Compare the2023 Nissan AriyaVS 2024 Cadillac Lyriq

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Ariya have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac Lyriq doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Lyriq doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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 Lyriq doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Ariya and the Lyriq have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

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 Ariya its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Lyriq has not been tested, yet.

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. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Lyriq.

There are almost 2 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ariya’s warranty.

As tested in Car and Driver the Ariya Engage+/Evolve+/Platinum+ electric motors is faster than the Cadillac Lyriq electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the Ariya gets better mileage than the Lyriq:

The Ariya has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Lyriq doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

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

The Ariya stops much shorter than the Lyriq:

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 Lyriq doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Ariya Platinum+ handles at .86 G’s, while the Lyriq pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Ariya’s turning circle is 4.3 feet tighter than the Lyriq’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The Nissan Ariya may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1250 pounds less than the Cadillac Lyriq.

The Ariya is 1 foot, 1.8 inches shorter than the Lyriq, making the Ariya easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Ariya has 1 inch more front headroom and .6 inches more rear headroom than the Lyriq.

The Ariya’s cargo area is larger than the Lyriq’s in almost every dimension:

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. Cadillac doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Lyriq.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Lyriq, 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 Lyriq 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 Lyriq doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Ariya, 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 Lyriq isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Ariya outsold the Cadillac Lyriq by 65% during 2022.