Easily one of the boldest vehicles in the minivan class, the Nissan Quest is new for the 2011 model year and based on the Japanese-market Elgrand.
In Foreign Exchange, we bring to your attention details not usually found on U.S.-market vehicles and pose the question: Would you welcome the additions, or should we stick with what we've got here?Other entriesin this series have focused on theHyundaiAccent-basedDodge Attitude, European-specHonda Fit/Jazz, and the UK-market smallerToyota RAV4.
The Elgrand has a large, two-part grille, replacing the Quest's more subdued six-sided grille. The foglights feature silver accents in an L-shape, far more eye-catching than the simpler design on the Quest.
What doesn't change on the Elgrand or Quest is the wraparound rear windshield, giving both vehicles a Ford Flex-like appeal. Perhaps the most radical difference between the two is the Elgrand's futuristic taillight design.
The seven- or eight-passenger Elgrand is further distinguished from the Quest in its offering of all-wheel drive and a 2.5-liter engine. Nissan is dubbing the Elgrand the "King of Minivans" and we're posing the question:Would you welcome any of the Elgrand's functional or stylistic changes on the new U.S.-spec Quest? Give us your thoughts below.
I’ve come a long way since I drove sugar packets across restaurant tables as a kid, pretending they were cars. With more than 17 years of experience, I'm passionate about demystifying the new car market for shoppers and enthusiasts. My expertise comes from thoughtfully reviewing countless vehicles across the automotive spectrum. The greatest thrill I get isn’t just from behind the wheel of an exotic car but from a well-executed car that’s affordable, entertaining, and well-made. Since about the time I learned to walk I’ve been fascinated by cars of all shapes and sizes, but it wasn’t until I struggled through a summer high school class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design that I realized writing was my ticket into the automotive industry. My drive to high school was magical, taking me through a beautiful and winding canyon; I've never lost the excited feeling some 16-year-olds get when they first set out on the road. The automotive industry, singing, and writing have always been my passions, but because no one seeks a writer who sings about the automotive industry, I honed my writing and editing skills at UC Irvine (zot zot!), serving as an editor of the official campus newspaper and writing stories as a literary journalism major. At USC, I developed a much greater appreciation for broadcast journalists and became acquainted with copy editing rules such as why the Oxford comma is so important. Though my beloved 1996 Audi A4 didn’t survive my college years, my career with MotorTrend did. I started at the company in 2007 building articles for motorcycle magazines, soon transitioning to writing news posts for MotorTrend’s budding online department. I spent some valuable time in the copy editing department, as an online news director, and as a senior production editor. Today, MotorTrend keeps me busy as the Buyer's Guide Director. Not everyone has a career centered on one of their passions, and I remind myself all the time how lucky I am.
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