Compare the2022 Nissan LeafVS 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Leaf have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Nissan Leaf has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Leaf (except S) offers an optional Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Crosstrek Hybrid only offers a rear monitor.

Both the Leaf and the Crosstrek Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available daytime running lights and driver alert monitors.

There are over 69 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Leaf’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 27th, below the industry average.

The Leaf PLUS’ standard electric motor produces 66 more horsepower (214 vs. 148) than the Crosstrek Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Nissan Leaf is faster than the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Leaf gets better mileage than the Crosstrek Hybrid running on electricity:

The Leaf’s maximum EPA estimated driving range with its standard battery is 149 miles on a full charge. The Leaf PLUS’ maximum EPA estimated driving range is 226 miles on a full charge. The Crosstrek Hybrid can only travel about 17 miles before it has to start its internal combustion engine.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Leaf higher (10 out of 10) than the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid (6 to 7). This means the Leaf produces up to 12.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Crosstrek Hybrid every 15,000 miles.

The Leaf SV/SL’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Crosstrek Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

The Leaf has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Leaf has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Leaf’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Crosstrek Hybrid (106.3 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Leaf S’ turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Crosstrek Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

The Nissan Leaf may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 200 pounds less than the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.

The Leaf has a much larger cargo volume than the Crosstrek Hybrid with its rear seat up (23.6 vs. 15.9 cubic feet).

The Leaf’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Crosstrek Hybrid’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Leaf and the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.