Nissan Quest 2004+

stephenwb · October 2003

I don't know where my wife bought it, and the ones I can find on the net don't reflect what we have, but try a Prince Lionheart Seat Saver.

It's a heavy duty nylon-covered foam mat that fits under and behind the seat to protect the leather. It's rigid enough (think about the thickness of double-wall cardboard boxes) to keep those sharp plastic edges of the seat from putting dents/lines/etc. in your new leather seats.

I googled it and only found what must be last-year's model, because ours is even more rigid than those look in the picture.

Search for "Two Stage Car Seat Protection" on Amazon and you'll find the one I have.

raul4 · October 2003

Stephenwb----I'm not sure I understand how you fit the mat "under and behind the seat". Are you referring to the front seats or the rear seats?
Thanks.

thedibs · October 2003

Call us power-drivers. So far no problems with the Van.

Millege went down from 17.2 to 16.8 mpg. Not sure if this is because we are starting to use the engine a little more (racing other minivans, hehe).

I did buy the extended 5 yr/100K warrantee because
I was expecting puting this many miles on it... Specially being a 1st year model...

stephenwb · October 2003

"under and behind the child seat," meaning that it has two panels, velcroed together, one to protect the bottom of the seat (under the child seat) and one to protect the seat back (behind the child seat).

uga91 · October 2003

Team Nissan in Lithia Springs, GA (metro Atlanta) has advertised in today's paper that 2004 Quest S and SL models are $4000 off MSRP. With the rumor of an upcoming rebate, are sales not what Nissan thought they'd be?

lumbar · October 2003

Don't take advertised newspaper prices as indicative of anything other than a dealer's knowledge that they might get some people in the showroom. They are not a good indicator of what the market is.

And, to save bowke the trouble, there is no rebate, and there is no rumor of a rebate. It's amazing how somebody asked a question about this awhile ago and now the "rumor" has taken on a life of its own.

raul4 · October 2003

Sorry, I misread.

uga91 · October 2003

The rebate is a myth for sure? Keep in mind that Nissan would not tell you there was a rebate coming even if it were true. Doesn't really matter to me; but, I just thought it was strange to all ready see $4000 off MSRP for the new Quest when Toyota--and even Honda--dealers don't have to advertise like that at all to get folks in to check out Siennas and Odysseys. I hope sales go through the roof. I've said that the Quest will probably be my next van--but that is several years down the road. I'm interested right now in a 2004 Sentra 2.5S, so I'm not anti-Nissan at all. Just commenting on the ad I saw.

shenkar · October 2003

I think lumbar is right, telling you not to pay attention to what Team Nissan (or any dealer) has in the paper. These ads are just to get fresh meat in the doors.

Keep in mind, TEAM is a nationwide retail group (part of the old AutoNation group, I think). I also looked at their store in Lithia Springs and they had secondary stickers on all their Quests with $2,000 additional dealer markup on them. Their Marietta store had $1,000 additional dealer markup on the same identical vans, so dealers can play all kinds of games.

Take this "$4,000 off..." stuff with a grain of salt.

bowke28 · October 2003

is a joke. S and base SL models are only marked up around $2300-$2500. the additional discount would only be from a markup or its a demo or used. holdback, even if they got it, would only be about $600-$700, so the math still doesnt work.

lumbar...thanks for saving me from carpal tunnell!!!

tsy · October 2003

I am looking at all of the minivans and I like the Nissan, but I am concerned that it has only been in production a short time. Does anyone know what month they started? I'd hate to have one of the earlier ones, there must be all sorts of early production problems. But the vans I have seen in the dealers look like they have been very well assembled.

Also, does anyone know if the acceleration of the 4 speed SL is much slower than the 5 speed SE?

Thanks

green_tea · October 2003

We bought a S Model for my wife on Sep. 27th, almost one month ago. So far so ....GREAT. What a BEAST! Here I share some experience if you want to know more about it.

Selecting the Model: targeting at SL at beginning. Went to local dealer and checked one carefully. Quickly we decided that automatic side door is not good for us. The sensor on the edge of door is only about 12-14 inches long, not like the sensor on elevator. There is some potential injury possibility for the kids (we have two kids, one 2 yr and one 8 yr). Besides, we normally check everything before starting the engine. Closing the door manually ensures us to check the 2 yr old carefully. So if we want to get manual door, we have to go with S model.

