Next Generation Nissan MiniVan - What do you Think? Would you Buy It?

Post by **kerrton** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:47 am

The replacement for the Quest, the "Nissan Forum" sounds sweet to me.

Although the power train hasn't been finalized yet and that will play a big part in my overall assessment of this vehicle. A small displacement efficient and powerful clean diesel or high efficiency hybrid gasoline would be a must for me, the reason I haven't bought a mini-van yet is because they all get terrible gas mileage, the Quest included, so if they can improve on that and do it for a reasonable price I'd be sold, and I'd trade my Rogue in (even thought I love this vehicle!).

Let me know what you think: What items do you like, what do you dislike, did they miss anything, if so what? Would you buy one of these?

http://www.nissannews.com/news...d=468

Post by **Rockford** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 6:17 pm

Is this thing defintely going to be made? I don't know about hybrid. The battery would take up a lot opf space and for a van that's spretty much the only thing it has over other vehicles. Take that away and...why buy a van at all? Diesel? Sure but in North America that's still far from mainstream. Nissan's sales of the Quest have been low for a long time. If they go forward in this segment at all over here I can't see them handicapping themselves by maiking it a diesel. As for styling it's hard to say. Concepts never look the same as their production versions. I'll say this though: They aren't afraid to be bold when it comes to styling. They stuck with the quirky Quest's looks for a long time and have you seen the Cube?

Post by **audtatious** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:35 am

It's a concept that I highly doubt will see the light of day. Based on its size alone it would have limited potential buyers. At the most there are some parts of the styling that may work its way into something in the future but who knows what.

Post by **Rockford** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:14 am

One thing I noticed camping with the Quest this weekend: A lot of people use thier minivans for towing small tent trailers and the like. Perhaps that's part of the reason minivans aren't all that "mini" anymore.You often hear that most people with SUV's don't really need them - they just want them.If that's true, most people with minivans don't really want them - they just need them.Practicality will always be the modus operandi when it comes to minivans. Sure you can dress them up and add a few gizmos but at the end of the day it has to haul a lot of stuff and people if it's going to sell.

Post by **kerrton** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:52 am

Ok guys, you're kinda taking the fun out of this, I wanted to know what your thought about this particular concept minivan which Nissan claims WILL come to market, albeit with changes since as you said the production vehicle is never exactly as the concept.

What are your impressions of the Quest's replacement? You were saying that people only buy minivans because they have to, not because they want to. My feeling is that when this van comes to market many more people will actually want to buy it, and not only will it have all the utility of existing minivans, but it will have MORE judging by the description and it will be much MORE fun to drive and own.

Also, since other manufacturers are kind of giving up on minivans, I think Nissan will reap the benefits of less competition and a resurgence of high demand for this type of vehicle because global factors have quickly brought a fast death to large SUV's. Family's who previously were stupid and bought large gas guzzling SUV's will now have to re-enter reality, quit whining about gas prices which are still cheapest in America compared to say Europe or Canada, and make a purchase with a little more thought and consideration. I have no doubt that minivans will make a big comeback, but I'm also sure they'll get renamed just as "crossover" vehicles were previously called "station wagons" in the 70s and 80s. WIth this new design, and new name for this type of vehicle, and the increased focus on fuel efficient and alternate powertrain vehicles I think Nissan will have huge success with this design when it hits production in the next year or two......agree, disagree, etc????

Post by **MinisterofDOOM** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 3:10 am

It may well come to market, but I doubt it'll be as the Quest. Nissan unveiled the "Intima" concept here and it ended up being the new Teana, which is only available in Asia, Australia, and other eastern markets. My guess is this'll be the new Elgrand, which is Nissan's big van in Japan. I like the styling of the current and previous Elgrands, and this is right up their alley.

That said, in answer to your question, I like it. I'm not a minivan kind of person at all, but the Forum has nice lines and good proportions. I especially like the rear, which is very clean and smooth, with an attractive tail light design.

As for your comment about giving up on minivans...it's kind of two-sided. There's a very good reason everyone's giving up on them: there are a lot of other more attractive options now that crossovers are everywhere. Minivans used to be the practical alternative to SUVs. But now SUVs have become crossovers, which are themselves practical...but without the boring stigma the minivan suffers under. Why buy a Freestyle when you can buy a Flex? Why buy a Quest when you can buy a Murano? Still, with that market thinning and Chrysler having botched their latest entry, Nissan is definitely facing less fierce competition.

