Most Affordable Used Nissan SUV?

Nissan has been the leader in providing variety and excellent value to vehicles for many years. I have seen Nissan vehicles are great at holding their value over the length of their lifespan.

People getting into the used car market should be interested in looking into a Nissan SUV because most of the options are safe bets over the long run.

Which models are the best value for your money? Which ones are going to give you a great return on your investment?

Most Affordable Used Nissan SUV?

The best used Nissan SUV to buy is the Nissan Murano. It is one of the most readily available models with the most affordable price for its value. The range of used options gives the customer more choices and opportunities to accommodate their individual needs. They also get great gas mileage. Essentially, the Nissan Murano is the best-used option for most people.

The Nissan Murano is the best used Nissan SUV, but each model has its strengths.

The Murano might not be the best fit for your situation.

I have also included some benefits to the other Nissan options to understand better how I rated them.

Read on to see what used Nissan SUV is the best fit for you.

Nissan Murano is the best used Nissan SUV to Buy

Just how is the Nissan Murano the best? Well, there are many ways to qualify what makes something “the best,” and I will break down how the Nissan Murano fairs in each of those categories.

Price

The Nissan Murano was introduced in the model year of 2003.

It was massively successful because it filled the role of Nissan’s first crossover SUV, a gap in Nissan’s lineup that had not been filled before.

The 2017 version is highly rated for the value you get for its upscale and luxurious features. 

According to US News, the average person will pay $22,271 – $29,837 in 2022.

It is not the most inexpensive used Nissan SUV available on the market; however, it is the one that gives you the most value per dollar spent. 

US News ranked it #2 on its 2017 most affordable midsize SUV list.

The Murano has managed to rank high on other category lists as well.

It ranked #7 on the 2017 list for the most affordable SUV with two rows and #8 for the most affordable crossover SUVs.

It also took home the gold for the category of 2017s best 2-row SUV for the money.

If you are looking for a reliable vehicle ahead of its features, then the Nissan Murano will give you the best dollar-per-feature value over another Nissan SUV.

Safety

The Nissan Murano has a 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the highest grade it can give.

This rating means that the Nissan Murano is one of the best SUVs available for safety. When buying used cars, safety can always be a significant concern because vehicles can develop problems that need to be fixed after the honeymoon purchase period.

Fear not, because the Nissan Muranos, through different years, have all earned very distinguished awards.

The 2021 Nissan Murano won the Top Safety Pick Plus award from the Insurance Institute for Highway safety.

One important safety feature that the Nissan Murano has is its collision detection feature. This feature warns you of upcoming drivers and has automatic braking features that allow the vehicle to employ the brakes in emergencies.

Overall, the Nissan Murano is perhaps the safest vehicle with the most awards to back it up among the Nissan SUV lineup.

Reliability Rating

The J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle dependability study is a rating of the reliability over time of different vehicles.

J.D. Power gave the Nissan Murano an average score of 86, which means better than most other vehicles out on the road. 

Other years of this model also have received similar scores in line with this.

In 2022, this score made the Nissan Murano the #1 most reliable SUV, according to J.D. Power.

Breaking down the score further, they gave a Great 89/100 to its quality and reliability. This rating means there are prevalent defects, malfunctions, or design flaws experienced by the vehicle owners. 

Being #1 also means it has the least amount of problems of any mid size SUV, making it an excellent investment over the longer term.

It received a Great score of 86/100 for driver experience, which means that the owners of the Murano determined it to be excellent in terms of performance, comfort, functionality, safety, and technology.

Lastly, it received a high average 80/100 rating for resale value. 

This rating means that J.D power forecasts that the vehicle’s value will not lose weight very much over the next three years.

Depreciation and resale value are necessary when buying used cars. 

If a vehicle is likely to lose weight, it is not of excellent quality or desirability in the market.

Things change, and you might need to resell a used car, and if you pick one with a lousy value forecast, you will lose out on a lot of your investment.

Benefits of Other Nissan SUVs

Although the Nissan Murano will be the best value in most categories, the other Nissan SUVs are no slouches either. 

Some of them may be a better choice for you personally.

Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Rogue makes for a pleasant ride at an affordable price.

As an SUV in the compact class, it is a good option for non-family drivers; however, its lack of space and outdated technology doesn’t make it feel like a good value despite the lower price.

Its infotainment screen is outdated with lower quality graphics and is relatively small at 7 inches compared to what modern models see now. It also lacks a lot of bells and whistles.

Still, it is a solid choice but not the best choice for someone looking to invest.

Nissan Pathfinder

The Nissan Pathfinder is a midsize SUV that is relatively safe and has excellent room and weather maneuverability.

It is a great vehicle that is held back by its price. 

It has a lot of great space with its third row of seats, but many better options do the same things for a better price, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Also, despite its name, the Nissan Pathfinder has difficulties in an offroad environment. Its transaction control isn’t optimized for sand or mud, and the front-drive model has even had problems in the dirt.

The pathfinder has excellent features but isn’t necessarily a great value overall.

Nissan Armada

The Nissan Armada is not quite up to snuff with the other Nissan SUVs. 

Now, as a full-sized SUV, some drawbacks are to be expected.

It lacks in fuel economy and handling as expected of a bulky vehicle, but at the same time, it also lacks in things it should be good at.

It has below-average cargo space, cramped third-row seating, and dated infotainment systems. It lacks some of the selling points of a full-sized vehicle as a full-sized vehicle.

It is still a reliable vehicle with a high-reliability rating coming in second in its class, so it will hold some value over time.

It also has excellent features like interior and rides quality, but the disappointments do knock it down a peg.