A minivan's lot in life is to be a suburban hauler. Whether that means hauling Home Depot supplies or sports-mad kids, families look for an ideal mix of seating and cargo configurations. To this end, the 2001 Nissan Quest seems to be way ahead of the crowd. With three rows of seats, both second and third rows can be folded up, removed, or slid forward to increase leg or cargo room. When up against the front seats, they provide 135 cubic feet of space. When folded, they turn into handy little tables.

The 2001 Quest gets a little makeover to its front and rear fascias, alloy wheels, and dash gauges, and the SE gets a beefier suspension, foglights, and bigger stabilizer bars. Also new in 2001 is a standard stabilizer bar for the base GXE Quest. This year, the GLE adds a 6-CD player, a wood and leather steering wheel, heated seats, and the rear cargo shelf that is optional on the other models. The rear VCR system now drops down from the ceiling, but the old floor-mounted model is still available for minivans that have the optional sunroof. All three trims (GXE, sporty SE, and luxury GLE) feature a 3.3-liter, 170-hp V6 engine, 4-speed automatic, ABS brakes, dual front airbags, power features, cruise control, manual dual sliding doors, and a roof rack.

Another nice improvement to the 2001 Quest is higher crash test ratings. With the reinforced stabilizer bars and other safety enhancements, including seatbelt pretensioners, the Quest gets four and five-star ratings this year. Most owners love the seating flexibility and say the overall ride is comfortable. The long list of standard equipment, especially the child-numbing VCR, is a big favorite for families. Complaints point out the low horsepower, cramped legroom when all seats are left inside, low headroom, and the difficulty in taking out and replacing both the bench seats and captain's chairs. Gas mileage is also disappointing for drivers.