Post by **kerrton** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 12:21 pm

I think you're off the mark on that last part, I don't think there is a good reason to give up minivans, it's just becasue people got tired of them and wanted a more cool and exciting option. The reason you buy a Quest over a Murano is obvious and no contest, the Quest wins hands down, a Quest has 3 rows of very roomy seating, lots of cargo space, very comfortable and roomy drivers seats, sliding side doors so the kids can't hit things with the doors and so it's easy to get kids and stuff in and out. The Murano has none of these things and is basically an overpriced luxury crossover focussed on image and performance. The Quest and Murano are completely different, so for people with two or more kids that do a fair bit of traveling or just hauling around town the van is unmatched by any crossover in terms of functionality. The reason people started buying SUV's and now crossovers over the van isn't because they were equal in functionality but because they wanted something more fun, which is neither good nor bad, but just the way things are. If they replace vans with redesigns like the "Forum" we're discussing here, merging functionality with style and fun, they'll have done what the crossover hasn't been able to do and they sell millions of them.

Post by **MinisterofDOOM** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:24 pm

Yeah, that's what I was trying to say. People who need minivans still need minivans, because of those unique things they offer. But I also think that because of the death of the station wagon in North America, a lot of people who didn't really need a minivan ended up going with them anyway. Now that crossovers are so common, there are a lot more specific options. My grandparents have owned multiple minivans, despite the fact that they never transport more than just the two of them. They like the minivan for the seating position, the ease of access, the fact that their little dog can have the rear to himself...but those are things you can get in crossovers now, too. So the options pool has opened up more, even if the need hasn't gone anywhere.

BTW, this is the Elgrand:

Post by **kerrton** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:53 am

You make a really good point, I see what you mean now, makes sense, so things aren't as straight forward as I thought, we'll have to wait and see what happens I guess! Good talking to you.

Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:07 am

the Elgrand looks like well a minivan... I hate minivans but I needed one so the only option was for me was to buy one that does not like like one. Some people have confused my Quest to a crossover

Post by **philipa_240sx** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:51 pm

Don't ask me why I'm in the Quest forum... I really don't care for minivans. But I did come across a 'sneak peek' of the 2011 Quest from Nissannews.com today:

http://www.nissannews.com/news...mid=1

Post by **philipa_240sx** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:52 pm

Oh, and the Forum concept van... very similar, esp the grille shape and headlights.

Post by **cmdrbato** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 4:45 am

nice...

Post by **Paulevalence** » Sun May 09, 2010 2:09 pm

I like the tails. remind me of an s13

Post by **philipa_240sx** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:58 am

New photos released along with a new 2011 Quest Microsite:

http://www.nissanusa.com/microsite/quest

Post by **philipa_240sx** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:00 am

I'm not really liking the back end.... a bit squarish and plain.

Post by **kerrton** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:39 am

Yeah the back isn't anything to get excited about, but it's ok, nice and functional for visibility anyway. But I really dig the side view, it looks similar to a Ford Flex I think, but of course with the tell tale sign that it's a van with the sliding door track.

I don't think I'll be impressed with the powertrain in terms of efficiency advancements, the 3.7L V6 is probably great for performance but will likely be hard on the wallet at the pumps. Nissan is releasing it's own in-house hybrid system next year initially on some infinity models, and they claim it's far superior to Toyota's system with the ability to increase efficiency by as much as 60% which sounds a little hard to believe. Maybe the technology will make it's way into the Quest in the next decade, and if price is reasonable that could be a game changer - we'll see.

Post by **lino** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 7:46 am

It definitely looks like a Nissan. I think it looks richer and ore upscale. Nissan claims that the new Quest offers new levels of quality, reliability and versatility.

Post by **wingFeather** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 7:57 am

Let's hope Nissan doesn't make this one. The last thing they need is another dud dragging their reputation down.

Post by **kerrton** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:46 am

With all signs pointing towards a quality product, I don't know why you'd speculate that this will be a dud.

The minivan market has a lot of potential since there are only 3 players dominating it now, Toyota, Honda and Dodge/Chrysler, and yeah VW with their Carvan copy that runs $50k (I don't think they have any market share with that horendous pricing). If Nissan can come through with superior quality like they're promising, and a superior powertrain which could be a new small displacement turbo (which they recently announced along with a complete line-up of small turbo's which make big horsepower numbers and even bigger fuel efficiency numbers - very impressive), and if they can make the minivan look cool which I think they might have done here, it'll be a home run product.

Nissan has some really exciting things on the horizon starting within the next year, and I think this van has the potential to be a highlight, but of course we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. In my opinion, a deal breaker would be the powertrain - if it's only offered with a gas guzzling 3.7L V6 it will be disappointing - perhaps they will upgrade the powertrain in later years but I one way of gaining an advantage over the competition would definatley be to offer a cutting edge fuel efficient powertrain - we'll see....

