Don't you have to drop the engine to replace the bumper on most cars these days :^)? Maybe that is the problem? Oh, do I love the engine compartment accessibility in my Cherokee...
I am confused about the fact that CR reports having tested all new minivans using regular fuel. The specs I have seen for '04 Quest specify premium. Is this wrong? What does owner's manual actually say? When I test drove Quest04, and questioned salesperson, he told me the engine was built and tuned to run on premium (same engine as Maxima and Murano) but will run OK on regular. He said that the sensors and computer will automatically adjust timing, etc to avoid engine knock (and engine damage) but that these automatic adjustments will also decrease performance a little, and also cut MPG a bit. Can anybody tell me if this is just salesman BS? Any current owners who have tried both? And if it's true that premium gas will give better acceleration and better MPG, what would this have done to CR rankings?
Manufacturer spec reports turning diameter as "curb to curb" - in other words, the diameter of the circle described by the outermost wheels. CR reports the "clearance required by the from bumper for a U-turn" - which will usually be somewhat larger. This explains the 40ft/ 44ft discrepancy in Quest specs. In my opinion, the CR measurement is a better everyday comparison - when maneuvering in a parking lot, I'm concerned about what I might "bump into to", not just what my wheels might "run over". I'm still trying to decide whether I want to upgrade my '93 Quest (190 inches long) to the new '04 (204 inches long), or go over to a Mazda MPV, which is almost the same size as what I am used to.
CR uses a different method for reporting cargo space: they use an "expandable pipe frame" to find the largest rectagular box which can be loaded thru the rear lifgate and fully enclosed. This method is advantageous to vehicles with nearly vertical side walls, and a large tailgate opening. Conversely, it underestimates the useable space in a vehicle with more sloping walls (narrower at top than bottom), or a tailgate opening which is narrower than the full body width. This is why 2004 Quest reports as only slightly larger than Mazda MPV, when in reality, it has a much larger interior. At least as large as Sienna. Unless you use your minivan to haul large (refrigerator size) objects, this measurement is not particularly meaningful to the way most people actually load their vans. Would be better to report total volume + separate dimensions for tailgate opening and sliding door openings.
I have a 2004 Quest SE. Great van! We've already taken a road trip and it was a pleasure to have this vehicle! However, the other day I loaded up the van with six adults and one child. As we drove around town, I noticed that from a stop (at a red light, for example) the van would not accelerate well at all. In fact, in felt similar to a slipping clutch in a car with a manual transmission. I wouldn't have expected this from a nice-sized 6 cylinder! Once we were above 10 mph or so, everything felt fine. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar? I heard that the transmission on one of the 350Z models was having some problems...
Use unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index) number(Research octane number 91).
For improved vehicle performance, NISSAN recommends the use of unleaded premium gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91 AKI number (Research octane number 96).
I'm a mechanical engineer (in major appliances) that dealt with Consumer Reports impact on my own job. I would like to say that they do provide a positive service to "raise the bar" of products, both in performance and in durability. They come up with novel tests, some very good methods of evaluation, but others not necessarily true representations of product performance.
They can sway results wildly one way or the other in their rankings by the particular model they choose to test. For instance, if a washing machine is selected, you could have a heavily featured electronic model of one manufacturer compared against a bare-bones electromechanical model. No doubt the electronic will score higher. They also will buy a variety of the higher volume manufacturers products, but may select just one or two models of the lowest volume manufacturers which can severely slight ratings. That said, they do try to obtain the "flagship" product of a manufacturer to a degree, and I still say they can provide a service by instilling manufacturers to do a better job. Be aware that problems aren't necessarily dissected between the main (think expensive) guts and the peripheral extras that you may not even use or opt for.
They also don't evaluate the entire "field of products available." For riding lawn tractors group evaluation a few years back, their review picked a standard entry level mower, with the most basic mulching feature, for their review of mulching mower ratings. Yet Deere's true mulching deck (Freedom) with a novel approach to blade rotation was not tested (kicks butt for the record!).
