Platinum 4dr Minivan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
Platinum 4dr Minivan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
Platinum 4dr Minivan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
Versatility is in Nissan’s DNA. Almost every vehicle Nissan has built for the American market has had a remarkable impact on its competitors. The first thing you will notice about the all-new Nissan Quest Minivan is its gigantic size; it easily looks bigger than it actually is.
The 2016 Nissan Quest is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 engine. It’s fairly capable and fuel-efficient, thanks to the continuous variable transmission system that is standard across all the trims. The ride quality is also good and you will not have many complaints. For 2016, the minivan is carried over with no major changes, but to be honest, it doesn’t need many. Why do we say so? Read up and you’ll know why.
Most of the features of the 2016 quest are unchanged from last year's version. It comes in 4 trims, which are the base S trim priced at $ 27,500, a little pricier SV trim priced at $ 31,500, the SL trim priced at $ 35,500, and the top-of-the-line Platinum trim priced at $ 44,170. One of the main complaints with the new Quest is that the base S trim comes with very few features such as power windows only on the front doors and a very basic infotainment system with 4 speakers, which is inadequate for a minivan. Alloy wheels are also absent and the materials used in the interiors are cheap. No leather or soft-touch material is covering the steering wheel, and the seats are also covered with cloth.
Model |
S |
SV |
SL |
Platinum |
---|---|---|---|---|
MSRP |
$27,500 |
$31,500 |
$35,500 |
$44,170 |
Key Features |
Power windows on front door |
6 speakers system with 5 display |
18 alloy wheels |
Inbuilt navigation system |
|
4 speaker infotainment system |
Dual-zone climate control |
Leather seats |
8 infotainment system |
|
Cruise control |
16 alloy wheels |
Heated front seats |
13 Bose speakers |
|
|
Power window on all the doors |
|
Surround-view camera |
|
|
|
|
Upgraded highlights |
|
|
|
|
Rear seat DVD entertainment system. |
The higher versions are reasonably loaded as per their pricing. But the absence of leather seats along with heating capability in the SV trim can deter a lot of potential buyers. Other manufacturers offer similar features within a lesser price range.
We Recommend:
Usually, we do not go with the second-best, but with the Quest, it seems like the best option. The SL trim occupies the majority of the idiosyncrasies that one would expect from a family hauler but at a price unexpectedly lower than the Platinum. All in all, the SL trim is the best value for money buy in the lineup.
Powering all the trims of the 2016 Quest is the 3.5L V6 engine. It is quite decent for the price and segment. It produces a maximum horsepower of 260 at 6,000 rpm and torque of 240 lb/ft at 4,400 rpm. The engine is stable and quiet and good for everyday use and also has good fuel efficiency. The new quest comes with a smooth CVT transmission. The gearbox will never give you any room for complaints regarding the shifting as it performs its task very efficiently. Well, the Quest has to drop off something in exchange for a good economy. Thus, the van has the least powerful engine among its competitors, which translates to slower acceleration. It took the longest in the 0-60 mph acceleration race with the timing of 11.3 seconds.
Models |
Nissan Quest |
Kia Sedona |
Dodge Grand Caravan |
Chrysler Pacifica |
Toyota Sienna |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MRSP |
$ 27,500 |
$ 26,900 |
$ 25,995 |
$ 28,995 |
$ 29,750 |
Engine |
3.5L V6 |
3.3L V6 |
3.6L V6 |
3.6L V6 |
3.5L V6 |
Transmission |
CVT |
6 Speed A/T |
6 Speed A/T |
9 Speed A/T |
8 Speed A/T |
Horsepower |
260 @ 6,000 |
276 @ 6,000 pm |
283 @ 6,400 rpm |
287 @ 6,400 rpm |
296 @ 6,600 rpm |
Torque (lb-ft) |
240 @ 4,400 rpm |
248 @ 5,200 rpm |
260 @ 4,400 rpm |
262 @ 4,000 rpm |
263 @ 4,700 rpm |
0-60 mph (sec) |
11.3 |
10.6 |
11.1 |
10.1 |
9.9 |
Quarter mile (sec) |
19.85 @ 84mph |
18.9 @ 85mph |
19.7 @ 77mph |
17.5 @ 80mph |
17.9 @ 79mph |
Every competitor is equipped with a more authoritative heart than Nissan. Hence, if you are one of those people who like a high-performance engine, we suggest you look elsewhere. It also means that the Quest took the longest time to complete the quarter-mile race, almost 20 seconds. Meanwhile, the Quest is equipped with independent suspension at all four corners and this makes a lot of difference; you will not feel the imperfections on the road, and driving over the speed bumps is also reasonably smooth.
Vans are usually connected to a poor economy. This is true with the Quest too, but relative to the same kin, the Nissan is a bit extraordinary in this respect. As a daily driver, fuel efficiency is a very important factor that can attract or deter many buyers. Nissan has done a decent job here as the Quest has a good fuel efficiency of 27 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg in the city that results in a combined mpg of 22.
