Compare the2024 Nissan LeafVS 2024 Toyota Prius

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 Prius doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Leaf has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Prius doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Leaf and the Prius 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, available daytime running lights, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

The Leaf PLUS’ standard electric motor produces 18 more horsepower (214 vs. 196) than the Prius’ optional 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Leaf PLUS is faster than the Toyota Prius 2.0:

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

The Leaf can travel with zero emissions for 149 to 212 miles (dependent on model). The Prius can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The Leaf, as a pure battery electric vehicle, has no need to “idle” its motors in traffic: they only burn power when moving. The Leaf’s climate control systems still work completely when the vehicle is stopped. The Prius still runs its internal combustion engine whenever it’s stopped, burning excess fuel.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Leaf higher (10 out of 10) than the Toyota Prius (7). This means the Leaf produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Prius every 15,000 miles.

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 Prius are solid, not vented.

The Leaf stops much shorter than the Prius:

For better traction, the Leaf has larger standard tires than the Prius (205/55R16 vs. 195/60R17). The Leaf SV PLUS’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Prius (215/50R17 vs. 195/60R17).

The Leaf S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius LE’s standard 60 series tires.

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 Prius doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Leaf is 4.7 inches shorter than the Prius, making the Leaf easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Leaf has 3.2 inches more front headroom and .9 inches more rear headroom than the Prius.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Leaf has a standard rear wiper. The Prius doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Leaf has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/Limited.

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