Back to cars/vans/trucks - things they have done well is to emphasize the issue of roll overs on SUV's (very real in an evasive maneuver). Still subjective on anything beyond an emperical evaluation (like braking distances, acceleration times).....
Sometimes, their car testing is weird too. In the recent minivan report, they tested a nearly loaded Odyssey EX-L with i-Res with a Sienna LE, a MPV ES, a Quest 3.5 SL, a Grand Caravan eX and a Sedona EX. A 3.5 SL vs. an EX-Leather?! Come on. Buy the base. The Odyssey EX with cloth would have been a better choice. The Odyssey they tested was the most expensive too.
Hi imvandyman, I have experienced slowness even without full load. It happend few times. I took it to the dealer and no problem found. I think there is some issue and I couldn't reproduce it when I took it to the dealer. We took it to long drive and it ran very well. Got 25 mpg with regular gas. Thinking of using premium next time to see if that will eliminate the sudeen slowness!
I don't think this is a Nissan problem, per se. When you load one of these vans and increase the weight by 1,000+ lbs, you are increasing the need for low end torque, something none of these Japenese engines have in abundance.
Look at it this way: the major gains in V6 performance in the last 10 years have come from variable valve timing, which puts a lot of punch into an engine in the mid-upper RPM range, but does precious little for low RPM, i.e. < 2,000 RPM. Torque ratings are what matters for off-the-line performance, especially under load, and horsepower becomes more important at higher RPM. Hence you find less than tremendous performance at low RPM, and quite excellent performance at high RPM.
This is why there is still a market for V8's, and also why a 4.0L inline six cylinder Jeep with 190 HP and 225 lb/ft of torque has a 1,500 lb greater towing capacity than a late model minivan with 242 HP and 240 lb/ft of torque. By the numbers, this makes no sense (especially since a heavier minivan is better equipped to handle a heavy trailer from a "trailer whip" perspective), so you have to look at the numbers throughout the RPM range, as "max" engine figures aren't terribly relevant unless you drive at over 4,000 RPM. The Jeep engine puts out 95% of max torque at 1,800 RPM. The various Japanese V6's probably haven't crested 150 lb/ft of torque at 1,800 RPM. Hence the sluggishness under load at under 10 mph (low RPM), but the impressive performance at 3,000 RPM and up.
Of course, the Jeep 4.0L also gets 16-18 mpg as a consequence - pretty bad for a six cylinder only moving 3,300 lbs. You want low end torque, you give up fuel economy. You want to achieve fuel economy with variable valve timing, you give up low end torque (or rather you don't increase it much from previous iterations of these engines that had lower max torque and HP figures). To my knowledge, nobody has achieved both, although these new V6's remain extremely impressive for the power/economy figures they achieve.
Although I don't favor the Sienna, I will admit that Toyota has done the most impressive job with a smaller displacement engine (3.3L vs. 3.5L) and max torque about 1,000 RPM sooner (3,600 RPM vs. ~4,500 RPM for Quest & Odyssey). This is what explains CR's test scores in acceleration. Yes, the Sienna has less max torque and horsepower, but it may be achieving as much or more power in the 3,000 RPM range with a smaller, and therefore slightly more efficient engine. Although I didn't feel that difference in my test drives - I put the Sienna last in engine performance to the Quest and Odyssey...but suspect that was engine/transmission combo and not a lack of engine power.
Can anyone say where the microfilter is located on the 2004 Quest? I guess its me, but there doesn't seem to be any reference as to where it is located. Thanks and a good day to ya!
I found the following on page 8-18 of the owners manual. Apparently, it's not designed to be user-replaceable.
IN-CABIN MICROFILTER
The in-cabin microfilter restricts the entry of airborne dust and pollen particles and reduces some objectionable outside odors. The filter is located behind the glove box. Refer to the "NISSAN Service and Maintenance Guide" for change intervals.
If replacement is required, see your NISSAN dealer.
