Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged minivan
2005 Nissan Quest
Nov 23rd
Nissan’s sexy Quest is still the most stylish minivan out there. You don’t hear that much, because getting a car guy to admit that a minivan is kind of cool is a lot like admitting that you really, really enjoy housework; it tends to make people look at you a bit strangely.
2006 model pictured
We’re not afraid to confess that we like this van, though. Nissan’s outside-the-box design and bold interior turned the conventional notion of minivans on its ear when the current Quest hit the streets almost two years ago. This is a fashion over function minivan, a mixture of workhorse and show horse, and this unlikely combination is both the best thing and the worst thing about it. The exterior and interior design throw away all of the conventions of minivan styling in favor of a bulbous silhouette and an airy, light-filled interior environment that hasn’t been matched yet. Unlike most vans, which tend to be conservative, the Quest is an in-your-face, love-it or hate-it design. For every upside, there’s a downside, but that’s part of its charm. More >
2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
Nov 13th
You’ve probably got a lot of ideas about what a minivan is. It’s a people-mover, it’s a symbol of middle-age stodginess, it’s a parking-lot hogging visibility blocker. We’d like to add one more idea to the pile: it’s a tree fort on wheels.
Remember the tree fort you had (or wanted) as a kid? It was the home base for most summertime adventures. Bring a sleeping bag and a lantern, and you could camp out in it. There was space for a stash of snacks, space for friends to hang out, and plenty of comfortable places to sit. A recent long trip in the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan revealed it to have all of the qualities of that old tree fort, with one telling difference. In fact, it’s better, because unlike that tree fort star cruiser or pirate ship which was always in the same place once your imagination wound down, the Caravan can actually take you out on those adventures. Okay, a minivan can’t navigate the stars or the stormy Atlantic, but anyplace in the continental U.S. is fair game. Ahoy, matey, indeed. More >
2004 Mercury Monterey
May 5th
We’ve been somewhat unhappy with Mercury lately. Despite reassurances that the division intends to peddle more than just slightly more expensive clones of Ford products, it has yet to do anything really unique. Granted, Mercury’s customers seem to be perfectly happy with the products, and being a Ford clone isn’t the worst possible kind of car to be, but none of that stopped us from rolling our eyes a bit when the all-new Mercury Monterey arrived in the driveway. More >