Compare the2024 Nissan LeafVS 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge

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 Leaf are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Leaf and the XC40 Recharge have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Leaf is safer than the XC40 Recharge:

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Leaf 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC40 Recharge. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC40 Recharge ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Leaf’s warranty.

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 Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 51 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Volvo.

On the EPA test cycle the Leaf gets better mileage than the XC40 Recharge:

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 XC40 Recharge are solid, not vented.

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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Leaf S’ turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the XC40 Recharge’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Leaf SV PLUS’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the XC40 Recharge’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Nissan Leaf may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 850 to 1250 pounds less than the Volvo XC40 Recharge.

The design of the Nissan Leaf amounts to more than styling. The Leaf has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. That is significantly lower than the XC40 Recharge (.329) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Leaf get better fuel mileage.

The Leaf has 3.6 inches more front headroom and 1.2 inches more front legroom than the XC40 Recharge.

The Leaf has a much larger cargo volume than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat up (23.6 vs. 16 cubic feet).

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 XC40 Recharge’s liftover is 29.7 inches.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Leaf has standard extendable sun visors. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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