Post by **newbissan-tech** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 12:12 pm

i could care less what it looks like as long as it's somewhat easier to work on and isn't such a pile of rattling crap with thousands of customers complaining of squeaks and rattles all of the time. hopefully nissan spends a little more time with interior fitment and overall quality. that is the biggest problem with the current quest's if you can see past the interior and all of the plastic panels that don't fit properly and squeak and rattle all of the time, then they are truly a great van, the 3.5 seems to pull them around quite well and the transmissions aren't a cvt (plus in my book) but to each their own. personally i like the look of the new quest/forum concept although i would never own one. just because my wife has a phobia of vans hence our purchase of a 10' pathfinder. but that's just my .02 cents wow what am i doing in the quest forum?

Post by **kerrton** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 1:30 pm

Yeah I can imagine troubleshooting squeeks and rattles is not the highlight of any service tech's day.

I don't consider myself a van guy either, I've got an 08 Rogue FWD and aside from quite a bit of annoying warranty work I really like the car, but I've got a second kid on the way which the Rogue will do fine for but a few years down the line when we get into sports and road trips the kids might want to bring a friend or grandma and grandpa etc so a next generation van could be a possibility. When I say "next gen", I'm referring to powertrain. I am really hoping one of the advanced turbo powertrains that Nissan recently announced will make its way into the Quest, a nice 2.0 turbo making 230ish horsepower and returning 30% better efficiency than current Quest's might make me consider it.

Also, why wouldn't the Quest get a CVT, the Murano has one with a 3.5 L engine and gets pretty good mileage? I'm not crazy about them either but the efficiency gains are enough that I'm willing to accept it, provided the next gen CVT is durable and reliable. The new Honda van is set to go on sale within a few weeks and it gets pretty amazing fuel ecomony thanks in large part to cylinder deactivation, if the Quest wants to compete it'll have to do much better than an existing 3.5 L engine. Another interesting comparison, the upcoming Ford Explorer will have an availalbe 2.0 turbo engine that will make 220 - 30 hp and get amazing efficiency in such a large vehicle, Nissan better step up and compete on that level or it'll be "just another minivan".

Post by **alex5002** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:50 am

The 2011 Quest will keep the VQ 3.5 and most likely a 7-speed traditional auto. It will come in four trim levels S, SL, SV and, LE.

Post by **kerrton** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:08 am

Hey Alex, what is your source for that info.? All of the official info from Nissan has been limited regarding the powertrain, although there is quite a bit of speculation on the internet. One thing I've never seen mentioned is a 7-speed auto, I'd be really interested to know the source of that info.

A 7-speed auto is an interesting decision for Nissan, I can't see how it's economical for them to develop CVT and conventional tranny technologies in together. And even if the numbers make sense, what's the logic in choosing one over the other, like I said the Murano is a good example, it uses the 3.5 L engine with the CVT and puts out horsepower in the 240ish range. The Quest looks to be a good candidate for the same engine, so why conventional 7-speed rather than CVT, or perhaps is this a sign that Nissan is changing course on their future plans? Maybe the next generation Murano will ditch the CVT and adopt a 7+ speed conventional auto? I'm really interested in Nissan's strategy here, maybe CVT was just an interim technology, but I can't see that being the case.

Post by **alex5002** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:16 am

I work at a Nissan Dealer and i can do something called a Locate. On the Locater i can choose 11 Quest and it says for Transmition "AUTO" for cars with Cvt it says "CVT". I can only assume it will be the 7-speed vs the 5-speed because i can see them putting old technology into the car. Infiniti and the Z use 7-speed auto. As far as the engine for trim levels it says 3.5S, 3.5Sv, 3.5SL and 3.5LE which means 3.5 V6

Post by **kerrton** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 11:49 am

Thanks a lot for that inside info, very interesting. I was concerned about them using a newly developed transmission with unproven reliability, but if its been in use in some Infinity models already I'd be a little more comfortable with it.

I was hoping Nissan would use some it's next gen small displacement turbo's, at least as an option, which should provide better fuel efficiency and the same power as a normal aspiration 3.5, but we'll see what numbers the 3.5 makes, maybe it will surprise us. I also have read that a 2.5 might be an optional engine but I'm sure it would be underpowered in a vehicle this size unless it was a turbo.

All I know is that the new Honda Odyssy with cylinder deactivation makes unbelievable efficiency numbers while still providing lots of power and sporty handling, and the Toyota Sienna is probably second place with their 2.7 4-cylinder.

