Compare the2024 Nissan AriyaVS 2023 Chevrolet Bolt

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

Safety

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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 Chevrolet Bolt doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Ariya are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Bolt doesn’t offer height-adjustable 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 Bolt doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Ariya has standard Rear Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Bolt doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

The Ariya has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Bolt’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Ariya has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Bolt.

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 Bolt doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Ariya and the Bolt have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The Nissan Ariya weighs 699 to 1460 pounds more than the Chevrolet Bolt. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Nissan Ariya achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Bolt has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Warranty

The Ariya’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Bolt’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

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. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Bolt.

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 Ariya’s reliability 45 points higher than the Bolt.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 3 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Ariya’s standard electric motor produces 14 more horsepower (214 vs. 200) than the Bolt’s electric motor. The Ariya +’s standard electric motor produces 38 more horsepower (238 vs. 200) than the Bolt’s electric motor. The Ariya’s optional electric motors produces 135 more horsepower (335 vs. 200) and 147 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 266) than the Bolt’s electric motor. The Ariya Engage+/Evolve+/Platinum+’s standard electric motors produces 189 more horsepower (389 vs. 200) and 176 lbs.-ft. more torque (442 vs. 266) than the Bolt’s electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Ariya Engage+/Evolve+/Platinum+ electric motors is faster than the Chevrolet Bolt:

	Ariya	Bolt
Zero to 60 MPH	5 sec	6.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.1 sec	6.7 sec
Quarter Mile	13.4 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	108 MPH	92 MPH
Top Speed	128 MPH	93 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Ariya can travel longer on a full charge than the Bolt on a full charge:

			Miles
Ariya
	FWD	Venture+ Electric Motor	304 miles
		Evolve+/Empower+ Electric Motor	289 miles
	AWD	Engage+/Evolve+ Electric Motors	272 miles
		Platinum+ Electric Motors	267 miles
Bolt
	FWD	Electric Motor	259 miles

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Ariya	Ariya + e-4ORCE	Bolt
Front Rotors	11.7 inches	14.3 inches	10.9 inches
Rear Rotors	11.33 inches	13 inches	10.4 inches

The Ariya’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Bolt are solid, not vented.

The Ariya stops much shorter than the Bolt:

	Ariya	Bolt
70 to 0 MPH	168 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Ariya has larger standard tires than the Bolt (235/55R19 vs. 215/50R17). The Ariya Platinum+’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Bolt (245/45R20 vs. 215/50R17).

The Ariya Platinum+’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 Bolt’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ariya has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Bolt. The Ariya Platinum+ offers optional 20-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Nissan Ariya 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 Chevrolet Bolt has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Ariya has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Ariya flat and controlled during cornering. The Bolt’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ariya’s wheelbase is 6.9 inches longer than on the Bolt (109.3 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Ariya is 5.2 inches wider in the front and 5.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Bolt.

The Ariya Platinum+ handles at .86 G’s, while the Bolt LT pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Ariya Platinum+ executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Bolt (26.3 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Ariya has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Bolt (6.7 vs. 5.4 inches), allowing the Ariya to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Ariya has 7.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Bolt (101.2 vs. 93.9).

The Ariya has 4.7 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 1 inch more rear legroom, 1.9 inches more rear hip room and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bolt.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Ariya has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Bolt with its rear seat up (22.8 vs. 16.6 cubic feet). The Ariya has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Bolt with its rear seat folded (59.7 vs. 57 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Ariya Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Ariya Platinum+, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Bolt doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Chevrolet Bolt is limited to 0 pounds. The Ariya e-4ORCE AWD offers up to a 1500 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle. The Bolt doesn’t offer a memory system.

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 Bolt doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Ariya’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Bolt’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

On a hot day the Ariya’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Bolt can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Ariya’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Bolt’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Ariya Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

When the Ariya Platinum+ 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 Bolt’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Ariya and the Bolt offer available heated front seats. The Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Bolt.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Ariya Platinum+ keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Bolt doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Ariya’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 Bolt doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Ariya and the Bolt offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Ariya has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Bolt doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Ariya Empower+/Platinum+’s ProPILOT Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Bolt doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Ariya, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Bolt isn't recommended.

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 Bolt isn’t in the top three in its category.