Nissan Quest SL

isan

Specifications

Model as tested	2011 Nissan Quest 3.5 SL
Base Price	$34,350
Price as Tested	$37,490
Engine Type	3.5L V6
Engine Size	3.5 liters
Horsepower @ RPM	260 @ 5200 RPM
Torque (lb-ft) @ RPM	240 @ 4800 RPM
Transmission	Continuously Variable Speed Automatic
Wheelbase / Overall Length	118.1 inches / 200.8 inches
Ground Clearance	6.6 inches
Curb Weight	4,480 lbs.
Fuel Capacity	20.0 gallons
Fuel Type / System	Gas Engine / Sequential Electronic Fuel Injected, Sequential Port Fuel Injected Sequential, Multi-Port Fuel Injected
Tires	18-Inch Aluminum Alloys Wheels with 235/55R18 Tires
Brakes	Front/Rear Disc Brakes, ABS Brakes, Electronic Brake Assistance
Passenger Volume	167.10 cubic feet
Cargo Volume	35.10 cubic feet

Performance / Safety / Warranty

EPA Fuel Economy – miles per gallon city / highway / observed	19 / 24 / 21 mpg
Air Bags	Driver, Passenger, Front Side, Side Head Curtain Air Bags
Basic Warranty	36 months / 36,000 miles
Powertrain Warranty	60 months / 60,000 miles

Options and Charges

Destination Charge (delivery, processing, and handling fee)	$800
DVD Entertainment System (DVD Entertainment System with 7″ Color In-Dash Monitor (Replaces 4.3″ Color Display), Second-Row 11″ WVGA Screen with Auto Brightness Function, Rear Auxiliary Audio/Video Input Jacks (Deletes Front Auxiliary Audio Input), Remote Control, Two Wireless Headsets, Driver Concentration Switch, 120-Volt AC Power Outlet)	$2,100
Carpeted First, Second, and Third Row Floor Mats	$180
Cargo Net	$60

Let’s play word association- I say sexy, you say…soccer moms? If that was the first thought that entered your mind, then do I have a vehicle for you. Nissan has introduced the new 2011 Quest with bold styling that sets it apart from the rest of the box-on-wheels crowd. I can’t tell you how many looks I got in the local high school parking lot last weekend. When one speaks of minivans these days, the Honda Odyssey, the Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan and the Toyota Sienna come to mind. Rarely does the Nissan Quest enter the fray. That’s probably due to the fact that the previous Quests were less than popular with American buyers.


The first- and second-generation Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager were actually distinctively styled and featured innovative features like sliding rear seats, but they were not in the same league as the competition of the time. The third generation (2004-2009) was actually a big improvement, growing in size and was styled in Nissan’s San Diego-based Nissan Design America (NDA) studio to go after an upscale female audience. That minivan gave the 1996 Ford Taurus a run for its money for having the most oval central stack console ever found in an automobile.

The 2011 Nissan Quest, however, represents a departure from the past. Instead of being designed just for the North American market, this Quest is based on the Japan Domestic Market (JDM) Nissan Elgrand. It’s been Americanized in a few areas, most noticeably in growing in width to suit American tastes. But it retains the tall beltline of JDM minivans.

Driving Impressions

So, I jumped into the Nissan Quest, well actually, slid into the cushy leather 8-way power driver’s seat. I engaged the Sport mode, and floored the gas pedal. Oh wait, who am I kidding here, there is no Sport mode on the Nissan Quest. It has a CVT for god’s sake.

What it does have going for it, though, is that workhorse 3.5-liter V6 found in many other Nissan and Infiniti models. In the Quest the V6 is tuned to produce 260 HP at 6,000 RPM and 240 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400 RPM. So I floored the accelerator and…to my delight, the Quest actually moved! The CVT is actually really smooth and was good at matching engine rpms to the way I stepped on the accelerator. 0 to 60 was…well, let’s just say that there was no problem getting to 60 MPH.


The Quest felt really smooth and solid on the road, with minimal road noise and acceptable wind noise on the freeway. The suspensions is soft, to say the least, and is very capable of glossing over bumps in the road. That being said, I don’t recommend driving the Quest over speed bumps at over 35 MPH. Just trust me on this one. Overall the Quest drove like a…van.

