Compare the2025 Lexus RZVS 2024 Nissan Ariya

The RZ 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 Ariya 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 RZ and Ariya have rear cross-traffic warning, but the RZ Premium/Luxury has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Ariya’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the RZ and the Ariya 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, front wheel drive, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The RZ comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Ariya’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RZ 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Ariya. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Ariya ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The RZ’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Ariya’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 64 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 15th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus first in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 17th.

As tested in Car and Driver the RZ 450e electric motors is faster than the Ariya + electric motor:

	RZ	Ariya
Zero to 60 MPH	4.6 sec	7.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	13.8 sec	19 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.7 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	15.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99 MPH	92 MPH

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

			MPGe
RZ
	FWD	300e w/18" Wheels Electric Motor	112 city/125 hwy
		300e w/20" Wheels Electric Motor	96 city/105 hwy
	AWD	450e w/18" Wheels Electric Motors	115 city/98 hwy
		450e w/20" Wheels Electric Motors	102 city/87 hwy
Ariya
	FWD	Venture+ Electric Motor	111 city/95 hwy
		Engage Electric Motor	109 city/94 hwy
		Evolve+/Empower+ Electric Motor	105 city/91 hwy
	AWD	Engage Electric Motors	101 city/89 hwy
		Engage+/Evolve+ Electric Motors	97 city/86 hwy
		Platinum+ Electric Motors	93 city/87 hwy
		Platinum+ 20" Wheels Electric Motors	89 city/84 hwy

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

			Miles
RZ
	FWD	300e w/18" Wheels Electric Motor	266 miles
		300e w/20" Wheels Electric Motor	224 miles
	AWD	450e w/18" Wheels Electric Motors	220 miles
Ariya
	FWD	Engage Electric Motor	216 miles
	AWD	Engage Electric Motors	205 miles

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

	RZ	Ariya
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	11.7 inches
Rear Rotors	12.5 inches	11.33 inches

The RZ stops shorter than the Ariya:

	RZ	Ariya
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction and acceleration, the RZ has larger rear tires than the Ariya (255/55R18 vs. 235/55R19). The RZ’s rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Ariya (255/55R18 vs. 245/45R20).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the RZ’s wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the Ariya (112.2 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

The RZ 450e Luxury handles at .86 G’s, while the Ariya Platinum+ pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RZ 450e Luxury executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Ariya Platinum+ (25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .71 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the RZ has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Ariya (7.9 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the RZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The design of the Lexus RZ amounts to more than styling. The RZ has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the Ariya (.3 to .33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the RZ get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the RZ uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Ariya doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The RZ has .4 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear legroom than the Ariya.

The RZ has a much larger cargo volume than the Ariya with its rear seat up (34.1 vs. 22.8 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 37% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 16th.

The RZ has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Ariya doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To lock it, the door handles on the Ariya must be held while closing the door. On the RZ you just lock the door and close it, which makes it easier to lock up, especially when your hands are full.

The RZ’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 Ariya’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RZ offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Ariya doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The RZ’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 Ariya offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The RZ has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+.

The Lexus RZ has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Nissan charges extra for Homelink® on the Ariya.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lexus RZ has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Ariya Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ offers wireless charging.

The RZ has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Ariya doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The RZ’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Advanced Park will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Ariya Empower+/Platinum+’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus RZ and the Nissan Ariya, based on reliability, safety and performance.