I've read lots of reviews about the Quest and how they don't even compare to the Sienna and Odyssey. The interior quality is poor, reliability isn't as good, etc. Before buying, my wife and I done lots of online research for all three. We test drove each one a few times (at different dealers so that we weren't pressured), and each time, we both agreed the Quest was a better vehicle. We loved the performace and handling, the looks, and I liked the fact that it had the VQ. So, we bought the Quest SE at $100 under invoice. Going on 8 months and no problems. I heard a rattle in the side door, turned out that one of my kids had a marble rolling around in it.

So we just got back from a week vacation in Florida. While down there, we had an '05 Chrysler Town & Country LX as a rental.

My impressions:

Negatives:
- weak powertrain
- uncomfortable seats
- bland styling
- soft handling

Positives:
- Stow n Go seating is great (much easier than the Quest to stow the 3rd row... damn Quest headrests)
- split 3rd row seat
- better quality interior materials

The big thing I noticed that the T&C has up on the Quest is sound dampening. When I drove the Quest home from the airport for the first time in a week, I immediately noticed how much noisier the ride is in the Quest. Engine noise and wind noise was a lot louder. I hope on the future Quest model years, Nissan decides to use more sound dampening materials in the body. I think it would greatly improve the quality and feel of the ride.

I know - this is a weird one. Essentially, this is the story of how we came to own a Nissan Quest.

In 2003 we were newly pregnant and coming through the first spring in a new house. We had a lease on a Mazda Protege coming to an end and lots of errands to run. We had thought about minivans, but came to the conclusion they were too big and too expensive. The Element, with its expanisve cargo room and utilitarian features won us over. For those two years, everything was great. The suicide foors provided ample space to get the kid in & out; while being able to lift up on seat gave us all the utility cargo room we needed. This year came kid #2.

The Odyssey get raves reviews, as it should. It is an excellent van. It also carries a big price tag. Many Hondas are like this. They make good and reliable, conservatively styled popular vehicles and they can charge a premium for them. When I was shopping, I didn't take a close look at the Odyssey EX, much the same way I didn't look at the Sienna XLE or Quest SE -- they were all simply out of budget.

I did consider the Odyssey LX, however, but it is a relatively difficult vehicle to obtain. Honda doesn't make many, figuring most people want all the bells and whistles of a fully loaded EX. Either that or it drives people to those trims by not stocking the base. (The latter seems to be a trend with some manufacturers that I've noted.)

The Toyota Sienna has gotten rave reviews since its redesign for 2004. Unlike the Quest, it hit its initial model year in stride and with the backing of successful prior years. Like the Honda, Toyota has been charging a premium for the Sienna, offering little in the way of discounts, rebates or dealer negotiation. Unlike the Honda Odyssey, however, the Toyota Sienna has a wider range of trim levels, and can come as barebones as the CE or as Lexus-like as the XLE AWD. It's difficult to argue about what a great feature AWD can be on any vehicle, and it's my opinion that the top of the line Sienna with AWD is probably the best van on the market for this alone. But, just like my other comparisons, I was focused on a tighter budget, and wanted something comparable to a Quest S, in the $24000 MSRP range. That put us squarely in the range of a customized CE or a low-range LE.

Both my wife and I agreed, if we had bought a Mazda MPV in 2003 instead of a small SUV (Honda Element), we'd be happy enough with it to keep it. But that never happened. Now, when it came time to evaluate the MPV, I almost immediately discredited it because of its size and Ford engine, Mazda has them deeply discounted, with rebates up to $4000 this summer for 2005's, and dealers have 30 or more per lot, so I was convinced this was our budget choice. If nothing else, we could end up in a MPV for way way less than any other van. But why buy something you don't like or want or worse yet : doesn't fit your minimum requirements just to save a few bucks? Doesn't this cost you more in the long run when you get rid of it early, or become inconvenienced by it later? Yes. Beyond being cheap, the MPV warranted at least some evaluation.

Chevrolet Uplander, Buick Terraza, Saturn Relay, Pontiac Montana

These things are a joke. The only decent quality of them is their 3.5 L V6, a very good engine, but otherwise they are designed to look like SUV's with a pronounced nose, but they don't fool anyone. Even worse, I've heard that some insurers categorize them as SUVs and the rates are much higher than a van. Inside, not much as changed since the Chevy Venture aside a loss of some space. The 3rd row doesn't fold flat, a must have feature for any new van. The trim is very cheap and noisy in all but the Buick, which is just as pricey as a top trim Sienna XLE or Honda EX.

Ford, like GM, doesn't appear to be trying anymore. I guess their SUVs are too popular. The Freestar was an inordinate amount of money for its features, even considering the heavy discounts. Anyone willing to write a longer review or reply is welcome to, but here's my two cents: crappy interior and really underpowered drive.