Comparing S and SL: The power and memory seat for SL may be nice, but not worth the additional 2000 bucks. The S model has almost everything SL has. We could use the savings on some other options, such as DVD, Alloy wheels and rear sonar system (my wife loves the sonar system very much). However, S model does not have the rack on top. Most of the new minivans have racks nowadays. 4 people in our family so we have plenty of room in the rear. Is rack really useful? Or does it look really cool with rack on top? I dont know. Can I get a rack later from dealer? Maybe. I dont know either.

Purchasing Price: After test driving a SL model, we felt this car is really good on handling, power, quietness, and all other features. We decided to buy one. I insisted at invoice price. The manager spent a lot of time to explain that they need to make some money so we settled on invoice + $200. I was about to leave for another dealer 20 miles away and the manager made the deal (with all options MSRP: 27,880; Invoice: 25,480; and Paid: 25,680). I thought it is an OK deal.

Driving and Styling: As I said, it runs like a Beast. Very powerful. It merges the lane beautifully. Engine never needs to pass 2800 rpm (not like my Honda), on highway and hilly road. It runs under 2000 rpm within the city. When stops, the engine is so quite and I doubted several times if it was still running. I tell you this: the dash board is amazingly comfortable!! I want my next car to have the dash board as well. Your eyes can check different objects easily when they are horizontal. I rarely lose my sight on the road when I check the horizontal screen and gauge. For the vertical objects, your eyes may not handle as well as horizontal objects. You can try it by yourself. Overall styling is good. Even strangers (several times already) asked me about the car!

Mileage: Only put about 500 miles. Dealer gave us a full tank of gas. Run out at about 270 mils (only 15mile/gal from the computer). I added premium gas. And reset everything. The recent mileage is about 18-19 miles/Gal in city and 27 miles/gal on high way (at 60-75 miles/hr). Yes, 27 MPG, no kidding. 4 tires at 41, 41, 42, 43 psi (maximum 44 psi), reading from the panel computer.

Problems so far: I did not find the problems mentioned on this forum. I did hear some noise from the passenger side door with the SL model when I did a test driving. However, the S model I got does not have the problem. I am not satisfied with the material on the window bar of both front doors. You can hear some squeezing sound when you touch them. Some interior materials may not be good too. Another thing is the rack on top. My wife wants it because the rack will make the car looks cooler and nicer (according to her).

Overall we are very satisfied with this car. We call it a Beast instead of Quest.

jeffmust2 · October 2003

...if you leave your tire pressures that high!
Check the owner's manual for the correct setting and do it when the tires are cold.

green_tea · October 2003

Thanks for your comments, Jeff. And this board has given me great help to decide this car and I want to say thanks to everyone.

Tire pressure may be a little high...
The temperature here is about 70/56 F right now, we are expecting a drop anytime to 55/38 F range. So I will keep the tire pressure for a while and see how the weather affects it.

backy · October 2003

In my experience, tire pressures change about 1 psi for every 10 degree shift in temperature. So psi in the 40s may still be pretty high.

waydetheblade · October 2003

I just purchased the Quest SE and couldn't be happier. I'm a full time truck driver by day--so it'll get me to work and back, a part time musician on the weekends, so it has enough room to haul all my gear (without getting my equipment wet--I live in the great, wet state of Washington where we seem to break yearly rainfall records), an everyday parent, which will do me well for those long trips, and a hobbiest for fixing things and patching things together--making the Quest a great hauler for more than a few reasons too. Was going to buy a Toyota Sienna, but the salespeople wouldn't negotiate while Nissan was more than happy to do so--though it still took me nearly 6 hours, but the investment was worth it.

minivan_time · October 2003

I've been looking at the Quests, too, and am trying to decide between the Quest 3.5S and 2004 Sienna LE. On either model, I am looking at the lower models/packages but leather is a must-have for us with 3 children and 3 dogs. I've had both and will never go back to cloth with all the stains -- leather has been easy to clean especially in darker colors. I've been talking with dealers and learned that they are commonly installing after-market leather seating that looks just as good (or better) as from the manufacturer. One option I found I like on the Quest is an S or SL model in silver or smoke with the gray interior -- then add after-market gray leather... just some ideas.

waydetheblade · October 2003

One thing I've noticed in the last 24 hours after buying the Nissan Quest SE; alot of people are staring at me when driving or walking by. Several people, while in a shopping parking lot, made positive comments on its design and interior. (The barista at the local coffee shop couldn't keep her eyes off it--and I know she wasn't staring at me.) It's kinda cool--but at the same time, a bit of a distraction.

