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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  Good minivan option with minor quirks - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Jdevine - February 4 - 10:00 am

  Weve had our Qwest SE for 4 months. Its comfortable and drives well. We can fit plenty of stuff and the styling is attractive to us. The additional features of the SE (5 speed, sky lights, leather, etc.) are nice. All the electrical widgets (auto doors etc.) still work fine and our 1.5 year old likes the DVD. On the down side, fuel economy stinks, no where near what they advertise. Poor interior build quality, the back of the van rattled like a 1991 Econoline industrial version within a week of taking it home. Also, our van came with running boards. They look cool, but I dont like them. The van is so close to the ground, it gets in the way.

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  2000 Quest SE - 2001 Nissan Quest
  By MMattson - February 2 - 10:00 am

  1. Good pickup. Repeated problems with alignment. 2. Leather seats worth extra money, as are moonroof, upgraded stereo and VCR. 3.Great visibility, not much maneuverablity in parking lots. 4.Steering wheel controls for stereo are a godsend. 5.Running boards, alloy wheels, and silver color adds sporty details to an otherwise solid design. 6. Disappointed by electrical problems with rear windshield wiper; service department has not resolved difficulties. Other electrical problems include overdrive on/off switch, and digital readout for stereo and clock, both working intermittantly. 7. Never had any engine, brake, transmission problems.

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  04 Quest from Hell - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By sugaz23 - February 1 - 6:40 pm

  Where to start. Had the van a month, the 6 disc cd player died, ive replaced it 4 times since. Replaced brakes and rotors every year. Power sliding doors have their own mind, theyll open when they want. Sun roof leaks. Had to replace cam shaft position censor only to find out it need a new computer! Everyone said how reliable Nissans are, well the motor might never die, but everything else around it will! I will never own another Nissan and im telling everyone i know not to get one either!

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  Bugs and more bugs - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Bxbean - January 31 - 6:30 am

  The end of my story is that we bought out our lease early and walked away from this piece of junk. The list of problems are too numerous to list, but here goes: power sliding doors opened by themselves (recall, fixed), passenger sliding door rattles and lets air in to cabin (not a good thing when its 10 degrees out), starting problems went on for over two years, new brakes needed after only 30,000 miles of driving. Also, interior materials feel cheap, fan blower is very loud, even on the lowest setting, heater works poorly. We took the vehicle to Lemon Law and settled for a modest amount of money and walked away through an early lease termination. Nissan Corporate was not responsive.

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  need some improvement - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Linda - January 27 - 8:40 am

  it is fun to drive it and comfortable for my family. this is my 3rd nissan quest.

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  One Year - Great Mini Van!!! - 2011 Nissan Quest
  By joequest - January 24 - 3:47 am

  Had my Quest for one year now with 12,000 miles on it and not a problem yet. Frequently have 7 passengers in the car with no complaints. Drives smooth on the highway and so far so good. I must add that the CVT does lag a tad when hitting the gas from start. It doesnt bother me too much but wish it picked up quicker. Did a lot of research before going with the Quest, but I also have a 1995 Villager with a Nissan Engine that is still going strong also and just cant get rid of it. I did trade in my 2003 Grand Caravan and dont regret it a bit. All I can say is "Love the Quest!" Thinking of getting a second one whenever my 95 Villager stops running, but that may be years away

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  Great Minivan for the price - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Mastro calo - January 15 - 1:06 am

  I am very happy day by day to have mi new Nissan Quest 3.5S 2005, runs like a car, comfort inside,(seats, view, space, quietness) is excelent, for 23,500 plus taxes and Dealer charges($ 25,450 Total)is excelent. The radio-CD works great..good in gas 19mpg combine, with Regular gasoline. Ride is excellent..I love it!! Thanks Nissan.

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  Minivan with personality - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By my_first_nissan - January 11 - 11:43 pm

  With all the reviews Ive observed, this was the only minivan I considered. Im glad I chose Quest since it is powerful, handles very well especially for a minivan, has so much room for passengers and storage. Im still breaking it in, but it has enough torque to zoom zoom under 4k rpm.

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  Everything I Expected - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Content_Quest_Owner - January 1 - 1:20 am

  My wife and I compared several of the leading minivans before buying our Quest. The engine/transmission performance was a major selling point. We also preferred the handling of the Quest over its competitors. The overall styling is superb inside and out. While the centered speedometer is different, glancing at the speedometer became as natural as glancing at the rear-view mirror. The turning radius is larger than my saturn which made navigating in parking lots a challenge. The gas mileage is reasonable for a vehicle of this size. It is more roomy than its competitors. We really like the power rear hatch and side door. The stereo also produces great sound.