Compare the2023 Nissan LeafVS 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5

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

Safety

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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 Hyundai Ioniq 5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its 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 Ioniq 5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Leaf has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Ioniq 5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Leaf and the Ioniq 5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Leaf is safer than the Hyundai Ioniq 5:

	Leaf	Ioniq 5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars

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 Nissan Leaf is safer than the Hyundai Ioniq 5:

	Leaf	Ioniq 5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars

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

Warranty

There are over 30 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Leaf’s 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 Leaf’s reliability 12 points higher than the Ioniq 5.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Leaf gets better mileage than the Ioniq 5:

			MPGe
Leaf
	FWD	Electric Motor	123 city/99 hwy
Ioniq 5
	RWD	Standard Range Electric Motor	127 city/94 hwy
	AWD	Electric Motors	113 city/90 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The Leaf’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Ioniq 5 are solid, not vented.

The Leaf stops shorter than the Ioniq 5:

	Leaf	Ioniq 5
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	123 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	142 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Leaf S’ turning circle is 4.5 feet tighter than the Ioniq 5’s (34.8 feet vs. 39.3 feet). The Leaf SV PLUS’ turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Ioniq 5’s (36.1 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

Chassis

The Nissan Leaf may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 800 pounds less than the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

The Leaf is 6.1 inches shorter than the Ioniq 5, making the Leaf easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Leaf has 1.4 inches more front headroom and .4 inches more front legroom than the Ioniq 5.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Leaf easier. The Leaf’s trunk lift-over height is 28.6 inches, while the Ioniq 5’s liftover is 30.2 inches.

Ergonomics

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 Ioniq 5’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Leaf has a standard rear wiper. The Ioniq 5 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Leaf owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Leaf will cost $755 to $3385 less than the Ioniq 5 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Leaf will be $6370 to $9570 less than for the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Nissan Leaf as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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