The Nissan Leaf is quickly becoming one of the best electric cars you could purchase. Those who care about the environment may find it hard to choose between each trim. Moving up a trim isn’t too expensive, but you definitely want to make sure you get something out of it if you’re going to pay paying thousands more? This trim comparison can help you decide which model you should purchase.
Overall
Many things are the same across the board. First of all, the motor always has 107 horsepower and a range of 107 miles regardless of the trim you choose. The mileage, of course, depends on what features you use and your driving style. You can expect your 2017 Nissan Leaf to get 124 miles in the city and 101 miles on the highway per charge. Finally, they all come with an 80 kW AC synchronous electric motor and a 30 kWh lithium-ion battery.
S
The 2017 Nissan Leaf S is the cheapest trim you can purchase, with a starting MSRP of $30,680. The benefit of getting the Leaf is that you will have zero tailpipe emissions. That means no more emissions test and one less thing you need to do when you get new tags. With the S trim, you’ll also get a 3.6 kW onboard charger and a portable trickle-charge cable in addition to the usual charge port.
The S trim has 16” steel wheels and comes with a tire repair kit, just in case something happens while you’re out-and-about. The aerodynamic halogen headlights reduce the amount of pull on the battery while decreasing drag on the vehicle.
The Nissan Leaf also allows you to go completely hands-free with hands-free text messaging assistant and Bluetooth connectivity. You’ll also get a rearview monitor, heated front seats, 60/40 split fold-down rear seats, 5.0 color display audio, a CD player, four speakers, and USB ports. That’s certainly a lot for the price!
SV
It’s hard to believe that the SV could offer anything more, but there’s plenty in this upgraded trim. The SV starts at $34,200 and comes with everything the S includes and then some. Rather than a 3.6 kW onboard charger, it has a 6.6 kW charger. It also has a hybrid heater system and a quick-charge port included. The wheels get an upgrade to 17” five-spoke aluminum alloy wheels.
The biggest change is found in the interior of the Nissan Leaf SV. NissanConnect with Navigation becomes standard in this trim as well as SiriusXM Traffic and Travel with a three-month trial subscription. NissanConnect EV allows remote connection to the vehicle to monitor battery state, start vehicle charging, and activate heating or air conditioning systems.
The front seats are still heated, but instead of cloth seating, the driver gets bio-suede PET cloth seat trim. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped and heated for those exceptionally cold days, and the audio display increases to a seven-inch touch-screen monitor. The cabin also has six total speakers with the option to add a seventh.
SL
The Nissan Leaf SL is the most expensive option you can choose with a starting MSRP of $36,790, but this trim feels luxurious. Everything from the SV is still here, but the SL takes it even further. On the exterior, you lose the halogen headlights and get aerodynamic LED low-beam headlights with an automatic on/off feature. You also get fog lights and a photovoltaic solar-panel rear spoiler, which could decrease the amount of time you need to charge your vehicle.
To accompany the Bluetooth connectivity and NissanConnect, you now get HomeLink Universal Transceiver standard. This allows you to open garage doors, gates, home and office lighting, entry door locks, and security systems without leaving your vehicle.
The interior also comes standard with auto-dimming rearview mirror, a cargo cover, heated front and rear seats, and leather-appointed seats. The SL still has six speakers with the option to upgrade to seven and a seven-inch touch-screen color monitor. With all of these improvements, you may feel like you’re driving a Lexus instead of a Nissan.
(All information comes from Nissan’s website.)
