Minivans have never been the go-to segment if you want straight-line performance or a suspension that excels at carving corners. These models are specifically developed and marketed to busy parents looking for something hassle-free, meaning that fuel economy, interior space, and reliability are bigger selling points than 0-60 times or a smooth-shifting manual transmission.So, when a minivan shares an engine with a sports car, that's worth a mention. For instance, the third-generation Nissan Quest packs the same 3.5-liter V6 engine as the Nissan 350Z. Sleeper minivans are few and far between, and this one has more than just a potent V6 going for it, so it might be worth a look the next time you find yourself in the market for a used family car. The Nissan Minivan With The Heart Of A Hot Hatch Nissan The third-gen Nissan Quest launched in 2003 for the 2004 model year and ran until 2009. The minivan packed the 3.5-liter VQ35DE V6 as its sole powerplant for this entire generation in the US.While the Quest and the 350Z share an engine, the differences in weight and size mean that the Quest isn't getting quite as much oomph out of its engine as the sports coupe. Weighing 3,615 pounds, at its heaviest, the 2009 Nissan 350Z, when equipped with the VQ35DE engine, clears 60 mph in under 6.0 seconds. The 4,293-lb Quest gets there in a little over 8.0 seconds. Still, that makes a third-gen Quest a half-second quicker than a 2009 Honda Odyssey, but not exactly the king of the drag strip. The Third-Gen Quest Was A Solid Family Car Nissan What are we really looking for in a minivan? Reliability, safety, fuel economy, space, and convenience. While the third-gen Quest's sporty engine didn't translate to track-ready performance, it was very capable as a family car. To go over some of its pluses. The 2009 Quest averaged 19 mpg combined with a 20-gallon tank, which isn't bad for a late-2000s minivan weighing in at 4,293 to 4,489, depending on the trim level. The Quest featured a power liftgate as a standard feature, along with keyless entry and remote trunk release, all features that weren't necessarily a given in the late 2000s. While the third-gen Quest never scored a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, it did earn Good ratings in moderate overlap and side impact, with sub-par head restraints earning the minivan its only Poor ratings. The third-gen Quest offered plenty of space, with an incredible 148.1 cubic feet available for cargo, putting it behind only the Toyota Sienna, and by less than a full cube. RepairPal estimates the 2009 Nissan Quest to cost around $505, on average, to maintain on an annual basis, making it fairly low-maintenance. Options and features in the higher trims included sunroofs, leather seats, and premium eight-speaker audio, so you had some attractive upgrades to throw in there if you prefer your minivan with a hint of luxury-lite comfort. What Made The VQ35DE Engine So Special? NissanThe entire Nissan VQ series deserves recognition, but the 35DE version was special, even among them. The powerplant landed on Ward's 10 Best Engines list every year from 2002 to 2007, and once more in 2016, and it would possibly still be scoring wins today if it had remained in production for the western market. The engine still powers the Nissan Elgrand minivan to 237 hp in Japan, but the 265-hp 2024 Nissan Murano was the last American product with a 35DE under the hood.Much of the 35DE's magic comes down to durable, reinforced components. The connecting rods are forged steel. It has a microfinished, one-piece forged crankshaft. Plus, the pistons are coated with low-friction molybdenum, the same stuff they use as a heating element in high-temperature furnaces.The most remarkable version of this engine may be the S1 variant, producing 312 hp in the Nismo Fairlady Z S-Tune GT. Nissan built fewer than 100 of these cars through the 2005 model year, and never sold them outside of Japan. The Third-Gen Nissan Quest Was Unusual For More Than Just Its Engine NissanThe third-gen Quest delivered everything you wanted from a family car, but it was also a bit of an oddball within its segment. The model took some love-it-or-hate-it turns in the design philosophy. In particular, the early models featured one of the weirdest dashboard layouts we've seen (pictured above), with the instruments mounted smack-dab in the middle, above the radio and air-conditioning controls in a round pod.Nissan redesigned the dashboard for the 2007 model year, with the instrument cluster placed behind the steering wheel. Those center-mounted instruments take some getting used to, but we think the car lost a bit of its unique personality with the remodel. The minivan retained the weird, column-like center console with the facelift, though, so it was still one of the bolder minivans out there.NissanTake a look at the interior, and you'll notice all kinds of unique design choices like these. We can recommend just about any version of the Quest, but the third-gen was uniquely funky. Check out the sunroof (below), for instance, with its segmented, four-window design, like something you'd see in a personal jet.NissanWhether these design quirks make the Quest a must-have or a no-thanks, you've got to give props to the designers for creating something that wasn't quite like any other minivan on the road. In terms of design, the third-gen Quest has more in common with those early-2000s concept cars that never saw production than it does with competing Honda Odysseys and Siennas of the day. Is The Third-Gen Nissan Quest Worth A Buy Today? Nissan The third-gen Quest is reliable, safe, functional, efficient, and delivers exactly what you want from a family car. It's an easy vehicle for us to recommend, but it is an acquired taste. We don't recommend buying used without a test-drive in the first place, but that goes double this time around, because you might find that the van is just too darn quirky for you.With that being said, it's priced to move. Last we checked with our own trending price tool, the base model was selling at an average price of less than $3,000, and the SE was going for $6,000.Taking a look at our marketplace tools, we found the following active listings. A 145,439-mile base 2009 model is selling for $2,900 in Florida. A 175,121-mile 2008 SE model is selling for $2,795 in Michigan. A 108,909-mile base 2007 model is selling for $4,900 in Colorado. Low-Mile Models May Be Hard To Find Nissan An odometer in the low-100,000-mile range isn't a death sentence for a Nissan Quest. After all, it's built on one of the most reliable V6 powerplants the brand ever made. But remember that the first owner was probably a busy mom or dad who didn't always have time to get the tires rotated and the oil filters changed right away.Even if it belonged to someone fastidious about routine maintenance, the most reliable minivans tend to suffer through a lot of stop-and-go city miles. Not to mention, teenage drivers just learning the ropes, and probably some kids spilling chocolate milkshakes in the back seat, too. Family cars are put through the wringer, and you'd definitely want to give the tires a good, thorough kicking before buying something with too many miles on the odometer.
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