This thing takes a licking and keeps on ticking

Too many dealer-only parts, even after 10 years...

This machine, THE ACCESS, which is the grand-parent of the Quest, or Villager. The van has just rolled over 300,000 km, that is 186,000 miles, OR A LIGHT-SECOND, and has just started to burn oil. I am also looking at some work in the bearings; but after 10 years, there is very little this vehicle owes me. Getting the rust-spray done every year, changing the oil when it is recommended, and being careful on the road has made this worth the monies that were paid for it. Around here, the Highway guys like to put down heavy salt on the roads so I think it has helped keep the appearance of the vehicle looking about two to three years old. Would I buy another? Cannot, not made any more; but would give consideration were it still so. Who knows maybe I the only good one ever made. I would not consider a QUEST, don't like the handling, like-wise the Villager. I have noticed a dramatic change in attitude at Nissan since the French take-over, so as a replacement is in the works, you can guess who will not be getting a repeat customer.
Go my monies worth! With two children, and a dog this car has been great, sturdy and small.

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A mini-van is a mini-van is a mini-van...

smooth ride,ok acceleration,nice look,tv/vcr (great for long trips),rear shelf

took a long time to recieve tv/vcr, not enough overhead compartments,slow to heat up

At first I was hesitant about buying a minivan because I thought they where boxy and clumsy. after I drove the Quest my attitude changed. Not only does it handle well but also looks very sporty. I've had my Quest for about 8 months and haven't had any problems. I did have to change the air filter after about 20,000 miles. I thought that maybe it was a little too soon. I paid about $21500. I would recomend this car to anyone.

Engine and trans. are built by Nissan in Japan; ride and handling is exceptional, feels more firm and sporty rather than spongy; Quest Trac rear seating system is very good idea though underrated by the "experts".

My '97 model had major power door lock problems! We eventually had to have the entire system replaced. C'mon, this isn't new technology! Paint quality is so-so, chips easy; 3.0 litre engine is a bit underpowered. Finally, passenger side sliding door window needs to be fixed rather than hinged. The hinge pin is determined not to stay in place!

We bought our '97 Quest GXE new and it listed for $26,460. We paid $21,600. These vans can be picked up for a song if you wait for the right incentives to come along. Overall this has been a good van. It is built by Ford with a Nissan drivetrain, so this is a genuine hybrid. As such, you get an average, American made quality van wrapped around an above average drivetrain. Nissan customer service has been very good, and the standard warranty is better than most (3/36 standard with 5/60 on the drivetrain). This is an underrated van and worthy of consideration. It falls short of the quality of a Toyota or Honda. But, you won't have to open your wallet so wide to purchase one.

quality is excellent. Rides like a car

tv/vcr stinks

Car drives really well, and the quality is excellent. The
tv/vcr is terrible

Handles like a car. Very little road noise in the city and within reason on the highway. Average passing power and fuel consumption. Attractive exterior styling. Well laid out and functional interior design. Repositioning the rear seat is a simple task. Excellent air conditioning system (front and rear). Entertainment system is of average quality but comes standard without inflating the price. More fun to drive than we expected from a mini-van.

Steering wheel radio control is extremely sensitive and the radio doesn't always respond to commands or reacts too quickly / repeatedly. The natural course of rain water run-off tends to create faint staining on the paint that is very difficult if not impossible to completely remove. Battery power seems inadequate to crank the engine confidently. Occasionally it seems like the battery is going dead but then the problem doesn't repeat for weeks or even months (maybe its just a faulty battery). In any case, the van has yet to fail to start-up even when it seemed like it just might not. Rear storage is somewhat small. Nissan thought to provide a removable shelf creating two levels in the cargo area with all seating in use but that still doesn't change the fact that the storage area is quite small for a van. A full buggy of groceries can fit okay. For larger loads the third row seat has to be folded up. CD player was not available in the GXE model. For about $450 we had a 10-disc changer installed which was integrated with the stereo so that no extra knobs, controls, etc. were necessary which makes it seem as though it is factory installed even though its not. Installation was done under the front passenger seat and the unit is completely "invisible" to passengers in the van and when looking in the windows from outside. Still, I list this as a weakness because I believe a CD player should at least be a factory installed option for this model and not a dealer or outside vendor option. Especially considering that the entertainment console is standard. The latching mechanism on the rear door windows seems somewhat cheap. We don't use those windows because we're afraid that with continued wear the latches will break causing the window to fail to properly seal shut when closed.

An attractive and dependable mini-van with a very reasonable price tag. Comfortable for both short and long trips. Compared to the competition, gas mileage isn't the greatest (1-2 less mpg city/highway) but in my opinion this is offset by better than average handling and ride. We are non-smokers so I kind of like the fact that there are no cigarette lighters or ashtrays in this vehicle. The sticker price really blows away the competition especially considering all of the items included in the base price. If you are looking for a great value with a lot of extras included, this is a great pick. The trade-off is that the interior is fairly basic. No wood trim, adequate quality carpeting but nothing fancy or plush, and a lot of hard plastic interior panels. Components do seem to be well put together. My wife says that after a year in this van she's decided that she will most likely want another one and will want to seriously consider another Nissan when that time comes.

