The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Competitive base price
- Peppy acceleration
- User-friendly tech
- Clean design
Dislikes
- Modest base model
- Short range
- Anemic highway speeds
- All-wheel drive is not offered
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2024 Nissan Leaf is a straightforward, value-oriented EV.
What kind of car is the 2024 Nissan Leaf? What does it compare to?
The 2024 Nissan Leaf is a five-passenger hatchback EV that competes with the Hyundai Kona EV and Chevrolet Bolt EV.
Is the 2024 Nissan Leaf a good car?
It makes a fine daily driver with good standard tech and a perfect “Green” score that add up to a TCC Rating of 7.3 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2024 Nissan Leaf?
Not much following last year’s refresh. The SV Plus trim now gets navigation, NissanConnect telematics, and a three-year trial of the subscription-based NissanConnectEV smartphone app.
Otherwise, the Leaf S and SV Plus carry over unchanged, sporting a traditional hatchback shape accented with Nissan’s current styling cues. It stands out as an EV less than in years past, and its cabin finishes can make it feel more upscale than other small economy cars.
The Leaf S offers 149 miles of range from its 40-kwh battery pack, and the Leaf SV Plus yields 212 miles from its 60-kwh battery pack. Both are capable of charging to 80% in about 45 minutes thanks to CHAdeMO DC fast-charging capability. The Leaf’s light steering and peppy acceleration make for fun city driving, though the highway gets dull quickly.
The small hatchback provides five seats, though the back is a tight squeeze for three across. The seats aren’t particularly supportive, but they’re acceptable, even for longer trips. This hatch truly shines when it comes to cargo capacity, offering 23.6 cubic feet beneath the tailgate and a total of 30 cubes with the rear seats folded.
The 2023 Nissan Leaf earned NHTSA’s five-star rating, but the IIHS hasn’t published full test results. Nissan includes automatic emergency braking, and the SV trim gets the ProPilot semi-autonomous driving system.
How much does the 2024 Nissan Leaf cost?
The base 2024 Leaf S costs $29,235, including a $1,095 destination fee. This trim features an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, and DC fast-charging capability. The SV Plus, at $37,285, increases range and adds heated mirrors, a heated steering wheel, and navigation. However, the significant increase in price over the base model weakens, if not nullifies, the Leaf’s advantage as a budget EV.
Where is the Nissan Leaf made?
In Japan.
2024 Nissan Leaf Styling
The sharp-looking Leaf fits nicely among Nissan’s current lineup without standing out as an EV.
Is the Nissan Leaf a good-looking car?
Yes, in general. The traditional hatchback shape, some sporty details, and clean cabin layout work well. It earns a point for exterior styling, good for a 6 here.
More sleek and less visually obtrusive than in years past, the Leaf no longer stands out as an EV. The shape is similar, but more sophisticated details make a big difference, and Nissan’s signature blacked-out rear pillar creates the floating-roof effect that ties the family together. Other sporty details include dark headlight reflectors, aerodynamic diffusers and deflectors, and 5-spoke 17-inch wheels on the SV Plus.
The cabin has a minimalist vibe with a simple design and dark finishes, the only quirky element being the mushroom-shaped shifter.
2024 Nissan Leaf Performance
What the Leaf lacks in athleticism, it makes up in hustle, with a quickness you won’t find in an affordable gas car.
The two trims, Leaf S and Leaf SV Plus, offer a choice of performance, with the SV Plus superior in terms of both acceleration in range. However, both feel peppier than most affordable small cars, good for an extra point. That’s a 6 here.
Is the Nissan Leaf 4WD?
No, the Leaf is only front-wheel drive.
How fast is the Nissan Leaf?
The entry-level Leaf S combines an electric motor and a 40-kwh battery pack for 147 hp and 187 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0-60 mph time in less than eight seconds. The Leaf SV Plus gets a 60-kwh battery pack good for a combined 214 hp and 250 lb-ft, and is about a second quicker. Both feel peppy at city speeds, with quick starts and a consistent-feeling one-pedal drive mode, though on the highway, both Leaf trims are simply adequate in terms of passing power.
