If you’re in the market for a small or compact electric car, looking at the likes of the Nissan Leaf, VW e-Golf and Renault Zoe makes perfect sense, since all three are well aimed at specific segments and buyers with specific needs.
So while you’re likely to be happy with any one of them, pointing out all the differences is a must, which is something What Car? did quite well in this lengthy, in-depth comparison review – and they even picked a winner at the end.
The first test they ran concerned acceleration, where the Leaf (the most powerful car here) left everything in its dust, hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) in 8.2 seconds. The e-Golf, on the other hand needed 9.0 seconds, whereas the Zoe, at 13.0 seconds, was considerably slower.
Yet, its the VW that comes out on top with regards to driving pleasure according to the reviewers. It has the best steering feel, best road manners and feels more sophisticated overall than its electrified rivals. It’s not perfect, though, and it’s certainly not as sporty as petrol or diesel versions in the corners, because of its heavy battery pack.
The Leaf is comparable to the Golf on the road in certain ways, but in the end falls short, as does the Zoe, which is “outclassed” by the other two.
The review ultimately walks us through pretty much everything we need to know – from practicality to comfort, tech features, EV-range, charging times and so on. As for who the winner is, we’ll let you find our for yourselves (well, it’s not the Zoe, is it?).