Used 2012 Nissan Quest SL for sale 

The Nissan Quest minivan is offered in a total of four trim levels with adequate features on offer to suit almost every buyer. The powertrain and drivetrain option, however, remain standard with a 3.5liter V6 and a 2-speed CVT transmission. The base S trim carries a price tag of $25,990 and offers cruise control, keyless entry, full power accessories, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a trip computer, ambient interior lighting, a four-speaker sound system, six-CD changer, and an auxiliary audio jack. Stepping up to the SV trim will get you the much-needed power-operated sliding rear doors along with a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, tri-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, a front-seat center console, a conversation mirror, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker sound system, a 4-inch color display, satellite radio, and an iPod/USB audio interface. The SL trim is quite handsomely equipped offering automatic headlights, heated mirrors, roof rails, a power liftgate, leather upholstery, heated front seats, an eight-way power-operated driver seat, and one-touch fold-flat third-row seats. The range-topping LE trim comes at a price tag of $42,350 and offers some truly premium features such as xenon headlights, a blind-spot warning system, driver memory functions, a four-way power front passenger seat, power-return third-row seats, second & third-row sunshades, advanced air filtration, a navigation system, and a rear entertainment system with an 11-inch widescreen among other features.

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Since the minivan’s trims are carefully tailor-made to suit almost every customer, you can pick up any trim you seem fit for you. But the SV trim makes the most sense with its features and the price tag combination.

The Nissan Quest is powered by a standard 3.5liter V6 powertrain. The motor is capable of putting out a healthy 260 horsepower and 240lb-ft of torque. The motor is certainly smooth and powerful, offering great refinement levels. Nissan did a great job of putting a CVT in place of a traditional 6-speed or 5-speed automatic unit and fine-tuned it to offer a seamless driving experience.

The ride is further turned more pleasant with the soft suspension setting but the minivan handles quite sportily around the curves making you feel like driving a sporty sedan or a hatchback. The minivan can complete the 0-60mph dash within 8.3 seconds, a decent time for a V6 powered minivan.

The Kia Sedona makes more power and torque than the Quest with a powertrain of equal displacement. The Dodge Grand Caravan is truly grand in terms of horsepower and torque output as compared to the other two rivals on the list.

The Nissan Quest delivers some respectable fuel economy rating considering its power and performance figures. The city mileage of the van is rated at 19mpg while the highway mileage is rated at 24mpg. The combined mileage is rated at 21mpg.

The Kia Sedona has a slightly lower city mileage than the Quest but a marginally higher highway as well as combined mileage than the latter. The Dodge Caravan impresses the most with its mileage figures taking into account its healthy performance.

The Nissan Quest lost its “big” minivan appeal last year with the complete design overhaul and became more conservative and compact. It is one of the few in the segment to offer a maximum seating capacity of 7 but with reasonable comfort. In the basic trim levels, the interior materials are better than average while the leather-wrapped interior panels and surfaces feel more upscale and luxurious in the upper trim levels.

All the controls are within the reach of the driver at all times and feels intuitive to use. The front seats offer excellent comfort levels with adequate support over long trips while the rear and the third-row seats are adequately comfortable too.

The Kia Sedona has a simple yet practical cabin and is quite spacious too. But it misses out on some premium features that the Quest offers. The Dodge Grand Caravan has a stylish and sharp interior design and doesn’t compromise on the practicality too.

Infotainment

The infotainment system on the base Quest is pretty basic too and only offers a four-speaker sound system with six-CD changer and an auxiliary audio jack. The SV trim adds Bluetooth, a six-speaker sound system with a 4-inch color display, satellite radio, and an iPod/USB audio interface. The top-end LE trim gets a navigation system, a rear entertainment system with an 11-inch widescreen, a 13-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system, an 8-inch display, and satellite radio. 

Infotainment features:

• AM/FM Stereo
• Auxiliary Audio Input
• CD Changer
• CD Player
• MP3 Player
• Navigation
• 8-inch display(optional)

Last year’s design refresh gave the Nissan Quest a new life in terms of overall appeal from the outside too as it is on the inside. Nissan nicely combined a boxy look with the swooping front end to give it a more modern appeal.

The side profile looks like a slab of metal sheets with the tall dimensions while the rear end looks smart with the new tail lamp design.

The Kia Sedona has a sleek front end design with a narrower grille than the Quest while the side profile looks better than the latter with some sculpted design cues. The Dodge Caravan looks the most handsome one among the three on the list and looks sporty and smart from the front end.

The Nissan Quest gets skipped by the NHTSA and doesn’t have any crash scores from them but the IIHS tested it and have a top “Good” rating, making it quite a safe family hauler. The standard safety aids inboard the van are antilock disc brakes, stability control, traction control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, and front-seat active head restraints. The base S trim doesn’t get the rearview camera as standard.

Safety features:

• Brake Assist
• Electronic Stability Control
• Child Safety Locks
• Traction Control

Among a decently saturated market of minivans, the Nissan Quest holds on to its ground firmly with a new design and a potent performance. Moreover, the van offers some truly premium features in its higher trim levels, making it an almost perfect family mover.