tsy · October 2003

Just bought a smoke SL. I had a great time buying it, made one phone call, told him about my trade in, he gave me a great price ($500 over invoice) no hassels, no gimmicks, straightforward deal here in the Pacific Northwest. Up here Sienna's are going at MSRP at best, and even Odyssey's are not much under sticker.
I don't know if the review in Consumer Reports had anything to do with the dealer willing to deal or not, but I for one am happy they didn't give the quest a great review. I think they're wrong (and biased, but hey, they're human), but people won't know until they investigate for themselves. I bought one of their top rated cars, VW Passat, and had a miserable time with it. Just because CR rates a car highly doesn't mean I am going to be happy with it!
Other than the styling, which is subjective, I don't believe this van gives up much to the Sienna, and in fact in the price range I was looking at I was happy to get alloy wheels, side airbags, heated seats, power rear hatch, reverse sensors, 4 wheels vented disc brakes, and fully independent suspension. For less money than the Sienna.
I am quite happy with the van, it's quiet, roomy, powerful, comfortable, I have not noticed any squeaks or rattles (I am very particular about noises) and had a great buying experience.
I didn't get leather because I figured I could add it later once my kids ruined the cloth seats or when I got bored of the cloth. It is much nicer to sit on cold cloth seats than cold leather seats though.

Hope this helps someone. I have enjoyed and learned from reading all of your posts.

Tom

vince14 · October 2003

The S is a great value, we would have bought it were it not for my wife disliking the fabric. The power door and liftgate on the SL can be turned off, if that's ever a consideration.

My wife loves the van, I think it handles great and is incredibly roomy, wish it had AWD. One annoying thing;
What's with the band-aid type sections below the middle doors? Makes car look cheap, and I suspect they're not going to hold up. I've never seen a car with this type of "patch". -Vince

waydetheblade · October 2003

Like you, I read and studied alot on this forum. Learned many valuable things. Just to let you know, the Quest's leather seats are quite comfortable. They look funky and feel terrible without adjusting the power seats and lumbar support. Once I positioned the seat's configurement, (including head rest) it actually was nearly as comfortable as the Toyota Sienna's (though I must admit, the Toyota was the best I have ever felt--but Nissan comes close when properly adjusted.) Also, Quest's leather seats are heated. Congrats on your new vehicle.

bowke28 · October 2003

what "patches" are you talking about?

green_tea · October 2003

Just came back from Zoo.. the new Quest caught lots of eyes with admirations... one little girl (about 5-6 years old) stopped near the car and yelled, "it's a nice car!!". Kind of funny.

Actually the styling is not the main reason we bought it. My wife likes the overall handling and performance. I like the powerful nice engine.

vince14 · October 2003

the "patches" are between the rear wheel well and the sliding doors, painted the same color as the van.

beckyha · October 2003

My dealer currently has a silver SL and a red SL, the latter I know has beige leather (not sure whether the silver has leather or not). She is having trouble locating any SL in smoke (I've heard this is a nice color!), so I may have to pick between red and silver. The other requirements for our vehicle is the SL upgrade (which both of hers have) and DVD (which the Red lacks). Dealer says she can put in DVD aftermarket and I'm worried about quality/warranty. Any experience--is after market DVD too risky? And if I hold out for her to locate a different exterior color regardless of interior, is aftermarket leather more costly and how do you know if it is good quality? I would think that the silver would look better with gray leather than with beige, but Nissan does not have gray leather for the quest so that would have to be aftermarket? Advice? Thanks! Becky

bowke28 · October 2003

they are transparent in color, right? if thats what you are talking about, they are designed to keep pebbles, rocks, or other flying objects from doing damage to those body parts. the areas they are placed are notorious places for rust to start if the metal becomes exposed.

minivan_time · October 2003

Becky, did you ask the dealer whether they can install or recommend the after-market leather seats? Some places do it themselves and include it in the warranty while others recommend a place they send their customers. Sometimes you can check the quality or samples prior to purchasing and it can be just as nice or nicer than dealer-installed. For example, getting gray leather with the gray interior of the S or SL (have to get the gray cloth seats initially). When I inquired about pricing, some dealers quoted around $1600 for dealer-installed leather seating. I find better pricing by going with a lower model and getting the after-market seats in a color I'd want.

