Check out any Nissan SUV dealer, and you’ll see some top-rated vehicles on display. Nissan has recently made quite a name for itself with its SUV lineup. For one, its variety is hard to beat. Nissan currently offers 7 SUVs, all with different senses of style and all with different capabilities. Instead of the one-size-fits-all approach other manufacturers have adopted, Nissan provides customers with multiple crossovers and midsize options. They also value fuel efficiency, which has become a significant crowd-pleaser. Another way they’ve earned such a solid reputation in a crowded automotive market is by providing vehicles that get a lot of bang for their buck at the pump. Such efficiency matches well with their sticker price, which remains competitive compared to other manufacturers’ prices.
However, Nissan’s recent offerings have undergone design changes to raise the bar slightly. The past few years have seen Nissan’s SUV gain an aesthetic edge. Its new electric option, the Ariya, has to be the most gorgeous EV on the market today, for instance. It’s bold, it’s sleek, it’s aerodynamic, it’s everything you can possibly want to make your SUV envious. And its other SUVs don’t lag much behind in design, either. Unsurprisingly, the younger crowd has become a fan of Nissan’s. Let’s take a deeper look at why consumers now consider Nissan SUVs over other brands’ SUVs.
Fuel Efficiency Stands Out
Fuel efficiency stands as the top concern for a lot of consumers. They might not say it outright because it doesn’t sound cool but with gas prices more unpleasant than not lately, a vehicle that can get great mileage is a vehicle that’s going to get purchased. We’d put good money on fuel efficiency being one of the top questions car buyers ask at the dealership before even considering what the car looks like. Luckily, the Nissan lineup features both good looks and excellent efficiency. Many of Nissan’s SUVs get over 30 MPG, which means drivers will get to drive over 30 miles before using up a single gallon of gas. That’ll lead to excellent savings. Combined with the fact that Nissan already sells their vehicles at an affordable base price, your budget will be thrilled with what your Nissan does for you.
The Nissan Rogue, for instance, is a hallmark of the road, a fashionable SUV that can handle a heavy load in its cargo area so that its driver can take a long trip without worries. Its fuel efficiency is part of the reason drivers won’t worry, as it earns a 30/37 city/highway MPG rating, leading to a combined 33 MPG rating. Going 37 miles on the highway before using a gallon of fuel is an incredible advantage for your wallet. That alone puts you ahead of most other SUVs in the Rogue’s class.
Even larger Nissan SUVs boast impressive mileage ratings. The 2024 Murano earns a 28 MPG rating on the highway despite being considerably larger than the Rogue. And, of course, the Nissan EV model puts other EVs to shame with its charging distance: on full charge, the Ariya can venture over 300 miles. Suppose anyone wants to save money by switching to an all-electric option. In that case, the Ariya guarantees they won’t constantly be looking for recharging stations with a full-charge distance like that, instead being able to cruise without worry.
Great Cargo Space for Every Adventure
SUVs became famous thanks to the additional space they provided in concert with their comfortable, reliable nature. With the cargo volume of an SUV, families could enjoy longer trips without having to take multiple vehicles or buy supplies at their destination. However, cargo volume is not the only way to get the most out of an SUV; smartly designed rear and additional storage spaces can result in drivers getting a lot out of a smaller SUV. Nissan knows this, which is why all of its SUVs have plenty of room for you to store any and all belongings.
Let’s start with the Ariya. Why? Because a lot of folks assume an electric engine will take up room and result in a less-than-ideal amount of cargo space. That may have once been true, but it’s certainly not here. With rear seats folded down, you’ll have 59.7 cu.ft. of storage space in the 2023 model. You can pile in a lot of suitcases, golf clubs, baseball bats, hockey sticks, or, frankly, almost anything you need with space like this. You’ll be doing it in an EV, too, so the cost of taking the adventures the cargo space lets you have will be quite low indeed.
The largest Nissan, the Armada, offers up to 92.6 cu.ft. of space with rear seats down. Here, we see a clear reason for Nissan’s success: tons of cargo space but at a lower cost than competitors’ SUVs of that class for the most part. It also features some of those smart touches that make Nissan’s cargo areas better than other brands. Under-the-floor cargo storage spaces help you get even more volume; as a bonus, they also provide you a place to put any valuables you do not want to be in view if someone glances through the rear window. Your second row gets a console where you can store electronics or other small gear. Every inch of a Nissan’s interior is made to give you the space you need for your trips so you can enjoy what your SUV lets you do.
Outstanding Safety Features From Nissan
Multiple Nissan SUVs earned awards for outstanding safety from the IIHS in 2022 and 2023. The Pathfinder, the Rogue, the Murano, and more have all garnered acclaim for how well they keep their drivers and passengers safe and sound. Part of the success comes from the programs built into the Nissans, part of it comes from the engineering that went into making Nissan’s tough structure, and part is their nimble drive and how well they respond to drivers’ touches.
The Nissan Safety Shield 360 has a slew of safety programs that ensure your Nissan has enough intelligence to practically be your co-pilot. For instance, if you engage your Rear Automatic Braking when driving, your Nissan will sense an obstacle behind you and alert you if you’re backing up; if you continue to reverse, it will brake the car for you so there’s no collision. Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Braking works much the same as it senses if there’s someone in front of your vehicle, warns you, and will begin to brake the vehicle for you. However, the safety measures do not stop there, as there are also Rear-Cross Traffic Alerts, Lane Departure Warnings, and more.
Many other manufacturers provide some, perhaps even all, of these systems. Still, the Safety Shield 360 comes standard on all Nissans, so you don’t have to upgrade to a higher trim just to feel secure in your SUV. Combine that with the rigorous testing that goes into the Nissans’ designs before they hit the market, along with their excellent responsiveness, and you can drive your family around with little worry.
Will Nissan Continue to Climb? Almost Certainly
There are plenty of factors that point to Nissan’s success. Still, the main three are fuel efficiency, intuitive storage, and outstanding safety. It’s unlikely this will change. Nissan’s vehicles are already adapting to the electric revolution, with both hybrid and EV options available. The safety systems come from intelligent engineering, and by making so many systems standard, Nissan remains one step ahead of the competition.
There is, however, another factor: cost. Nissan has prided itself on making affordable vehicles, especially SUVs, available to consumers. Will that continue, or will Nissan start hiking prices due to success? Tough to say. Indeed, plenty of companies, both automotive and not, moved too fast on raising prices. Because Nissan has become known for their economical sticker prices, though, we’d bet that the company will want to keep its earned reputation, meaning Nissan SUVs will continue to dominate as savvy consumers flock to them.
