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2011 Nissan Quest

111 messages,  Last post on Apr 23, 2012 at 12:00 PM

You are in the Nissan Quest Forum.

What is this discussion about? Nissan Quest, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Car Comparisons, Van

Messages Page 8 of 12

#62 of 111 Leaning towards the Nissan by patnic

Sep 14, 2011 (8:48 am)

Well, I've driven the Honda Ody, Toyota Sienna, and Nissan Quest. I'm leaning towards the Quest.
 
I currently have a 2003 Honda EX-L and the interior noise drives me nuts. Also, had to get a new transmission at 83K, luckily I only had to pay 10%. (I had to put on the charm to make them pay for that, although, they know they have/had an issue with the transmissions.) So hard to trust Honda again. The new Honda is still noisy. The only thing that I really like about the new Honda is the audible back up system. It beeps when you are getting too close to an item. And I don't mind the thunderbolt - kinda like it.
 
Toyota Sienna - quiet, but looks so boring. Also, lots of interior plastic.
 
I like the Quest because it looks different than the other mini vans. Also very quiet. The conversation mirror (love it! Big help for a mom like me). The mirror is so much better than the useless one in the Toyota. And I like the keyless feature and just touching the button on the door handle to open the sliding doors.
 
Deciding issues - We live 8 miles from the Honda dealer, almost 20 to the Nissan. Hopefully, Nissan will drop me off/pick me up for any maintance. I don't enjoy hanging out at the dealer. Not too keen on buying first year model years, might have to wait a year or two.

#63 of 111 Re: Leaning towards the Nissan [patnic] by ivan_99

Sep 14, 2011 (2:57 pm)

Replying to: patnic (Sep 14, 2011 8:48 am)
Just as an FYI...you don't have to go to the dealer for regular maintenance; unless it's warranty work.
 
Not sure what the distance matters...unless you walk the 8 and don't want to do the 20

#64 of 111 Re: 2011 Quest Jump Start? [cpateach] by maui77

Sep 22, 2011 (8:38 pm)

Replying to: cpateach (Sep 10, 2011 11:49 am)
Well I had my experience with this same thing today. I had approx 1/8 tank of fuel on the gauge and had come upon a road work situation on a 4 lane hwy. Traffic had stopped and I was on a 10-15 % decline. The car sputtered and stalled and started rolling downhill. I tried to apply the brake but without power it was extemely difficult. I finally got it stopped and I attempted to start the car repeatedly. It finally fired and I pulled out of line to head back in the other direction and it ran perfectly - UPHILL! I stopped at the first gas station I found an filled it up. It took 16 gallons and according to the manual, the Quest has a 20 gallon tank. I really don't understand why this happened with 4 gallons of fuel still in the tank

#65 of 111 Re: 2011 Nissan Quest Conversation Mirror [maui77] by ogreletmama

Sep 23, 2011 (7:40 am)

Replying to: maui77 (Aug 06, 2011 8:07 pm)
I have one and would like the sunglesses holder as well- when I asked, I was told that it would be about $200 to change that part out, as it is one whole unit with the lights and that module is also where the bluetooth is. Unfortunately I am also stuck with the funhouse mirror!

#66 of 111 Re: 2011 Quest Jump Start? [maui77] by maui77

Sep 23, 2011 (12:27 pm)

Replying to: maui77 (Sep 22, 2011 8:38 pm)
Well gang, it's not our imagination...I found out today from my dealership service dept there is a Service Bulletin addressing the 2011 Quest "failure to start on a decline" issue. According to my technical advisor, the vehicle requires installation of a fuel float arm extender and fuel tank shims. Sounds like a sending unit location faux pas. I will be taking my ride into the dealership next week and will have to duplicate the problem, butfirst, I will have to run the tank down to < 1/4 tank. Nissan will make all the corrections and adjustments under warranty.

#67 of 111 Re: Leaning towards the Nissan [patnic] by rrusk

Oct 02, 2011 (6:23 am)

Replying to: patnic (Sep 14, 2011 8:48 am)
We just replaced our faithful 2000 Honda Odyssey EX with a 2011 Quest SV this weekend. The Ody has 179K miles on it but we have maintained it well and it still drives like many 2-year-old cars. We liked it so much that we toyed with buying a used one. Not so for the new Odyssey and Pilot. We were uncomfortable driving the Odyssey - the road holding is not nearly as good as the 2000, and the sight lines were not as good either. And the 2wd Pilot is now rated to tow only 2000 lbs. Not much for a "full-sized SUV".
 
Here are some thoughts:
 
Likes:
- Seats - padded like an armchair, but with a good shape underneath that provides proper support. The French have always been good at that sort of thiing, perhaps this shows some Renault influence. The Toyota seats feel like rocks, just like the ones in the 1990s Toyota Previa that we briefly owned. Those wore well but were never very comfortable. The 2000 Odyssey's seats were middle-ground.
 
- Power - feels very powerful compared to the 2011 Grand Caravan, the 2000 Odyssey or the 2011 Odyssey, the Chevy Traverse and the Dodge Durango. And that CVT delivers the power very smoothly.
 
- Fuel economy - Drove a 90 mile expressway trip yesterday evening, averaged >24 mpg without having broken it in yet.
 
- Driving Position - my wife is nervous and uncomfortable driving many vehicles, but pretty comfortable with this one. Not so with the Sienna.
 
- Covered Trunk - as big as those on some cars, nicely hidden out of the way.
 
- Outside Mirrors - these are a great size and shape. Too many large/tall vehicles these days have small ones.
 
- Backup camera - the best we have seen in a sub-$40K vehicle.
 
- Easy-fold seats. We don't need the huge hauling capacity of the van as much as we need to stop wrestling with those 2nd-row seats when we carry large things.'
'
- Noise Level. The Quest, Sienna and Durango were all very quiet. The Odyssey always had a lot of road noise.
 
