Topic: First Drive: 2011 Nissan Quest

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Powered by a 260-horsepower version of Nissan’s VQ-series V6 engine (up 10 per cent compared with the outgoing model), and mated to a continuously variable transmission,...NEXT!  

[dkaz]

Why not? Does it cost the manufacturers more to put a manual mode in? A hundred dollars maybe? The Sienna SE trim level is targeted as a sporty minivan with 19" rims, firmer sport tuned suspension (rides an inch lower than the normal Sienna trim levels), and sport tuned handling. Of course it's no Mazda 5, it's still a big minivan, but it's not bad.

Oh yea, CVT... but why did my friend's Lancer GT with CVT come with paddle shifters?? Preset fake gears??

Anyone notice the weight of the Quest? 5818 lbs??? Is that including the weight of the passengers or something?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Anyone notice the weight of the Quest? 5818 lbs??? Is that including the weight of the passengers or something?

Either gross vehicle weight rating or a typo. The Quest runs from 1980kg to 2062kg (4367lbs to 4548lbs).

[mrthompson]

I sometimes hit the column shifter when reaching for the radio/HVAC controls in my wife's Grand Caravan.  Fack.

[footlong58]

Why not? Does it cost the manufacturers more to put a manual mode in? A hundred dollars maybe? The Sienna SE trim level is targeted as a sporty minivan with 19" rims, firmer sport tuned suspension (rides an inch lower than the normal Sienna trim levels), and sport tuned handling. Of course it's no Mazda 5, it's still a big minivan, but it's not bad.

Oh yea, CVT... but why did my friend's Lancer GT with CVT come with paddle shifters?? Preset fake gears??

Anyone notice the weight of the Quest? 5818 lbs??? Is that including the weight of the passengers or something?

All-right, a pretend sport mini van.  They'd sell one to you then... Wait, you're not buying one... So who else out there wants paddle shifters in their minivan?

Anyone remember the Turbo Carvan?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Why not? Does it cost the manufacturers more to put a manual mode in? A hundred dollars maybe? The Sienna SE trim level is targeted as a sporty minivan with 19" rims, firmer sport tuned suspension (rides an inch lower than the normal Sienna trim levels), and sport tuned handling. Of course it's no Mazda 5, it's still a big minivan, but it's not bad.

Oh yea, CVT... but why did my friend's Lancer GT with CVT come with paddle shifters?? Preset fake gears??

Anyone notice the weight of the Quest? 5818 lbs??? Is that including the weight of the passengers or something?

All-right, a pretend sport mini van.  They'd sell one to you then... Wait, you're not buying one... So who else out there wants paddle shifters in their minivan?

Anyone remember the Turbo Carvan?

I do! Friend of mine had one with a manual transmission. It was so much smaller than the current minivans though, that it could just about pull off "sporty".

His was identical to this:

[CatsEye68]

Shifters need to be on the floor or on the column, not on the dash. Chrysler learned that in 1955. Maybe Nissan should invent pushbutton  shifters like Chrysler did in '56.

[Frontier1]

Shifters need to be on the floor or on the column, not on the dash. Chrysler learned that in 1955. Maybe Nissan should invent pushbutton  shifters like Chrysler did in '56.

huh?...everybody has a shifter on the dash, why single Nissan?  Actually others besides minivan have shifters in the dash, Matrix, Sentra come to mind.  I think it's great personally, frees up the console area.

[Bubba]

It's time again for push button transmission control!!

[Trainman]

Shifters need to be on the floor or on the column, not on the dash. Chrysler learned that in 1955. Maybe Nissan should invent pushbutton  shifters like Chrysler did in '56.

huh?...everybody has a shifter on the dash, why single Nissan?  Actually others besides minivan have shifters in the dash, Matrix, Sentra come to mind.  I think it's great personally, frees up the console area.

   As I noted above, the positioning of the shifter in our Sienna is very convenient.  Makes it very easy to use.  Well done Nissan.

[Ice]

It's time again for push button transmission control!!

