Compare the2023 Toyota MiraiVS 2023 Nissan Leaf

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

Safety

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The Mirai 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 Mirai and Leaf have Rear Cross Traffic Alert, but the Mirai 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 Mirai and the Leaf 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Mirai for 3 years and 35000 miles. Toyota will pay for tire rotations, 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 Mirai’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Mirai’s electric motor produces 35 more horsepower (182 vs. 147) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (300 vs. 236) than the Leaf’s standard electric motor. The Mirai’s electric motor produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (300 vs. 250) than the Leaf PLUS’ standard electric motor.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Mirai can travel longer on a full tank of hydrogen than the Leaf on a full charge:

		Miles
Mirai
	XLE Electric Motor	402 miles
	Limited Electric Motor	357 miles
Leaf
	SV PLUS Electric Motor	212 miles
	Electric Motor	149 miles

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Mirai	Leaf
Front Rotors	11.6 inches	11.1 inches

The Mirai stops much shorter than the Leaf:

	Mirai	Leaf
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Mirai has larger standard tires than the Leaf (235/55R19 vs. 205/55R16). The Mirai Limited’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Leaf (245/45R20 vs. 215/50R17).

The Mirai Limited’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Leaf SV PLUS’ 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Mirai has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Leaf S. The Mirai Limited’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Leaf SV PLUS.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Toyota Mirai 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 Mirai 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 a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Mirai’s wheelbase is 8.6 inches longer than on the Leaf (114.9 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Mirai is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Leaf.

The Mirai’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the Leaf’s (57.3% to 42.7%). This gives the Mirai more stable handling and braking.

The Mirai XLE handles at .84 G’s, while the Leaf pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Mirai XLE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Leaf (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Mirai has .1 inches more front legroom, 4.8 inches more front hip room, 4.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Leaf.

Cargo Capacity

With its sedan body style, valet key and remote trunk release lockout, the Mirai offers cargo security. The Leaf’s hatchback body style, non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Mirai. The Leaf doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The Mirai uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Leaf uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Mirai Limited, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle. The Leaf doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Mirai Limited’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and 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 Mirai Limited 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 Leaf doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Mirai’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 Mirai and the Leaf have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Mirai 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 Mirai’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 Mirai 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 Mirai’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Leaf’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Mirai 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 Mirai’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.

A power rear sunshade and manual rear side window sunshades are standard in the Mirai Limited to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Leaf doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The Mirai’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.

When the Mirai Limited is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Leaf’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Mirai has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Leaf SV PLUS. The Mirai Limited also has standard 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 front and rear seats keep the Mirai Limited’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Leaf doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Mirai 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.

The Mirai’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Leaf doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Mirai has standard rear a/c 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 Mirai has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Leaf doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Mirai Limited’s Intelligent Parking Assist 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.

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