Compare the2024 Genesis GV60VS 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
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The GV60 Advanced/Performance’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Leaf doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the GV60 and Leaf have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV60 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Leaf’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The GV60 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 Leaf doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The GV60 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Leaf doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the GV60 and Leaf have rear cross-traffic warning, but the GV60 has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (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 GV60 and the Leaf 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 and available around view monitors.

The Genesis GV60 weighs 796 to 1381 pounds more than the Nissan Leaf. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Genesis GV60 is safer than the Leaf:

	GV60	Leaf
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	94	211
Neck Compression	-134 lbs.	67 lbs.
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	1.14 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	245 lbs.
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	959 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	84	158
Neck Compression	-22 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.79 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	312 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.87 in	1.38 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	6 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	602 lbs.	937 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Genesis GV60 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Leaf is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

The GV60 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Leaf’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV60 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Leaf. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Leaf ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The GV60’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Leaf’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV60 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis 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.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis above average in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 50 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

Engine

The GV60 has more powerful engines than the Leaf:

	Horsepower	Torque
GV60 Standard electric motor	225 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
GV60 Advance electric motors	314 HP	446 lbs.-ft.
GV60 Performance electric motors	429 HP	446 lbs.-ft.
Leaf electric motor	147 HP	236 lbs.-ft.
Leaf PLUS electric motor	214 HP	250 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Consumer Reports the GV60 Advance electric motors is faster than the Leaf PLUS:

	GV60	Leaf
Zero to 30 MPH	2.1 sec	3.2 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	5.1 sec	7 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	2.8 sec	3.6 sec
Quarter Mile	13.9 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101 MPH	92 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the GV60 gets better mileage than the Leaf:

			MPGe
GV60
	RWD	Standard Electric Motor	125 city/99 hwy
Leaf
	FWD	Electric Motor	123 city/99 hwy
		SV PLUS Electric Motor	121 city/98 hwy

The GV60 can travel longer on a full charge than the Leaf on a full charge:

			Miles
GV60
	RWD	Standard Electric Motor	294 miles
	AWD	Performance Electric Motors	235 miles
		19" Wheels Electric Motors	264 miles
		20" Wheels Electric Motors	248 miles
Leaf
	FWD	SV PLUS Electric Motor	212 miles
		Electric Motor	149 miles

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GV60’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Leaf:

	GV60	GV60 Performance	Leaf
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	14.2 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	14.2 inches	11.5 inches

The GV60 stops much shorter than the Leaf:

	GV60	Leaf
70 to 0 MPH	180 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	131 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	144 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GV60 has larger tires than the Leaf (255/45R20 vs. 205/55R16). The GV60 Advance’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Leaf (255/45R20 vs. 215/50R17).

The GV60 Advance’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Leaf S’ standard 55 series tires. The GV60 Performance’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Leaf SV PLUS’ 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV60 Standard has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Leaf S. The GV60 Performance’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Leaf SV PLUS.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Genesis GV60 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 GV60 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Leaf’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The GV60 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Leaf’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GV60’s wheelbase is 7.9 inches longer than on the Leaf (114.2 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GV60 is 3.7 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Leaf.

The GV60 Performance handles at .85 G’s, while the Leaf pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The GV60 Advanced/Performance uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Leaf doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The GV60 has 8.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Leaf (101.1 vs. 92.4).

The GV60 has .2 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 4.1 inches more rear legroom and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Leaf.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GV60’s rear seats recline. The Leaf’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the GV60. The Leaf doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GV60’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The GV60’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Leaf doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The GV60 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Leaf has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The GV60 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 GV60, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle. The Leaf doesn’t offer a memory system.

The GV60’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Leaf doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The GV60 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 GV60’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 GV60 and the Leaf have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GV60 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 GV60’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 GV60 the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Leaf can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GV60’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 GV60’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 GV60’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.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GV60 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Leaf doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The GV60’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 GV60 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 GV60’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Leaf offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The GV60 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Leaf SV PLUS. The GV60 Performance 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 GV60 Advanced/Performance 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 GV60 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 GV60 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Leaf.

The GV60’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 GV60 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 Genesis GV60 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Leaf doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The GV60 Advanced/Performance has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the rear seat, 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 GV60 Advanced/Performance’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Leaf doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Genesis GV60, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Nissan Leaf isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GV60 first among small premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Leaf isn’t in the top three in its category.