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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  New experience - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By palur - September 24 - 9:13 pm

  I have tested Odyssey, Sienna and Quest. We wanted to buy anything other than Quest as we were bored with Nissan in the past. Sienna was good and were about to buy it but when we test drove 07 Quest SE fully loaded, we were pleasantly surprised. Steering is much smoother, accelaration for once outpaces Sienna. Interior: leg space is much better than Sienna and with multiple skylights, my daughter fell in love with it. Ride is superb and very comfortable interior, it is a sheer joy for our family. It was more expensive than Sienna 06 XLE but is superior and rollover testing was also excellent (highway safety...). Until a redesigned Sienna or Honda Odyssey are available, 07 Quest seemed best!

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  brickley - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By brick - September 23 - 4:00 am

  Just bout the van last week. We took 2 other couples to a Packer game. All were impressed. We are takin our 2 children on a 240 mile trip this weekend and looking forward to it.

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  Will Never buy another Nissan - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By JAM - September 11 - 1:43 pm

  The van drives nice and is a comfortable ride. Have had a lot of problems. Engine power problems, door leaks, gas gauge not working, etc. Every time we take it to the dealership for repairs, they cannot find the problem. I am told that they will not fix the problem unless they can duplicate it. Bad service policy. They also never can find any error codes on the computer. On my American cars, the mechanics can always find error codes telling them the problems. I have no faith in the Nissan technology or service structure. I will never buy another Nissan.

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  Keep looking - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Bill - September 8 - 5:30 pm

  I owned the quest for 28 months. During this time I put 35k miles on it. It has been back to the dealer for the following, drivers window stuck open, transmission stuck in 2nd, a/c failure, Rattling (Seats, Doors, Windows), various recalls, exhaust leak, doors not closing, engine light, no sound from radio, loose interior trim , excessive paint chipping. The last time I brought it in they told me they needed to remove the dash to trace a wiring problem in the a/c. In the past I have called nissan directly, they claim to open a file, but I never heard from them. Today I traded it in for a Honda. It got to a point where I was living with the problems until I had a list of things to be repaired at onc

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  Nice Change of Pace - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Calvin the Bold - August 30 - 2:00 am

  We bought the mid-priced (SL) version with the seat package, etc. We were Grand acaravan owners who became disillusionsed with low American car (Chrysler) quality. Overall we really like the minivan. Great accelleration & handling. We get a lot of compliments on the styling Downers are lower than advertised gas mileage, tinny sounding doors, non- split third row seat, and no backlighting on steering wheel cruise & radio controls.

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  Surprised by how much I loved my Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Sports Mom - August 30 - 2:00 am

  I had 132,000 miles on my Pathfinder and figured Id get a 2nd vehicle in order to keep my Pathfinder longer. I looked at a few other vehicles, including the Pacifica and because of the Nissan quality, the dealership (specifically the service dept.) and the fact that I liked the style, I went with the Quest. Wasnt sure if Id like a mini van, but after 1 1/2 weeks and 500 mile - I have to admit I love it. Everyone who has been in it loves it - even my daughters teenage friends think its coo.

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  Luxury Features - Fits in MY Garage - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By Steve Conslaw - August 26 - 5:16 pm

  I bought my 99 Quest GLE used in 2002. It was significantly cheaper than comparable used Hondas, Toyotas & Dodges. On the other hand, it had more luxury features. More to the point, it fits in MY Garage. Its about 6 inches shorter than current Odysseys & Siennas & Grand Caravans. That means I can squeeze it in the garage behind the lawnmower and bicycles. It still has three usable rows of seats. Great on vacations. The 1999 model had a TV/VCR standard - the kids love it. Surprisingly, the TV reception isnt bad. I had a 1998 Mercury Villager. The 1999 model is much better with side doors on both sides,6 extra inches of room, and the 15 horsepower boost makes performance just fine.

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  A great mini-van with style - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By Jade1023 - August 26 - 3:33 pm

  Having had 3 previous Town & Country vans, we had had enough of the maintenance/repair issues. We also were looking for more exterior style. We bought this van and promptly took a very long vacation. The performance of this van was far superior to our previous vans. We are sold on this van.

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  Lots of good things - 2001 Nissan Quest
  By mummy - August 25 - 10:00 am

  Considering the year of the vehicle, it has all the amenties I would wish for and the reliablity I would expect of a Nissan. Not bad looking for a minivan, the door handles are not the usual and still functional.

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  Best Minivan Ive owned! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By KrisBeck - August 19 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned a Sienna, which I loved, but the new ones didnt get good crash ratings, and Ive heard they dont deal because its a sought-after vehicle. Didnt care for the Honda, and I drove the Nissan and I was sold. This is the best-driving minivan, it feels like a car and handles easily in any parking lot. I havent noticed any rattling yet as others have reported.