By the way, I've seen the smoke and, IMO, it is VERY nice looking.

bowke28 · October 2003

who are going to be shopping for a smoke SE model quest:

get your orders in now if you will want one in the next 3-4 months! for some reason, this color/trim combination has hit the market HARD!!! as a dealer, we got one in 2 days ago, and already had 30+ dealers call us for it. there are only about 5 in the entire country, so jump while you can.

raul4 · October 2003

I think the idea of after-market leather is super. I purchased an SL and wanted the leather but I really didn't like the leather that quest offered; it was those little black dots all over that turned me off. I got the cloth and will wear it for a couple of years and perhaps have it replaced with an upgraded leather. Way to go!

maxamillion1 · October 2003

I love that color. Looks great on the Quest, especially the SE model.

traveler707 · October 2003

Bowke28, you're just kidding about 5 smoke SE left in the entire country, right? Seems like there are at least five smoke SE just in Los Angeles alone (from searching the nissan dealer inventory on the web). I do also love the smoke SE though.

waydetheblade · October 2003

No, I think he meant the entire planet:)

vince14 · October 2003

bowke28- I wish... I'm beginning to think this might be exclusive to the vehicles at my local dealership. Perhaps it was an opening intended for the optional running boards.
If you look at the south end of the sliding doors, immediately below between the rear wheel well and the door is a rectangular, painted same as the car, patch. Like a label stuck there and painted with the car. I know I should have asked the dealer, but they really know very little about this van. Does anyone else have these patches on their van?

bowke28 · October 2003

the 'patch' is actually clear in color. it is a protective applique that nissan puts on many vehicles...you can find it somewhere on every model. it is the same material as the clear car bra that has become so popular. if you think its tacky, you are probably in the minority. i think its a good way to prevent paint chips from showing up.

bowke28 · October 2003

no, im not kidding...but i WAS mistaken about part of it...base SE models in smoke are plentiful...but if you can find one with a DVD player, you better grab a lottery ticket or two.

vince14 · October 2003

One of the first things I noticed driving with the family in the Quest was that my daughter was shouting from the rear seat, a habit acquired from riding in our old caravan! I have noticed the smallest of noises (the headsets tapping in the door pockets) because the van is so QUIET inside! Sure, you will get some road feedback, but I can converse with rear passengers while the van is at full speed like we were next to each other.

bowke28 · October 2003

i had a family test drive one yesterday. they had a 5 year old boy and a 3 year old girl. the girl wouldnt zip it, so the boy told her "shhhhhh!!!!! daddy wants to listen for broken parts!!!"

heyjewel · October 2003

My wife and i looked at a couple over the weekend. We both kinda liked the edgy style, though we also agreed the rear end is butt ugly! However, 2 things will stand in the way of us buying one.
First - with the 3rd row folded, it's a 4 passenger vehicle. There are 5 of us. With the 3rd row up, although there is a fair amount of room, it would never be enough for a road trip with the family. Now if they had made it a 60-40, or an optional bench 2nd row ... But there's still be:
Second - while we both liked the dash and the column thing, we both agreed (geez, we seldom agree down the line like this) that the leather interiors are, well, poorly thought out and executed. The 'beige' leather looks like it comes pre-dirtied. It just doesn't look clean. And the red leather - whew, somethin out of a French whore's bedroom. Perhaps the Renault influence? :>) And the leather felt cheap and the stitching deal looked well, I could go on but I think you all get the picture.
It's too bad, because it really is a nice vehicle otherwise.

bowke28 · October 2003

if you look closely at the texture of the leather, its designed that way for 2 reasons:

1. to hide dirt...same effect as a gray exterior...its dirt-colored.

2. durability...will hold up better over time than conventional leather.

beckyha · October 2003

We are a family of 4--soon to be 6 and it is precisely the seating in the Quest I'm most jazzed about over the Sienna. We looked at the Sienna and I made sure to sit in the 60/40 bench on the "outside" of the 60 side with the 40 side down. As an adult, I felt like I was going to fall off--especially pretending I was giving space to a passenger next to me (not much room for 2). Of course, my skinny little kids would be fine until they got much bigger. But I wasn't too impressed with having that 40 space open--it would only come in handy if we had a ladder or something long and somewhat tall to transport. Since we will need seating for 6, we would not be able to travel with the 40 side up and the 60 side down so I didn't test this configuration.

