Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona ElectricVS 2023 Nissan Leaf

Both the Kona Electric and the Leaf have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available rear parking sensors.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Kona Electric the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 220 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Leaf has not been fully tested, yet.

The Kona Electric comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Leaf’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona Electric 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Leaf. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Leaf ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Kona Electric’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Leaf’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona Electric for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Leaf.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 57 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 7 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

The Kona Electric’s electric motor produces 54 more horsepower (201 vs. 147) and 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (291 vs. 236) than the Leaf’s standard electric motor. The Kona Electric’s electric motor produces 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (291 vs. 250) than the Leaf PLUS’ standard electric motor.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Hyundai Kona Electric is faster than the Nissan Leaf:

On the EPA test cycle the Kona Electric gets better mileage than the Leaf:

The Kona Electric can travel longer on a full charge than the Leaf on a full charge:

For better stopping power the Kona Electric’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Leaf:

The Kona Electric stops shorter than the Leaf:

For better traction, the Kona Electric has larger tires than the Leaf (215/55R17 vs. 205/55R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kona Electric has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Leaf S.

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Leaf’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Kona Electric is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the Leaf.

The Kona Electric’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (54% to 46%) than the Leaf’s (57.3% to 42.7%). This gives the Kona Electric more stable handling and braking.

The Kona Electric Limited handles at .83 G’s, while the Leaf pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona Electric is 10.8 inches shorter than the Leaf, making the Kona Electric easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Kona Electric 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.

The Kona Electric has 1.6 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear hip room and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Leaf.

The Kona Electric’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Leaf’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Kona Electric and the Leaf have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Kona Electric is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Leaf prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Kona Electric’s front power windows 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.

The Kona Electric 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.

The Kona Electric’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Leaf SV PLUS.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Kona Electric Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Leaf doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Kona Electric 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 Hyundai Kona Electric SEL/Limited has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Leaf doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Kona Electric will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Kona Electric will retain 42.54% to 43.52% of its original price after five years, while the Leaf only retains 31.29% to 31.72%.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Nissan Leaf, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kona was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” in 2019. The Leaf has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Nissan Leaf by over six to one during the 2021 model year.