2008 Nissan Quest Review

Normally, automakers focus on safety, seat capacity and helpful convenience features when designing a new minivan. Yet when Nissan redesigned its Quest minivan four years ago, it decided to take a different path. In addition to the usual minivan attributes, the automaker gave the Quest bold exterior styling, a powerful V6, responsive handling and a radical interior makeover. The hope was that these changes would finally make the Quest an all-star name in the minivan market.

Like many revolutions, however, hope was crushed by grim reality. Nobody liked the dash's center-mounted gauges, the exterior styling was deemed "love it or hate it" and overall driving dynamics were still overshadowed by the Honda Odyssey's. Sales were slow. Last year, Nissan regrouped, ordering up a more conservative dash design and new features. On the whole, the Quest was much better for it.

The 2008 Nissan Quest is much the same. As before, pleasing driving characteristics and a stylish overall design are its main strengths. But in our opinion, this still isn't enough to make the Quest a top choice. In terms of the more important minivan aspects like versatility, feature availability and value, the Quest falls short. As such, you'll likely want to check out others in this class, such as the Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona and Toyota Sienna before settling on the Quest.

Powertrains and Performance
Motivating the front-wheel-drive Quest is a 3.5-liter V6 good for 235 horsepower. A five-speed automatic transmission is standard on all trims. For 2008, EPA fuel economy estimates stands at 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway -- average for the minivan segment.

� Source: edmunds
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