Used Nissan Qashqai 2021-present review

As a family SUV that's often dubbed the 'cash cow' because of its sales success, the Nissan Qashqai hardly needs an introduction. It's one of the most popular cars in UK, with it regularly fighting against the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage in the new car sales charts.

The version we're looking at in this review is the third-generation model, which saw the arrival of new underpinnings with a lighter, stiffer body, along with increased dimensions for better practicality. It also introduced mild hybrid and full hybrid engines for the first time.

Engines and performance: Two mild-hybrid 1.3-litre petrol engines (138bhp or 156bhp) kick off the range. They're followed by the e-Power engine, which looks to blur the lines between petrol and electric cars.

How so? Well, the e-Power setup is unusual because its 1.5-litre petrol engine doesn't actually drive the wheels. It powers a generator, producing electricity that's sent to a motor that produces 187bhp and propels the car along. The 0-62mph sprint takes a swift 7.9sec, beating the 138bhp petrol's 10.1sec effort and the 156bhp's 9.5sec result.

In July 2025, a new 202bhp version of the e-Power hybrid was introduced. It's the fastest model in the line-up, doing 0-62mph in 7.6sec when in Sport mode, while the engine was re-engineering for improved refinement.

The two petrols are a bit languid if the revs are below about 1500rpm, so there’s a pause between pressing the accelerator and any acceleration arriving. They’ll still get you to motorway speeds capably if you drop a gear or two and put the pedal to the metal. The e-Power car is the one to go for if performance is a priority, not only because it's the quickest to 60mph, but also because its electric power is instantaneous. It's also the smoothest.

Ride and handling: The level of comfort you get depends on the wheel size. With the 18in rims, you shouldn't have many complaints. The suspension deals with scruffy surfaces at low speeds very well.

However, if having the utmost comfort is important to you, we’d suggest avoiding the 19in and 20in wheels. With those larger wheels fitted, the Qashqai doesn't smooth over bumps particularly well, leading to some fidgeting on faster roads.

We should add that if you opt for a Tekna+ car or any four-wheel-drive version, you get a more sophisticated suspension that helps to mitigate the effect of larger wheels.

On twisty roads, we were left craving a slightly better sense of connection with the front wheels for added confidence. That would be helped by a bit more initial steering weight and the wheel returning naturally to centre more positively on the way out of faster corners. The light steering works well around town, though.

While there's more body lean than some rivals have to deal with, the Qashqai isn't wallowy. Plus, there's a healthy reserve of grip to depend on.

Interior and practicality: Inside, the driving position is superb. The driver's seat is plush and it lines up well with the pedals and the height and reach-adjustable steering wheel. You feel as though you’re sitting higher up from the road than you do in a conventional hatchback, and even some SUV rivals. The dashboard includes chunky controls for the air conditioning that are easy to find while you’re driving.

Infotainment isn’t a strength of the Qashqai, particularly on cars with the smaller 7.0in, 8.0in and 9.0in touchscreens. The graphics look as though they could be from an old arcade game – especially the sat-nav maps – and the operating system isn’t the most intuitive or responsive. The upgraded 12.3in system is much better, with sharper graphics and a quicker response, but it's still not as intuitive as the system in the Mazda CX-5.

More positively, interior build quality feels strong. Stitched faux-leather panels on the dashboard and doors give the ambience a welcome lift, while most of the knobs, buttons and switches on the dashboard feel well-engineered. It's a big improvement on its predecessor, that's for sure.

There’s decent space for adults in the front, with more than enough head room for six-footers to sit in comfort. The rear seats are reasonably roomy by class standards. There's good head room (especially if you avoid versions with a panoramic roof) and a fair amount of knee room for the two outer passengers. A couple of six-footers will fit just fine.

The Qashqai's boot will take a handy tally of seven carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf. For the class, this is slightly subpar, but not by much.

Trims and equipment: The entry-level trim is named Visia. From new, it gets a 7.0in infotainment system, front and rear LED lights, adaptive cruise control and rear parking sensors as standard. The trim that follows is Acenta Premium, which gains 17in alloy wheels, 8.0in infotainment with built-in sat-nav and wired smartphone mirroring, rear-view camera and dual-zone air conditioning.

N-Connecta models have 18in wheels, as well as privacy glass and front parking sensors. The infotainment system also grows to 9.0in and gains wireless Apple CarPlay. Towards the top end, we have Tekna and its standard-from-new 10.8in digital instrument cluster. It will get you adaptive LED headlights, a hands-free power tailgate, and wireless phone charging. It also features 19in wheels.

The most luxurious trim, Tekna+, ups that to 20in wheels. It has quilted leather front seats with a massage function and gets an uprated Bose sound system.

On post-2024 facelift models, there's a sporty N-Design trim, which sits below Tekna and Tekna+. It comes with 20in alloys, enhanced front and rear bumpers, leather upholstery and ambient interior lighting. All facelift models get the larger 12.3in infotainment system as standard.

