Around the Block: That Way-Out Minivan Becomes More Hospitable to Earthlings March 10, 2007
In the latest version of the Nissan Quest, designers said goodbye to its aggressive styling and its truly weird interior.
TESTED: 2007 Nissan Quest.
WHAT IS IT? A refreshed, toned-down version of a minivan that was thoroughly redesigned as a 2004 model.
HOW MUCH? $24,995, base model; $28,105, for the SL; $35,505 for the SE.
WHAT DRIVES IT? 3.5-liter V-6 (235 horsepower); five-speed automatic.
WHAT CAN IT HOLD? Up to seven people and 32.3 cubic feet of cargo behind the third row; 145.7 cubic feet with second and third rows folded.
HOW THIRSTY? E.P.A. rating (on premium fuel) is 18 m.p.g. in town, 25 on the highway.
MY family and I spent 10 days in the refreshed Nissan Quest in Michigan, where people really know their cars, without a single person asking about the van or commenting on its interior.
That is a good thing.
Three years ago, when testing the 2004 Quest, we were met everywhere by questions about its somewhat aggressive (for a minivan) styling and its truly weird interior. That van had center-mounted instruments; a horizontal, ovoid console with a joystick-style shifter; and reddish leather upholstery in an animal pattern from some frightening chimerical beast. Reactions ranged from amused to appalled.
In the latest version of the Quest, which went on sale last year, Nissan designers said goodbye to all that, and we thank them.
The exterior was little changed, with the same mildly pointy snout rearing up to vaguely equine haunches. While the look was a bit radical for minivan-land three years ago, it now seems fairly mainstream.
The chief changes in this midcycle redesign are inside. The totally redesigned dashboard puts the speedometer and main instruments in front of the driver where they belong, not in the middle of the dash. The center control console is vertical, not horizontal, and the shifter is configured normally. The audio, climate and navigation controls are in the expected places and do not require six hours of training.
The old SE’s bizarre upholstery has been replaced by understated leather — in my test car, a rich chocolate brown that Nissan calls Chili. Nissan kept the three rows of skylights, the long sliding doors and the adjustable middle-row seats. The third-row folding mechanism has been simplified, no longer requiring removal of the headrests. The overhead console has reading lights, ventilation outlets and eight-inch DVD screens for both the second and third rows.
Interior materials have been upgraded and toned down. The small-diameter leather-wrapped steering wheel was especially nice, and the front seats provided more lateral support than the drivers’ chairs found in most minivans.
All versions have head-curtain air bags from front to rear; the SE has supplemental front seat side-impact bags, too. Traction control is standard, but stability control comes only on the SL and SE. All models get antilock brakes and tire pressure monitors.
The only engine is Nissan’s excellent 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6, tuned to deliver 235 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. In the Quest, this engine doesn’t growl like it does in some of Nissan’s sportier models. All-wheel drive is not available.
The ride was comfortable and side-to-side sway was better than with some competitors. But road and wind noise were higher than in the segment’s quality leaders, the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna.
Still, there is no question that the new Quest is a big improvement.
JOHN M. BRODER
- Posted in : Uncategorized
- Author : arnold
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