Nissan Quest Overview: Generations, Specs, and Which One to Buy
A guide to Nissan Quest generations from 1992 to 2017, covering specs, power figures from 151 to 260 hp, and which versions make the most sense to buy used.
The Nissan Quest is a minivan produced from 1992 to 2017 across four generations, with output ranging from 151 to 260 hp. It suits buyers who want a family hauler with a large V6 engine and a two-pedal transmission — every version came with an automatic or a CVT. Anyone comparing nissan quest generations will find a clear pattern: each redesign brought more displacement and more power.
Nissan Quest generations
1 generation (1992–1998)
The first Nissan Quest ran from 1992 to 1998 as a minivan with front-wheel drive and a single modification: the 3.0 AT with a 2960 cc engine producing 151 hp, paired with an automatic transmission. It was the mass version of the lineup, and its single-spec simplicity makes it the easiest generation to understand. Its 2960 cc engine is the smallest ever fitted to a Quest, and its 151 hp marks the bottom of the model's 151–260 hp range.
2 generation (1998–2002)
The second generation (1998–2002) is the outlier among nissan quest specs: it is the only rear-wheel-drive Quest. The sole modification, the 3.3 AT, uses a 3275 cc engine rated at 171 hp with an automatic transmission — a 20 hp gain over the first generation. The displacement also grew by 315 cc, from 2960 to 3275 cc, while the body style stayed a minivan and the automatic gearbox carried over unchanged.
3 generation (2003–2010)
The third generation (2003–2010) returned to front-wheel drive and made the biggest single power jump in the model's history: the 3.5 AT pairs a 3498 cc engine with an automatic transmission for 243 hp, up 72 hp from the previous generation. It is also the only Nissan Quest version in the data with a recorded acceleration figure — 8.2 seconds. This generation ran for eight model years, from 2003 through 2010, again with exactly one modification on offer.
4 generation (2010–2017)
The final generation (2010–2017) kept the 3498 cc engine and front-wheel drive but switched to a CVT. The 3.5 CVT produces 260 hp — the highest output of any Nissan Quest and 17 hp more than the third-generation 3.5 AT — and closed out the model's 25-year run in 2017. It is the only Quest generation not offered with a conventional automatic transmission.
Which Nissan Quest to buy
- 3.5 CVT (4 generation): the most powerful Quest at 260 hp, and the newest, sold through 2017.
- 3.5 AT (3 generation): 243 hp with a documented 8.2-second acceleration time — the only version with a recorded sprint figure — and a conventional automatic instead of a CVT.
- 3.3 AT (2 generation): the only rear-wheel-drive Quest, with 171 hp from its 3275 cc engine.
- 3.0 AT (1 generation): the original 151 hp minivan, the simplest and earliest version, built 1992–1998.
Buying used is straightforward because each generation offered exactly one modification, so there are no trim-level engine surprises: the year of the car tells you the drivetrain and the power figure. Newer generations (2003 onward) offer substantially more power — 243–260 hp against 151–171 hp for the 1992–2002 cars.
Which Nissan Quest to avoid
No version is strictly dominated: the 3.0 AT (1 generation) is the least powerful at 151 hp, but each generation differs in drive type, transmission, or era, so the choice comes down to which combination fits. If maximum power matters, the numbers point to the 2003–2017 cars: the 3.5 AT (243 hp) and 3.5 CVT (260 hp) outrank the earlier 151 hp and 171 hp versions by a wide margin.