Quest number seven starts bringing home the groceries.

Three kids force me to still drive a mini van. I don't really want to, it seems so very "suburban" to me. I would much rather drive a vehicle that is a little smaller, a little more streamlined, a little faster.

But since I must drive a mini van, I do love the Quest, made by Nissan. I must note, this probably will be the last Quest I will own or review, for the agreement between Ford and Nissan, (Ford builds the Quest that Nissan designed, in exchange Ford uses that same design for the Villager) will end in the 2002 production year.

Even though I whine about looking like a car pool Mommy, the Quest really doesn't drive like a van. It does have a little energy and some decent pick-up.

It travels nicely, we have taken many trips in our various vans, and each time the Quest has endured well. With the exception of one, we have always had the Captain's chairs in the center, as opposed to the option of the bench. For our family, the Captain's chairs are wonderful. It separates the Battling Bickerson's that are my children. The seats are very easy to remove, even for a sissy like me, and the bench seat in the back is easy to slide forward, making adequate room for acquisitions made while at the mall.

The middle seat also offer controls for the radio, and an outlet for the rider to plug in their headphones if the driver is craving silence. There are also controls in the back for the air and heat. Glass in the back areas is tinted, helping cool on hot, sunny days.

There is little engine noise with this Quest which is nice for riding and chatting.

We opt for cloth seats, in Michigan we only seem to get a few months where leather doesn't either chap your fanny, or freeze your legs off.

I do highly recommend this mini van, with the caveat of caution that after 2001, production will slow or cease. News has it that Nissan is planning to build another mini van, but with more of a Renault influence.

Now Renault is Nissan, and Nissan is Renault. The blend of the three cultures, Japanese, American and French could serve to make the new Nissan mini van one to watch for.