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:

• 

  Its not German Engineering - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By J R - August 27 - 4:43 am

  The Quest provides a lot of utility, is very adequate on the highway, and provides decent gas mileage. After 20,000 miles, I am not happy with the number of times that I have been to the dealer (4 in 16 months) to have the sliding doors adjusted. Dealer says they all come back because the bushings wear out frequently. Exterior styling is very good compared to other minivans but the interior uses a lot of plastic and lower grade materials.

• 

  Excellent Family Car - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By sukhi kohli - August 17 - 1:30 am

  My wife used to hate the thought of driving a minivan until she drove Quest. Its the best family car, with ample legroom in front, rear and third row seats. We love taking this car for long drives and will soon drive cross country. I recommend Quest to everybody. Enjoy your ride.

• 

  almost perfect - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By value shopper - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Great van, GLE package a must, The only thing I would like, is more HP , I found that with the 5 of us it took some time getting up to a good speed when getting on the Interstate. If they could produce a 200+ HP van , I would be a Quest customer for life.

• 

  thems the brakes - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By Big Ali - July 20 - 10:00 am

  Nissan make a great van. This is my second Quest. It has tons of room, drives great and looks good. I have only one complaint, the brakes. the breakes needed doing over completely in less than a year. I was not impressed. Vehicle isnt cheap, I lease, but you get what you pay for.

• 

  Disappointing in the end - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Lex - July 14 - 1:53 pm

  Bought the van new with the full nav and entertainment system. Has been a great people mover for family and friends. During the annual safety inspection the mechanic mentioned I may want to look for new tires due to balding and dryrot. I thought this unusual for tires with only 29,000 miles so I went to get a second opinion and was introduced to the Michelin PAX run flat tire ripoff. $1500 tire bill every 30,000 miles with service available in limited facilities (some Honda dealers or Michelin). Even if I would replace the tires and rims myself Nissan allows no options to replace with other tires without voiding the warranty. Customer service you can believe in. Last Nissan for me.

• 

  good car , could be better. - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By shishou - July 10 - 10:00 am

  had alot of problem with the car since i bought it, very comfortable car but it has it share of problem, my car as 14.000 miles and i already change my tire evendought the dealer said that they rotated the tires. my gear change handle already broke, and the dashboard was peeling and was replace.

• 

  Ahead of Its Time - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Mike McGrath - June 28 - 10:13 am

  This is a very nice van. My only complaints are that the liftgate were misaligned when I bought the vehicle, and the "service engine soon" light came on before 1,000 miles. I believe the bugs are worked out now. Before I bought this van, I test drove the Honda Oddesey and the Toyota Sienna. This van is roomier than either. It has much better second row head room than the Oddesey, and handles much better than the Sienna. The 3.5L engine gives it plenty of pep. I like center mounted instrument panel, which is easy to see, and the controls are right where I need them. I bought this for several thousand less than a Honda or Toyota. Great job, Nissan!

• 

  Great Van with some glitches - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By vxk1 - June 9 - 6:40 pm

  The van has beaten all my expectations except that when it is really cold, the driver rear door will not slide open. When I take it to the dealer, nothing can be done unless he reproduces the problem. Bad Servicing Policy!

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  No Problems Here! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By S. - June 9 - 5:43 pm

  Sorry to hear about problems other 04 Quest owners are having, but Ive had mine almost a year with hardly ANY problems. Absolutely no door rattles, electrical, or performance issues. About once every two months the stereo would not come on. Dealer replacing it. Took it on a long camping trip, with the canoe on a Yakima roof rack. It was rock solid, served us well, and still does. Spirited performance, tight handling. Poor gas mileage around town, though (~15.5 mpg). I have come to *prefer* the gauges/display in the center - they are not hidden behind the steering wheel which keeps my eyes up on the road. Yes, there are some things I would change, but Im like that with everything I buy :-)

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  Just drove the 2011 Quest today - 2011 Nissan Quest
  By spookydoo - May 8 - 12:25 pm

  My wife and I drove the 2011 Quest today. Nothing stood out one way or the other in terms of its handling. However, the seats were incredible. They are big, beefy, and Sooooooft. It was cold outside so we turned on the seat heaters. Warmed us up quickly. We didnt want to leave the vehicle. Middle row seats were decent. Back row was ok. Had to move the middle row seats up a little to get enough back row footroom, but nothing that would bother a child and most adults. The exterior boxy back is a little weird, but like most things in life, Im sure well get used to it. Who knows, in a year, we may all be raving about it. We are shopping for a minivan. It is between this and the new Odyssey.