Compare the2023 Toyota Prius PrimeVS 2024 Nissan Leaf

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Prius Prime has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Leaf doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Prius Prime and Leaf have Rear Cross Traffic Alert, but the Prius Prime offers optional Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Leaf’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Prius Prime and the Leaf have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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 around view 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 Toyota Prius Prime is safer than the Leaf:

	Prius Prime	Leaf
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	67 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	759 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	1.42 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	1.38 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	6 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	692 lbs.	937 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Prius Prime the rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Leaf has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius Prime for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Leaf.

There are over 15 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Prius Prime’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 Prius Prime’s reliability 17 points higher than the Leaf.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

Engine

The Prius Prime’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 73 more horsepower (220 vs. 147) than the Leaf’s standard electric motor. The Prius Prime’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 6 more horsepower (220 vs. 214) than the Leaf PLUS’ standard electric motor.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Prius Prime is faster than the Nissan Leaf:

	Prius Prime	Leaf 0.0	Leaf PLUS
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.5 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15 sec	15.8 sec	15.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.4 MPH	87.6 MPH	93.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Prius Prime SE’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 606 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Leaf’s range is only 149 to 212 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 40 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge using a conventional 110-volt outlet can take up to 53 hours and 40 minutes.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Prius Prime’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Leaf:

	Prius Prime	Leaf
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.1 inches

The Prius Prime stops shorter than the Leaf:

	Prius Prime	Leaf
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Prius Prime SE has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Leaf S. The Prius Prime XSE’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Leaf SV PLUS.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Toyota Prius Prime 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prius Prime’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Leaf (108.3 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Prius Prime is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Leaf.

The Prius Prime XSE handles at .82 G’s, while the Leaf pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Prius Prime XSE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Leaf (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Prius Prime SE’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the Leaf S’ (34.4 feet vs. 34.8 feet).

Chassis

The front grille of the Prius Prime 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.

Passenger Space

The Prius Prime has .3 inches more front legroom, 3 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Leaf.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Prius Prime XSE Premium has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Leaf doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Prius Prime XSE Premium, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Leaf doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Prius Prime XSE Premium’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Leaf doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Prius Prime’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 Prius Prime and the Leaf have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Prius Prime 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 Prius Prime’s front and rear power windows all 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.

If the windows are left open on the Prius Prime the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Leaf can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Prius Prime’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. 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 Prius Prime’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Leaf S’ standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Prius Prime’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.

Both the Prius Prime and the Leaf offer available heated front seats. The Prius Prime XSE Premium also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Leaf.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Prius Prime XSE Premium 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 Prius Prime has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Leaf SV PLUS.

The Prius Prime XSE 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.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Prius Prime has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Leaf doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Prius Prime XSE has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Leaf doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Prius Prime has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Leaf doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Prius Prime XSE Premium’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Leaf doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Toyota Prius outsold the Nissan Leaf by over three to one during 2022.

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