Nissan is wasting no time wasting the Quest minivan, and platform sibs Armada and QX56. All three vehicles are a drug in the marketplace– and it ain’t cocaine. Motor Trend almost connects the dots, “Nissan has partnered with Chrysler to shift the full-size Nissan Titan truck to the Dodge Ram platform, and it appears now that more changes are underway for Nissan’s large vehicles.” Hmmm. Do you think that any new SUV for the U.S. market might be based on that platform, rather than what they done built down in Canton, Mississippi? You know, kinda like the Sequioa sits on the new Tundra? Could be. But I reckon MT’s right on the money (or lack thereof) when they suggest that the Quest and QX are being KOed completely. And here’s why… “Nissan and Infiniti sold a combined 72,450 of all those three models in 2007. The Armada posted a whopping 70.5% drop in November and is down 49.1% so far this year. QX56 sales fared slightly better, dropping only 53.3% in November and 33.6% this year. The Quest was by far the worse off of the three with sales dropping a catastrophic 81.3% in November and 33.3% this year.” Sayonara. Over and out.
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Not sure what that thing is in the pic…..but I want one.
So what they going to build at Canton? A less than 10 year old plant with no product?
That thing in the picture is apparently what they are going to build in the Canton plant, and it is literally a commercial truck.
You know, a REAL truck. For – work. Like what trucks were originally intended for.
As in cars are for hauling people. Trucks are for hauling stuff.
Maybe if we Americans hadn’t gotten those two mixed up for so long, we wouldn’t be in this fix. As in, importing oil by the billions of barrel fulls from our enemies; having our once major industries evaporate before our very eyes when the scales fall off of our eyes and we collectively decide that 12 miles per gallon simply isn’t going to cut the mustard for us any more.
They may be built at the same plant, but I doubt the FWD Quest is based on the same platform as the Titan-based QX56 and Armada
Thanks for setting me straight menno, that was all news to me and now I see the error of my ways.
But I still love the design and I still want one, please rest assured it would only be used in a responsible manner.
This is not surprising….the Armada and (especially) the Q had that awkward rear-door hump that obviously was a crapshoot at style but failed miserably. I don’t understand why they didn’t just make a bigger Pathfinder, which to me is a great, simple, purposeful design.
I was initially surprised at the Quest’s original flop in the market – I thought the design was great for what it was – a high-capacity box on wheels. But once you crawled inside and saw the quirkiness of the IP and cheap-ass materials I knew it was DOA. The refresh 2 years ago fixed the fugly interior and materials, but it was too late.
Life lessons.
Shouldn’t the headline be “Sinks Armada” ?
So is the implication Nissan could pick up Dodge from a dead Chrysler’s carcass ?
There might even be a market for these things, wynotaztec; I’d bet you will see these become the newest conversion van craze or garagable mini-RVs.
Actually it does look pretty interesting. But I’m most certainly not in the market for a gas guzzler.
And if GM and Chrysler go tits up, Ford’s long in the tooth econoline (E150 now?) van production line won’t be able to keep up with the demand all by itself. (Someone has to supply all the cable TV companies, plumbers, roto rooter men, satellite TV installers, Class A RV chassis makers, etc etc with “something” even in a relatively collapsed economy – which obviously will pick up again, some day).
Interestingly enough, Hyundai actually make an E150 type full sized, real van – it’s just not sold here (yet?). Nissan are taking lemons and making lemonaide, by the look of it. Pretty smart.
cars are for hauling people. Trucks are for hauling stuff.
That’s just crazy talk.
From what I’ve read the Armada and FX56 were very trouble prone. Combined with their enormous heft (I sat in an FX56…what an aircraft carrier) it’s not hard to see them biting it. The Titan was trouble prone too, if i am not mistaken. Yup, when Chrysler goes tu, Nissan should by the Dodge and Ram brands and the Ram production facilities and keep them going. I guess they could get the rights to the Hemi too…better V8 than what they have. Some part of Chrysler may live on.
This is not surprising….the Armada and (especially) the Q had that awkward rear-door hump that obviously was a crapshoot at style but failed miserably. I don’t understand why they didn’t just make a bigger Pathfinder, which to me is a great, simple, purposeful design.
+1
That rear door hump has aggrevated me since I first laid eyes on it. Why do something like that? Just to be different? Kinda like the quirky high placed exterior rear door handles on the Pathfinder, Armada, QX, etc. I hate that too.
I’m actually surprised the Armada/QX56 lasted as long as they did. I hardly ever see any of these on the road. So infrequently do I see any that I have a very difficult time believing even that lowish sales number (75K in 2007?!).
I actually like (and need) a large SUV (towing, hauling), but have never considered one of these twins because of Nissan’s unsuccesful styling attempts “to be different”.
Now if Nissan would have brought over the Patrol wagons that they sold in other markets into the ’90s that would be a different story. Love those. I am guessing there were issues with getting them to pass US safety & emissions laws.
The Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter Van has also been making inroads in the trades, light commercial segment.
Using the 3.0L Diesel found in the Mercedes SUVs and Grand Cherokee it smokes the competition on fuel economy (pun intended).
I think Ford could cover the excess demand with the E150. Given that its a F150 pickup with a different body style it would be an easy conversion for an existing truck facility. Lord knows there is plenty of excess capacity in that segment of the marker.