- General visibility. The view to the sides and back is very unrestricted.
 
- 2nd and 3rd-row space. About the same as the Odyssey. I can't sit in the 3rd row of a Sienna without hitting my head on the ceiling due to its shape. Same with the Grand Caravan.
 
- Sound system. This is the #3 of 4 trim level, but the stereo is decent. The speakers are nothing special but not bad. The controls are excellent, both on the head unit and on the wheel. It remains to be seen how well the bluetooth works, we've never had that in one of our vehicles before.
 
- No trailering package required. Odysseys require an add-on tranny cooler. Siennas, Highlanders and Grand Caravans require an add-on package that is hard to find. You can't even order the trailer prep package on the Grand Caravan in the lower levels of trim. I tow 3000 lbs. The Odyssey was just OK for that due to its gearing. I expect the Quest to do much better due to the CVT's ability to just pick the ideal ratio for the load and conditions.
 
- No timing belt. Honda still has one, that's about a $1K maintenance item.
 
- Price. The local Toyota and Nissan dealers were having a great closeout on 2011s. We got the color and equipment we wanted on the Quest and paid less than we did for the similarly-equipped Odyssey 11 years ago(!).
 
- Ride in town. Soft and compliant, but adequately damped. The Durango rides better on less-than-perfect roads (amazing ride!) but this one is very good.
 
Dislikes:
- High-speed cornering. Not what you generally buy a minivan for, but the Odyssey was genuinely fun to push hard on occasion. The Quest just goes limp. Not unsafe, just un-fun. It reminds me of my father's old Suburban.
 
- Highway ride is "floaty". Like an older American car. Many/most people like that, but it's not my cup of tea. My wife likes it a lot, though, and this is her primary vehicle.
 
- No sunglasses holder - we thought it had one, but it's just a "conversation mirror" where the sunglasses holder belongs. Sometimes being "different" isn't such a good idea.
 
- High dashboard - It's not really bothersome, but we got back into the Odyssey yesterday (it went to a family member) and the low dashboard was pleasant to have.
 
- Trailer wiring - I have not found any aftermarket "T" connector for it. The Odyssey has a connector near the jack that was designed to plug a trailer harness into. Nice feature. I will check for a factory harness, but in the aftermarket I will have to tap into the factory wiring using Scotch-lock connectors, not the best arrangement.
 
- Lids on the "trunk". It sure would be nice to have a real hinge or at least a way to hold the lids open. You have to either remove the lids' 3 straps and take them out of the car or load one-handed.
 
- Concerned about the reports of running out of fuel downhill. That happened to me going uphill in both my '96 Jetta and my '00 Odyssey, but this one sounds even worse. Anecdote: When that happened to the Ody, I pulled off the highway onto the shoulder 1/2 mile from the gas station. Sitting on an angle, I had to put >4 gallons into it to get it to start again. Having to add a lot of fuel to restart on an incline is not uncommon. But that day I only managed to burn 17 of the 20 gallons in the tank before running out of fuel.

#68 of 111 Re: Leaning towards the Nissan [rrusk] by maui77

Oct 02, 2011 (1:57 pm)

Replying to: rrusk (Oct 02, 2011 6:23 am)
I took my Quest to the Nissan dealership last Wednesday and had a service technician test drive the vehicle with me. We were successful in trying to duplicate the problem with the engine stalling when on an incline with the nose of the vehicle pointing down. The service advisor showed me the Service Bulletin that was issued by Nissan which described the problem and had instuctions to the technician as how to correct the issue. The bulletin calls for actual replacement of the fuel tank and tank shims which apparently are necessary to achieve a proper fit with the construction/design of the vehicle. The parts have been ordered and I will be notified so that I can take the vehicle in. The advisor stated the correction will take one day and Nissan will provide me with a rental car. I was given a copy of the buletin and now I am waiting to hear from the dealership.

#69 of 111 Re: Leaning towards the Nissan [rrusk] by ivan_99

Oct 03, 2011 (11:23 am)

Replying to: rrusk (Oct 02, 2011 6:23 am)
- Lids on the "trunk". It sure would be nice to have a real hinge or at least a way to hold the lids open. You have to either remove the lids' 3 straps and take them out of the car or load one-handed.
 
There is a strap that holds it in place...I remember seeing this somewhere but cannot recall.

#70 of 111 Re: 2011 Nissan Quest [fxguy] by themanindbox

Oct 13, 2011 (10:42 pm)

Replying to: fxguy (Jul 07, 2010 8:29 am)
I really like these vans, but have a major concern with the reliability of them. The 2005 i own burns oil and needs the top end of the motor rebuilt at 75K miles, luckily i can do this myself.. bad piston rings this early are not a good sign, after i'm done i am selling it, and going to drive my older Toyota Sienna. I have a lot of friends with older Nissan Maxima's and they are bulletproof, but i also have friends with newer Nissans, and they are terrible.. I guess i will check these posts in 5 or so years to get a better idea as to if they are good or i should stick with my Toyota's. To me they are the best looking vans out.. Its just too bad that they do not have the regular automatic or manual transmissions, that CVT makes me nervous.

#71 of 111 Re: 2011 Nissan Quest [themanindbox] by ivan_99

Oct 13, 2011 (11:38 pm)

Replying to: themanindbox (Oct 13, 2011 10:42 pm)
Our 05 Quest is the exact opposite. We've had one item under warranty (window seating)...and nothing else.
 
We've had annoyances with some rattling...but nothing mechanical at 85k miles (so far...) just oil, brakes, battery, tires, rear hatch shocks. I have a serpentine belt that I was told is cracked...so I may do that soon.

Messages Page 8 of 12

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