2021 Nissan NV3500

Add to that the extra-long warranty program that Nissan offers, you would easily overlook the basic-looking cabin and the lack of safety features and driver aids. It also does not get an extended wheelbase option as well, which is offered by most of its rivals, but the 2021 model year now gets a new in-dash navigation system. The prices begin at an MSRP of $37,825 as it competes against the likes of the Chevrolet Express 3500, GMC Savana 3500, Ford Transit T-350 cargo, and RAM ProMaster Cargo Van. 

The cargo vans are not necessarily required to have many modern-day amenities as most of these are used to haul goods by company drivers around the town all day long. Therefore, to keep the prices to a minimum, Nissan does not offer many creature comforts but gets features like satellite radio, real-time traffic, rear parking sensors and camera, and even a navigation system. The higher SL trim adds a few additional features to the mix and is available only with the high roof body style, while the SV is offered in both standard and high roof styles. 

Which trim should you buy?

As not many features make their way in the higher SL trim and most buyers would use the van just for business purposes, we recommend sticking to the base SV trim. Investing an additional couple of thousand dollars won’t be a bad thing for the added convenience and practicality offered by the high roof. 

Unlike the lower models, the NV3500HD features the more powerful 5.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine instead of the V6, which produces a healthy 375 horsepower and 387 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission instead of the five-speed offered with the lower 1500 and 2500 variants. Rear-wheel drive is the only available drivetrain option as there is no all-wheel drive available even as an option. 

Performance from the V8 is pretty good as it takes just around 7.5 seconds to reach 60 mph from standstill while needing around 16 seconds to cover the quarter-mile ramp. The V6 does feel strained when loaded on the lower trims but the V8 seems to do the job rather well. It manages to tow up to 9,400 lbs and can haul roughly 3,700 lbs worth of cargo at the rear end of the van, both of which are one of the highest for a van of this segment. 

The Nissan NV3500 is the only cargo van here to offer a V8 engine as standard under its hood while all the others feature a V6 mill. The aging Chevrolet Express 3500 is a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Nissan and though has a poor acceleration performance, it does offer class-leading towing prowess. The Ford Transit T-350 is much quicker than the Chevy but has a very limited towing capacity. The RAM on the other hand has the best payload capacity but underperforms in both the acceleration and towing aspects and yet is the priciest of the lot. 

How does the 2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van handle?

The large vans are never really built to be driven swiftly around corners, especially the ones with tall roofs. The Nissan NV3500 is no exception here as it manages to be calm and composed even with an empty ride but still isn’t meant to be chucked around at high speeds. 

The ride tends to feel more composed once there is some cargo in the bed at the rear, but the overall ride and handling are above average for a van this size. The steering is not as light as we would have liked to aid easy maneuvering in the city and there is no feedback at all to offer as well. 

2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van Braking Performance

To reiterate our point, since the NV3500 isn’t meant to go at high speeds, it also isn’t meant to stop on a dime. Yet, the large 14.2-inch front and 14.4-inch rear brakes do a great job of stopping the almost 6,200 lbs cargo van in a braking distance of just 147 feet in the 60-0 mph panic braking test. The brake pedal offers no feedback though but is linear in response and feels a bit spongy as well. 

The Chevy still uses larger brakes in spite of its lower weight but it still needs a few feet more before coming to a complete halt as compared to its rivals. The Ford Transit T-350 is the one that has the shortest stopping distance in the panic braking test which is probably due to its low curb weight. Though the RAM ProMaster is the lightest one of the lot, its smaller brakes become the limiting factor. 

The large cargo vans and full-size pickup trucks are not mandated by the EPA to be tested for their fuel efficiency and hence the NV3500HD does not get any official MPG ratings. That being said, from our tests, we saw the Nissan return a lowly 12 mpg of fuel economy figures with some cargo boxes at the back. Therefore, with the 28-gallon fuel tank on offer, expect the driving range to be around 300 miles or so. 

None of the cargo vans in this comparison have made their way to the EPA for their testing and hence there are no official ratings available. That being said, the RAM ProMaster 3500 and the Ford Transit T-350 are much more frugal than the NV3500 due to their smaller and more modern engines which returned roughly around 15 and 16 mpg respectively in our tests. The Express with its aging engine is just on par with the Nissan but the larger gas tank capacity means the driving range should see a small hike. 

The cabin of the NV cargo is more focused on being practical and affordable instead of being plush and comfortable. The design is pretty basic but all the controls are very well laid out ergonomically. There are plenty of hard plastics that are utilized all around the cabin, but the build quality is pretty solid with hardly any major fit and finish issues. That being said, the lack of padding on the center armrest is a big disappointment as they don’t offer much-needed comfort. 

The seats too, as standard, get only manual 4-way adjustability which gets updated to an 8-way power-adjustable driver seat on the higher SL trim. The cloth and vinyl upholstery remain standard across both the trims and while the seat cushioning is pretty comfortable for longer drives, the upholstery is something that we feel could do with an update. The material is washable though which adds to the practicality of the van. The NV3500HD also gets a reinforced chassis for the additional payload capacity. 

There is plenty of room for even the tallest of drivers to find themselves comfortable inside this van with abundant headroom and legroom on offer. The standard cargo capacity is measured at 234 cu-ft while the high roof version gets a 76.9-inch roof height instead of the 55.8-inch, which increases the cargo capacity to 323 cu-ft. That is enough space for an average-sized individual to stand upright inside the van. The maximum cargo bed length is 120-inch and while the maximum width is 70.2-inch, the space between the wheel wells is 54.3-inch. 

