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Also, for those who want paint protection. I had a clear bra put on my Quest. It covers the hood, bumper and side mirrors. It keeps rocks and things from chipping the paint. You can barely tell it is even there. You wash it and wax it just like paint. It does not fade your paint and can be easily removed. I had it put on at a local auto detail specialist shop for $475.00. The Nissan dealer a get my car serviced at is now offering it.
it
We compared the mid-level trim of the Quest, Honda and Toyota. There are some differences and similarities, none show-stoppers for us.
The Quest's claim as the most roomy is justified on several fronts. We have to load a big piece of equipment in the back and measured the vertical opening height of the rear, the width at the top, and max width. We also measured the side doors. Subject to differences in measurement technique, here's what we found
Quest max height (rear) 42", width 49"
Side doors 48" high and 32 wide.
Honda max height 40-40.5", width about 30" at the top and 49 in the middle
Side doors 45" high and 28 wide.
Toyota max height 40", width about 41" at the top and 49 in the middle
Side doors 44" high and 29 wide.
The vehicle we purchased has floormats, seats, splashguards and cabin filter. We paid precisely the invoice price, according to Edmunds, which is roughly $1,200-1,500 less than the other two. Nissan just implemented 3% financing so we saved that as well.
We will also extend the warranty to 5 years, 100K and purchase the roof rack crossbars (around $130) which only come standard on the SE, apparently.
For us it really came down to the Quest versus the Sienna. The Toyota has their rock solid reputation, but is dowdy looking and the vehicle dynamics aren't great. The Quest drives a lot better than it should, despite the large size. I think pumping up the tires to max pressure in front and a few lbs less in the rear would make it even better.
The dashboard layout is not a plus for us. It's slightly inconvenient, and the increased utility doesn't offset that. Because most of our staff uses Garmin portable GPS's, which can be set up directly in front of you and display your exact speed, the size or location of the speedometer was moot.
At home we have a 99 Dodge Caravan (not Grand) Sport. We live in the city so the short wheelbase is advantageous. We remove one of the Captain's Chairs (we have three kids) and gain as much room as a Grand van for most uses.
For the work van the DVD or Nav system didn't cost-justify itself. At home we have the 10" Samsung portable DVD player that can "flip" the screen display at the touch of a button so we can suspend it from the ceiling. Only downside is the headphones require wires. But the screen is fantastic, we can use it wherever we go, it was only $600, and they didn't have factory DVD in 1999.....
I predict the staff here, mostly engineers, will enjoy driving this vehicle a lot more than they expect. It books!
We bought the SL trim because we wanted the five speed. But there have been a lot of changes in the feature matrix for 05, so go to the nissanusa website and look at the packages there - in general, the packages have had features added.
One oddity is that the roof rack crossbars are optional except on the SL. They're about $130. They seem pretty functional, though.
Usually in the end of the year is you get the best deals to move inventory off the lot, but then the '06 models are already on the lot also, so some people just go with the newer models...
Are you sure you want them? We have a '99 Caravan without them. My wife thought she wanted them until we rented a van for a week in FL that had them.
While being able to open the door from the fob may be handy if you have your hands full, our experience was that the kids may bolt ahead to the van, instead of staying with you. Most of them are very difficult to open or close manually (the Quest is the easiest we've see so far), and it quickly becomes an annoyance rather than a convenience. I gave up buying a new one without them because only the base models are so equipped and we wanted some of the other features.
The Caravan has the easiest to open manual doors we've run into (by a small margin) but the detent when the door locks back seems very secure compared to most others.
The big plus for the new model Quest is the size of the side doors. They open up wider and higher by several inches than the vehicles from Honda and Toyota, at least.
Also, I finally decided to switch to premium (93 octane) this morning. Only doing about 20 mpg in mixed city/highway driving, I figure if I can get another 2-3 mpg I'll come out ahead at current prices. We'll see. I've talked about it before but always chickened out at the pump.
My wife and I both know that we have about 3 gallons remaining once the fuel light stays on.
