Villager and Quest have proven that blended families can produce great offspring. This new second-generation Villager offers a more practical, flexible interior with increased power to satisfy drivers who might be looking at sport-utility vehicles.

All Villagers use a 3.3-liter V6 engine that provides 170 horsepower, 20 more than the last edition. An electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission takes care of the shifting.

One body style is offered. Two sliding doors allow easy entry for rear-seat passengers, while a rear liftgate provides access to the cargo area.

Three models are available. Villager, Villager Estate and Villager Sport.

The $23,575 base Villager is well equipped with AM/FM/cassette stereo, power windows, mirrors and door locks, and seven-passenger seating.

Villager Estate and Villager Sport each retail for $26,175. Distinguished by Two-tone paint and upscale trim, Estate and Sport replace the base second-row bench seat with luxurious captain's chairs. Low-profile P225/60R16 tires replace the base P215/70R15 rubber.

The Sport model adds white-faced instruments, two-tone paint and other sporty trim and eliminates the luggage rack that comes standard on the other two models.

Major option packages include a $995 Comfort Group, which adds rear air conditioning, rear audio controls, air filtration system and a six-way power drivers seat; and a $995 Luxury Group, which includes leather seating surfaces, the Travelnote memo recorder, the Homelink system, power passenger seat and memory controls for the driver's seat and mirrors.

The Villager Sport we drove came with a full complement of options, including a six-disc CD changer, rear air conditioning, leather seats, and digital instruments, for an as-tested price of $29,580.