The 2006 Nissan Quest continues to redefine the segment with its emphasis on combining car-like performance and innovative style. The Quest also ranks among the largest vehicles in the segment. Its long wheelbase, wide track and arching roofline contribute to both its sporty appearance and exceptional practicality and versatility.
New for 2006, a 3.5 S Special Edition package has been added, including power right hand door, power liftgate, power 3rd row vent windows, in-dash 6-disc CD changer, upgraded audio speakers, rear sonar system, illuminated steering wheel audio switches and Special Edition badges. In addition, a 3.5 SL Special Edition trim is available for the Quest 3.5 SL.
“Quest features the customary minivan features of utility and safety, but also adds in emotional elements of personable style and fun-to-drive performance to create an exclusive, one-of-a-kind minivan,” said Ian Forsyth, director, marketing Nissan Canada Inc.
The Quest is among the roomiest in the front-wheel drive minivan class and provides such user-focused enhancements as folding 2nd and 3rd row seats and the widest opening sliding doors in the front-wheel drive minivan segment. The standard safety features include Nissan's Advanced Air Bag System, roof mounted curtain side supplemental air bags to help protect 1st, 2nd and 3rd row outboard occupants in side-impact collisions and front seat Active Head Restraints.
Style is another key component of Quest, with both the dramatic, flowing exterior and “urban loft” themed interior designed to address consumer concerns about traditional minivans' conservative imagery. And, as expected from the company behind the popular Nissan 350Z sports car, the 2006 Quest offers responsive acceleration and handling from its standard 3.5-liter V6 engine and 4-wheel independent suspension.
Safety, Security Inside
Safety is a particularly important part of the minivan purchase decision and the Quest was developed with a strong focus on both active safety – through the responsive engine, suspension and braking technologies – and passive safety through a comprehensive set of passive restraint systems.
Standard safety equipment includes Zone Body construction with front and rear crumple zones and occupant zone and the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS), which utilizes advanced occupant weight sensing to control front passenger air bag deployment. Front seat Active Head Restraints and Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) are also standard equipment.
Also standard are curtain supplemental air bags to help protect 1st, 2nd and 3rd row outboard occupants in side-impact collisions and 3-point seat belts and height-adjustable head restraints for all seating positions. Standard on SL are supplemental front-seat side-impact air bags for thorax protection (SL). Every new Quest also includes the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tether for Children) child seat anchorage system, child safety rear door locks and an anti-theft system.
Spacious, Innovative Interior
With its long 124.0-inch / 3149.6mm wheelbase, 77.6-inch / 1971mm width and 67.3-inch / 1709.4mm front and rear track, the Quest offers one of the largest interior volumes of any front-wheel drive minivan with an overall interior volume of 211.9 cubic feet. Special attention is also paid to front seat dimensions, with large first row shoulder room.
Quest's sliding door openings measure 33.8 inches / 858.5mm. The wide doors combine with a 2nd row seat “tip up” feature to address one of consumers most frequent complaints regarding current minivan designs – getting in and out of the 3rd row.
Quest advances the usual folding seat design with Fold-Away 2nd and 3rd row seats, with the 3rd row folding flat. The unique folding operation does not require the owner to remove the 2nd and 3rd row seats in order to create a fully usable storage area.
The 2nd row seats fold down and drop forward to the floor. The 3rd row easily folds and rotates into a storage well in the floor behind it. The Quest also features spring-loaded retractable strikers (versus competitors' fixed striker designs) for the 3rd row seat for added flexibility in carrying wide objects. The Quest's ample length and width allows for carrying of standard 4x8-foot plywood sheets on the floor with the rear door closed.
Another Quest innovation is the available SkyView™ glass roof, a series of four roof mounted glass panels for the 2nd and 3rd rows that (along with the front sunroof) help enhance the use of natural light throughout the vehicle.
A full-length rear overhead console, available with the SkyView roof, offers increased functionality while creating an aircraft-like interior environment with personal reading lights and air vents. The rear overhead console includes heating and cooling vents, reading lights and also houses the Quest's available DVD Entertainment System's single or dual colour display screens.
Contemporary Yet Functional Design
Quest's exterior design is marked by an arching roofline that transitions seamlessly off of the A-pillar, a strong shoulder that adds dimension to the body sides, well-defined wheel forms that have a minimal gap with the tire sidewalls and a fluid gesture in the beltline that starts low off of the headlights and kicks up toward the rear of the vehicle.
