Still the budget EV to beat

“Ohhh, this is niiice.” 

I kept repeating that to myself when I first saw the 2026 Nissan Leaf in person, like the oft-memed Tiffany Haddish clip. I quickly learned it’s hard not to love this third iteration of the Leaf. Its seats feel wonderfully comfortable, its infotainment screens are wide and immersive and its electromagnetic sunroof seemed like something meant for a far more premium car. I tested the highest-end Leaf, which retails for $38,990, but it still offers plenty of value at that price. And it makes me think the entry-level $30,000 model — which has smaller screens, cheaper seats and no sunroof — would be similarly great. Once again, the Nissan Leaf holds the crown as the ideal cheap EV.

It’s easy to forget what a revolutionary vehicle Nissan’s original Leaf was. Released in 2010 for under $33,000, it was the first truly affordable EV on the market. Sure it was small and didn’t go very far, but Nissan eventually fixed those issues with the second-gen model (which I ended up buying earlier this year). But that came at a time when the world was more hyped to see Tesla enter the fray with cheaper cars like the Model 3 and Model Y, and the Leaf was once again overshadowed when other automakers joined the EV arena. 

Now the Leaf is back and better than ever. Its compact SUV styling makes it look more futuristic than the basic hatchback design of the previous model, it can get up to 300 miles of range (up from a maximum of 212 miles with the earlier Leaf SV Plus) and it offers more cargo space with the rear seats down (55.5 cubic feet compared to 30 cubic feet). And with the Leaf’s new turquoise color option, it truly stands out on the road. While it didn’t turn as many heads during my testing as the VW id.Buzz, several neighbors commented that it simply looks cool. 

On a fundamental level, the 2026 Nissan Leaf shouts “hot new EV” in ways the old one simply didn’t. Its sloped roofline and unique side profile makes it simultaneously seem like a sporty coupe and a tiny SUV. Its front and rear LED lights give off sci-fi vibes. Those same neighbors who were intrigued by this Leaf didn’t even realize I had a 2018 model parked right beside it. They just thought that was a boring old hatchback. Since its inception, the Nissan Leaf’s design has gone from a quirky curiosity to a car that was desperately aiming for the mainstream. This time around, Nissan’s design choices feel supremely confident.

Stepping into the Leaf makes that all the more clear: I loved its soft synthetic leather seats, which perfectly supported my aching back once I tweaked the lumbar support settings. Its enormous dual 14.3-inch infotainment screens also make a striking impression. The first screen, situated behind the steering wheel, makes it easy to see your current speed, charge level and additional driving information. But it’s the center screen that takes the cake — it’s gloriously colorful and bright enough to be visible in harsh sunlight. It’s perfect for the Leaf’s built-in Google Maps navigation, but it’s even better when using wireless CarPlay, since every app fills the entire screen. (And thankfully, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto support are available on every Leaf trim.)

The base 2026 Leaf has cloth seats and two 12.3-inch screens, but from photos I’ve seen they still look like a step up from most infotainment setups. My review model also had a 10-speaker “Bose Personal Plus” audio system, which includes small speakers inside the headrests of the driver and passenger seats. That makes music sound a bit more immersive, but more importantly, it also serves as a covert way to deliver navigation instructions to the driver without distracting everyone else in the car. During my testing, I found that the Bose system felt rich and detailed for most music (it has a small subwoofer, so anything bass-heavy sounded muddled), and I genuinely appreciated having directions whispered into my ears.

The Leaf’s panoramic sunroof, which is only available on the high-end Platinum+ FWD trim, also makes a striking impression. It lets in tons of light while blocking the heat of the sun, and it can also become opaque at the touch of a button with so-called Polymer Dispersed Crystal Display technology. You can also have it shade only part of the car, which is helpful when I’d like some light, but my kids in the back seat don’t. The shaded mode still lets in diffuse light, but it’s not powerful enough to cast shadows (it acts almost like a total solar filter, allowing you to see the sun safely). It doesn’t darken the Leaf much, though, so you might need an additional shade for napping babies.