If it's behind the glovebox (same location as the filter in my Elantra--if it had a filter, which it doesn't), it may not be that hard to replace yourself. On the Elantra it involves removing the glovebox (not too hard). Does Nissan have service manuals available on the Internet, as do some automakers?
backy---I haven't been able to locate a service manual at the Nissan web site. I'll keep looking. I would guess that to replace the filter, the glove box would have to be removed.
It was easy to access on my Venture; a plastic panel that was removable by hand through the glove box.
Nissan Quest 2004. Thank goodness. I must admit that I bought before the crash test out of necessity but with trepidation. It's not up on the Ins. Inst for Hwy Safety website yet, but it must be true. It's on the dateline website, too.
We took our first test drive this past weekend. Looking to replace a Windstar which had lots of problems, but luckily came with awful Ford service. On the Quest, my wife immediatly noticed hot air blowing on her legs even though we had a/c on. Looks like the Quest problem page is on top of this issue. Let's hope Nissan fixes it quickly. One other concern was the small back seat, sounds likes it's small to fit into its well. I need to put my overgrown teenager in the backseat to see if he's comfortable, even though he could sit zombie-like on a bed of nails as long as he was playing gameboy. Otherwise, we like the many other features, power and styling. We also tried to see a Sienna but they did not have any. We were told that the Toyota dealer would call when one comes in but "we better drive right on down to see it before it's gone". I have aneighbor who was offered a Sienna for $1,000 OVER MSRP.
I have just over 500 miles on my SL now. Am having no probs with the a/c. When do you get the car broken in so that your gas mileage gets to a stable point? Is it like 3000 miles? I really want the city mileage to come up to 19. I do mostly city driving, about 8 miles a day, total. The gas mileage really improves if I can get on a 4 lane road for a while, but most days, it is stop, start on a 2 lane. I really love the van.
Have about 2,000 miles and the last 3 full tanks have been averaging 19-20 mpg (combo city/hwy) and with AC ON about 80% of the time. Have the same issue with the warm/hot air from the center console foot vents with AC ON, but I noticed when you turn the fan off, the air that comes in from the outside is much cooler. Told the dealer about it, but they weren't aware of it. We will bring it in as soon as a solution is found. Overall, really happy with the Quest!
I have SL. I bought the first week it was released. We noticed the hot air after few weeks when the outside temp was 80+. Took it to dealer they didn't know anything and said the dash board design is causing the issue. I was not convinced. Called Nissan and they were aware & work on a fix. If you are having similar issue please call Nissan 1-800-Nissan-1. If more customer call then they might try to get the fix soon. I also noticed in Problem discussion board that some one got this issue fixed by getting the Heating System replaced. When I called Nissan they said they are still working on it.
Regarding MPG. I am getting around 17 in city and 24 on Highway. Some times I gives only 15 in city.
to get a true reading, you shouldnt use the trip computer...use old math. also, to achieve a true number, dont top off the tank. use the reading when the filler shuts off.
My SL with 209 miles shows 14.8 MPG. That was somewhat of a shock. I'll have to do it using the old math method. Otherwise, I am extremely happy with it. I love it.
In-city mpg is a tough animal. My '99 GCS is rated 17 mpg in the city, 24 on the highway. I can easily get 24-25 mpg when cruising on freeways at 65-70 mpg. If I keep at 60 (not possible or practical on most freeways) I get near 30. But in the city, the van averages about 14 mpg with my wife as the main driver. I think she has a little heavier foot than I do and has the A/C on all the time (allergies). I can get 17+ mpg in the city with careful driving, no A/C, and no rush hour traffic. Eight miles a day sounds like a lot of short trips. If there's a lot of stop-and-go traffic with that, I think it's unrealistic to expect to hit 19 mpg in overall city driving with such a large, powerful vehicle. Check out the mpg figures CR attained on their recent test--it wasn't close to 19 in the city.
