AUTOMOTIVE

‘Prejudging models makes no sense at all

Don’t buy outdated ideas, take a test drive and find out for yourself

YOU’VE HEARD them: ‘American cars.are all big boats
... Japanese cars rust out fast ... I wouldn’t touch a car
with a rotary engine with a ten- foot, pole .. If you want a

fast car, a V8 is the only way to go...”

No matter how out of tune and
ridiculous .these comments sound
when you consider: how’ much
things -have changed. in the
automotive industry, there are still
people out. there who simply ref-
use to accept the reality and shed

their. old, completely outdated

~ ideas about cars.
Haven’t these people heard of
cars like the Saturn (small Ameri-
_ can car), the Infiniti (seven-year
rust-perforation -waryanty), the
Mazda RX-7_ (twin-turbocharged
rotary), and the upcoming Toyota
Supra with six-cylinder engine (0
to 100 kph in about five seconds)?
If you are looking fora new
vehicle this year, don’t rule out
some: of. the choices because of
preconceived ideas based on past
experience, or on stories you've
heard from a friend or neighbor.
For. example, if you decided not
to’ consider a* Ford. or. Chrysler
< product because of a bad experi-
ence with, say, a .’73 Ford Pinto
or °79 Dodge Diplomat, then you
just ‘lost: the chance to own ex-

cellent, . world-class cars: like tlie ..

93° Ford Probe or Chrysler" In-
trepid.
-In- the last six months’ ‘alone, ' I
: ‘have’ come across. several. people
>“ who didn’t even want to test drive
a particular car 1. recommended
use they thought that com-
pany .“‘only; made junky cars.’
‘Once they had ‘a ‘chance to’ drive
- the car and review some of the in-
forniation : thoroughly,’ these
“Sunky’’.. cars. suddenly became
their.““best buys.’?:
So,” when a good friend of mine

“gad to’me,- “As a-rule,.1 do not

* Tike minivans, ** T couldn't’ resist
>the opportunity to she’? him how
-far minivans have progressed in

“the past few years. Married ‘with’

“two. children and-currently owning

OVERDRIVE . |

a late-model Mercury Sable
four-door sedan — and a dog in
the back yard, I. might add — Ken
Nettleton is just the type of, per-
son car companies are hoping to
convince to buy” their latest
minivans.

Nissan Canada helped us out by
arranging this Minivan Challenge

Test. where Nettleton, his wife~
“Kimberley, and: their . kids Jodi.
and Phil were given the standard,

wine-red Nissan’ Quest “XE to
check out for the weekend. .
Why the Nissan Quest? It’s the
newest entry in the ever-moving
minivan’ segment, and one that's
considered to be the biggest threat
to the current minivan sales-lead-

_ers:' the “Dodge. Caravan. and.

Plymouth Voyager.

The Quest- — along . with its”
twin brother, the Mercury Villager

‘— is ‘not ‘the cheapest minivan,
but represents: the latest effort by

-the- car’ companies’ to .create a

comfortable, dependable, practical
people-mover : that .handles “and

If you have ever wanted to~
drive a Mercedes-Benz

“Ceasing 3 a 1993 Mercedes-Benz
WOE Specinh Edition is now
‘more affordable than ever,
Fora low monthly payment,
-you can drive this superbly
crafted car, built to Mercedes-
Benge actin standards of
cengineering and safery.
7 AU 1993 models wre
equipped with standard
eLQOE sufecy features

including antilock brakes.
stipple mental restuint system,
driver's side airbag and collapse.
resistant seats,”

Lease
5298"
A closed- end Tease is

also avail: ible on this
‘very rem. irks ible car

Lanited time offes

‘Mere rc ecles- Benz. Canada Inc.:
” Retail Division. ;
“ ‘Lease based «m % mein $7,455 downpayment and tesidual value of s ux on

tides like a car. rather than a
truck. The Quest and Villager are
basically identical except .for the
minor cosmetic and feature dif-
ferences.

Ford and Nissan. worked
together to design and produce
this product, though no one seems
to be able to clearly define how
much development work was done
by Nissan versus Ford.

The two minivans, by the way,

meet passenger car safety re- .
‘quirements which are much more

stringent than. the truck or van
standards.

“The front-wheel-drive Quest, at
a base price of $22,290, - comes
equipped with a proven 3.0-litre
V6, churning out 151 horsepower.

“| was very surprised how pep-
py this van-was,”’ said Netthton
after driving up hills and through
different streets ‘in Vancouver.
“When I stomped on it, this van
took off like a bullet.”

The. Quest ‘also features a
unique seating arrangement to ac-
commodaie seven passengers, in-
cluding. a rail-meunted © sliding
rear. seat that is “fa winner,’’ ac-
cording to Nettleton, who ‘‘really
enjoyed the multiple seat option.’’

4 See ? Quest page 53 ininivan fora weekend,

| Photo submitted

NISSAN CANADA arranged for Ken Nettleton, his wife Kimberley,
and their kids Jodi and Phil to take out the Nissan Quest XE~

Cindy Goodman
News Photographer.

{t is 5 said that a picture is s:worth a thousand words, Now you can get.

“copies of your favorite photos taken by our staff photographers. .

To receive your copy come to the North Shore News and place your.’

order, Please supply us with the issue date and page number of the ~

photo you would like reprinted. All photo orders must be © prepaid.

4139 LONSDALE AVENUE

_NORTH VANCOUVER
V7M 2H4