The interior's remarkable sense of openness comes from several design innovations, beginning up front with Quest's unique, low-height instrument panel. The instrument panel layout utilizes a center-mounted instrument cluster with a standard 6.3-inch information display screen (7-inch color display standard on 3.5 SE, 3.5 SL Special Edition). An instrument panel-mounted transmission shifter lever and numerous storage compartments – including driver and passenger side lower instrument panel storage – further enhance convenience and versatility.
An Abundance of Comfort and Convenience Features
The 2006 Quest's expressive and distinctive interior offers a high quality, luxurious feel and an array of standard and available equipment. Up front, Quest offers standard heated seats, an available 8-way power driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support, available driver's seat memory system (seat position, foot pedal position and outside mirror position) and heated front seats.
Also offered are available leather-appointed interior, illuminated steering wheel audio and cruise control switches, dual zone automatic temperature control for driver and front passenger, standard rear heating and air conditioning system, power front windows with one-touch auto up/down, a front overhead console with sunglasses holder and dual map lights, and a rear sonar system (3.5 SL Special Edition).
Eight cupholders, along with bottle holders/map pockets on each sliding door, offer flexibility and convenience for all passengers and also numerous storage bins and area.
A 150-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with eight speakers is standard, along with an available a 265-watt 10-speaker Bose® audio system (SL Leather Package, standard on SE). All audio systems also feature “dual media” capability (when equipped with rear audio controls), allowing rear passengers to use wireless or wired headphones for a different media source than what is played through the speakers.
Taking mobile technology to the next level is an available DVD Entertainment System with one (S, SL) or two (SE) roof-mounted display screens. The system's DVD drive is located under the front passenger seat, oriented toward the driver, for ease of changing discs.
Also offered is a DVD-based Nissan Navigation System with 7-inch color display. A 7-inch color display with RearView Monitor is standard on the 3.5 SE and available on the 3.5 SL Special Edition.
Non-Traditional Minivan Performance
Powering the Quest is a standard 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine based on Nissan's VQ engine series. For use in the Quest, the V6 is tuned to produce 240 horsepower* and 242 lb-ft torque.
The engine design includes state-of-the-art design features as Continuous Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVVTCS), microfinished crankshaft and camshaft, molybdenum-coated pistons and sequential multi-point electronic fuel injection. The engines are assembled at Nissan's Decherd, Tenn. engine assembly facility.
The Quest engine is matched with either 4-speed (3.5 S) or 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with overdrive (3.5 SL and 3.5 SE).
A Traction Control System (TCS) is standard and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) is standard on the 3.5 SE.
Another element that is often overlooked in the minivan segment is responsive handling and ride comfort. Utilizing Nissan's advanced FF-L (for Front engine, Front-wheel drive, Large) platform, also found on the Nissan Altima, Murano crossover SUV and Maxima, Quest features a 4-wheel independent suspension with an advanced rear multi-link suspension and front and rear stabilizer bars.
Quest is offered with 16x6.5 wheels and 225/65R16 tires on 3.5 S and 3.5 SL models and 17x6.5 aluminum-alloy wheels and 225/60R17 tires on the 3.5 SE model. A sensor-type Tire Pressure Monitor System is standard on all 2006 Quests.
Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is also standard, along with 4-wheel vented disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD).
Models and Packages
The 2006 Nissan Quest is offered in four well-equipped models – 3.5 S, 3.5 SL, 3.5 SL Special Edition and 3.5 SE. A new 3.5 S Special Edition trim is available in 2006 with power right hand door, power liftgate, power third row vent windows, in-dash 6-disc CD autochanger, upgraded audio speakers, rear sonar system, illuminated steering wheel audio switches and Special Edition badges.
A new trim for 2006 is the 3.5 SL Special Edition including power left hand door, color display screen, RearView Monitor and puddle lamps.
Also offered is a 3.5 SL Leather Package with leather-appointed interior, adjustable armrests, 4-way power front passenger seat and in-dash 6CD Bose audio system; and SkyView Glass Panel Roof Package with power sunroof, roof mounted glass panels and full-length overhead console.
Other available features and optionas include a DVD Entertainment System (either single or dual screen) with 7-inch color display screen and DVD navigation system with 7-inch color display screen.
* All horsepower ratings are per SAE J1349 JUN1995