I bought the SE fully loaded with dual DVD screens and the Navigation. I love the navigation system. It will find the nearest atm's ,hotels ect. And if you make a wrong turn it will re-route you automatically. The sky-view is nice but not mandatory. I would think in the southern states where you get plenty of sun the sky-view wouldn't be a selling point but in the pacific NW extra light in the winter is great. This van has so many little features it's hard to remember what all it does. The running boards have a clear strip of plastic running the whole length that lights up at night when you open or close the doors. It looks great. I didn't even know that it did that when I purchased it. Anyway enough about my van.
Do all of the 2004 quests have a problem with the dashboard reflecting into the windshield. On the one we test drove it was _really_ noticeable (looked like a heads up display).
Also, how long does it take you to get used to the center-mounted instrument panel. Seems pretty unusual to me.
I have the tan interior with the tan leather. I can see the reflection in the windshield if I am looking for it, but don't notice it most of the time. I think that may be why the dashboard is made of a non reflecting material. I figure it is the angle of the windshield. There are probably compounds like they use on glasses that they could use to make it not do that.
The center mounted speedometer console is not a problem for me. After the first 2-3 days of driving it, I looked right at it. I do like the center pod a/c and radio controls. They are very easy to find and use.
Overall, I love the van. I have a SL trim with the leather. Sort of wish now that I had gotten the built in DVD. But you know how it goes. Gotta decide at some point.
I really think Nissan could trump Toyota with the driver's side power sliding door add on to the SL trim. I think they were in cahoots on this though. Not having a van before, I really didn't know how much I'd like the power doors. But I didn't really want the skylights in the south.
Yeah the automankers really know how to screw us. The main reason I went with the SE was because of the driver side power slider. I mean come on what is my wife supposed to do with a little baby walk around the car all the time? No it makes sense that the driver side be powered. They always leave out that one important feature that you really want and put it in the highest trim package.
nissan is developing a retro-fit accessory for the other door. it may be a few months before it comes to market, but it should be coming soon. i would guess it would be between $500 and $1000 when it comes.
to the masses. Wonder if they will just put 2 sliding doors as an option on the Quest SL in the future. I wonder if they will offer the DVD as a post purchase add on
I too have the tan interior but with cloth and live in the Arizona desert. I was out and about today and you know, I did not notice the reflection although I know its there. It was the same with my Chev Venture. The center-mounted instrument panel was something I got use to very quickly. After driving mine for two and one-half weeks, it is like it has always been there; that feature I really like. There is one thing that is somewhat annoying and that is, depending on which direction the van is headed, when the light shines into the instrument panel, it really dims the ability to read it, especially the lcd display. For example, when this happens it is difficult to see whether or not the cruise control is on or set as well as other functions that appear on the lcd. The visibility of the speedometer and RPM seems to be okay. In spite of this, I am still thrilled with mine. I was star stricken from the very first time I saw it. I really just love it.
Picked up my SE last Saturday. Left on 1300 mile trip on Sunday. Just got back this morning. GREAT TRIP!!
Averaged 20.2 MPG at 80 MPH with 3 people and around 400 pounds worth of stuff (Not bad! should improve in time).
No noticeable reflection problem, but weather was mostly overcast, so...
I have found I like(!) the instruments in the center. It took 10 minutes to get used to everything, and I find I can scan all the main and auxiliary functions much easier than with the dashes of my other cars. The layout of the pod is quite functional and it makes everything very accessible. It's just non-traditional, so don't knock it for that reason alone. I think it's actually more user-friendly compared to my 3 Mercedes'.
I'll post a more in-depth evaluation of the van and my TOP-10 likes and dislikes as soon as I catch up on email, calls, etc.
The 2004 Quest. I bought Smoke with grey leather. Actually the dealer is sending it to have the seats done in grey leather because it only came with the tan leather. I am really interested in those running boards. I didn't even know that was an option. I bought the sl, is that option available in that model? I like the way previous poster said they light up. Very cool.
Yes the running boards are an option for all models. they MSRP at about 550.00 They are cool. Not to mention they save the sides of the van from rocks and asphalt.
We bought our 2004 Nissan Quest SE about 2 weeks a go. We like the car a lot. However, we recently noticed that the both power sliding doors (especially the driver side) could fail and consequences could be very serious. I summarized below what I observed and I was wondering if you observed any similar behavior. Or, is this the way it is supposed to work (hope not!)?