The mpg comparison with premium sounds interesting. I'll be waiting for your results.
Perhaps Nissan has done the same.
We had two Subarus and one could be driven until the needle was completely below the E and there was still over a gallon in the tank. Tried the same thing in Subaru #2 and had to call AAA....
1,500 miles on it now and it's been excellent. We use it at work and even the biggest minivan hater is now an enthusiast of the Quest! That engine is terrific and we're averaging 21-22 mpg in mixed by mostly highway driving, with a load. Very impressive. One coworker bought an 04 Honda Ody and after he looked at and drove the Quest he wishes he'd tried it before buying.
Well, lets just say that the video shows a G35 booking it down a snowy road, the driver swerves to miss a car and is able to stay in control and in the road and continue on his way.
Being safer, I testing this in a parking lot at speeds up to 35mph. The vehicle makes lots of noises, the ABS sounds, but, it doesn't swerve like the G35 did in the snow. I suspect it is due to the Quest weight and higher center of gravity.
I 'think' that the VDC was working, but, wasn't able to tell. Since the ABS modulator was running, even though I wasn't touching the brakes, I assume it was attempting some wizardry. However, I know that the TCS worked and did retard the engine to match conditions.
So, anyone else tested VDC and have a story about it? Good or bad?
Mark
I've also tested the VDC in a snowy parking lot and noticed that it is definetely applying the ABS brakes even without touching the brake pedal. This seems to help "snap" the Quest straight when the back end goes out. I don't totally understand it, but I remember reading that selectivly braking either right/left side of the car will help pivot it back into the direction that the steering wheel is trying to steer it.
We have had no problems. The performance and look of this van continues to impress the minivan "dislikers" and the amount of room is great. We've average 22.3, 22.0, 21.8, and 22.1 mpg on the last four fillups (905 miles) in 70% highway/30% back road driving.
Like others we were concerned about the problems with initial build quality but Nissan seems to have addressed them.
It's funny after reading reviews to see what people like the best (and least). #1 - GREAT engine. #2 the leather steering wheel (SL and SE) is big and feels great. #3- it's big - you look almost eye-to-eye with giant SUV drivers. The side mirrors are big and easy to see out of. The side doors open wide for easy loading. They like the fact that the power tailgate can be pulled closed by hand and wish that were true for the power side door. They like the seats. I think the driver's seat is great.
People haven't complained about the center speedometer. They do complain about the odd shape of the hatch in the dash in front of the driver, which barely contains the logbook and a tennis ball (for gas stations that don't have hold-open pumps). We get a little squeking over bumps in cold weather from the side doors but discovered if you open the front doors first and close the side doors it goes away - the front door and side door mount flush with a rubber seal in between them.
We haven't had a chance to play with the two zone audio system, yet.
A couple complaints. The front seat bottom seems a little short. I'm 6'2" and feel like I could use a longer seat. But it's nice and soft, and there is plenty of leg room. My 5'2" wife who drives it the most often has no problem with this. Also there is occasional squeaking coming from somewhere in cold weather on rough surfaces. I guess that's to be expected from any large vehicle. I have no problems with rattling doors, etc, but even if they did you'd never know it because of all the car seats and sippy cups rattling around back there.
I still get a kick out of being the biggest "mini" van on the road, with the best price, and all the safety features standard. I have no doubt this was the best decision for my family.
I'd also add that the styling is really growing on me. I thought it was "unique" at first, and was willing to look a little weird for all the other benefits. But it really disguises its size by interesting styling, and the more new Siennas and Odysseys I see, the less I like them.
Steve, Host
1) Noise reduction kit for sliding doors
2) Structural insulation in the body above doors
3) Replace driver power window switch
4) Shifter lever
5) 2nd row seat levers
6) Throttle pedal
7) ball studs that mount read door support struts
8) Reading lamps will be modified (?) to improve operation
9) a/c servicing label will be replaced
I recall some of these on last fall's initiative, but were not done when I brought my car in, but some like items (1, 2 and 9 may have been done during that visits).
