Compare the2022 Toyota PriusVS 2021 Nissan Leaf

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Prius offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Leaf doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Prius has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Leaf doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Prius and the Leaf have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Prius is safer than the Nissan Leaf:

	Prius	Leaf
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	157	270
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	173 lbs.	233 lbs.
Neck Compression	46 lbs.	86 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	203/179 lbs.	209/461 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Prius is safer than the Nissan Leaf:

	Prius	Leaf
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	8 lbs.	377 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	484 lbs.	887 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Prius the rating of “Top Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Leaf has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Leaf.

There are over 15 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Prius’ warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Prius’ reliability 49 points higher than the Leaf.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Nissan is ranked 13th.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Prius’ maximum EPA estimated driving range on a full tank of fuel is 655.4 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Leaf’s range is only 226 miles, after which the minimum recharge time is 45 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge at a conventional charging station can take up to 53 hours and 40 minutes.

Brakes and Stopping

The Prius stops much shorter than the Leaf:

	Prius	Leaf
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Prius XLE FWD/Limited’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Leaf SV/SL’s 50 series tires.

The Prius LE FWD has a standard space-saver spare (not available on L Eco/XLE/Limited/e-AWD) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Leaf; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Toyota Prius has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Leaf has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Prius Limited handles at .90 G’s, while the Leaf pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Prius Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the Leaf SL PLUS (26.3 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Prius’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Leaf S’ (33.5 feet vs. 34.8 feet). The Prius Limited/XLE FWD’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Leaf SV/SL’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.1 feet).

Chassis

The Toyota Prius may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 750 pounds less than the Nissan Leaf.

The design of the Toyota Prius amounts to more than styling. The Prius has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Leaf (.28) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Prius get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Prius uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Leaf doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Prius has .2 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 1.9 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Leaf.

Cargo Capacity

The Prius has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Leaf with its rear seat up (27.4 vs. 23.6 cubic feet). The Prius has a much larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the Leaf with its rear seat folded (50.7 vs. 30 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Prius (except L/LE) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Leaf doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Prius’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Leaf’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Prius the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (Your Toyota service department must activate this window function.) The driver of the Leaf can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Prius’ power window, power lock and power mirror switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Leaf’s power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Prius XLE FWD/Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Leaf’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Prius (except L/LE) offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Leaf doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Prius’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Leaf SV/SL.

The Prius has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Leaf doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Prius XLE/Limited has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Leaf doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Prius LE/XLE/Limited’s Intelligent Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Leaf doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Prius owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Prius with a number “5” insurance rate while the Leaf is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Prius is less expensive to operate than the Leaf because it costs $109 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Prius than the Leaf, including $305 less for a water pump, $68 less for front struts and $115 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Toyota Prius has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Prius	Leaf
Consumer Reports® Recommends	Top Pick	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

The Toyota Prius outsold the Nissan Leaf by almost five to one during 2020.