On the Quest, however, I plan to keep the passenger side middle row captain's chair folded down the the floor. It is so incredibly easy to climb into the back bench and I plan on "permanently" affixing car seat bases on the outsides of the back bench and putting my 6 year old's booster in the middle. My 3 year old's car seat will be "permanently" attached to the captains chair behind the driver. If I have an extra passenger, I can easily flip up the passenger side mid-row captains seat. In contrast, if I traveled with this seating arrangement in the Sienna, I would have that passenger side mid-row captains chair sitting in my garage--which would not allow for picking up a friend on the fly (and hoisting it in and out would be a pain). Sure I could go with the Sienna and put the infants in the second row captains seats and make the bigger ones crawl back. But I'm going to have to crawl back too to get the 3 year old properly buckled and I won't be able to fold those mid-row captains chairs forward to go in through the side because they will have car seat bases attached to them--leaving no option but to crawl through the middle. The Quest also looked more spacious with on captains chair on the floor compared to the Sienna with the 40 section folded away.

I suppose if Quest also had the 60/40 back bench they really would have a huge edge on seating convenience.
As for leather, I didn't mind the beige--haven't seen the rouge, though. Given the better price for more features and better seating (for me) on the Quest vs Sienna, I would do aftermarket leather on the Quest if I truly had a problem with the texture of the beige. Good luck!
Becky

vince14 · October 2003

ok, Keith, you're right, I looked at some other Nissans and saw "patches" on them, clear ones! I checked my van again, patches don't appear to be clear, but it's besides the point once you explained the purpose. Appreciate the help.
BTW - have you heard of anyone making snow tires in this size or can a different size (60 instead of 65) be used?

We have gone from an AWD van to this one, and are a bit paranoid about it making it through the snow as effortlessly as the old caravan did. (My wife insists on getting to work, even in the snow, about 8 miles away, up and down some windy, moderately hilly roads. She is a very careful driver, though)

samnoe · October 2003

I think you're kinda right about Sienna's 60-40 split seating arrangement. It would be much smarter to offer 70-30 (or 67-33?) split seat. That way 2 adults would fit more comfortable. You divide the seat in 3 (for 3 passengers), and then one part folds into the floor.

If Nissan decides to offer in the future a rear split seat, I hope they will make it this way (70-30) - this will really be a big edge over Sienna - and they should also add the power windows in the sliding doors.

deepan · October 2003

maybe Toyota thinks there are more 5 person families than 6 person families. That way the 5th person gets to sit a bit more confortable 40% vs 33%. Just a guess:)

dwmel · November 2003

I have taken my 04 Quest to my dealer's service dept. twice, so far, due to Hot Air coming from the floor vents when the A/C is on. The mechanic told me it was a design flaw and Nissan does not have a fix for it. I have talked with Nissan USA representatives several times. They all told me there were no other complains related to heat blowing out on the drivers foot when the A/C is on. PLEASE, IF YOUR HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEM, SEND ME YOUR CASE NUMBER THAT NISSAN USA GAVE YOU. I'M TRYING TO GET THIS PROBLEM SOLVED FOR ALL OF US. DWMEL@LYCOS.COM

shenkar · November 2003

4,700 miles on my SE, and while I have some complaints, hot air with the A/C on isn't one of them.

gg2k2se · November 2003

OK, let's ask the owners. Problem appears to be that with the SE auto temp control in a/c mode, cold air blows from the dash vents but noticeably warmer air blows from the foot vents. I do not yet own a Quest, but my wife and I noticed this during a hot afternoon test drive. It was annoyingly hot on a sandaled foot, BUT since we don't own a Quest we don't know if it is a real issue or just the controls were set wrong. After reading other complaints on this board, I called and then emailed Nissan with the HOT AIR question. They said no known issues and said no one else has complained, hence my ongoing suspicion since it sounds like dwmel, hear2ear, hrl, quest2k4, quest0804 all have some sort of hot air issue.

SO, all you SE owners, warm the car up, then lower the temperature setting to turn on a/c and let us know if HOT air blows from the foot vents. We would appreciate it. Thanks,gg

shenkar · November 2003

My SE HVAC works just as it should. No hot air in AC mode. No unusual heating behavior observed in 4,700 miles.

eandlcubed · November 2003

what they need to do for consumers to feel 'safe' sitting on the third row split is installing armrest. when not in use, it could fold up on the back of the seat similar to the armrest on rearseat of sedan. that would solve the fear of falling off the seat when the other part is folded.

deepan · November 2003

3rd row on the Quest is not split. Its only on the sienna.

tmc5 · November 2003

I just purchased an SE. Does anyone know how to slide the cross-rails on the luggage rack? I read the owners manual and couldn't find anything and can't really see any way to slide them without actually loosening screws etc. Am I missing something?

Nissan Quest 2004+

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