2012 Nissan Quest Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited February 2015 in Nissan
image2012 Nissan Quest Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com spent the past year with a 2012 Nissan Quest. How did the Minivan hold up?

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Comments

  • engineermdengineermd Member Posts: 9
    "After 26K Miles It Rarely Failed To Impress "

    Well that title is BS lol... it seems like most of your testers actually preferred its stand out driving dynamics ... and just the fact it had some differences in styling love em or hate at least there are differences. I am curious who will be the first to throw a diesel in a mini-van. Maybe Chrysler since they are already putting one in the Grand Cherokee... who ever does this will be who earns my business.
  • innovandinnovand Member Posts: 0
    Okay... this has been going on for too long now. What has gotten into the Japanese autos lately? Their styling has gone off the deep end. ESPECIALLY the minivans. It started with the refresh of the minivan offering from Toyota. The front looks like Joan Rivers about to swallow subcompacts whole. Then Honda had to one up it with their Odysee refresh and scare more innocent van-buyers by designing the look of body damage into the sides and then giving a three year old pen & paper to design the window lines. Now, Honda has proved it's ability to design simple, clean, functional vehicles, or on the opposite end, give it a face not even a mother can love (see the entire Acura lineup for proof - someone needs to tell them parrots are only acceptable design inspiration if you're designing aircraft.) Now, just when you think the horror is over, Nissan appears to have arrived to the party (fashionably late, and definitely not fashionable otherwise.) Coincidentally, the Quest now looks much like the Hummer H2 that stumbled by my brother and I on the road today. Except this time I'm not laughing because you paid $45k for it and unlike the H2, it doesn't give rich housewives the ability to go offroadin'. It is; however, so ugly that I believe it should go off-roading... every single one they've produced thus far... off a cliff so we can try again with a design that didn't inspire from the "hovering toaster" look. I see this is a 2012 model, but this is the first I heard they re-designed it. And I guess I can see why (literally) and its doubtful even the most practical of all people-mover-seekers can get past this one. Some automakers wrongly believe minivan buyers want the "crossover look". Some automakers wrongly believe that the minivan is where to test wonky, disproportionate and/or asymmetric design features. Nissan apparently now believes that all your average married-with-kids and intelligent-enough-to-realize-their-hauling-potential types will be turned onto this new, bold design that combines the look of hovering with the functionality of getting stuck on every hill covered in over a half inch of snow, potholes or gravel enough to sign that nice fat car note!

    I will go to sleep tonight with fear that someone has made something worse then the 2005 Uplander/Montana SV6/Relay/Tasmanian or whatever that quadruple atrocity the now thankfully former management at GM let creep onto dealerships and into the fears of millions. Some things are best left forgotten.
  • majordudemajordude Member Posts: 6
    You should read the rest of the long term updates, it they clearly explain why somebody would buy this vehicle. Mini vans are not about the superficial. They are about hauling people and stuff.
  • saintvipersaintviper Member Posts: 177
    Sounds like a nice van. I like the looks but I don't think my wife would. The way the third row seats fold down aren't ideal but I can probably live with that. Being able to remove the middle row without tools would be nice. If they can't be easily removed, that would be a deal breaker. Having the spare underneath the car is going to be a pain for the AAA guy. If I didn't have AAA it would be a deal breaker too.
  • bigcarpagebigcarpage Member Posts: 1
    According to your research, this is an excellent van. I love the fact the engine and transmission are near perfect and it's very comfortable. Using your methodology a 2012 Quest S would be valued at about $18,480 according to TMV and the 34% rule. Considering used van, it would be an obvious "Best Buy". You may not be able to fit 4x8 sheets of plywood with the lift gate closed, but you can still get it in there and not pose a hazard. If I can fit a 10 feet piece of gutter in my 2010 Sentra and close the trunk, this will handle my needs I think. Getting 2X4x8's or 2X12X10's inside is no sweat. They created bungee cords for a reason guys! Sounds like a great used van to me.
  • eclogiteeclogite Member Posts: 48
    Average mileage is mis-calculated, I hope. Actual number would be nice to see...
  • reptoidreptoid Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2012 Nissan Quest SV. We purchased the van after driving a Odyssey and a Sienna. The Sienna we drove was plagued with problems before we even drove off the lot. The seat mechanism in the second row would not allow us to slide or recline it, and the seat belt would not retract into the pillar. So, the Sienna was out. The Honda seemed nice initially, but on the test drive I was amazed at how much road noise entered the cabin and how harsh the ride was. Strike two. The Nissan sold us on its quiet, smooth ride and nice looking interior.
    Unfortunately, now after three years and about 32k miles, I regret my decision. The Quest still rides great, but the CVT seems to get worse with age. The throttle tip in and CVT operation is so sporadic it is nearly impossible to drive smoothly from a stand still. You either lurch terrible or you take off so gently that the CVT "upshifts" to soon and you have to get back on the throttle abnormally hard. I am a very picky "car guy" so this is driving me crazy! Also, this winter is really getting the best of the Quest. This van is the worst vehicle for winter roads I have ever owned! Bar none. The traction control and ABS calibration are awful. It is almost like Nissan wants the van to slide through every intersection. The traction control makes a ton of noise during wheel slip but does almost nothing to correct it. Couple these gripes with the terrible stock tires and this vehicle is a disaster waiting to happen on snowy roads. The tires are pretty much worn out after 32000 miles, despite being rotated at almost every oil change. The front doors are so flimsy you can see the bottoms of the doors "bounce" when you close them. The headliner is made from the cheapest material I have seen in any vehicle since the 80's, and the seat foam is starting to break down on the drivers seat already.
    Initially, the vehicle seemed like a good choice, but after owning one for a lengthy amount of time it is obvious why Nissan has such terrible resale values. I am so sick of this vehicle I tried to trade it in and discovered that I am stuck with it because it has deprecated so much. Apparently I am not the only one who does not want to buy another Nissan product.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Different transmission but my '99 would get a sticky tip-in from a stop sign about every 30,000 miles. Cleaning the throttle body would always fix it for a couple of years. Never was an issue other than from a standing stop though.

    I put Nokian WRG2s on the van when we moved to the UP. Still didn't help a lot in the winter, but it did much better in the wet.

    Good luck with the rest of the time you are stuck with it.... We would up getting a used Grand Caravan when the Quest hit 200k and starting having more frequent issues. The AC leak was the last straw. That said, I'm sure the kid who got it is still driving it.
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