The Leaf is too heavy to feel truly agile, but it’s stable and balanced through corners. The SV Plus rides slightly higher and feels less comfortable on rough pavement.
2024 Nissan Leaf Comfort & Quality
The Leaf provides quiet and serene space for four passengers.
The Nissan Leaf has more space inside than you’d think from the outside, with enough headroom for a pair of 6-footers in the rear row. It’s the generous cargo space, though, that earns an extra point here, good for a 6.
The Leaf won’t be mistaken for a luxury car, although it’s quiet and comfortable thanks to good noise insulation and better materials than other Nissans in its price range.
While the front seats offer decent support in the back and bottom, the shoulders aren’t quite as well supported, and taller drivers may be forced into an uncomfortable position.
The rear row offers average legroom of 33.5 inches, but generous headroom provides some flexibility. Don’t count on using the middle seat if there’s an adult on each side.
The large and flat cargo area offers a versatile 23.6 cubic feet of space, which opens up to a total of 30.0 cubic feet with the second row folded.
2024 Nissan Leaf Safety
Full crash-test results haven’t been published, but the Leaf’s safety tech instills confidence.
How safe is the Nissan Leaf?
With no IIHS rating, the Leaf’s safety picture is incomplete. However, the NHTSA has awarded the 2023 model a five-star overall rating. We award an 8 here, taking into account the long list of standard safety features that includes automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control, as well as a long list of options.
The Leaf SV Plus includes adaptive cruise control and the semi-autonomous ProPilot Assist system that provides acceleration, stopping, and steering assistance on highways and in stop-and-go traffic. Aside from its constant beeping, it works well.
The IIHS hasn’t reported full crash-test data for the Leaf since its 2018 refresh, hasn’t evaluated the automatic emergency braking feature, but it reports “Good” ratings for frontal and side collisions based on Nissan’s own tests. The IIHS also notes the Leaf’s fatality rates are below average for a small car, after adjusting for gender and age.
2024 Nissan Leaf Features
The base Leaf S is a competitive value for a budget electric car.
The base Leaf S offers connectivity, sharp displays, and advanced safety features. It’s a compelling value compared to other cars that cost less than $30,000, and extra competitive for an EV. We award an extra point for value, infotainment, and good standard features, adding up to an 8 here, bearing in mind that the Leaf’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty are just average.
Which Nissan Leaf should I buy?
The primary difference between Leaf models comes down to range, to the tune of about $7,000 for 63 miles.
The base Leaf S, at $29,165, includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloth seating, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Smartphone-based navigation for charging is available, and DC fast-charging is included.
How much is a fully loaded Nissan Leaf?
The Leaf SV Plus comes in at $37,215 and includes adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel, heated mirrors, fog lamps, navigation, and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system. Options include premium paint and a cargo cover.
2024 Nissan Leaf Fuel Economy
The Nissan Leaf exemplifies simplicity as well as energy efficiency.
The 2024 Nissan Leaf is among the greenest cars on the market. Considering the SV Plus model offers more than 200 miles of range and returns 3.2 miles per kwh, it earns a 10.
The Leaf S is rated for 149 miles on a full charge and the SV Plus upgrades to 212 miles. Though competitors such as the Kia Niro EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Tesla Model 3 offer longer ranges, they’re also much more expensive.
In very cold winter temperatures, range can drop by 10% or more, so keep that in mind during winter driving.
On a Level 2 240-volt home charger, the Leaf SV Plus achieves a full charge in under 12 hours, with the base Leaf S charging even faster. Frequent fast-charging should be avoided due to the Leaf’s air-cooled battery, but a CHAdeMO fast charger can hit 80% full in about 45 minutes.