Overview & Reviews

The Nissan Quest has typically had a supporting role in the minivan market. The first two generations, in particular, were rather anonymous and subpar. The more recent third-generation Quest made a huge leap ahead in terms of styling and performance, though it, too, never really caught on with the public.

The newest and latest fourth-generation Nissan Quest, however, is the most competitive model yet. Its bold styling, interior refinement and smooth V6/continuously variable transmission (CVT) place it firmly in the discussion among the leaders of the pack: the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

Current Nissan Quest
The Nissan Quest minivan is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 making 260 horsepower, put to the ground through a CVT. There are four trim levels: S, SV, SL and LE.

The base S is sparsely equipped for a minivan, but still offers an auxiliary audio jack and a few other niceties. The SV adds a wealth of other items such as alloy wheels, power-sliding doors and high-tech items like Bluetooth and an iPod interface. The SL trim is more luxurious thanks to its leather upholstery and one-touch folding third-row seats, while the top-trim LE gains a navigation system and an advanced "Around View" parking camera, while offering an optional panoramic moonroof spanning nearly the length of the roof. The kids will be thankful that a DVD entertainment system is available on all but the base S.

Inside, the Quest's controls are logically grouped on the center stack and easily navigable. Interior materials are the best you'll find in a minivan, with the leather-appointed cabins in the range-topping trims feeling especially premium and luxurious. On the downside, the Quest's standard second-row captain's chairs eliminate the option for an eighth passenger. And although the Quest's seats fold neatly into the floor, this design results in about 40 cubic feet less cargo capacity than other mainstream minivans.

Overall, though, the Quest is a legitimate, if commonly overlooked, choice for a minivan. Thanks to its compliant ride, composed handling and smooth power delivery, it should serve families quite well.

Used Nissan Quest Models
The current, fourth-generation Nissan Quest was introduced for 2011. There have been no significant changes since then.

The third-generation Nissan Quest was produced from 2004-'09 (there was no Quest for the 2010 model year). At its debut, it shook up the minivan world with its avant-garde body styling, unique cabin design and a marketing campaign that did its best to disassociate the van from its soccer mom image. The Quest's pillar-style center stack was certainly distinctive, but the multitude of similar buttons made operating often-used functions a hassle. Thankfully, the busy center stack was replaced by a much more user-friendly layout in a 2007 refresh.

All Quests of this generation were powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 235 hp, and power was sent to the front wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. Four trim levels were available -- the base 3.5, 3.5 S, 3.5 SL and 3.5 SE -- each with an increasing number of features and conveniences. Oddly enough, none of these trim levels included rear seats -- forcing customers to pay extra for a seat package that included second-row captain's chairs and a flat-folding rear bench.

This Quest had a few things in its favor, including a roomy interior and handling that was a cut above most other minivan competitors. However, downsides were numerous, including a third-row seat that wasn't split, a relative lack of cargo capacity and limited availability of stability control. Overall, minivan shoppers would be better served by other top choices in this segment.

The second generation of the Nissan Quest debuted for 1999. Offered in base GXE, midlevel SE and leather-lined GLE trims, this Quest featured a 3.3-liter V6 with 170 hp, as well as a unique sliding (but not removable) third-row seat that could be stowed right behind the front seats -- after the second-row seats were taken out. The van's questionable ergonomics, iffy build quality and poor crash test scores, however, made for a last-place finish in an Edmunds minivan comparison test. The model run continued through the 2002 model year, but there was no Quest sold for the 2003 model year.

Introduced in 1993 and sold through 1998, the first-generation Nissan Quest had a 151-hp 3.0-liter V6. Base XE and uplevel GXE trims were offered and seven-passenger seating was standard. The biggest change for this generation occurred in 1996 when a minor face-lift yielded a new grille, bumpers, headlights, taillights and dashboard.

The first two generations of the Quest were rather anonymous and subpar. It might also be helpful during the shopping process to know that these Quests were also nearly identical to the Mercury Villager from the same time period. With either variant, however, minivan shoppers are still advised to consider better-ranking minivans first.

