~ THE. 1993 Nissan Axiess offers an economical 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, five-passenger seating, and a large cargo area that can be doubled by folding down’ ithe 1 Ye . fear seats. Unlike most minivans, the Axxess conforms to all passenger-car safety standards. ; ' = Wilson TEST DRIVE _ THE ‘GOOD. news about the 1993 Nissan Axxess is that Canadians can still buy it. it’s: ‘been discontinued : the : - United States with the’ introduc. .tion of the bigger Quest minivan... ~.In Canada, however, Nissan of- fers both the Axxess and Quest. The bad news’ is that the seven-passenger seating Gption in: ~ the Axxess is no longer available, making this unique five-passenger _mini-wagon a little less’. versatile than it was before. .. i The Axxess is a hybrid vehicle —- across between an, economy . much longer or . wider ‘than a Nissan Sentra subcompact, so it’s a snap to park in tight” parking spaces 2 and manoeuver through ci- ty traffic. However, it’s much taller than a Sentra (27 cm/11 inches to be ex- act), and there’s an abundance of headroom. Since .the seats’ are ‘mounted higher off the floor, there’s plenty of legroom for all five passengers. Cargo: room is twice what you'd find in a Sentra trunk, and with the split, folding rear seats folded flat, cargo space doubles again. Like the Nissan Multi before it, the Axxess has unique left and right siiding rear doors. Untike some sliding van doors, : these doors are fightweight and open and close very easily. ‘They’re: very handy in crowded ‘parking ots where’ only’ inches separate parked cars: Combined with a low step-in height and a flat floor, the Axxess is very easy .to get in and out of. " Elderly and_ physically “challeng- ‘ed passengers in particular - will appreciate the ingress/ egress. The big, 'bumper-level hatch door lifts up to'reveal more cargo area than you'll find -in . most compact station wagons. Pull up the ‘rear. seat cushions and ‘flip Axxess’ down the rear seat backs, and you. -have a useful, flat loading floor. - The Axxess will carry up to 363 kg (800. lbs.) of cargo. There’s also a hidden storage bin below. the floor cover, along with a tem- porary spare tire. While -most minivans need the power of a V6 engine to pull a full load of passengers and cargo, the smaller, lighter Axxess does (102 i the Axxess* smaller size but long inch) wheelbase; “ride. height that is lower to the “pround than .a typical minivan; and standard * four-wheel: independent suspension. The Axxess feels stable, com- 46 The “Awseis 7 ride a and handling are much more car-like than with most minivans. 99 just fine with a 138-horsepower 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine. Performance is surprisingly live- Jy, and though this engine is a lit- tle rough at high engine revs, it is generally smooth and quiet. The optional four-speed automatic transmission ‘is also very compe- tent. An on/off overdrive button on’ the shift lever enables the driver to lock out fourth gear if desired. Fuel economy’ is reasonable by minivan standards. Average fuel consumption in city and: highway driving is 10.3 L/100 kilometres (29 mpg). ' The Axxess’ ride and handling are much: more car-like than with most minivans. There are three reasons for this: fortable, and controlled with con- . siderable resistance to side winds. The standard power-assisted steer- ing is fight standard front’ disc/rear. drum brakes do a commendable job of stopping the lightweight Axxess. Outward visibility in’ all: direc- tions is excellent, though the rear headrests partially obscure rear vi- ; sion. The Axxess. is one of. only a- handful of. affordable five- passenger vehicles available with full-time four-wheel drive, : The. optional. AWD: system automatically. transfers torque to the wheels with traction, compen- - sating for loss of traction; Caused, See Mini van page ae 28. per cylinder, and accurate and” . , NEWS photo Mike Wakatletd Base price $17, 180 Type four-door, passenger minivan Layout “transverse engine/front-wheel drive five- front ‘Engine 2.4-litre’ four- cylinder, SOHC, three valves sequential multi-port fuel injection Horsepower £38 @ 5,600 rpm ‘Torque 140 Ibs.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm a Transmission automatic (std. manual) Tires 195/70R14. all-season four-speed five-speed radials. . Curb weight 1,305 kg/2877 Ibs. Wheelbase 2,611. mm/102.2 ‘in. Length 4, 366 mm/171.9 in. Width 1,690 mm/66.5 in. Height 1,640 mm/64.0 in. ' Cargo volume 1,005 L/35:5 cu,. ft, (rear seats up) 1,971 L/69.6 cu. ft. down): /: Fuel corisumption City 11.9 (rear . seats ‘L/100 km, 24 mpg Hwy 8.6 L/100 km,'33 mpg Warranty three yrs/60,000:: km Major Components six yrs/100,000 km plus roadside assistance Ask about the Nissan Axxess at Northshore - Nissan, 1160 Marine Dr., North Van.