2004 Nissan Quest Interior Review at Automotive.com
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Nissan
Quest
2004

2004 Nissan Quest Review: Interior

Below is a full, detailed 2004 Nissan Quest review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless e ...     read more
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2004 Nissan Quest Review

Rethinking the minivan.
Interior
Anyone who has ever owned a minivan will tell you that the most important aspect of the vehicle is the interior. Unlike SUVs, which are more often than not just used as a passenger car for carrying one or maybe two passengers, minivans get used for carrying kids and stuff. Flexibility is the key. Gradually, minivan designers have improved the versatility and ease in which the interior can be arranged.

Nissan has taken versatility to new levels with the Quest. The third row of seats can be lowered into a large carpeted well in the floor to provide loads of storage space with a flat floor. But in a new twist the two center-mounted captain's seats can also be lowered down almost flat with the floor to provide a space more than big enough for the proverbial sheet of plywood. There's no need to remove the seats, and one person can easily fold the seats down, useful for an impulsive stop at the home-improvement center.

The seats feature an unusual design. Far less bulky than normal, they take on the appearance of airline seats when viewed from the side. These folding seats are part of the standard Seat Package.

One of the most controversial design aspects of the Quest is the cockpit. The instrument cluster is centered on top of the dashboard instead of its usual location ahead of the steering wheel. This move has allowed the designers to make the top of the dashboard much lower for improved forward visibility and a feeling of spaciousness. A minor touch but one that can be appreciated is a small slot located ahead of the steering wheel for holding a photograph or map or notes. It's an ideal location for glancing at something important while driving, which is why the instruments are normally located there.

The climate and audio controls are located on top of an angled flat oval-shaped area that looks like the top of a barrel. It's a distinctive part of the design, but it is not quite as easy to operate the big knobs and buttons as in a normal location, at least for the driver. The screen for the optional navigation system is located in front of this in a pod alongside the gauges.

One of the neatest features, available only on the SE, is the Skyview glass roof, first seen in the 2004 Maxima. There are four glass panels over the rear seats that cannot be removed but can be covered by a sliding blind. They help make the rear seating much less claustrophobic by opening up the sky and letting the kids (and adults) see trees, airplanes and mountain tops.

Outfitted with the central roof console and optional DVD entertainment system with two monitors, sitting in the back of the Quest feels just like being seated in a jet liner, in first class to boot. This is one minivan where kids may fight to see who sits in the back seats. Next Page


2004 Nissan Quest