Nissan is going to have to swing for the fences to truly compete with these two competitors (and also who knows what the next gen Dodge Caravan will bring in the next 2 or 3 years), which is why I'm still surprised at the selection of a 3.5 engine as the only option, either they've got some tricks to make this thing really efficienct or they're going to be content with 3rd or 4th place in an already small market segment, which really makes no sense - either go big or don't bother.

It will be interesting to see what happens, I think the earliest we'll see solid specs is Dec. or Jan..

Post by **MinisterofDOOM** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 7:29 am

alex5002 wrote:I can only assume it will be the 7-speed vs the 5-speed because i can see them putting old technology into the car. Infiniti and the Z use 7-speed auto.

And therein lies the problem. Infiniti and Z are RWD, longitudinal. Quest is FWD, transverse. Can't use the existing 7 speed auto in the Quest. Anyway, the RS5F used in the rest of the front-drive Nissan lineup isn't old at all. First production model to use it was the 2004 Max. Much needed replacement to the extremely aged RE4F. If the Quest were to get an auto, it'd have to be the RS5F, unless Nissan's got a replacement on the charts. But considering how new it is, and how few years it was in production before being almost completely phased out by Completely Vomit-inducing Transmissions, I'd be surprised if they have anything else in mind for a mere minivan.

Post by **dusred** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 7:39 am

The rear end looks like an Odyssey. The whole thing looks like a Mini-Cooper got in bed with an early scion XB.

I actually kinda like it.

Post by **kerrton** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:07 pm

MinisterofDOOM wrote:
alex5002 wrote:I can only assume it will be the 7-speed vs the 5-speed because i can see them putting old technology into the car. Infiniti and the Z use 7-speed auto.
And therein lies the problem. Infiniti and Z are RWD, longitudinal. Quest is FWD, transverse. Can't use the existing 7 speed auto in the Quest. Anyway, the RS5F used in the rest of the front-drive Nissan lineup isn't old at all. First production model to use it was the 2004 Max. Much needed replacement to the extremely aged RE4F. If the Quest were to get an auto, it'd have to be the RS5F, unless Nissan's got a replacement on the charts. But considering how new it is, and how few years it was in production before being almost completely phased out by Completely Vomit-inducing Transmissions, I'd be surprised if they have anything else in mind for a mere minivan.

Good point, which makes my original guess of using the Murano powertrain seem more logical.

The vehicles are similar in size and weight (just over 4000 lbs), the Murano powertrain is proven in the sense that this CVT has been redesigned at least once and had incremental improvements to it's design throughout the 7-years it's been in use. It's also set up for FWD and AWD which would be a strong offering as most competitors don't offer AWD vans.

And even more significantly, Nissan markets the Murano Xtronic CVT (and all their CVT's) as a "next geneation, advanced powertrain", representing years of development and probably into the hundreds of millsions of dollars in research and development if you total it over the decades. And they're still battling against negative public perceptions of the CVT normally associated with any new or non-mainstream technology - what would it say about Nissan's own confidence in their CVT technology if they unveil their brand new advanced minivan and it uses a conventional auto (regardless if it's 5, 6 or 7 speed)?? As a consumer I would interpret this as a mixed message and lose a little confidence in the CVT (remember I own a Rogue with CVT and am still "on the fence" about this tranny, and it's interesting that the Rogue European sister the Quasqi is offered with conventional auto tranny's - why do they get auto while we get CVT?).

The Murano powertrain is ready, it's advanced in the sense that it has very wide range gear ratios offering performance and fuel economy, and Nissan has embrace CVT technology since 2003 - why would they ignore this fact and try to develop a new 7-speed conventional auto or use an existing 5-speed? If the new Quest doesn't use CVT I would begin to wonder if the CVT will have staying power in the coming new decade....I'm very eager to see what happens - even though some would consider this a sleeper in the sense that the minivan market is small, I think it will be reveal a lot about the direction that Nissan is planning for is entire lineup in the years to come.

Post by **kerrton** » Mon Sep 27, 2010 11:48 am

Tons of details in the official press release of the Quest's sister Elgrand which has been released in Japan. Some really interesting stuff and most of it is probably representative of what we'll expect in the NA Quest.

Intersting notes on powertrain, the options are 3.5 L V6 with CVT tranny or 2.5 4-cylinder with CVT (same as my Rogue and the Altima).

http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/20 ... -01-e.html

Next Generation Nissan MiniVan - What do you Think? Would you Buy It?

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