2023 Nissan Leaf

Nissan redesigned the Leaf for 2023 and I’m excited to check out this affordable electric car and see how it can work for a family. The Leaf came out in 2010 and was the first all electric vehicle with a range over 100 miles so we can be pretty confident they know what they’re doing with electric vehicles.

Exterior

The redesigned body style of this 2023 Nissan Leaf is so sleek in comparison to the old Leaf. It has a simple grill, especially for an EV, which usually are wild. I’m liking the black and white contrast on the exterior and the hatchback body style.

Interior

Front Row

Even though it’s clear Nissan is trying to be as cost effective as possible to make it more affordable, I'm still impressed with the features on the car. The infotainment system is built in and offers Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and they pulled out the climate control, which I like for ease of use. It has a digital dash, heated steering wheel, heated seats, USB, USBC, 12 volt, phone cubby, and a shifter that makes me feel like I’m playing a video game. As expected with the compactness of this car it also has two tiny cup holders and a tiny center console. Don’t bring your giant cup if you’re taking a ride in a Nissan Leaf. It has cloth seats even at the highest trim level, but that’s how Nissan keeps the pricing so affordable.

As for safety, there are a ton of safety features that come standard, like automatic braking, blind spot warning, and forward collision warning. 

Second Row

Back in the second row I have good knee clearance with the driver's seat set for me and I’m about 6 feet tall. I don’t have the best head clearance, but I do fit and it’s a compact car so it’s to be expected. We have 2 USBs in the backseat, but I’m kind of bummed that there aren’t any vents back here/ However, the car is small enough the second row probably will feel the air and/or heat of the front row. 

Car Seat Set Up

The car seat set up is the government standard—2 sets of lower anchors on the outboard seats and 3 lower anchors all the way across. This means depending on the size of your car seats you could potentially install 3 rear or forward facing car seats. 

Trunk

The trunk is huge for the size of this car. I don’t have a stroller to throw in here, but I’m sure one would fit. The Leaf doesn’t offer a power trunk, but I’m OK with that to keep the pricing low and still keep all the safety features it offers. 

Trim

The 2023 Nissan Leaf is available in 5 trim levels, which primarily offer you different comfort features. The Leaf also comes in 2 battery sizes, with a range of 140 miles or 215 miles.

Overview

If you’re looking for an affordable and reliable electric vehicle the Nissan Leaf is it. It would be a tight squeeze for a family with kids in car seats, but with compact car seats or 1 car seat it could work great.