According the specs, while the door is closing, when you put an object or apply a force in the opposite direction, the door is supposed to open automatically and should not close all the way. It works fine when the door is about 8 (or less) inches open before it fully closes. But the first problem is when you apply the pressure earlier (more than 8 inches open) it does not work. It keeps closing. I think it should open automatically at any point when there is a pressure in the opposite direction. The second and more serious problem is that while the door is half way or more open and when you put the pressure and keep the pressure on, it keeps closing all the way!!! I tried it several times and it did the same all the time on both doors. I put a medium pressure with my hand and pushed it the other way. It keep closing all the way till the end and I had the pull out my hand just before the door fully closes. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU DO THE TEST, THE DOOR IS HIGHLY LIKELY TO FAIL AND CAUSE A SERIOUS INJURY.
I will take the car to the Nissan service and keep you updated on this issue. Please let me know if yours work fine or if this is how it supposed to work in general with power sliding doors.
If you ar putting a constant pressure on the door it could think that you are parked on a hill and just requires more effort to close. It is when there is an abnormal pressure the door backs off. I think all these power doors work this way.
that is correct. also, the reason that you need more pressure when the door is more open, is because it is a graduating pressure scale. it is by design for just that purpose, so parking on an incline wont keep it from starting.
quest0904...read your owners' manual VERY CAREFULLY...it will explain all this. obviously, your salesperson didnt know jack diddly about his product...these are things i normally go over with my customers before they leave.
I love the sky view roof. I have not, however, sat in a van that had it myself. My question is: do the glass panes have sliding shades to keep direct sun out when wanted? I just bought a 2003 Chrysler a few months ago, so I'm out of the market now; but, in a couple of years, I think I found my next van. Hopefully they hold up well for you!
Comments
Nay
When I test drove Quest04, and questioned salesperson, he told me the engine was built and tuned to run on premium (same engine as Maxima and Murano) but will run OK on regular. He said that the sensors and computer will automatically adjust timing, etc to avoid engine knock (and engine damage) but that these automatic adjustments will also decrease performance a little, and also cut MPG a bit. Can anybody tell me if this is just salesman BS? Any current owners who have tried both? And if it's true that premium gas will give better acceleration and better MPG, what would this have done to CR rankings?
CR reports the "clearance required by the from bumper for a U-turn" - which will usually be somewhat larger. This explains the 40ft/ 44ft discrepancy in Quest specs. In my opinion, the CR measurement is a better everyday comparison - when maneuvering in a parking lot, I'm concerned about what I might "bump into to", not just what my wheels might "run over".
I'm still trying to decide whether I want to upgrade my '93 Quest (190 inches long) to the new '04 (204 inches long), or go over to a Mazda MPV, which is almost the same size as what I am used to.
Thanks
FUEL RECOMMENDATION
Use unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index) number(Research octane number 91).
For improved vehicle performance, NISSAN recommends the use of unleaded premium gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91 AKI number (Research octane number 96).
I'm a mechanical engineer (in major appliances) that dealt with Consumer Reports impact on my own job. I would like to say that they do provide a positive service to "raise the bar" of products, both in performance and in durability. They come up with novel tests, some very good methods of evaluation, but others not necessarily true representations of product performance.
They can sway results wildly one way or the other in their rankings by the particular model they choose to test. For instance, if a washing machine is selected, you could have a heavily featured electronic model of one manufacturer compared against a bare-bones electromechanical model. No doubt the electronic will score higher. They also will buy a variety of the higher volume manufacturers products, but may select just one or two models of the lowest volume manufacturers which can severely slight ratings. That said, they do try to obtain the "flagship" product of a manufacturer to a degree, and I still say they can provide a service by instilling manufacturers to do a better job. Be aware that problems aren't necessarily dissected between the main (think expensive) guts and the peripheral extras that you may not even use or opt for.