Just like sedans, minivans have grown in size in America. The new Quest drove like the Chevy Astro van that I used to drive for a job in college, and that Astro was no minivan. Parking the Quest was a bit of a challenge in my garage and I had a hard time with tight parking spots at work. The rear view camera is a must (standard on the SV trim and above), since there’s no way you can see behind you in this machine.

Styling

If you’ve decided to shop for a minivan, styling is obviously an important factor for you. Therefore read this section very, very carefully. The new Quest will definitely set you apart from the crowd of minivans in the Safeway parking lot. Not in the same way the lightning bolt beltline on the new Honda Odyssey sets you apart, but the Quest sure looks distinctive next to the other minivans on the market.


As previously mentioned, the 2011 Nissan Quest is based on a JDM minivan, which as a genre manages to look narrow, tall and from the third moon of Saturn. While that design philosophy may be perfect for those tight alleyways in Tokyo, in the US it may backfire on you. Although Nissan increased the JDM Elgrand’s width when making the Quest, the beltline on the Quest is still extremely high compared to competition like the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. This means the Quest has a shorter greenhouse and a lot of metal real estate underneath the windows, which makes the Quest look tall.

The rear door and glass of the Quest is almost vertical, another departure from the rest of the minivan crowd. The Quest’s front end also manages to look different from all other minivans out there. I’m not sure how I feel about it, actually. I hope lots of moms and dads will love it, for Nissan’s sake.




Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
The interior of the 2011 Quest is very spacious. There is more head room, leg room, hip room (second row), shoulder room (second row), name-your-own-body-part room than the competition. I had trouble putting my left arm on the door armrest half the time, because there is so much space around me. This is extremely useful when I had to install the child seat and when we had to put our toddler into that child seat.

I also found it quite easy to move between the front row to the second and third row inside the minivan. Not that I had to, it was just a cool thing to do. The seats on the Quest SL are leather and very comfortable. I would totally take this on a road trip to Vegas. Arm rests on the driver and passenger seats as well as the second row captain’s chairs are comfortable and easy to adjust.

  

The second row seats also fold flat, as does the third row 60/40 split seat. The much-touted permanent rear storage under the floor was actually really handy. It was at a good load height and really spacious. Anything you put in there is hidden out of view too. I only wished Nissan had more cargo netting and dividers there, so things don’t just roll around while driving (a $95 option).

The Quest features useful steering wheel controls for the radio, Bluetooth hands free and cruise control, and for the most part the buttons on the center stack are easy to decipher and use. The only complaint I have is the location of the console-mounted gear shifter. It blocks the driver’s view of the climate controls and audio controls just to the right of the shifter. It’s an annoyance that I could not overcome in the 4 days I had the tester.

  

The rear entertainment system on the SL features an 11 inch monitor for DVDs, which was great for watching my favorite movie, Airplane! It does not have the optional dual screen set-up found in the Odyssey (dual input only available in the SL model), however, which would be great if you have more than one child.

The power sliding passenger doors and lift gate are awesome, and you wouldn’t understand how awesome these features are unless you have kids or love going grocery shopping. But this is standard on all minivans these days. The Quest does have the optional keyless entry system, which is not available in the Odyssey or the Sienna. This is a great feature, you can just leave your key in your pocket at all times, push a button to unlock and lock your doors, and push the start/stop button to turn on the van.

Value

At $37,440 MSRP, the 2011 Nissan Quest SL with the optional DVD entertainment system is priced at comparable levels to the Odyssey and a bit under the Sienna. All the specs and features are very similar in all three vans. They even have nearly identical HP, torque, and MPG numbers. The Quest gets 19 MPG city and 24 highway, and I averaged just over 19 MPG in combined driving. As far as family transport goes, there really is no other vehicle that offers as much space and convenience than a minivan. No SUV or crossover even comes close. But you have to be mentally prepared to deal with the fact that you’re marginally cooler than a school bus driver. No cool marketing with viral YouTube videos is going to change that.

Like I was saying, there is no better family vehicle than the minivan as far as space and convenience goes. Any rational adult would have no problems choosing a minivan over a station wagon, crossover vehicle, or a SUV. But you have to be mentally prepared. Once you make the move, there is no turning back until your kids go to college. So if you are ready to make that move, your next decision is whether or not you want to blend in. There will be plenty of Town & Countrys, Grand Caravans, Siennas and Odysseys out there. Do you want to be one of them? Or do you want to be slightly different and unique? If you want to retain the last thread of individuality left somewhere inside of you, choose the Quest.

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