Thinking inside the box
Nissan redesigns Quest minivan for riding comfort
We were gathered inside a roomy 2007
Everyone appreciated the ventilated leather "furniture-style" second-row seats and loads of legroom.
"I like the way the seats are raised and the floor lowered so your knees are level," said a friend of mine, Dave Hamilton. His wife, Susan, raved about the wide door openings.
John, our adult son, proclaimed the rear area "perfect" for tailgating, "providing you could figure out how to convert the DVD player to accept a TV feed for the pre game shows. The way the third row folds flat, you have room to cart plenty of gear."
Some of the enthusiasm for the Quest SE could probably be attributed to the fact that this was the top-of-the-line version. The Quest made its debut in the middle of the 2003 model year and received a major reworking of its interior this year, starting with the dashboard and going all the way back to the power liftgate.
Originally, the Quest was aimed at the professional mom, filled with luxuries that transcended the normal minivan. This version is about as close to a mobile home theater as you'll find.
But the entertainment gear doesn't come cheaply. Our SE version starts at $33,900, compared with about $25,000 for Quest 3.5 base model. Add the seat upgrades ($750), optional dual screen DVD entertainment system ($2,000), technology package with satellite radio, Blu etooth hands-free phone system, rearview monitor and dual zone HVAC ($800), navigation system ($2,650), floor mats ($150), and smart rearview mirror with compass ($200) and it adds up to sticker price of $41,055. That includes delivery, but not additional add-ons such as roof-rack crossbars, running boards, and splash guards.
All versions of the Quest have a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with overdrive and a wider gear range for improved acceleration. The changes were noticeable and welcome. The downside is that premium fuel is recommended. On the road, the Quest proved stable on a windy day.
Because of the lack of snow, we weren't able to give the Quest's winter abilities a full test, but the front-wheel drive and standard traction control systems should make it plenty capable. A stability system -- called vehicle dynamic control -- is standard on the SE and optional on the SL version. Side-impact curtain air bags are standard.
One evening at dusk we hit as bad a pothole as you'll find, the kind that knocks your glasses askew and hurts your teeth. An inspection showed no tire or wheel damage, and the front-end alignment remained true.
Another portion of the interior redesign moved gauges back to their original -- and nontraditional -- positions in the Quest's center stack. Despite the many gadgets and controls that are on the dashboard, wheel, door panel, roof console, and center stack, they are self-explanatory and intuitive . A plus is the tire-pressure monitoring system light.
But the center storage console on the SE (lesser models have a fold-down table) is a mixed blessing. The console is roomy with a large upper storage box and additional good-sized hidden lower compartment. On models with the fold-down table, it is possible to move from the front to rear without exiting the vehicle -- a big advantage and worthy trade-off.
One item the interior designers missed is the amount of travel available on the driver's seat. There's barely room for larger operators. Another couple of inches of movement on the adjusting rails would be appreciated.
No redesign, including this one, has yet been able to hide the fact that a minivan is a minivan and all minivans basically have the same rectangular shape. Nissan has done its best to smooth the edges and arch the roofline, employing the roof-rack rails to soften the square edge.
Still, Nissan has done a nice job working inside this box, resulting in a great people mover.
