04 Quest review / now looking at 04 Sienna (long)

Hello, Nissan and Toyota owners... I've owned my '04 Quest SL for 9 months w/ ~7800 miles on it. I haven't had one thing go wrong with it yet, not even the rattles I keep reading about in other reviews. I am satisfied with some things and dissatisfied with others:

Likes: Handling and performance is outstanding, especially for a minivan. Acceleration, cornering, and firm suspension makes it feel like you're driving a car. Braking feels great. I like the layout of the controls around the steering wheel and the "R2D2" thing in the center, and have come to prefer the center of dash display over the usual behind-the-steering wheel instrument panel. Folding middle seats have been very useful. Good sound system (w/CD, see dislikes).

Dislikes: While good performance is fine for the driver, passenger comfort suffers. I rode in the back row and middle captain's chair one day and felt every bump on the road. From the middle seats I didn't realize how high the door panel is, i.e. hard to see out the window, especially for kids. When folding down the back seat you have to remove the headrests. No big deal, but I think this is silly. Passengers in the back can't even crack open a window. Also, gas mileage is terrible! (~15.6 mpg mostly city driving). CD sounds good, but put on the FM and it sounds like a cheap AM radio! Anyone else notice this?

Why I wish I bought an 04 Toyota Sienna: Rear windows ROLL DOWN!!! Why did no one ever mention this to me?? To me this is a major plus. Greater visibility from back seat. Improved passenger comfort. Probably better gas mileage. Classy looking. (I do like the sporty look of the Quest, but afraid it will eventually look like the Gremlin did in the '70's). Also I am tired of tinted windows, and would even consider the base model with some add-ons. More Siennas sold than Quest, which would also mean better parts availability, higher resale value, etc. I guess the only thing I don't like about the Sienna is the goofy shift lever maze thing you have to get through to put it in Drive.

Needless to say, I am thinking about selling/trading the Quest and purchasing a Sienna. My family is satisfied with our Quest, but I'm pretty hung up on having spent this amount of cash with so much dissatisfaction. As far as wear, there is a dime-size ding on the driver's door, and the plastic lower grill had to be fixed, from sucking in a rabbit. Oil changes all done on time. What is the best way to go about this, private sale or trade-in at a dealer? Same dealer / different? Should I even bother? Is it just a case of the "grass being greener" w/ the Sienna? I'd appreciate any advice, comments, etc. Feel free to talk me out of it, or into it. I understand there will be some bias, but please try to include some objectivity.

Thanks! Steve snipped-for-privacy@ihpc.REMOVE.net

Reply to
Steve V
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You didn't mention if the recently-upgraded 60,000 mile factory warranty on the Quest is a "like" or a "dislike".

Reply to
ppointer

The upgraded warranty was announced after I bought the Quest, and I purchased the extended the warranty to 72,000.

Reply to
Steve V

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