2023 Nissan LEAF

Nissan's press kit (opens in a new tab) says the 2023 Leaf gets a refreshed exterior treatment and new aluminum-alloy wheels, with a new brand badge on the steering wheel and a new start-up video on the instrument panel screen. GreenCars (opens in a new tab) adds a revised front end with a new grille shape, bumper molding and black-trim headlights, a streamlined model lineup, and a full-color 8-inch display with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on every trim.

Underneath it is the same car. Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says the standard Leaf S has a 147-horsepower electric motor and a 40.0-kWh battery, small by today's standards, and that Nissan's Safety Shield 360 driver-assistance suite is standard while ProPilot Assist is optional. MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) notes the once mold-breaking EV now lags newer rivals on range and capability, and that the 240-volt Level 2 and aging CHAdeMO fast-charging standard carry over.

NHTSA lists three recall campaigns for the 2023 Leaf. 23V048000 covers incorrect owner's-manual instructions for defroster operation, which Nissan fixes by mailing corrected instructions. 23V362000 covers right-hand brake tubes that may have been damaged in production and could corrode, causing a brake-fluid leak, repaired at a dealer. 23V494000 covers a vehicle that may accelerate unintentionally if the driving mode is changed from D to B, e-Pedal or ECO after disengaging cruise control, which dealers fix by reprogramming the vehicle's control software.

Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA on this model year. By component, vehicle speed control and unknown or other lead with 8 each, followed by electrical system and visibility with 3 each, then power train and fuel and propulsion system with 2 each. Consumer Reports (opens in a new tab) rates the 2023 Leaf about average for reliability compared with other cars from the same model year, listing charging, brakes, electric motor and transmission among reported trouble spots.

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) lists used 2023 Leaf prices from $15,400 for the S hatchback to $17,050 for the SV Plus hatchback when bought from a dealership, depending on equipment, mileage and condition. The range a Leaf actually delivers matters more than the badge: the S with its 40-kWh battery is the short-range version, and the Plus is the one that reaches the top of the EPA range.

EPA rates the 2023 Leaf at 109 to 111 MPGe with 149 to 212 miles of range and an annual fuel cost of about $700. The 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric is rated up to 258 miles and the Kia Niro EV up to 253 miles, both on a full charge, a long way past the Leaf's standard battery and past the Plus too. On EPA range the Kona Electric and Niro EV go roughly 40 to 50 miles farther than the Leaf Plus and more than 100 miles farther than the standard-battery Leaf S.