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None - first mini-van we've owned.

Interior design, roomy, perky engine, smooth quiet ride, handles well, reliable, dependable. Roof rack is great for storing extra luggage during a trip. Seats can be taken out or rearranged for hauling. Extra protection rugs that you can remove for cleaning. Factory tape deck and radio work fine also have headphone plug ins in back seat. Air condition controls in back seats. Gas mileage is great especially these days.

Demon possessed locks. Security system doesn't work well. All doorlocks lock themselves at random very quickly and it's hard to get out of the van sometimes. This seems to get worse with age. This can be a bad situation if you leave small children in the car for even a second, I can see how a person could lock their keys in the van and well you get the picture. I've never had this happen because I keep my keys on me all the time. Sometimes the keys are the only thing that will open the door and the remote doesn't work consistently. It also chirps and flashes lights for no apparent reason. It's hard to move the seats around you almost need a degree to figure that out. Both seats have to be folded up before the latch will release. They are heavy but one person alone can do it.

This van has been great overall. It's dependable and comfortable. The ride is compact and smooth. The selling point was that there were no rattles while driving and the doors shut well, the engine is perky. We've had no problems with the sliding door or the windows. No major problems or repairs. Everything's been normal repairs that were expected. We kept up with the scheduled maintenance and an oil change every 3 months. This has been a really great family van. It's also great for hauling items. It does well on trips and there is plenty of room for a cooler near the seats. The rack on top is sturdy enough to put luggage. It drives well in storms, highways, city, mountains. We've gone everywhere in ours and have never been stranded over 73,000 miles so far. If you take care of a vehicle you'll get more out of it. I really love my Nissan Van.

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I've had full sized Chevy Vans, late models. The Nissan is really nice and roomy for a mini-van. It handles well and has a smooth ride. I'd had problems with the sliding doors on other vans but the nissan doesn't have this problem.

Best engine money can buy. Will run for ever. Size is perfect and the amenities are worth far more than the purchase price. Great ride and handeling. Great fit and finish

That it was buil at a Ford plant. Thank god that Nissan designed it.

I just traded in our 1999 GXE for a 2001 model. My wife and I have really enjoyed this van and are truly sorry this will be the last year it is made. I would not touch a domestic van with a ten foot pole, the Toyota has major oil leak problems and the Honda is still over sticker. Not a better van on the market and the price is right. I had not seen my Nissan dealer for three years until I traded in my 1999. I only changed oil and added gas.

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1999 Quest GXE

Smooth transmission shifting; Soft road feel; Fairly quiet interier; convenient seat position changes. appearance not out-dated yet.

Noisy engine while accelerating; Power could be more when going uphill; side-to-side motion like being on a boat; moving parts a bit difficult to manage (such as transmission shifting stick, turning lights switch. They are too stiff.)

(1998 Model) - This is a old version Quest made by Nissan. It has a 3.0 liter engine with 151 hp. The power is adequate most of the time except when I drive it uphill to my house on the hill. It rides very similar to a Toyota Camry except the side-to-side movements due to high sitting positions. It is a practical and good Family Van. It had a transmission problem once. The problems occur when we brake it hard and bring it to full stop. Then when we step on gas again, it won't go for a while before a sudden start. I would feel like driving a car in a racing manner when this happens. The dealer fixed the problem ver warranty. The van is in good condition after a 14 months' constent usage. I believe the 1999 model should have improved power strength. But I am not sure about the side-to-side motion. The Toyota Sienna doesn't have this motion when I tested drive it. But Toyata's ride feels stiffer. I would recommend buying the Quest when you get good discounts. I bought mine with over 5000 discount. The value with this price should be rated a solid 5.

Value, ride, reliability.

Poor frontal offset crash test results.
No "drop down" third row seat.

Great minivan value! Looked at the usual suspects- Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Mazda MPV and chose the Quest based on:
Honda- Arrogant sales folks, charging above sticker (yeah right.......)
Toyota- Minivan had worst "seating" arrangement of the bunch.
Mazda- Cheap finishing, Ford engine........
This van is being "phased out" after the end of this year, and you can get a fully loaded SE at a "steal".........Van rides and handles like a car. Nissan engine can't be beat.

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Dodge Caravan. Quest "BLOWS" it away........

Looks, high quality, and one smoooooth engine.

I have a car payment now....

A superb minivan. Rides well, looks good, and handles great. High quality materials. Easy to forget it's a minivan when driving it. Highly recommend one. The Nissan engine and tranny should run forever.

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Windstar, Odyssey (over-hyped and over priced)