They also don't evaluate the entire "field of products available." For riding lawn tractors group evaluation a few years back, their review picked a standard entry level mower, with the most basic mulching feature, for their review of mulching mower ratings. Yet Deere's true mulching deck (Freedom) with a novel approach to blade rotation was not tested (kicks butt for the record!).
Back to cars/vans/trucks - things they have done well is to emphasize the issue of roll overs on SUV's (very real in an evasive maneuver). Still subjective on anything beyond an emperical evaluation (like braking distances, acceleration times).....
steve
central wisconsin gearhead
I have experienced slowness even without full load. It happend few times. I took it to the dealer and no problem found. I think there is some issue and I couldn't reproduce it when I took it to the dealer. We took it to long drive and it ran very well. Got 25 mpg with regular gas. Thinking of using premium next time to see if that will eliminate the sudeen slowness!
Look at it this way: the major gains in V6 performance in the last 10 years have come from variable valve timing, which puts a lot of punch into an engine in the mid-upper RPM range, but does precious little for low RPM, i.e. < 2,000 RPM. Torque ratings are what matters for off-the-line performance, especially under load, and horsepower becomes more important at higher RPM. Hence you find less than tremendous performance at low RPM, and quite excellent performance at high RPM.
This is why there is still a market for V8's, and also why a 4.0L inline six cylinder Jeep with 190 HP and 225 lb/ft of torque has a 1,500 lb greater towing capacity than a late model minivan with 242 HP and 240 lb/ft of torque. By the numbers, this makes no sense (especially since a heavier minivan is better equipped to handle a heavy trailer from a "trailer whip" perspective), so you have to look at the numbers throughout the RPM range, as "max" engine figures aren't terribly relevant unless you drive at over 4,000 RPM. The Jeep engine puts out 95% of max torque at 1,800 RPM. The various Japanese V6's probably haven't crested 150 lb/ft of torque at 1,800 RPM. Hence the sluggishness under load at under 10 mph (low RPM), but the impressive performance at 3,000 RPM and up.
Of course, the Jeep 4.0L also gets 16-18 mpg as a consequence - pretty bad for a six cylinder only moving 3,300 lbs. You want low end torque, you give up fuel economy. You want to achieve fuel economy with variable valve timing, you give up low end torque (or rather you don't increase it much from previous iterations of these engines that had lower max torque and HP figures). To my knowledge, nobody has achieved both, although these new V6's remain extremely impressive for the power/economy figures they achieve.
Although I don't favor the Sienna, I will admit that Toyota has done the most impressive job with a smaller displacement engine (3.3L vs. 3.5L) and max torque about 1,000 RPM sooner (3,600 RPM vs. ~4,500 RPM for Quest & Odyssey). This is what explains CR's test scores in acceleration. Yes, the Sienna has less max torque and horsepower, but it may be achieving as much or more power in the 3,000 RPM range with a smaller, and therefore slightly more efficient engine. Although I didn't feel that difference in my test drives - I put the Sienna last in engine performance to the Quest and Odyssey...but suspect that was engine/transmission combo and not a lack of engine power.
Nay
Thanks anyway!
Thanks and a good day to ya!
IN-CABIN MICROFILTER
The in-cabin microfilter restricts the entry of airborne dust and pollen particles and reduces some objectionable outside odors. The filter is located behind the glove box. Refer to the "NISSAN Service and Maintenance Guide" for change intervals.
If replacement is required, see your NISSAN dealer.
backy---I haven't been able to locate a service manual at the Nissan web site. I'll keep looking. I would guess that to replace the filter, the glove box would have to be removed.
It was easy to access on my Venture; a plastic panel that was removable by hand through the glove box.
Steve, Host
Thank goodness.
Steve, Host
Otherwise, we like the many other features, power and styling. We also tried to see a Sienna but they did not have any. We were told that the Toyota dealer would call when one comes in but "we better drive right on down to see it before it's gone". I have aneighbor who was offered a Sienna for $1,000 OVER MSRP.
Steve, Host
Have the same issue with the warm/hot air from the center console foot vents with AC ON, but I noticed when you turn the fan off, the air that comes in from the outside is much cooler.
