2013 Nissan Quest Review

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In recent years, the majority of mini-vans on the market have been flushed out by a new era of large cross-over SUV’s.  Only those daring enough to remain traditional have found new ways to provide interest in their offering.  Nissan’s strategy for competing in the 7-passenger segment with its Quest mini-van was to introduce modern styling coupled with performance and comfort.  That said, Nissan did a pretty fine job.  As a matter of fact, the Nissan Quest makes a bold statement – mini-vans are here to stay!

At a first glance, you will quickly notice the enormous size of the Nissan Quest and is especially apparent when compared to other vehicles in a parking lot.  Despite its size, the vehicle is actually fairly easy to maneuver and has a tight turning radius.  Nissan has also equipped the Quest with various technological features to make parking easier.

Blink twice and squint, you’ll notice the designers at Nissan worked hard at drawing boards to break out of the classical box-like minivan trend.  To give a few examples, the sharp side contours and the low side panel skirts give an overall impression of modern youth and the added spoiler and pronounced curvatures on the front and rear head lights gives off a conserved but intelligent and aggressive look.

Interior

It is apparent that Nissan spent a lot of effort on its exterior styling, and they certainly didn’t skimp out on interior.  The interior of the Nissan quest incorporates both form and function by offering a plethora of room for full-size passengers and an abundant of luxury features for added comfort.

When you’re a parent with three or more kids, the unlock button on a remote key fob is usually more like a ring bell to start off the brawl for the best seats in the vehicle.  However; with the Nissan Quest, all  of the passenger seats are near equally comfortable with the driver’s seat being the best out of the seven.  Out of many vehicles we’ve test driven, we always come down to the conclusion that Nissan/Infinity offers the most comfortable seats, and we really mean it.  To prove our point, we violated Nissan’s press vehicle policy and drove the Quest over 1000 km for a golfing weekend with 5 full passengers and a stack of golf clubs.  With the abundance of leg room and excellent support, not one of us complained about discomfort throughout the duration of being in the vehicle.

One of the pitfalls is the lack of cargo space for a full house 7-passenger trip.  Although short grocery runs will suffice, we can see that you will often nominate the passenger with the best Tetris skills to stack and fit large or multiple luggage into the rear compartment.

Technology

Many of the technological features on the Nissan Quest are also shared on the Infinity luxury class.  The Nissan Quest comes with its feature rich infotainment system that bundles GPS navigation, blue-tooth phone and audio connectivity as well as standard AM/FM radio, Sirius XM satellite radio and USB audio.  The particular SL model we test drove was equipped with panoramic video camera that displays a birds-eye-view of the vehicle onto the infotainment screen.  This feature makes parking and backing up a breeze, even with its enormous size.  Despite the abundance of times we’ve used this feature, we still drop our jaws in awe and excitement every time we use it.

The rear seats are also equipped with two 11″ screens encased in the back side of the front passenger seats.  Videos can be played either from a USB media drive, or RCA connectivity.  The Nissan Quest also comes with wireless headphones so that rear passengers can enjoy watching videos without distracting front seat passengers.

In terms of the cockpit, all media controls are easily accessible either on the touch screen infotainment system, or the tactile buttons built onto the steering wheel.  Climate controls are simplistic and ergonomic, but we particularly disliked the PRNDL handle blocking some of the media and climate buttons on the center console.

Driving Impressions

The Nissan Quest has excellent visibility in the front, side and in the rear view while driving.  We particularly liked the blind spot detection with the illuminated amber light built into the side view mirrors to give better assurance for changing lanes.  The Nissan Quest provides ample power in acceleration thanks to its 3.5 liter V6, which produces 260 hp and 240 ft.lbs of torque.  However; due to its weight distribution and front wheel drive, the wheels will often slip on heavier acceleration attempts especially on slippery or slanted hills.

The heavy weight of the vehicle certainly doesn’t do good for its fuel consumption, but it does, overall, provide more stability and comfort for the vehicle.  Driving on the highway or even less traffic intensive city streets remain stress free thanks to its excellent visibility, but busier days or poorer weather can lead to difficulty with squeezing into tight spaces.

Although we haven’t quite reached the age of parenthood yet, we can easily foresee the Nissan Quest to be an excellent choice for larger families.  Although modern 7 seat cross-over SUV’s provide sharper looks and better performance and handling, we’re sure someone high up working at Nissan realizes that you that you can never replace the comfort and versatility of a good old mini-van.