2026 Nissan Leaf review: The best budget EV on sale right now

Years before the Chevrolet Bolt or Tesla Model 3, the Nissan Leaf was a good-faith attempt by a major automaker to bring electric vehicles to the mass market. Even in its second generation the Leaf was hamstrung by poor battery management and was soon left behind.

For its third take, Nissan fixed that key flaw by adding liquid cooling for the battery pack and built the car on a dedicated EV platform, which offers better interior space and range efficiency despite taking up less road space. Our first drive took place last year in San Diego, where the roads tend to flatter a car, and our first impression was positive enough to place the Leaf first among the cars we drove in 2025.

Sure, if money were no object, I’d take that hybrid Porsche 911 that came in second, but you could buy five fully loaded Leafs for the same price as a bare-bones Carrera GTS. For most buyers, though, money is an object, and a longer test was needed to see how the Leaf holds up in day-to-day use.

nissan leaf, ev platform, liquid cooling, battery pack, battery management, range efficiency, interior space, first drive, san diego, chevrolet bolt