- We recently finished a week-long test drive of the 2024 Nissan Ariya.
- Now, we’re here to answer all your top questions about the electric SUV.
Nissan is in the midst of a shift. The Leaf, one of the electric vehicle pioneers, is about to leave production. To a degree, the Ariya is a replacement for the Leaf. This new crossover is a bit bigger and a bit more traditional, and it happens to have some clever features.
Over the course of a week, I drove it around as though it was mine. Before setting off, we asked what you wanted to know about this car. Today, I’m going to answer all of your toughest questions.
Review: The 2024 Nissan Ariya Prioritizes Comfort Like Few EV Rivals
To kick things off, let’s take the most upvoted question in the group.
Is this car any fun to drive at all?
Simply put, sure! Is it the most fun to drive electric vehicle? Absolutely not, but this car isn’t aimed at enthusiasts. It’s directly centered on a demographic that wants a comfortable, quiet, pseudo-futuristic electric vehicle. To that end, it’s pretty good. In fact, it’s powerful enough, boasting 238 hp (177 kW)), that you can still do the sort of point-and-shoot traffic navigation that EVs are so good at.
How quick is the acceleration and what is the real-world range?
During the week, we didn’t have a suitable place to test 0-60, but expect real-world times to be roughly 7.5 seconds for front-wheel drive models like the one we drove. AWD versions will dip close to five seconds flat, and the upcoming NISMO edition could be in the mid-4-second range.
More: Nissan Claims Guinness Bungee Record, But Other Cars Have Fallen From Greater Heights
In terms of overall range, our test car offered 289 miles (465 km) with a full charge according to Nissan. Over our time with the car, it averaged 2.6 miles per kilowatt. In other words, at that rate, it would’ve only gone around 226 miles (364 km) before needing to be recharged. That’s fair considering that I didn’t exactly baby the Ariya. Just as is the case with literally any car on the road today, driving it harder will go through gas or electricity faster.
Would you choose this over the competition? Why?
I think a lot of people would be willing to pick this over rivals from Tesla, Kia, Polestar, and more. Here’s why. It comes from a brand that several buyers are very comfortable with. Lots of people want to buy a Japanese car and many want to buy an EV. That’s not so easy if you plan on going with Honda, Toyota, or Mazda.
On the other hand, as a guy who stands at 6 ‘6, I personally wouldn’t buy the Ariya. No matter what I did, I just didn’t fit in it. It’s not as fast or as sporty as I prefer. Sign me up for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N instead. I’ll need quite a bit more cash than one would need for the Ariya, though.
How is the ride comfort?
Quite good. Over the last month, I’ve had the pleasure of driving the new Nissan Kicks, the Infiniti QX80, the Subaru Crosstrek, the RAM 1500 Tradesman, and the Nissan Z Nismo. The Ariya is the most comfortable of that group in my opinion. It soaks up bumps very well and the cabin is very quiet. The Infiniti is close, but it’s such a tall vehicle and it lacks the kind of nimble handling that the Ariya benefits from.
So, those are all the questions you had, but if you’ve thought of another one or two, leave them in the comments. We’ll follow up down below!
