2011 Nissan Quest SL review The all-new fourth generation Nissan Quest, which is set to go on sale at Nissan dealers nationwide in early 2011, is about to take on the toughest job on the planet: parenting. More than just another new Quest, it’s an entirely new take on the minivan – with bold styling, an extensive list of family friendly innovations and amenities a family can enjoy together.
The New Facade
The Quest's bold grille and thick front bumper seem to mimic those of its competitors, even as they blend into the sculpted side of the minivan. While there are seven colors with which buyers can differentiate their family hauler, apparently, there's only so much style even the best team can apply to the shape of a boxy minivan — and look what happened the last time Nissan tried to think outside the box with the Quest in 2004.
Depending on which direction the 2011 Nissan Quest is pointed, it can resemble either the more angular 2011 Honda Odyssey or the more flowing 2011 Toyota Sienna. The more we drove the Nissan Quest, we kept coming back to this same "right in the middle" assessment when compared to the headline-grabbing Odyssey and Sienna minivans.
Alas, this Quest has an unhappy conclusion due to one very significant flaw: the powertrain. We've all done plenty of complaining about the VQ V-6 -- apparently not enough, as it's not yet been replaced by something modern and refined. In this application, it sounds pained as it struggles against the Quest's 4500 pounds. Worse, the CVT automatic pins the engine in its most abrasive range. I can't imagine tolerating this noise when the competition from Honda, Toyota, and Chrysler (Chrysler!) has made a priority of engineering quiet, smooth engines and better transmissions.
