On the road with the Nissan Quest

Nissan's eager to get press coverage for their Quest minivan, and what better way to test one than our Memorial Day vacation? I told Nissan what I was planning -- four adults, three kids, four days' worth of luggage -- plus sleds -- journeying to Mammoth Lakes to seek out what was left of the snow. Nissan seemed more than willing to have their Quest subject to the ultimate minvan test. I've made the trip before in a Stow-n-Go Dodge Grand Caravan, which is pretty pretty darn hard to beat. We drove up yesterday, and the Quest is making a surprisingly good showing! It seems to trade cargo room for passenger room; packing it up was a tight squeeze, but my bro- and sis-in-law loved the extra room in the second row, and the two-screen DVD player is the greatest thing to happen to long trips since road-going video. Back-seaters found it much more comfortable than the Dodge, though Robin and I can't say the same about the front seats. Overall, though, I'm impressed. The Quest is much more capable than I expected. Nissan's confidence is well-founded. -- Aaron Gold