The Quest's styling is considerably more curvaceous and imaginative than most minivans'. The belt line sweeps downward toward the front, and the arching roofline adds a certain flair. The door handles, mirrors and side moldings are body-colored. Heated mirrors with puddle lamps are available. Fog lamps are offered.
Four trim levels are offered: 3.5, 3.5 S, 3.5 SL and a sportier 3.5 SE. Active head restraints are installed on the front seats of 2005 models, and the 3.5 SL edition gets a five-speed-automatic transmission. The 3.5 S now has a power sliding right-hand door, power liftgate, power quarter windows and a rear sonar system. History
The Quest's 3.5-liter V-6 generates 240 horsepower and 242 pounds-feet of torque. A four-speed-automatic transmission goes into 3.5 and 3.5 S models, while other models use a five-speed automatic.
Possessing styling and performance traits all its own, the Quest is full of pleasant surprises. You get an agreeable ride and handling qualities in this minivan. Though body lean in curves isn't absent and wavy road surfaces are noticeable, the Quest is tightly controlled and recovers smartly. Ordinary imperfections are significantly softened, but larger bumps can yield big bangs from the suspension.
The Quest's newfound ginormous-ness lets it play moving van much more convincingly than before, thanks to the decision to ditch the old "Quest-Trac" seating system in favor of the more expected approach of disappearing seats. But the ease of conversion leaves some to be desired. The third row only folds as one piece (instead of 60/40), and it's a pretty convoluted process that involves reaching, stretching, and quite a bit of force. The second row, with a little work, now folds nearly flat into the floor as well (unlike many other vans), though having to remove and store five head restraints before doing any of this gets a bit old.