2011 Nissan Quest: Up Close
As we reported earlier, Nissan’s Quest minivan is back after a hiatus. How does it look? Pretty good, though the squared-off rear end is already drawing mixed reviews. In an era of overly bold grilles, I’m surprised by how well the large chrome strip works on the Quest, especially because the show model is a dark color, which tends to be the worst-case scenario for shiny bits. Against a lighter color, it would blend in even better.
The show car is an SL, the second-highest trim level of four. The interior quality is quite good, though we’re always hesitant to make a final judgment — positive or negative — at an auto show because of the lighting and the early stage of show cars.
The second row comes only as two captain’s chairs, so the Quest won’t be competing with the Honda Odyssey to accommodate three child-safety seats across. The third row is a three-seater, but it’s not going to happen there.
Unlike other minivans, the Quest’s second- and third-row seats fold forward without any tricky mechanisms or storage spaces between the first and second row. We’ve noted that Chrysler’s Stow ‘n Go second-row seats are impressive to operate, but they’re thin and not super comfortable. The same was true of the previous Quest. This version’s second row is pretty comfortable — a definite improvement — but my knees were still raised a good bit. They weren’t touching the front seat’s backrest when I moved the captain’s chair all the way back, but I was sitting on my tailbone.
The seats fold simply: One handle flops the whole thing forward and flat, and a higher lever on the backrest tilts it and slides the seat forward for easier third-row access. I found good headroom back there and decent legroom, unless the second row was back all the way. But again, my knees were still higher than they were in the second row.
The Quest has a deep well behind the third row, with covers to keep stuff out of sight and to provide a flat floor once the seats are folded. Unlike other vans, the third row folds forward like in a crossover. It’s super easy to use: Just pull the strap and the seat drops forward. The show car had switches on the side walls that release the seats, which spring forward on their own. They’re not really powered, though a power-return feature comes on the higher trim level.
Nissan has never had a truly competitive minivan, but this one looks like it has a shot.