Strange, isn’t it, that the company that came up with a handsome Altima could also gave birth to an unattractive Quest. Whoever designed that minivan and its peculiar interior should have been fired. Or at least required to write on the blackboard fifty times, “Different is not the same as Better.”
menno :
December 12th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
And if GM and Chrysler go tits up, Ford’s long in the tooth econoline (E150 now?) van production line won’t be able to keep up with the demand all by itself. (Someone has to supply all the cable TV companies, plumbers, roto rooter men, satellite TV installers, Class A RV chassis makers, etc etc with “something” even in a relatively collapsed economy – which obviously will pick up again, some day).
Even if Chrysler goes away, somebody will make, and sell, a Dodge Sprinter, possibly under a different badge. It’s a rebadged Mercedes work van anyways.
NickR :
December 12th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
From what I’ve read the Armada and FX56 were very trouble prone. Combined with their enormous heft (I sat in an FX56…what an aircraft carrier) it’s not hard to see them biting it. The Titan was trouble prone too, if i am not mistaken.
A year or two ago, those three vehicles were on Consumer Reports’ death list in terms of reliability, with something like 250% more problems reported from their readership than the average vehicle. Almost everything built in their newer Mississippi plant suffered from major teething issues. Apparently, they finally got their act together recently, but…
Well. It would seem you’re a Lileks fan, like myself.
50merc –you forget that the Quest has been around since the 2002-2004 altima (before the more angular exterior refresh). That altima had atrocious interior quality so for the 2005 model year they completely started from scratch, a 100% new interior. It was vastly improved, and with the new gen for 2007 they improved the quality even more. The Quest just took a little longer to get refreshed, and when they did it was too little, too late.
I find the exterior to be really off putting though.. looks like a saggy fat worn out old woman IMO. Just because that is what drives it doesn’t mean that is what it needs to look like. Minivans should look taut and sporty so people aren’t embarassed to drive them. See the Mazda8 (JDM new Mazda MPV) for details… or the Mazda5.. or even the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna.
Even if Chrysler goes away, somebody will make, and sell, a Dodge Sprinter, possibly under a different badge. It’s a rebadged Mercedes work van anyways.
It’s already sold as a Freightliner.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this ended up being a prelude to a Chrysler/Nissan/Renault merger or, more likely, takeover.
With the euthanasia of the Quest, Armada, and Titan, there is actually very little overlap. The Sebring and Avenger would simply make way for the Altima, while the Dakota can make a well needed exit in favor of the Frontier.
Merge the Patriot and Rogue, Liberty and Xterra, and Grand Cherokee and Pathfinder. Nissan’s rep for offroad prowess will do the Jeep name proud.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this ended up being a prelude to a Chrysler/Nissan/Renault merger or, more likely, takeover.
Give that man a cigar. Story to come: Nissan buying Dodge.
looks like a saggy fat worn out old woman IMO
You’re not alone. It looked to me like it had a big butt in a pair of lycra shorts. A neighbor has one and it doesn’t grow on you.
A neighbor has one and it doesn’t grow on you.
How often does one stare at their neighbor’s big butt in a pair of lycra shorts? I’m thinking once is enough….. ;)
Big bottoms, big bottoms
Talk about bum cakes, my girl’s got ’em
Big bottoms drive me out of my mind
How could I leave this behind?
(Slaps forehead) Motortrend had a story??!
@poohbah: Tap me.
The QX56 is nothing short of desirable, amazing and grotesque display of absurdity. It’s a god damn rolling oasis of tranquility, technical splendor and dominating power. Would I love to have one as a second vehicle. (note: not pay for or make payments, but magically given one).
All of the Nissan models coming out of Canton have had problems in the past. (Our 7th Nissan was a troublesome 2004 Quest, and as a result our 8th Nissan is a Hyundai). These bugs – as well as the cheap-ass interiors – are mostly gone now, but there’s a bigger story here.
Is it possible that Canton was never intended as more than an experimental facility – an automotive purgatory for pie-in-the-sky projects – whose ultimate purpose was commercial vehicle production just as soon as Detroit would fall? Now that Detroit is swirling down the bowl, Nissan seems perfectly poised to start local mass production of commercial trucks and vans ahead of Toyota.
The wild card is what happens to Detroit’s commercial production capacity. It seems unlikely that those factories will be liquidated and converted into Starbucks outlets. I’m sure we’ll see Toyota and others sniffing around the great yard sale which is about to take place.
The Quest is FWD and based on the Maxima platform(FF-L?), the Armada and QX share a rear wheel drive platform that’s body on frame, I think it’s the F-A or F-Alpha platform. They do share the plant for assembly in Canton but that’s about it.
The Canton facility was not an experiment, it’s a purpose built auto plant just like an other transplant facility. They did have major teething problems for the first few years as they tried to scale up to larger vehicle production. (Heard that directly from an engineer who had worked in several nissan plants and was in Canton). The Canton plant itself was a gift from Senator Trent Lott on his way out the door, the incentive package was wayyy over the top on this one.
Even with a fire sale on domestic infrastructure, the imports are more likely to build their own plants. The entire ecosystem is completely different regarding the locations of suppliers, tooling, workforce, etc. The imports choose NOT to locate suppliers in the back yard, preferring a ringed approach so that labor costs are not increased and one disaster doesn’t take out too many at the same time. (taken directly from a Honda manager)
Besides, would you want to be the manager who took over a former union shop with very little non-labor union workforce in the area to hire from? The workers would organize in short order and you would be stuck with a unionized workforce with a major vendetta and revenge on the mind.
i actually liked the quest. wit the skyview roof and dual dvd players. my grandma had a black one wit red or burnt orange leather. pretty impressive in my eyes. but the armada and qx56 are another story. the qx56 interior materials are terrible at that price point. basically an armada interior wit a “classy” infiniti clock in the dash