According to Christian Spencer, a Nissan senior manager and engineer, the company found that the sunroof’s shading technology also allowed for more headroom. Adding a traditional retracting shade would have shaved off a few much-needed inches. As it stands, the Leaf’s wide and round roof should easily fit very tall drivers and passengers. In a conversation with Engadget, Spencer noted that Nissan also brought over some design elements from existing vehicles, like the Z sports car, Rogue SUV and Ariya EV. In particular, the new Leaf’s sturdy 4-link suspension comes directly from the Ariya, and it helps to make the car feel much more stable over bumps and at high speeds.

That’s something I definitely noticed during a recent 100-mile round trip. The Leaf is zippy to get to highway speed thanks to its 214-horsepower electric motor (up from 147hp on the previous gen, but matching the same performance of the previous higher-end SV Plus models). The revamped Leaf also feels very solid while cruising alongside much larger cars and in chaotic winds, whereas the previous model always felt a bit unstable at high speeds. The overall rigidity leads to slightly mushy steering on the 2026 Leaf, but I still found it more comfortable to drive than Kia’s similarly-sized EV6. My wife and kids, who care less about driving dynamics, noted that it just felt very smooth to ride in.

My 100-mile trip brought the leaf down to 60 percent from a full charge, which is in line with the 259 miles of range available on my Platinum+ review model. (Curiously, you lose range as you step up the Leaf’s specs. I’m sure the large 19-inch tires didn’t help with efficiency — the cheaper models have 18-inch tires.) I was able to charge the Leaf from 65 percent to 100 percent overnight with a standard Level 1 charger. In addition to the standard J1772 port for Level 1 and 2 charging at home, the Leaf also includes a Tesla-style (NACS, above) port for high-speed refills at Tesla Superchargers. That makes the 2026 Leaf far more suitable for road trips than the older model, which was stuck with an archaic CHAdeMO port for fast charging.

A major difference I noticed from my 2018 Leaf is that the new model actually feels like a true electric car internally, rather than being built out of a frame that was originally designed for a gas-powered vehicle. The annoying center console from the second-gen Leaf — which was made out of cheap plastic, and led to so much knee banging I had to install a cushion — is completely gone, replaced with room for a small backpack or purse by your right foot. The new Leaf’s floor also sits very low, which gives second-row passengers a ton of leg room.

Not every change is a true step forward, though. While the 2026 Leaf offers more overall cargo space than the previous version, it loses 3.6 cubic feet of storage when the rear seats are up. And if you’ve got kids in car seats, those rear chairs will always be up. I was able to fit in a small tricycle, two scooters, protective gear and a small cooler during a recent trip, but it was definitely a tight squeeze. On a brighter note, I was at least able to fit in a large combination car seat and smaller booster chair without issue. I also really appreciated Nissan’s easily accessible LATCH connections, which are brightly colored and easily visible. You don’t have to go fishing around for them under cushions like on other cars.

There’s also bad news for fans of one pedal driving: Nissan has dumped its original “E-pedal” feature for “E-step,” which can dramatically slow the Leaf with regenerative braking, but won’t fully stop the car. According to Spencer, that’s partially due to Japanese regulators, who prefer having the brake be the only way to fully stop a car. But it’s a bummer if you’ve gotten used to the convenience of one-pedal driving and never touching the brakes, a feature that Nissan helped to pioneer with the second-gen Leaf. Spencer says the company has heard plenty of feedback about the loss of true one pedal driving though, so it could be a feature Nissan implements again down the line.

I’d consider those complaints minor quibbles, though. The 2026 Leaf is more attractive and feature-rich than the $34,000 Hyundai Kona EV or Chevy Equinox, and it also has the backing of a company with far more experience in the EV arena. While I’d still recommend looking at used EV options — I’ve seen great cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 dip to $25,000 or less — the 2026 Leaf is simply hard to beat.