Nissan has built a solid lineup of SUVs that range from compact daily drivers to spacious three-row family haulers. If you're shopping used, you’ll find a mix of reliability, and tech features. With some models being better than others, we’ll break down what to know before buying a used Nissan SUV.
Key takeaways
- Between the two battery powered options, the Leaf can’t quite hang with the Ariya, but it is still a solid pick.
- If you’ve got a larger family, and need 7, or 8 seats, you’ll need an Armada.
- If you’re wanting a model that comes with decent mileage, and features, then the Rogue is a great all around option.
Ariya
Since this model was released in the past few years (as of July 2025), it will be harder to find used. This model is a battery powered compact crossover SUV, that comes with a few options to pick from. If you’re wanting a model with the most range, then look for one that is equipped with the 87 kWh battery. This will allow you to get up to 304 miles on one charge.
This model is among the safest on the road as it comes with Nissan's Safety Shield 360 system. This features the ProPILOT driver assistant system, while some upgraded models will come with the 2.0 system that comes with hands-free driving, making it easy to drive long stretches of the North American roads.
Kicks
The Kicks came out in 2016, so it’s not exactly the newest on the market, but it will come with some great features. At first, the model came with a touchscreen audio system with Bluetooth, as well as USB integration and a rearview backup camera that makes it easy for you to see where you’re going when in reverse. If you want some of the best features, then you can look for a higher-end trim, as it will unlock some extra potential for the infotainment system.
When 2021 came around, Nissan upgraded the Kicks. The infotainment system went up in size, now sitting at an 8-inch screen, and unlike before, all trims now come with phone connectivity coming as the standard feature.
If you find yourself looking at a newer generation, you can note that this screen size is 12.3-inches. Making it the largest available, and if you’re lucky, you may even find a model that comes equipped with a wireless charging pad.
The Leaf is another battery powered vehicle, which gets 151 miles per charge. When compared to the other models in this family, this isn’t the best range, but it will be a great city driver, and a solid option for soccer moms who’d rather not spend much time at the pump.
If you want some extra safety for your family, you can look for the Propilot Assist. This comes with a lane centering system, helping you stay in control when on the road.
If the range was a dealbreaker for you, then you can look for the Plus variants that were available later in the life of the Leaf. This gave the model more range at 226 miles, bringing it closer to the Ariya.
The Murano has the distinction of being the first vehicle in this list to offer a hybrid variant. This was introduced in 2016, and came with some decent ranges. This engine is a 2.5L I4, and is able to get 29 MPG combined, making it a great option for those who still prefer gas engines, but want a bit more.
With the first few years being rather bland, there were some changes in the back half of the generation, starting in 2019. These changes saw cosmetic changes, and in 2020, the line saw some additions to safety features. The new standard features are Nissan Safety Shield 360, which comes with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, rear automatic braking, and high-beam assist.
In 2021, the Nissan Safety Shield 360 became standard on all trims. Over the next few years, the rest of the changes were mostly cosmetic once again.
Pathfinder
The Pathfinder is the first model on this list that can seat up to 8 passengers. While this can seat 8, if you find yourself looking at a 7 passenger configuration, then your second row passengers can enjoy a little more comfort thanks to the second row captain’s chairs.
This generation offers two separate infotainment screen sizes, the smallest of which being 8-inches, and the larger one being 9-inches. The top of the line Platinum trim also comes with a 10.8-inch heads-up display. This makes it so that you don’t have to take your eyes off of the road to check your vehicle's information.
Armada
Being another one of the “newer” models, this one comes with a gas powered 5.6L V8. Being that this is a gas engine, it won’t be as green as the Ariya or the leaf, but it does produce decent power at 390 horsepower, and 394 lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately, this engine only gets 16 MPG combined, leaving there some room to be desired.
When 2021 came around, the Armada saw some new features get added to the standard list. These were a larger infotainment screen, now sitting at 12.3-inches for every trim. This comes with wireless Apple CarPlay, but Android Auto still needs a wired connection. Nissan's Safety Shield 360 was also made a standard feature.
The Rogue entered a new generation for model year 2021, and with it came better features than one in the past. If you want the best option out of most of the models mentioned here, you’d want a Rogue Platinum, this is because it comes with heated rear seats and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a feature that can’t be found on other models.
If you don’t end up finding a Platinum, don’t worry. This is because most trims will come with an 8, or 9-inch screen. At first the Rogue was released with a 2.5L I4, but Nissan wanted something more efficient, so they introduced the 1.5L I3. This engine was able to get 33 MPG combined, making it the best engine for the gas powered Nissan SUVs.
Which one should I get?
If you’re wanting the best, then that depends on what you need it for. If you’re wanting something large, then the Armada is the obvious choice, but if you’re wanting something efficient, then the Ariya, or Rogue are your best bets. No matter what, if you’re looking for the top used Nissan SUV models in Florida, you won’t find better than with us here at Jarrett. Come on down and see us today!