Cargo-wise, our 2012 Nissan Quest LE comes across more like a crossover than a minivan.
Case in point: those are 8-foot pieces of angle iron, and they don't fit behind the front seats. To preserve seating for four I must poke them between the front seats and restrain them so they can't bash the dash. If I'm willing to limit seating to two I could fold down the rear seats and angle the angle iron to a greater degree.
But neither maneuver works with any sort of 8-foot panel or boxy object, even if it's just a couple feet wide -- a 4'x8' chunk of plywood or drywall isn't even worth discussing. Heck, I'd have a hard time loading a larger number of slender 8-foot items, such as a bunch of 2x4s or 4x4s.
Any homeowner who has ever visited Lowes or Home Depot knows ours is an 8-foot world. Trouble is the Quest, despite its commodious outward appearance, is a 7-foot vehicle.
As much as I prefer driving and sitting in the 2012 Nissan Quest for long distances compared to a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey, this shortcoming is enough to keep the Quest off my shopping list. It can't provide what I consider one of the primary benefits of minivan ownership.
No thanks.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing
altimadude05 says:
11:21 AM, 01/30/12
Why did you need four seats up? How is this different folding seat arrangement different than in other minivans?
That said, I'd appreciate the lengthened flat load floor the Quest provides rather than removing a seat/balancing a load on the backs of the seats in the Sienna or Odyssey.
esoterica says:
11:32 AM, 01/30/12
Massive fail, and yes, entirely defeats the purpose of a minivan instead of, say, a Chevy Traverse, which has more cargo capacity, seats more people, and tows 1700 more lbs.
legacygt says:
11:50 AM, 01/30/12
This is good to know. But it doesn't really bother me nor will I declare the Quest a "fail" for this reason as others have. The Quest isn't for everyone. But just like we always note that a very small percentage of SUV buyers end up needing true off-road capability, I would guess that a very small percentage of minivan buyers need 4x8' plywood hauling ability.
Sure there are those of use who need to haul plywood and drywall and there are several minivans we can chose from. But some earlier posts about the Quest have pointed out how even though there's less space available, the Quest's packaging does have some benefits (easier to configure, flat load floor with all seats in the vehicle, etc.). I think it's bold of Nissan to offer something a little different and it might just work better for some buyers.
bullfrog34 says:
11:57 AM, 01/30/12
100% deal breaker. Wouldn't even consider it on this point alone (coming from someone who has had a minivan in his life one way or another since 1988).
billt9 says:
12:21 PM, 01/30/12
Not a concern for minivan buyers. Truck drivers should buy trucks.
Although I think this car will get crushed by the 2012 jx/2013 pathfinder, as the flex was by the explorer. The newer cuv will do everything the minivan can do, and better!
hermperez says:
12:49 PM, 01/30/12
Home Depot delivers, or find a buddy with a pickup truck.
actualsize says:
12:59 PM, 01/30/12
@altimadude05: You may be forgetting one thing: I can put 8-foot stuff on the floor between the middle seats in most minivans (I can go as high as 10-feet in my own) without removing or folding any seats. The permanent middle row console here makes that impossible -- stuff has to go on top of folded seats.
bloodyr says:
01:59 PM, 01/30/12
The limited cargo space wouldn't bother me if the Quest was actually smaller than other minivans, but it isn't (we're among very few people we know who actually park TWO cars in the garage). So if this thing is just as difficult to park in my garage but has compromised interior utility, then what's the point?
adamb1 says:
02:26 PM, 01/30/12
I would expect to be able to slide that under the seats in a minivan and not fold anything down.
aspade says:
04:03 PM, 01/30/12
I don't understand why you needed to fold two seats. Why couldn't you fold the right section of the third row and put your long item on top of the center cupholders?
http://media.il.edmunds-media.com/nissan/quest/2011/fd/2011_nissan_quest_crg_fd_1208103_717.jpg
blueprint1 says:
06:18 PM, 01/30/12
Forget the trucks. Most of them live in a 6.5 feet world.
I had a ball watching three construction guys trying to tie up lumber in a RAM, a Chevy and a F-150 at the Home Depot. All had tarted-up, 4x4, 4 door trucks with "bedlets". I just loaded my 12ft mouldings in my Odyssey and drove off.
I liked some of the Quest's quirks, but thanks Dan to point out the 7' cargo bay. We take for granted that all minivans can take 8 footers, and I did not expect that, nor have I read it elsewhere. Having had a minivan since 2003, I really use the cargo capacity, and 4' behind 2nd row - 8' behind 1st row are a minivan must.
It's ok to have less than 8' in a MPV, Mazda 5 or Chevy Orlando, but not in something as big as a Quest. Epic minivan fail.
carchatter1 says:
10:03 PM, 01/30/12
Actualsize says, "I can put 8-foot stuff on the floor between the middle seats in most minivans (I can go as high as 10-feet in my own) without removing or folding any seats."
This isn't entirely true, right? Wouldn't you at least have to fold down the last row of seats to put in long items? Thus requiring the cleaning out of all the junk that most people leave stowed in the trunk to make room for the seats to be folded down. (Raising guilty hand). Most people I know who drive vans keep the seats up 24/7. They probably wouldn't have been in the market for a minivan in the first place if they didn't need that 3rd row.
You must keep the 3rd row folded down all the time, which essentially creates a trunk equal to the Quests in size! So you really do like the design of the Quest, no?
fordson1 says:
05:59 AM, 01/31/12
I can see the decision to have the seats the way they are - no, it's not the same as the other minivans, but there are some advantages.
I cannot see the decision to not allow 4X8 items to lie flat on the floor behind the front seats - that just baffles me.
tomslick2 says:
06:13 AM, 01/31/12
@fordson1: On the minivans I have used (GM, Ford, and Dodge) you could slide 10' boards under the rear seat and then up between the driver and passenger. If you only have a hand-full you can leave the seats in place and retain all the seating capacity.
This seems a bit silly for a minivan. My Pontiac Vibe can take a dozen 8' boards when I fold down one side of the rear seat and the front passenger seat with the back closed. I can fit 10' if they stick out the hatch window. Plywood goes on the Yakima rack.
jaguar36 says:
08:11 AM, 01/31/12
That is completely unacceptable. Hauling a sheet of 4x8 plywood is something every mini-van should be able to do.
Defiantly knocks the quest off my minivan list.
blueprint1 says:
09:52 AM, 01/31/12
My 2003 Ody has the one-piece 3rd row, a feature I will dearly miss on our next family truckster. A 4' wide sheet can actually slide under the 3rd row, so lumber and all easily slides underneath all the seats, no folding needed.
With today's 60-40 setups, you must fold the 60% part to have access to a level floor from hatch to dash.
In the Quest, that doesn't work because the folded 3rd row sits there like a park bench. You get a mezzanine in the rear, with a big drop to the floor between the 2nd row buckets. Impossible then to slip in something over the folded 3rd row and under a raised 2nd row seat, unless it's a 7' pool noodle.
dwlatta says:
02:08 PM, 01/31/12
@actualsize: The 2nd row console is removable in the Quest (p.2-47 in manual).