The RAM ProMaster is the one that has the most spacious cargo space to offer in this comparison, but it does that with some compromise being made in the driver’s quarters. Though there is abundant headroom on offer, the legroom is the least in the segment. Both the Ford and Chevy vans offer similar seating rooms with the Transit offering marginally larger cargo capacity. Some of the interior features in the 2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van are:

• 8-way power driver seat w/fold-down passenger seat & seat back tray table
• Premium Cloth Seat Trim w/water-repellant feature with vinyl wear bolsters
• 2 12V DC Power Outlets and 2 120V AC Power Outlets
• Partial Floor Console w/Locking Storage
• Full Overhead Console w/Storage
• Remote Keyless Entry

What’s there to keep you entertained?

Nissan offers a very bare-bones seven-inch basic touchscreen infotainment system with an even more basic 4-speaker audio system. There is no Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration available and you have to make do with the iPod interface of the yesteryears. Satellite radio is available as an option on the SV trim but the SL trim gets it as standard.

What else is standard is the new NissanConnect integrated navigation system which is a new offering for the 2021 model year. Satellite radio also brings in the real-time traffic display and the higher SL trim also features a mobile hotspot. Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming are available as standard along with a few voice commands. Some of the infotainment features in the 2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van are:

• A 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 4-speaker audio system
• SiriusXM Traffic Real-Time Traffic Display
• NissanConnect Selective Service Internet Access
• NissanConnect Navigation Integrated Navigation System
• AM/FM/AUX and iPod interface
• Bluetooth hands-free phone system and audio streaming
• Voice Activation

Designed on the underpinnings of the Nissan Titan and also to reduce costs of certain parts, the NV3500 does look quite similar to the truck. While the beefy and rugged words used to describe the van might get you excited, stylish is a word that will never come in the same line as the NV van. It is no doubt a large boxy van that will go unnoticed wherever it goes.

The front end gets chrome treatment at the bumper, door mirrors, and front grille on the higher SL trim along with the chrome wheel covers. The wide-opening rear split tailgate doors offer ease of access, while the sliding rear door allows more practicality. As standard, the rear tail doors get no windows but can be had optionally. 

The Nissan NV3500 does not get an option for an extended wheelbase but it does not need one as well as it is the longest van here by a huge margin. The RAM ProMaster is much shorter in comparison while the Chevy Express 3500 falls very short than the Nissan. The Express offers the best ground clearance on offer while it is the ProMaster that rides lowest to the ground. Some of the exterior features in the 2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van are:

• Aero-Composite Halogen Daytime Running Headlamps
• Sliding Rear Passenger Side Door and Split Swing-Out Rear Cargo Access
• Chrome Power Heated Side Mirrors w/Convex Spotter
• Chrome Grille, Door Handles, Front Bumper and Rear Step Bumper
• Black Side Windows Trim and Front Windshield Trim
• 17-inch Chrome Clad Steel Wheels

Although most modern-day vehicles come with a suite of safety features and driver aids, the Nissan NV3500 does not get any of those. Even its direct rivals offer considerably more safety features which is clearly the biggest weakness for the Nissan cargo van. Add to that the fact that neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has crash tested the vehicle, driving the van rather carefully would not be a bad idea. A highlight of the available safety features is listed below. Some of the safety features in the 2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van are:

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Driveline Traction Control
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front & Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Curtain 1st Row Airbags
• Rear Parking Sensors
• RearView Monitor Back-Up Camera
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning

2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van vs Chevrolet Express 3500 Cargo

Probably the oldest van on sale in the country, the Chevrolet Express 3500 cargo still sees a lot of takers even today because of its extraordinary towing and payload capabilities. Though it lacks in terms of acceleration performance, the fuel efficiency is pretty much the same. It is also very reliable in the long run and comes at an affordable price tag. That being said, the Nissan van offers quite a few more features and has a better acceleration performance and ride quality to offer. 

2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van vs Ford Transit T-350 Cargo

The smaller capacity engine of the Ford Transit does not catch up with the large capacity V8 under the hood of the Nissan. It has a higher payload capacity to offer, the NV3500 offers superior acceleration performance and towing prowess. The Ford van might cost higher than the Nissan, but it offers a lot more cabin features and technology along with driver aids, which are completely missing from the NV3500’s list of features.

2021 Nissan NV3500 Cargo Van vs RAM ProMaster 3500 Cargo

The priciest cargo van of our comparison, the RAM ProMaster 3500 does not have the acceleration or towing capability to match up with that high asking price. That being said, most buyers use their vans to majorly haul goods, which is where the ProMaster leads the pack. It is also much more frugal than the Nissan and offers a more upmarket cabin. The passenger space might be limited but there is plenty of cargo space on offer at the rear. 

The Nissan NV 3500HD Cargo Van is a no-nonsense cargo van that is built for businesses and hence is offered at a lower price, gets only the basics, and yet offers powerful performance with one of the best towing capacities in the business. Add to that the long warranty program and the great reliability report, there are not many things one could ask for more of a potent yet affordable cargo van. Unless you have to have a premium cabin or a higher payload capacity, the NV3500 should do just fine for your business.