Nissan Leaf 2026 Review: Still The Budget Ev To Beat

"Ohhh, this is niiice." 

I kept repeating that to myself erstwhile I first saw nan 2026 Nissan Leaf successful person, for illustration nan oft-memed Tiffany Haddish clip. I quickly learned it's difficult not to emotion this 3rd loop of nan Leaf. Its seats consciousness wonderfully comfortable, its infotainment screens are wide and immersive and its electromagnetic sunroof seemed for illustration thing meant for a acold much premium car. I tested nan highest-end Leaf, which retails for $38,990, but it still offers plentifulness of worth astatine that price. And it makes maine deliberation nan entry-level $30,000 exemplary — which has smaller screens, cheaper seats and nary sunroof — would beryllium likewise great. Once again, nan Nissan Leaf holds nan crown arsenic nan perfect inexpensive EV.

It's easy to hide what a revolutionary conveyance Nissan's original Leaf was. Released successful 2010 for nether $33,000, it was nan first genuinely affordable EV connected nan market. Sure it was mini and didn't spell very far, but Nissan yet fixed those issues pinch nan second-gen model (which I ended up buying earlier this year). But that came astatine a clip erstwhile nan world was much hyped to spot Tesla participate nan fray pinch cheaper cars for illustration nan Model 3 and Model Y, and nan Leaf was erstwhile again overshadowed erstwhile different automakers joined nan EV arena. 

Now nan Leaf is backmost and amended than ever. Its compact SUV styling makes it look much futuristic than nan basal hatchback creation of nan erstwhile model, it tin get up to 300 miles of scope (up from a maximum of 212 miles pinch nan earlier Leaf SV Plus) and it offers much cargo abstraction pinch nan rear seats down (55.5 cubic feet compared to 30 cubic feet). And pinch nan Leaf's caller turquoise colour option, it genuinely stands retired connected nan road. While it didn't move arsenic galore heads during my testing arsenic nan VW id.Buzz, respective neighbors commented that it simply looks cool. 

On a basal level, nan 2026 Nissan Leaf shouts "hot caller EV" successful ways nan aged 1 simply didn't. Its sloped roofline and unsocial broadside floor plan makes it simultaneously look for illustration a sporty coupe and a mini SUV. Its beforehand and rear LED lights springiness disconnected sci-fi vibes. Those aforesaid neighbors who were intrigued by this Leaf didn't moreover recognize I had a 2018 exemplary parked correct beside it. They conscionable thought that was a boring aged hatchback. Since its inception, nan Nissan Leaf's creation has gone from a quirky curiosity to a car that was desperately aiming for nan mainstream. This clip around, Nissan's creation choices consciousness supremely confident.

Stepping into nan Leaf makes that each nan much clear: I loved its soft synthetic leather seats, which perfectly supported my aching backmost erstwhile I tweaked nan lumbar support settings. Its tremendous dual 14.3-inch infotainment screens besides make a striking impression. The first screen, situated down nan steering wheel, makes it easy to spot your existent speed, complaint level and further driving information. But it's nan halfway surface that takes nan barroom — it's gloriously colorful and agleam capable to beryllium visible successful harsh sunlight. It's cleanable for nan Leaf's built-in Google Maps navigation, but it's moreover amended erstwhile utilizing wireless CarPlay, since each app fills nan full screen. (And thankfully, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto support are disposable connected each Leaf trim.)

The guidelines 2026 Leaf has cloth seats and 2 12.3-inch screens, but from photos I've seen they still look for illustration a measurement up from astir infotainment setups. My reappraisal exemplary besides had a 10 speaker "Bose Personal Plus" audio system, which includes mini speakers wrong nan headrests of nan driver and rider seats. That makes euphony sound a spot much immersive, but much importantly, it besides serves arsenic a covert measurement to present navigation instructions to nan driver without distracting everyone other successful nan car. During my testing, I recovered that nan Bose strategy felt rich | and elaborate for astir euphony (it has a mini subwoofer, truthful thing bass-heavy sounded muddled), and I genuinely appreciated having directions whispered into my ears.

The Leaf's panoramic sunroof, which is only disposable connected nan high-end Platinum+ FWD trim, besides makes a striking impression. It lets successful tons of ray while blocking nan power of nan sun, and it tin besides go opaque astatine nan touch of a fastener pinch alleged Polymer Dispersed Crystal Display technology. You tin besides person it shadiness only portion of nan car, which is adjuvant erstwhile I'd for illustration immoderate light, but my kids successful nan backmost spot don't. The shaded mode still lets successful diffuse light, but it's not powerful capable to formed shadows (it acts almost for illustration a full star filter, allowing you to spot nan sun safely). It doesn't darken nan Leaf much, though, truthful you mightiness request an further shadiness for napping babies.

