Compare the2023 Nissan AriyaVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Ariya are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model Y doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Ariya Platinum+ has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Model Y doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Ariya Evolve+/Premiere/Platinum+ has a standard Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model Y only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Ariya’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Ariya’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Model Y doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Ariya has standard NissanConnect, 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 Model Y 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 Ariya and the Model Y have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rearview cameras.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Ariya for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Nissan will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model Y.

There are over 7 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ariya’s warranty.

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 Ariya’s reliability 21 points higher than the Model Y.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 77 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

For better stopping power the Ariya + e-4ORCE’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Model Y:

The Ariya 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 Model Y doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Ariya has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Ariya flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Ariya’s turning circle is 4.4 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Ariya Engage+/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Model Y (6.7 vs. 6.6 inches), allowing the Ariya to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Ariya Engage’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the Model Y (6.9 vs. 6.6 inches).

The Ariya is 4.1 inches shorter than the Model Y, making the Ariya easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Ariya Platinum+ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Model Y doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Ariya has .5 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

The Ariya has a much larger cargo volume than the Model Y with its rear seat up (22.8 vs. 16.9 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Ariya Platinum+’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model Y doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Ariya to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for tire rotation, based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Model Y, the Ariya Platinum+ has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ has a standard heads-up display that projects speed 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 Model Y doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Ariya has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Ariya’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Ariya has standard extendable sun visors. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Ariya Platinum+ keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Ariya is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Model Y doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Ariya and the Tesla Model Y, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Ariya first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Model Y isn’t in the top three.