Introduction
What Car? says...
If you think the Nissan Leaf and other electric cars are a 21st century invention, prepare yourself for a surprise: EVs date back to Victorian times.
Yes, there were battery-powered horseless carriages whirring around city streets well before the turn of the last century, and electric cars once dominated land-speed records. That said, there’s a big difference between the Leaf and its ancestors.
So, is the Nissan Leaf better than those alternatives, and will it really fit into your lifestyle if you’re switching from a petrol or diesel car? We’ll tell you all you need to know over the next few pages of this review, including how it handles and whether it's cheap to run, along with which trim and power option make the most sense.
Remember, if you do decide to buy one – or any make and model of vehicle – make sure you search our free What Car? New Car Deals service to find out how much you could save on the asking price with no need for any bartering. There are some, er, electrifying new electric car deals to check out.
FAQs
Officially, a 39kWh Leaf manages 168 miles per charge, while the 59kWh e+ version does 239 miles. In real range testing, we’ve found them to be 128 miles and 217 miles respectively.
We think that the entry-level Acenta version in 39kWh form still stacks up well against its similarly priced competitors because you’re getting a family car sized vehicle that’s well equipped and has lots of safety features as standard.
The original 2011-2018 Leaf had an issue with battery degradation over time, but this has been resolved. The battery in the latest model should last the life of the car, and Nissan guarantees it for eight years/100,000 miles.
There’s 435 litres of usable boot space below the parcel shelf, and What Car? testers managed to squeeze in seven carry-on suitcases. That’s more than we could fit in the Cupra Born and Renault Zoe.
The latest version did less well than the 2011-2018 Leaf in the electric car category of the 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey. Nissan as a brand performance quite badly, finishing 25th out of 32 manufacturers included.
| RRP price range | £28,995 - £36,445 |
|---|---|
| Number of trims (see all) | 5 |
| Number of engines (see all) | 2 |
| Available fuel types (which is best for you?) | electric |
| Available doors options | 5 |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £58 / £73 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £116 / £146 |
| Available colours |