According to Christian Spencer, a Nissan elder head and engineer, nan institution recovered that nan sunroof's shading exertion besides allowed for much headroom. Adding a accepted retracting shadiness would person shaved disconnected a fewer much-needed inches. As it stands, nan Leaf's wide and information tile should easy fresh very gangly drivers and passengers. In a speech pinch Engadget, Spencer noted that Nissan besides brought complete immoderate creation elements from existing vehicles, for illustration nan Z sports car, Rogue SUV and Ariya EV. In particular, nan caller Leaf's sturdy 4-link suspension comes straight from nan Ariya, and it helps to make nan car consciousness overmuch much unchangeable complete bumps and astatine precocious speeds.

That's thing I decidedly noticed during a caller 100-mile information trip. The Leaf is zippy to get to road velocity acknowledgment to its 214-horsepower electrical centrifugal (up from 147hp connected nan erstwhile gen, but matching nan aforesaid capacity of nan erstwhile higher-end SV Plus models). The revamped Leaf besides feels very coagulated while cruising alongside overmuch larger cars and successful chaotic winds, whereas nan erstwhile exemplary ever felt a spot unstable astatine precocious speeds. The wide rigidity leads to somewhat mushy steering connected nan 2026 Leaf, but I still recovered it much comfortable to thrust than Kia's similarly-sized EV6. My woman and kids, who attraction little astir driving dynamics, noted that it conscionable felt very soft to thrust in.

My 100-mile travel brought nan leafage down to 60 percent from a afloat charge, which is successful statement pinch nan 259 miles of scope disposable connected my Platinum+ reappraisal model. (Curiously, you suffer scope arsenic you measurement up nan Leaf’s specs. I’m judge nan ample 19-inch tires didn’t thief pinch ratio — nan cheaper models person 18-inch tires.) I was capable to complaint nan Leaf from 65 percent to 100 percent overnight pinch a modular Level 1 charger. In summation to nan modular J1772 larboard for Level 1 and 2 charging astatine home, nan Leaf besides includes a Tesla-style (NACS, above) larboard for high-speed refills astatine Tesla Superchargers. That makes nan 2026 Leaf acold much suitable for roadworthy trips than nan older model, which was stuck pinch an archaic CHAdeMO larboard for accelerated charging.

A awesome quality I noticed from my 2018 Leaf is that nan caller exemplary really feels for illustration a existent electrical car internally, alternatively than being built retired of a framework that was primitively designed for a gas-powered vehicle. The annoying halfway console from nan second-gen Leaf — which was made retired of inexpensive plastic, and led to truthful overmuch knee banging I had to instal a cushion — is wholly gone, replaced pinch room for a mini backpack aliases purse by your correct foot. The caller Leaf's level besides sits very low, which gives second-row passengers a ton of limb room.

Not each alteration is simply a existent measurement forward, though. While nan 2026 Leaf offers much wide cargo abstraction than nan erstwhile version, it loses 3.6 cubic feet of retention erstwhile nan rear seats are up. And if you've sewage kids successful car seats, those rear chairs will always beryllium up. I was capable to fresh successful a mini tricycle, 2 scooters, protective cogwheel and a mini cooler during a caller trip, but it was decidedly a tight squeeze. On a brighter note, I was astatine slightest capable to fresh successful a ample operation car spot and smaller booster chair without issue. I besides really appreciated Nissan's easy accessible LATCH connections, which are brightly colored and easy visible. You don't person to spell sportfishing astir for them nether cushions for illustration connected different cars.

There's besides bad news for fans of 1 pedal driving: Nissan has dumped its original "E-pedal" characteristic for "E-step," which tin dramatically slow nan Leaf pinch regenerative braking, but won't afloat extremity nan car. According to Spencer, that's partially owed to Japanese regulators, who for illustration having nan brake beryllium nan only measurement to afloat extremity a car. But it's a bummer if you've gotten utilized to nan convenience of one-pedal driving and ne'er rubbing nan brakes, a characteristic that Nissan helped to pioneer pinch nan second-gen Leaf. Spencer says nan institution has heard plentifulness of feedback astir nan nonaccomplishment of existent 1 pedal driving though, truthful it could beryllium a characteristic Nissan implements again down nan line.

I’d see those complaints insignificant quibbles, though. The 2026 Leaf is much charismatic and feature-rich than nan $34,000 Hyundai Kona EV aliases Chevy Equinox, and it besides has nan backing of a institution pinch acold much acquisition successful nan EV arena. While I’d still urge looking astatine utilized EV options — I’ve seen awesome cars for illustration nan Hyundai Ioniq 5 dip to $25,000 aliases little — nan 2026 Leaf is simply difficult to beat.