2000 Nissan Quest Review (continued)
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Walkaround

Nissan's Quest is a fraternal twin of the Mercury Villager. When both Ford and Nissan fell behind in the minivan market in the early 1990s, they teamed up to create a vehicle both could build and sell in the U.S. Since its introduction in 1993, the Quest's platform and its Nissan Maxima-based powertrain are shared with the Villager.

The first Quest demonstrated Nissan's knack for making any type of vehicle - minivan, SUV or truck - feel more like its sporty sedans. For this second generation (starting with the 1999 model), Nissan adopted features buyers are clamoring for in minivans: more doors, more cupholders, and more versatility.

The most important change is its size. The Quest was always among the smaller minivans, so this time around Nissan added 4.6 inches to the length, and 1.2 inches in width. Although the wheelbase is unchanged, the Quest's interior clearly benefits from the added room, especially in leg room between the benches. Visually, though, the Quest still looks as trim as the last edition.

Once again, the Quest is powered by Nissan's charming 3.3-liter V6 engine. It produces 170 horsepower (up from 151 in the first Quest) without much noise or fuss. The transmission is an electronically controlled four-speed automatic with overdrive. The Quest's body now offers five doors in all -- two hinged front doors for the driver and front passenger, two sliding doors on the sides, and a rear liftgate.

Interior Features

Minivan owners are a picky bunch. Their vehicles have to carry the load of children, friends, groceries and hardware, and still provide an enjoyable driving experience. The Quest satisfies those needs with a sleek body that neatly encases a flexible interior package.

The driving position is typical of minivans and sport-utility vehicles. The driver sits upright in a comfortable, if slightly narrow, seat. The view outside is commanding: The front fenders fall away for maximum visibility. The rest of the cabin is tall and glassy, which makes backing up a snap.

Quest GXE comes with a second-row bench seat with optional integrated child safety seats. The SE and GLE come with second-row captain's chairs. Either way, the Quest's seating system wins high marks from owners. It's easy to see why. The second-row bucket seats in the SE and GLE tip forward for easy access to the third bench. The middle bench in the GXE tilts, flips forward, even comes out altogether to create a limousine-style space for important passengers or a large cargo area. Best of all, the third-row bench can be moved forward into one of six positions on a track that permits nearly five feet of movement front to back, allowing it to accommodate every possible variation of passengers with limousine-quality room.

Behind the third-row bench, an adjustable shelf offers three vertical positions, and holds 30 pounds. The two-tier capability adds some usefulness to the area, which is about half as deep as the cargo hold on a standard-issue Dodge Caravan.

The Quest's instrumentation is complete and well-designed, although some of the plastics and vinyls are less than rich-looking. The dash is arranged well, and the flurry of little buttons normally found with a vehicle this well-equipped is absent. Most of the Quest's buttons are square, flat plastic, functional and clean.