It's Done Everything We've Wanted

We bought a 1997 Nissan Quest, which is their minivan model, in the summer of 1997. We were looking for a van that would be easily accessible for my wife, who is disabled. What we needed, specifically, was a van that had high, firm seats that were near the doors, so that I could get her in and out easily.

So we spent a few Saturdays literally getting her in and out of the available minivans at the time. We tried a number of minivans, both domestic and imports. The Quest is actually domestic - it and the Mercury Villager are made in a joint plant somewhere in the south.

The Quest and the Villager had similar accessibility, which was clearly better than the others. We chose the Quest because of slightly better accessory packages. We actually bought this off the lot. We liked the features in the better model, but the seats from the basic model are firmer. We found such a model on the lot - it would have taken a few weeks to order it if we hadn't.

The features on the one we had included power steering and locks, automatic transmission, tinted windows, air conditioning. We paid a bit extra for a full-size spare tire and for the dealer to install a couple of hand-grips for her, which they did at their cost.

It's been nearly 4 years and 23,000 miles later and the Quest has been great. It remains easy for me to help my wife in and out and the car has needed very little maintenance, except for the routine check-ups. No failures, no tows, no stalls, no nothing.

The seats are extremely comfortable. In fact my son has slept in the back on trips of an hour or more. Getting people in and out is very easy. I find that there is a bit more outside noise coming in as compared to my Mitsubishi Galant, but that seems to be due to the Quest being a minivan. Power is sufficient for city and highway driving and the mileage has been reasonable. Climate control has also been a plus as there are controls in the back row of seats for heating and air conditioning. there are also radio controls in the back seat. It's really been great.

...Except for those mirrors. Like the other mini-vans, the mirrors are made to give if they strike something or something strikes them - a minor bump. The mirrors stick out about 6 inches or so. There can be an occasional, gentle nudge when I am parking in a tight spot. Most often, it's when I'm trying to get around our refuse container, which our fine municipal employees like to leave in the middle of our driveway.

The problem is that the cover cannot be replaced without the mirror assembly itself being replaced. The part is about $150 and takes an hour and a half of labor because it is so difficult to access and replace. I'm getting ready to replace the driver side mirror for the second time. I've resolved to be more careful, get out and actually move the container instead of trying to drive around it, and, most importantly, to give the refuse guys a bigger tip next Christmas.

I'd highly recommend the Quest for accessibility and dependability.

If you like mainstream and fusion jazz, check out my web site, www.jazzobsession.com. You’ll find information on my newly-released CD, The Power of Two by John Temmerman's Jazz Obsession Quartet. It is available through Amazon.com and www.cdbaby.com. I have a special discount available on sales through my web site. Come on by!