, even when my own two kids and their copious gear came along. Yet here I am, having a ball as I cruise along one of the curvier local highways in the new seven-passenger Quest–by myself. I rule the fast lane, passing the slow-movers as they lose their nerve on the bends. Warm summer air rushes through the cabin. One of my favorite old George Thorogood songs is blaring through the eight-speaker audio system, and I sing along with George, just like ... the total dork I once was afraid of becoming.
My excuse? This isn't the kind of flaccid familymobile I used to denigrate way back when. The Quest is no Porsche, to be sure, but it's quite a hipster compared with the bubble-shaped, top-heavy minivans of yore. There's a kind of jungle-cat sleekness in the exterior lines, which slope forward to create the impression of an aggressive crouch. Under the hood there's a 240-horsepower V-6 that provides legitimate kick on the highway. But the best surprise is the Quest's handling. Instead of careening from side to side on curves–a bane of minivans and other high-center-of-gravity vehicles–the Quest is relatively stiff and almost sedanlike, which is why I could pass other vehicles on curves without sliding into the adjoining lane.
I suppose the proper way to review a minivan would be to focus on its numerous family-friendly attributes. O.K., I'll check that block: The Quest holds seven comfortably, with captain's chairs in the front and center rows and a third-row bench that can handle three kids. There are cupholders and storage compartments aplenty. Among the clever touches: The third-row bench is raised in "theater"-style seating, so short occupants can better see what's going on ahead. The only shortcomings, compared with the competition: You can't choose a bench seat in the center row, as you can with some minivans. And those captain's chairs don't slide together, a feature a couple of other manufacturers have installed in order to provide more room for people climbing into the third row.
But a prolonged discussion of the Quest's practicality is redundant, since a modern minivan by definition is the Swiss army knife of automobiles. And the Quest matches all the key convenience features of the Honda Odyssey, the new Toyota Sienna, and the forthcoming Ford Freestar, such as a third-row seat that folds flat into the floor for storage purposes, rear climate vents and controls, and an optional DVD player. The ubiquity of those attributes has led the manufacturers to seek other ways to differentiate their grocery getters, such as performance, design, and luxury. The Quest is a performance standout, and it takes another stab at uniqueness with an unusual centerline approach to the interior. Radio and climate controls are clustered on a console that protrudes from the dash at a 45-degree angle, like a stand-up desk. It's odd at first, but actually quite ergonomic. Instead of holding your arm in the air while flipping through radio stations, you can simply rest your hand on the console. And the speedometer and other gauges sit in the center of the dash, instead of the traditional spot in front of the driver. That allowed Nissan to place a small picture-holder atop the steering column, so you can gaze at Junior's jowls instead of the speedometer–just not when you're pretending to be a NASCAR driver.
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