Buick Roadmaster Wagon

2011 Nissan Quest: The suburban stretch limo

What a marvellous creation the minivan was. Before it came along and revolutionized family transport in 1985 or so, the best soccer moms and dads could do were those massive Buick Roadmaster wagons or, perhaps, a Volkswagen hippie bus. Revolutionary as they were, the first minivans now seem no better than Econoline panel vans in comparison to the segment's best current offerings.  For its part, the new Nissan Quest is a prototypical example of the wonders in store for today's family on the move. Beneath its shuttle-like exterior lies a powerful engine (more powerful, in fact, than an '85 Corvette's) and a host of luxury options like leather seats, backup camera and three-zone climate control.  It's a brave new world indeed for the kid-toting set. And with a vehicle like this, it almost takes the sting out of being seen in a minivan. Give up all hope of driving thrills ye who enter here, but prepare to settle down into a high-tech living room on wheels. Under the Quest's bulbous hood lies a powerful 3.5-litre V6 pushing out 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels via Nissan's Xtronic CVT (continuously variable transmission). The motor has enough power to move the 2,000 kg Quest up to highway speed without too much effort, while the CVT helps keep fuel consumption down. Official factory numbers rate the van at 11.1 L/100 km in the city and 8.1 L/100 km. Like all Nissan's CVTs though, it's a little sluggish and doesn't provide the instantaneous response we'd like for highway overtaking. Nissan makes some of the best seats in the business, and those in the Quest are no exception. Cloth seats are standard on the two lower models, but leather trim comes with the higher ones, including on the steering wheel and shift knob. An eight-way power adjustable driver's seat is available, and combined with the tilt and telescoping steering wheel, it's easy to find a good driving position. The entry-level "S" model (from $29,998) comes with several useful features, including A/C, a 6-disc CD changer and Intelligent Key entry with push button start. To get all of the really good stuff, though, you'll need to upgrade to the SV, SL, or LE models, which top out at an eye-popping $48,498. That's a lot of coin for a minivan, most would agree, but at that stage it's more of a private luxury motorcoach than a minivan anyway.

1994 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon Review ...

A history lesson will remind us that Buick revived the Roadmaster suspension nameplate in 1991, the automaker tapped into nostalgia for the fullthrottle, road-hogging prowess of the original Roadinaster that Buick retired in 1958. But the ’91 Roadmaster Estate Wagon’s 5-liter, 170-hp V8 engine-small for a 4,400-pound vehicle only kindled a sentimental yeaming for the engine muscle of the original. The styling of the Estate Wagon is definitely a throwback to the hefty land cruisers that predated the 1973 energy crisis. Simultaneously elegant, functional and substantive, this is the vehicle you would buy if you owned a ranch or a construction company. The slanted, wind-deflecting front hood and dramatically angled windshield of our Dark Cherry Metallic test vehicle revealed the extent of Buick’s aerodynamic impulses: The roof-support pillars blended in with the front doors, which yielded a cleaner line and visual continuity. The sunroof was so expansive, it looked like it belonged on a railroad observation car. The luggage rack was solid but compact. Another nod to bygone days was the copious amount of chrome that adomed the Estate Wagon-from the beefy bumpers and assertive side moldings to the ubiquitous door trim and inset door handles. One area of compromise, however, was the front grille, which was chrome-colored plastic.

Entry into our Estate Wagon’s cavernous front-seat area was aided by conveniently mounted leather straps that helped us close the wide doors. Easing into the wagon’s plush leather/vinyl seats was akin to settling into a favorite leather chair. The six-way power seats could be operated even after the key was removed from the ignition. Roadmaster active suspension Befitting such a comfort-oriented layout, all of the necessary power assists were ergonomically displayed on the driver’s-door armrest-sparing the knuckle-scraping annoyance of reaching under the seat for such switches. The analog-numbered dashboard was easy to read. We also appreciated the armrest-mounted lights that, when the doors were open at night, illuminated the ground below and alerted oncoming traffic to our open doors.

Aside from its power improvement over earlier versions, the modified engine features a new power-train control module that opens the fuel injectos sequentially to smooth out the idle and beef up performance. The result was a thrust-happy but luxurious ride, with acceleration comparable to a 250-pound linebacker who runs the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds. When we hit the expressway, the Estate Wagon zoomed from 50 to 70 mph with velvety ease and still felt as though it had much more to give. Although the speedometer topped out at 120 mph, we felt this beast could hit a lot higher with minimal strain. The Estate Wagon’s standard heavy-duty suspension had us floating, even at high speeds. Hitting the brakes while traveling at 65 mph, we could feel the weight, torque and engine muscle, but we also felt confident that the standard antilock brakes were more than capable of bringing this massive vehicle to a controlled stop. The Buick Roadmaster active suspension Estate Wagon is a big, comfy throwback to the days when wagons were wagons, when gasoline was 35 cents a gallon and when carmakers didn’t let a little thing like gas mileage keep them from bulking up a vehicle with generous amounts of chrome and weight. That’s not to say the Roadmaster is a gas hog. For a wagon, the mileage is a respectable 17 mph in the city and 25 mph on the highway.

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