know it's not just about space any more.

That is, a minivan's kid- and cargo-hauling capacity is only one of

many consider-ations pondered by today's minvan buyers. Gone are the days

when the minivan with the most space was the hands-down victor.

Granted, they're called minivans, but woe to the carmaker who builds

a van that actually rides like a van. No, what today's minivan buyer wants

is spaciousness along with a car-like ride--and car-like performance.

Ford Motor Co. and Nissan never lost sight of that when they threw in

together to design and build the front-drive Mercury Villager and its mechanical

twin, the Nissan Quest. Introduced in 1992 as a '93 model, the Villager

offers the smooth, quiet ride and road-responsiveness of a sedan.

The Villager and Quest were designed by Nissan and are powered by a

Nissan engine and drivetrain, but are assembled in Ford's Avon Lake, Ohio

assembly plant, using Ford-supplied components.

Since the Villager is now in its fifth year without a major redesign,

the folks at Mercury knew it was time to add to the list of goodies and

make a few design tweaks. For '97, the Villager has added such safety features

as dual airbags and a childproof sliding-door lock, optional anti-lock

brakes and optional integrated child safety seats.

Our test vehicle--the top-of-the line Nautica sport-luxury model--has

a base price of $27,495, including Mercury's $580 destination charge. The

price was boosted to $30,835 by such options as a $100 anti-theft system;

a $370 preminum sound system; and a $2870 preferred equipment package--which

includes an eight-way power driver's seat, flip-open liftgate window, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated outside mirrors, illuminated visor mirror, electronic

automatic climate control, keyless entry and electronic instrument cluster.

However, the preferred equipment package was discounted $1370, leaving

the final MSRP at $29,465.