Here is some info. that a few people were looking for:
Radio (Clariion) has no sound: TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MFG Bulletin Number: 04078
I have searched and searched the forums and cannot find an answer to this question:
what is the proper way to open the driver and passenger doors on the Quest (from the inside)?
I just purchased a used '04 Quest and when you pull on the interior door latch, nothing happens. You have to pull on it and then "bump" the door open with your arm. What's up???? Every door since the dawn of automotive time has "popped" open a little when you pull on the latch. I don't get it. At first I thought I had locked the doors, but then figured out that there was no indication that the latch is opening the door...no noise, no feeling, etc...
This function alone could cause us to return the vehicle (I have 3 days, full refund).
I have also noticed warm air coming out of the vents with no A/C or heat on......but I think I saw that in the list of problems mentioned.
Any help would be appreciated!! I really like the van and it's performance, but this is really confusing!!!!!
Thanks, Mike
What model is you Quest? Does it have power doors?
Ihave the manual doors. I'll check tonight on how they work.
Mike
FYI this is a 04 Quest SL.
Mike
The good - The van handles quite well. The V6 is smooth and powerful. It had plenty of power, even in the mountains. The steering wheel could be used in sports cars. It fits the hands perfectly. There is plenty of luggage space behind the 3rd row. The deep well in back (that holds the 3rd row when not in use) allowed all of our luggage to be loaded without blocking the the rear window. Once at the resort, it was nice to fold the 3rd row into the floor to free up room to haul skis and boots.
The bad - The center dash layout is awful. I never got used to looking down and to the right to check my speed. The area to the far right of the dash that shows indicator lights (e.g., cruise control is set) is easily washed-out in normal sunlight. The LED display is somewhat odd. I liked to use the trip computer to show time and distance traveled, but it would not stay on if the radio was on. The radio station would be displayed instead. This is really strange since the trip computer and the radio use different lines on the display. Why can't it show both at once? The gear shift lever blocks the view of fan control. The entire center console needs to be tilted towards the driver. It is difficult to see exactly where the various knobs are set. The buttons for the radio, trip computer, etc. are hard to discern at a glance.
I'm not sure if other vans offer this, but it would be nice if the 3rd row was split so that only half of it could be stowed. It wasn't an issue on this trip, but it would provide better flexibility.
Finally, the trim piece that hides the rear hatch release cracked. It sounded like the rear hatch didn't close all of the way, so I lifted up on the handle to open the hatch a few inches. I then pushed it closed with the heel of my hand, and this made the trim piece crack. This is a poor design.
Would I buy one? I'm not in the market for a minivan, but I would have to pass on the Quest if I were. This is almost entirely due to the center dash and poor console layout that I couldn't warm up to. This is too bad, since it is otherwise a nice vehicle with a great engine.
None of them, including me, took longer than 10 minutes to get used to the central speedometer.
This is also largely true of the mini, which has a central speedo.
Some people just can't adjust, and the additional space that you get from the central location is less important to them.
Shifter hiding instruments will vary with the height of the driver. The base Quest does not have adjustable pedals like the SL (and has a 4spd, not 5spd).
Crank-down center windows and split 3rd seats are another YMMV feature. I'd rather have the wider doors in the Quest (they're 3-4" wider than most minivans) than have the extra weight and complexity of roll-down side windows. For us, the one-piece 3rd seat is more comfortable to sit in and easier to stow and unstow.
We also seem to be getting much better mileage than the other new vans are getting. Even driving in snow and up and down the hills to VT along with some around-town use we're getting over 22 mpg average for the last several tanks.
Is the build quality still an issue. I heard that Consumer report lists the new quest as one of the worst ones and also read that nissan has made a lot of progress in terms of build quality. So how is the 05 model, is it improved a lot or still have issues?
Nissan is offering $2000 rebate on quest now. Will it improve during the year end model clearance or is this the best they come up with?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks