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2011 Nissan Quest SL (photos)

The Nissan Quest gets an update for 2011, but doesn't quite meet the standards set by the competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, both of which have much more robust rear seat entertainment.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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Nissan gave its Quest minivan an update for the 2011 model year, changing the exterior significantly. This update follows Honda and Toyota's updates to their minivans.

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Unlike its competition, the Quest employs a very cohesive exterior look. The grille arrangement and headlights show a unique, geometrical look. The rear of the Quest is a big vertical square hatch.

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Nissan powers the Quest with its 3.5-liter V-6, and engine that has found its way into many Nissan and Infiniti cars over the last decade. It produces 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque.

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The Quest is very roomy, seating two in front, two in the middle, and three in a rear bench seat.

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Side doors and the rear hatch are power-operated at the SL trim.

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The Quest's suspension felt a little rough, too easily communicating jolts into the cabin.

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With the third row up, there is still a large, square space in back.

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The third row seats fold flat, creating a huge cargo space.

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This deep well sits under the load floor, adding significant storage space.

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The dual sunroof option adds this second power-operated sliding glass panel over the middle row.

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Strangely, Nissan only offers navigation at the top, LE, trim. This SL model comes with an LCD in the dashboard, but it is only used for audio and trip information.

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The Quest has a very good turning circle, making it easy to maneuver this big van.

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The left side of the steering wheel includes audio controls, and a button to activate voice command, which controls the Bluetooth phone system.

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The Quest gets large, traditional analog gauges.

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A high point of the drivetrain is the continuously variable transmission, which leads to smooth acceleration. It reacts well to accelerator input, dropping down to a lower ratio for more power.

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The array of buttons below the LCD are an evolution of Nissan's traditional infotainment interface, with a look that better integrates with the cabin interior.

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The LCD interface is the same as on previous Nissan models. This screen shows music folders on a USB drive.

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The display can show detailed information about MP3 files.

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Beyond audio information, the primary use of the LCD is showing fuel economy. The Quest gets 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway in EPA testing.

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The Bluetooth phone system is full featured, with a phone book feature and the ability to make calls by voice command.

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A DVD player in the center stack allows playback on the car's dashboard screen, but only when the parking brake is engaged.

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The Quest employs a fold-down screen for rear-seat entertainment. But it is only a single screen, unlike the dual screens in the Odyssey and Sienna.

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The DVD entertainment system includes a remote and two wireless headphones.

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The rearview camera shows distance and trajectory lines, which are very useful for maneuvering this big vehicle.

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