Models |
Nissan Quest |
Kia Sedona |
Dodge Grand Caravan |
Chrysler Pacifica |
Toyota Sienna |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
mpg (hwy) |
27 |
24 |
25 |
28 |
27 |
mpg (city) |
20 |
18 |
17 |
19 |
19 |
pg (combined) |
22 |
20 |
21 |
23 |
22 |
Tank Capacity (gal) |
20 |
21.1 |
20 |
19 |
20 |
The CVT of the Quest makes sure that the V6 engine is always in the sweet spot of fuel efficiency and performance. These figures may be outnumbered by the Chrysler Pacifica, but the sales reports suggest that people are enjoying the Japanese ambiance more than the Chrysler. Besides, the extra gallon of fuel the Quest can hold against Pacifica makes it more practical than the latter.
The Quest can easily accommodate 7 passengers; 2 in the front seats, 2 in the rear seats, and 3 in the 3rd row. While the first 2 rows are quite spacious, the last row tends to get a little congested, especially with 3 people. But this is the case with all the cars in the segment. The seats in the 2nd and 3rd row cannot be moved which can be problematic at times. The back door also does not slide enough to make enough room for easy ingress and egress. The standard color of the interior is grey. It does not look premium like all black, but it's not a deal-breaker. There is a wood accent that adds some sense of class to the interiors.
Models |
Nissan Quest |
Kia Sedona |
Dodge Grand Caravan |
Chrysler Pacifica |
Toyota Sienna |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seating Capacity |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
Front (head/ shoulder/leg)(inch) |
42.1/64.5/43.8 |
39.8/63.9/40.9 |
39.8/63.7/40.7 |
40.1/63.8/41.1 |
41.0/65.0/40.5 |
Rear (head/ shoulder/leg)(inch) |
41.6/63.2/36.7 |
39.3/64.1/36.5 |
39.6/63/39 |
39.6/63/39 |
39.7/64.6/37.6 |
Quarter (head/ shoulder/leg)(inch) |
40/61.2/40.5 |
38.9/59.4/35.4 |
37.9/62/32 |
38.7/61.2/36.5 |
38.3/61.1/36.3 |
Cargo space (cubic feet) |
35 |
39 |
33 |
32 |
39 |
The quality and feel of the interior depend largely on the trim you select. As far as the comfort of the seats is concerned, all the trims are pretty comfortable and should not hamper you even on a long drive. The heating will also be very handy in the long drive, especially during the winters. On the contrary, Quest has one of the smallest cargo spaces in the segment. Moreover, the 2nd-row seats do not fold completely to the floor level which can be an issue sometimes. Major interior features include-
Infotainment is one of the weakest links of the Quest. The base trim S is only equipped with a standard radio system accompanied by 4 speakers. Upgrading to the SL trim will get you a 6 speaker system coupled with a 5” display. The top of the line will get you a large 8” display along with 13 Bose speakers, which results in excellent surround sound. You will also be treated with a separate DVD entertainment system for the rear seats. Smartphones can be connected via Bluetooth only as both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are absent. You will also have to rely on the factory-installed navigation system for direction. Few key infotainment features include-
The exterior styling of the quest gets polarizing reviews. While many love the upright, tall, and boxy looks of the quest, many do not. But no one can deny the fact that Quest does not follow the standard design language of a conventional minivan. The high roof, squared-off rear, wraparound glass, and huge chrome grille are all defining characteristics of Nissan's family van. It's curvier towards the front of the car than the rear. There is a continual curvature from the hood that continues towards the rear end.
Model |
Nissan Quest |
Kia Sedona |
Dodge Grand Caravan |
Chrysler Pacifica |
Toyota Sienna |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Curb weight (lbs) |
4,450 |
4414 |
4321 |
4330 |
4375 |
Length (in) |
201 |
201 |
202 |
203 |
200 |
Width (in) |
77.6 |
78 |
79 |
79 |
78 |
Height (in) |
68 |
68.5 |
68 |
70 |
69 |
Ground clearance (in) |
6.6 |
6.5 |
6.6 |
6.6 |
6.6 |
Wheelbase (in) |
118.1 |
120.5 |
121.2 |
121.6 |
119.3 |
The rear end is very stiff and looks like a completely different car altogether. The side profile is fairly average too. Dimension-wise, the Quest is on par with the segment standard. It is however the heaviest among all the competitors. Much like the interiors, Quest also lacks in the external feature department. Major exterior features of the minivan are-
Safety is the weakest link of the 2016 Nissan Quest. The base trim comes with very basic safety features. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing, the Quest earned the agency's top rating of "Good" in moderate-overlap frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests, but the lowest rating of "Poor" in the small-overlap crash test. The Quest also earned a second-best rating of "Acceptable" for roof strength and "Good" for the whiplash protection of its seats and head restraints in rear impacts.
The top-of-the-line Platinum version also comes standard with a blind-spot warning system and Nissan's bird's-eye-view camera system, which displays a 360-degree view of the area around the vehicle for help when parking. It also includes parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert, which provides audio and visual warnings when moving objects are detected in the camera view, but the price is highly extravagant. Perhaps, Nissan should have distributed these features more vigilantly. Few key safety features include-
The 2016 Nissan Quest is a fairly capable car in the family minivan segment. It has stylish looks, spacious interiors, and a fairly capable and fuel-efficient engine that makes it a good daily family car. However, you have to opt for higher trims as the basic trim does not do justice to the price tag. It also lacks a big cargo space. To make the matters worse, its safety ratings are very poor, which may repulse a lot of potential buyers.