Now that the minivan market is as crowded as lunch hour in Hong Kong, carmakers know it's not just about space any more. That is, a minivan's kid- and cargo-hauling capacity is only one of many consider-ations pondered by today's minvan buyers. Gone are the days when the minivan with the most space was the hands-down victor.
Granted, they're called minivans, but woe to the carmaker who builds a van that actually rides like a van. No, what today's minivan buyer wants is spaciousness along with a car-like ride--and car-like performance.
Ford Motor Co. and Nissan never lost sight of that when they threw in together to design and build the front-drive Mercury Villager and its mechanical twin, the Nissan Quest. Introduced in 1992 as a '93 model, the Villager offers the smooth, quiet ride and road-responsiveness of a sedan.
The Villager and Quest were designed by Nissan and are powered by a Nissan engine and drivetrain, but are assembled in Ford's Avon Lake, Ohio assembly plant, using Ford-supplied components.
Since the Villager is now in its fifth year without a major redesign, the folks at Mercury knew it was time to add to the list of goodies and make a few design tweaks. For '97, the Villager has added such safety features as dual airbags and a childproof sliding-door lock, optional anti-lock brakes and optional integrated child safety seats.
Our test vehicle--the top-of-the line Nautica sport-luxury model--has a base price of $27,495, including Mercury's $580 destination charge. The price was boosted to $30,835 by such options as a $100 anti-theft system; a $370 preminum sound system; and a $2870 preferred equipment package--which includes an eight-way power driver's seat, flip-open liftgate window, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated outside mirrors, illuminated visor mirror, electronic automatic climate control, keyless entry and electronic instrument cluster. However, the preferred equipment package was discounted $1370, leaving the final MSRP at $29,465.
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