2004 Nissan Quest Review

Rejoice, moms. Nissan is offering its new Quest minivan with rakish styling and a unique interior. It looks like the first minivan that will shake the dreaded "soccer mom'' image.

Aggressive Nissan, which sells popular sporty cars, figured that there's no reason why any vehicle -- even a minivan -- should look boring or have a mom-machine domesticated image. So it came up with the 2004 Quest after bailing out of the minivan market last year because its old Quest minivan shared parts with the old Mercury Villager minivan, which was dropped.

Nissan and Ford Motor jointly developed the old Quest, but the new version has no such heritage and is sold only as a Nissan.

Many women have spurned minivans and opted for a sport-utility vehicle because they didn't want a domesticated image -- although minivans are more user-friendly, cheaper to run and sometimes even roomier than the mid-size sport-utes preferred by those who pass up minivans.

The 2004 has all the favorable minivan attributes, but with "hey-look-at-me'' styling. There are sweeping lines, an arching roofline and exaggerated headlights and taillights. The beltline (sheet metal directly under the side windows) is raised behind the front doors to help give the Quest a "vehicle-in-motion'' look even when it's not moving. Wheelwells are sculpted, as are those on sport-utes.

The bold interior has a spaceshiplike look, with such things as a protruding cylindrical center console containing the shift lever and sound and climate system controls that are easy to see and reach. However, placing instruments in the center of the dashboard is a design stretch; they'd be easier to see if squarely in front of the driver. Moreover, they should be larger for a quicker read.

On the other hand, the interior has bright colors and unusual textures. Front seats resemble pricey furniture, and the steering wheel is stylish.

There are base $24,240 S, mid-range $26,740 SL and top-line $32,240 SE versions. However, Nissan says an optional seat package that contains second-row fold-flat "captain's chairs'' and a third-row flat-folding bench seat will be in most Quests at dealerships. That package is $350 for the S and SL and $750 for the SE.

"A customer can order two-row seating, but we don't anticipate much demand for it. The three-row arrangement is in most Quest advertisements,'' said Nissan spokesman Dean Case.

Even the S version is well equipped, with such standard items as front-rear air conditioning with separate rear controls, lots of power accessories and remote keyless entry. It even has the first Bose audio system developed for a minivan.

The SL adds such items as power-adjustable pedals, power driver seat and passenger-side power sliding door. The SE adds a power front passenger seat, driver-side power door, anti-skid system and leather upholstery, which is a $1,500 option for the SL.

The front-drive Quest is built on an enlarged Nissan Altima sedan platform. It has the longest wheelbase (124 inches) and length (204.1 inches) of any minivan, although it doesn't look overly long because its wheels are pulled to its far corners for a broad stance that compliments the flamboyant styling. The old Quest was among the smallest minivans.

All that length translates to a roomy interior, which is quiet. The seating package provides three rows of seats for five tall adults and two medium-size ones.

All versions have a potent 3.5-liter, 240-horsepower V-6 shared with Nissan's 350Z sports car. The engine provides lively acceleration, with the 0-to-60-mph dash taking 8.2 seconds. It works with a four-speed automatic transmission in the S and SL and with a more responsive five-speed automatic in the SE.

Estimated fuel economy is 18-19 mpg in the city and 25-26 on the highway.

While the Quest shares the "Z'' engine and is based on a Nissan auto, it's too large and heavy to provide sporty handling. Still, it's carlike, with good steering and confident braking. The four-wheel-independent suspension easily absorbs bumps for a comfortable ride.

It's easy to get in and out of the Quest. Wide-opening dual sliding side doors and tilt-forward second-row seats ease entry to the third-row seat. That seat is elevated so those in it won't feel claustrophobic.

A Skyview glass roof panel system goes over the second- and third-row seats of the SE for a more airy feeling in the cabin. The SE also has a standard sunroof for the front seat area; surprisingly, no sunroof is offered for the S and SL.

The interior generally has upscale materials, but interior door handles look and feel cheap. There are plenty of cupholders and storage areas, and the glove compartment is large. Visibility is good, but the long dashtop reflects in the windshield.

You can get a power rear hatch, and there's plenty of cargo room, especially with the fold-flat seats. The third-row bench seat cleverly folds and flips back into a well like the ones in Honda and Mazda minivans. There's no need to remove seats when loading, say, a mattress or plywood sheet, although the cargo floor isn't entirely flat with the seats folded down.

Many minivan buyers want safety items, so the Quest has such items as a tire-pressure monitor, traction control system and head curtain air bags to help protect all three rows of occupants in side-impact collisions. But one must shell out $750 for an SL option package that has front seat side-impact air bags and a rear sonar system to prevent hitting objects when backing up. Those items are standard on the SE.

The rear-obstacle detection system is a $700 option for the S, which isn't offered with side-impact air bags.

A DVD rear entertainment system for all versions costs $1,500 with one screen and -- if the kids are spoiled -- $1,900 with an additional color display screen. The costliest option is a $2,300 navigation system and 6-disc CD changer.

It remains to been seen if the design of the Quest makes it an image-buster, but it's roomy and comfortable with plenty of safety and convenience features.

2004 NISSAN QUEST

Prices
$24,240-$32,240

Likes
Striking new styling. Roomy. Comfortable. Strong performance.

Dislikes
Small instruments. Hard to find without extra-cost third-row seat.