User Reviews:

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  My New Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Dball - July 10 - 10:00 am

  While researching info for a new mini van, I eliminated the Quest. I had the Quest twin, Mercury Villager, in 97 and assumed the new Nissan would be the same. They are too small for my needs. SUPRISE! My Consumer Reports arrived with mini van tests. Nissan redesigned the Quest. I looked, I bought. The car is great. Loaded with standard features. First trip- 26MPG.Try one if you are looking for a great mini van.

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  Worth for Money - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By akshay2 - July 9 - 11:43 am

  I have 2004 Nissan Quest, i got it from private party and being 3 owner it still run like charm. Its been almost year and i havent had single problem. The build quality and feature makes it worth for money.

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  First Mini-Van - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Jimbo_810 - July 8 - 11:20 pm

  With an expanding family it was time to upgrade from the Murano and the Quest was a no-brainer. Lots of room, fold flat seats and the special edition SL has all the options that a family of 7 requires. I do wish Nissan Canada had a little more information available with regards to the Sattleite radio availablility, but other than that its been a dream.

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  Worst car I ever owned - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Mirna - July 8 - 10:00 am

  I owned a Nissan Quest 2004 3.5 SL that has 66,556 miles, I was very happy with this car until last September, when out of the blue my Nissan will brake down in the middle of the beltway or stall if I stopped at a red light or stop sign, the engine will die completely with no warning signs, I took this car to the dealer Passport Nissan of Alexandria VA for the 3rd time yesterday because my van keep stalling any time I drive under 5mph or brake to a stop. This after I was told for 2nd time that they fixed the problem in a message they left me saying “we were able to duplicate the problem and fixed, we had to re-program the engine idle, that is fixed we drove it many times today and definitely

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  One Year In - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By Tony - July 7 - 6:43 am

  Lots of space. Got a good deal on it, so it was a great value. Drives very much like a big car. Good power and pretty decent gas mileage (18 city - 24 to 25 highway). Agree with others that the body structure is a little loose.

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  The best kept secret in minivans..... - 2014 Nissan Quest
  By dking1995 - June 28 - 11:13 pm

  I bought a 2014 Quest SV two days ago. I replaced my 2009 Honda Odyssey. As I shopped for vans - the usual suspects were first - Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. I like a mid-level van with lots of features, but no leather (too hot where I live) - so as decked out with cloth as I can get. The SV fit the bill. The Toyota Sienna frankly felt cheap inside - no soft touch surfaces and the plastics on the dash were flimsy. The 2014 Honda Odyssey was well put together, but felt basic unless you got the EX-L or Touring. The Nissan stood out hands down - with lots of soft touch surfaces, wood grain dash, and leather wrapped steering wheel standard on the SV.

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  The Jury Is Out - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By C K - June 28 - 11:56 am

  This is our first minivan and we are very happy early on.We felt the best value was in the S. The option packages in the S & SL are NOT worth it. A big selling point was the aesthetics inside and out. The engine is strong and you can set the cruise at 80 and it will go effortlessly. Fuel economy is disappointing. 22 MPG on the highway is about all, but it is over 4000 pounds - minivans arent "mini" any more. Inside the fit and finish are not in the class of the new Odyssey or Sienna. The cabin is quiet and the ride smooth. The fold down seats are great. We noted some bad reviews on the internet but were bolstered by the 5 year/60K warranty.

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  Great Van - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By parshooter - June 27 - 2:00 am

  terrific vehicle, comfortable, great looks a great ride. Only problem has been the in the third seat. There is a stress rattle when in the up position. They are looking at the attachment brackets and hopefully will have a fix in soon.

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  Smooth Ride - 2011 Nissan Quest
  By lexluthier - June 16 - 7:50 am

  My 2011 Quest LE is the finest family vehicle I have ever had, and I own a Mercedes and a Lexus. The CVT and time tested engine do not have the hesitations of the Odyssey and the interior is the most plush of any of the vans, The kids love the dual sunroofs and Mom likes the XM radio, traffic, and weather alerts. I love the sound system and even with its weight, the tight handling. Go for the LE. It is worth the extra cost.

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  2nd Quest - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By Hot Tamale - June 14 - 2:00 am

  This is our second Quest and I believe this is the best van for the money. The Toyota and Honda are priced much higher for the same package and the touted resale value of both is more lip service than reality. We had a 1997 Quest and we were very happy with the resale value. The only problem is that our 8 year-old has a hard time getting into the back seat with two infant seats in the captains chairs.