Facelift: In July 2024, the Qashqai was given a facelift with a new Samurai-inspired front grille and LED headlights, while inside, the infotainment system was upgraded with built-in Google services. The trim levels were also revised, with improved materials on upper trims. In July 2025, the updated e-Power hybrid system was introduced.

"The interior of the third-generation Qashqai is a big step forward from the second-gen car. I like the fact it uses a mix of physical and touchscreen-based controls, plus everything feels solid and well-built. The stitched faux-leather is a nice touch, too." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

If you're interested in finding a used Qashqai or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

You'll need a budget of at least £11,000 to get an early Qashqai of this generation. Spend upwards of £13,000 to buy a 2023 car, while £15,000 will land you a 2024 model. For a facelift car from 2024, have a budget of at least £17,000 at the ready. Newer 2025 cars cost only a touch more, at £18,000, while 2026 models jump up to the £25,000 mark.

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MPG

The 138bhp or 156bhp petrol engines share the same official 44.8mpg average. The lower powered e-Power variant raises that figure to 53.3mpg, while the newer, more powerful system boosts it to 62.8mpg.

Road tax (VED)

No matter the version you choose, the Qashqai is subject to the standard flat rate fee of VED, which is £195 per year at the time of writing.

Insurance

Insurance groups for the Qashqai range from 21 to 32 (out of 50), which means it will cost about the same as the Sportage to insure, but more than the Tucson.

Servicing

Nissan offers fixed-price servicing, which costs £279.99 for a minor service and £379.99 for a major one. Both are more expensive than Hyundai’s servicing costs for the Tucson, whether minor or major. By comparison, Kia charges £609 for three services over three years as part of its service plan for the Sportage.

Warranty

From new, every Qashqai comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. That's similar to most rivals, but Hyundai, Kia and Toyota all offer longer warranties.

Safety

The Qashqai scored five stars (out of five) when it was appraised for safety by Euro NCAP. Diving deeper into the results shows that it did well in the adult and child protection categories, scoring a 'marginal' in only one area.

There’s plenty of safety kit, with even entry-level Visia models coming with automatic emergency braking (AEB) as standard from new, along with blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, traffic-sign recognition, lane-keeping assistance and e-Call emergency response.

If you go for the Tekna or Tekna+ trims, you get Nissan’s ProPilot driver assistance system. That adds a self-steering function that allows the Qashqai to keep itself in the centre of a lane on motorways and dual carriageways (although you must keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times). When paired with an automatic gearbox, it uses software from the sat-nav to anticipate the speed you should be going and adjust it for you.

Reliability

The Qashqai is a dependable family choice, according to real-world owner reviews in the What Car? Reliability Survey. While build quality is high, minor electrical glitches or infotainment freezes can occur. Fortunately, these are usually fixed quickly by helpful dealers via software updates, ensuring the car remains a reliable, well-supported companion.

To find out more about used Nissan Qashqai reliability and common problems, head to our dedicated reliability page.

Engine

The 138bhp petrol engine is your cheapest option and we believe it's the one to choose. You only get a minor bump in pace with the 157bhp unit and, as we've mentioned, the e-Power variant is currently too expensive to be our go-to.

Specification

The entry-level trims are stingy on kit, so we'd seek out a mid-range N-Connecta car. We'd also steer clear of upper trims with the 20in alloys, which can spoil the ride.

Our favourite Nissan Qashqai: 1.3 DIG-T 140 N-Connecta

Key rivals include the smart Peugeot 3008, the fun-to-drive Seat Ateca and the generally excellent Kia Sportage and Skoda Karoq. If you fancy something of a similar size yet of a more premium nature, consider the Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40.

The Seat Ateca has taken the class by storm as an SUV that is a delight to drive. It also has a spacious interior and a good range of engines. It’s practical, rides well, if a little firmly, and looks good. Good value used, too.

If you want an interior with more class, you should also look at the Peugeot 3008. Its swish dashboard, with high-quality plastics and lots of neat styling touches, makes it a far nicer place to spend journeys.

The Volvo XC40 has won the family SUV category numerous times at the What Car? Awards because it is very practical, relaxing to drive and very safe.

Then there's the Volkswagen Tiguan. This best-selling family SUV is solidly made and nice to drive but will cost you slightly more age-for-age than some in this class.

Or if you prefer to buy a used car with the reassurance of a long manufacturer warranty, the Kia Sportage is an alternative to the Qashqai. It’s spacious and well equipped, plus it comes with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty from new.

The Hyundai Tucson – with its five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty – is also worth considering for the same reason, although with both of these warranties, it’s worth making sure you’re happy with what’s covered in the later years, as cover can reduce.

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If you're interested in finding a used Qashqai or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.