You know with some modern design those could look and feel pretty good. Great idea! Why don't they do something like that? The shifter obviously obstructs access to controls for the driver in the Nissan. Doesn't look quite as bad for Honda.

On another note, kudos for both sticking to the minivan line and for doing something a little more tasteful than the last one but still out there.

[Schmengie]

  The coolest car my Dad ever owned was a two-tone (blue and white) '58 Plymouth Belvedere 2-door. I'm not sure if it was a 6-cylinder or a V8, but it had the push-button transmission selector just like the picture. I remember Dad saying how he liked that arrangement because it worked so much better than the clunky column shifters he was used to back then.

I'm not sure why we even need mechanical shifters anymore. A modern electronic version of those old pushbutton selectors would be pretty easy to do, or maybe something like the side-stick control in modern aircraft attached to the seat rather than the dash. Just a thought.

[Bubba]

I'm not sure why we even need mechanical shifters anymore. A modern electronic version of those old pushbutton selectors would be pretty easy to do, or maybe something like the side-stick control in modern aircraft attached to the seat rather than the dash. Just a thought.

There likely isn't a physical connection from shifter to transmission in current cars anyway!

Here's an Allison transmission controller.

[tortoise]

The shifter obviously obstructs access to controls for the driver in the Nissan.

I'm not so sure it does.  I think it's the angle of the photo.

[Alex]

I'm not sure why we even need mechanical shifters anymore. A modern electronic version of those old pushbutton selectors would be pretty easy to do, or maybe something like the side-stick control in modern aircraft attached to the seat rather than the dash. Just a thought.

There likely isn't a physical connection from shifter to transmission in current cars anyway!



Here's an Allison transmission controller.

In slushboxes there isn't, in manuals there is... Note how for cars that come with either, the position is dictated by the manual shift placement (cables). For the ones that only come with dumb-o-matic, you can place it on the roof FWIW.

[Rolling]

Man did I have high hopes for the new Nissan Quest.  I liked this dash much better than the previous version’s. I was ok with the front styling but didn’t like the rear styling as it reminds me of the Elgrand’s…. Actually I think in general Nissan did a better job with the exterior styling on the Quest than the Elgrand.  I was going to let the rear seating configuration slide as it’s not as spacious as the Competition’s, but when I read “CVT” that’s when I lost the lovin.

I don’t want to buy another Nissan “CVT durability test mule” After reading all the horror stories on the CVT in the Rouge. Thanks, but I’ll pass on this one.

Heavy Minivan + (Metal band/Cones) transmission + light  towing duties = Big $$$ repair bills.

[mmret]

The coolest car my Dad ever owned was a two-tone (blue and white) '58 Plymouth Belvedere 2-door. I'm not sure if it was a 6-cylinder or a V8, but it had the push-button transmission selector just like the picture. I remember Dad saying how he liked that arrangement because it worked so much better than the clunky column shifters he was used to back then.

I'm not sure why we even need mechanical shifters anymore. A modern electronic version of those old pushbutton selectors would be pretty easy to do, or maybe something like the side-stick control in modern aircraft attached to the seat rather than the dash. Just a thought.

Newer BMWs have some wacky joystick thinger going on, with the park button on the very top. Still in the traditional position though.

[Derek234234]

Hey Shnak, there is a big difference in the cargo volume between this new Quest and others on the market.   The overall length might be the same, but its inside that matters.   As well the new sliding doors on the quest apparently do not open very wide at all and are much harder to get and out of then other minivans.  As well, the Quest apparently has a higher load floor which contributes to a Significantly smaller interior and for whatever reason no telescoping steering wheel which is a must in my opinion.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Man did I have high hopes for the new Nissan Quest.  I liked this dash much better than the previous version’s. I was ok with the front styling but didn’t like the rear styling as it reminds me of the Elgrand’s…. Actually I think in general Nissan did a better job with the exterior styling on the Quest than the Elgrand. 

I had to look it up.



Whelp. That's certainly... something.

[Rolling]

Want to see some more?   Here is the 2011 Nissan Elgrand...see any similarities?