Smooth, Powerful, and Fun to Drive

In searching for a Mini Van my family and I drove all major brands; Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Dodge, Honda and of course the Nissan. In comparison they all had their good points with none of them standing out as "this is the one".
What sold us on the Nissan was several points. First is was not as big as a lot of the competition, and this was a big factor when driving around in the city. The Quest also had an excellent resale value. Resale value is about 55 percent of the MSRP after three years with average mileage.
Initial impressions after purchase were that this is a fun vehicle to drive. The 170 horsepower V6 has plenty of get up and go. Although less powerful then the 200 horsepower Ford Windstar, this smaller, lighter vehicle busts off the line and when I need power to pull out and pass that is there too. I was impressed with the power. However, I'm not so impressed with the gas mileage. We average about 17 mpg in all around driving.
Although this is a smaller mini van the room inside is adequate. My wife and I find it very roomy in the front and our three teenage daughters have no complaints about back seat room. We have had cause to remove the middle seat and although this process is not as easy as the manufacture would lead you to believe it's not impossible either. The problem is getting the seat out the door without scratching the paint on the door or door jam. The seat is bulky and hard to handle with one person.
Once the seat is removed the rear seat easily slides from front to back to allow for all sorts of gear in back. The sliding of the seat is a two handed operation and can not be done from the rear of the vehicle. It can only be done from the passenger side sliding door. This design could be improved. It would be nice to be able to slide the rear seat from the back.
Climate control is a strong point on the Quest. Ours has the rear seat air with separate controls for rear seat passengers. I would recommend this options due to the large interior of the vehicle. The last vehicle I owned, a 1996 Ford Taurus Station Wagon was hot in the rear and cold in the front trying to keep everyone happy and at the right temperature.
The sound system in the Quest is top notch. The CD changer is wonderful, and the rear controls and headphone jacks can make for less arguments and a nice quiet ride. It would be nice to have a set of speakers located in the middle of the vehicle. The location of the rear speakers are next to the hips of the riders in the third row. The sound is muffled and volume must be turned up if the third seat is occupied.
Overall this is a wonderful vehicle. We have been on several trips and they are the most comfortable and fun trips my family has ever experienced in a car. We have had absolutely no problems with our Quest and the only time it has been in for service is to change the oil and for regular maintenance. I would recommend this vehicle to any family.