Told the dealer about it, but they weren't aware of it. We will bring it in as soon as a solution is found.
Overall, really happy with the Quest!
Steve, Host
If you are having similar issue please call Nissan 1-800-Nissan-1. If more customer call then they might try to get the fix soon.
I also noticed in Problem discussion board that some one got this issue fixed by getting the Heating System replaced. When I called Nissan they said they are still working on it.
Regarding MPG. I am getting around 17 in city and 24 on Highway. Some times I gives only 15 in city.
Otherwise, I am extremely happy with it. I love it.
Also, how long does it take you to get used to the center-mounted instrument panel. Seems pretty unusual to me.
Thx.
The center mounted speedometer console is not a problem for me. After the first 2-3 days of driving it, I looked right at it. I do like the center pod a/c and radio controls. They are very easy to find and use.
Overall, I love the van. I have a SL trim with the leather. Sort of wish now that I had gotten the built in DVD. But you know how it goes. Gotta decide at some point.
I really think Nissan could trump Toyota with the driver's side power sliding door add on to the SL trim. I think they were in cahoots on this though. Not having a van before, I really didn't know how much I'd like the power doors. But I didn't really want the skylights in the south.
The center-mounted instrument panel was something I got use to very quickly. After driving mine for two and one-half weeks, it is like it has always been there; that feature I really like.
There is one thing that is somewhat annoying and that is, depending on which direction the van is headed, when the light shines into the instrument panel, it really dims the ability to read it, especially the lcd display. For example, when this happens it is difficult to see whether or not the cruise control is on or set as well as other functions that appear on the lcd. The visibility of the speedometer and RPM seems to be okay.
In spite of this, I am still thrilled with mine. I was star stricken from the very first time I saw it. I really just love it.
Averaged 20.2 MPG at 80 MPH with 3 people and around 400 pounds worth of stuff (Not bad! should improve in time).
No noticeable reflection problem, but weather was mostly overcast, so...
I have found I like(!) the instruments in the center. It took 10 minutes to get used to everything, and I find I can scan all the main and auxiliary functions much easier than with the dashes of my other cars. The layout of the pod is quite functional and it makes everything very accessible. It's just non-traditional, so don't knock it for that reason alone. I think it's actually more user-friendly compared to my 3 Mercedes'.
I'll post a more in-depth evaluation of the van and my TOP-10 likes and dislikes as soon as I catch up on email, calls, etc.
According the specs, while the door is closing, when you put an object or apply a force in the opposite direction, the door is supposed to open automatically and should not close all the way. It works fine when the door is about 8 (or less) inches open before it fully closes. But the first problem is when you apply the pressure earlier (more than 8 inches open) it does not work. It keeps closing. I think it should open automatically at any point when there is a pressure in the opposite direction. The second and more serious problem is that while the door is half way or more open and when you put the pressure and keep the pressure on, it keeps closing all the way!!! I tried it several times and it did the same all the time on both doors. I put a medium pressure with my hand and pushed it the other way. It keep closing all the way till the end and I had the pull out my hand just before the door fully closes. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU DO THE TEST, THE DOOR IS HIGHLY LIKELY TO FAIL AND CAUSE A SERIOUS INJURY.
I will take the car to the Nissan service and keep you updated on this issue. Please let me know if yours work fine or if this is how it supposed to work in general with power sliding doors.
quest0904...read your owners' manual VERY CAREFULLY...it will explain all this. obviously, your salesperson didnt know jack diddly about his product...these are things i normally go over with my customers before they leave.
I notice that sometimes when I accelerate from a halt, I can peel the wheels (they spin). I thought the traction control would take care of this.
We are talking dry (not wet) road.
Any thougths?
According to computer, I am getting 18.1 MPG on city driving on my Quest SE...
Not bad...
Regular Gas is more volatile... burns faster and a lot of the energy is wasted in heat. Higher Octane gas burns slower and translates into more power.
Not sure if that is the cause of your problem...