Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4 PrimeVS 2023 Nissan Leaf

The Rav4 Prime has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Leaf doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Rav4 Prime has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Leaf doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Rav4 Prime and the Leaf have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Rav4 Prime is safer than the Leaf:

	Rav4 Prime	Leaf
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	211
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	1.14 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	245 lbs.
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.38 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	692 lbs.	937 lbs.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 Prime the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Leaf has not been fully tested, yet.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 Prime for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Leaf.

There are over 15 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Rav4 Prime’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

The Rav4 Prime’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 155 more horsepower (302 vs. 147) than the Leaf’s standard electric motor. The Rav4 Prime’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 88 more horsepower (302 vs. 214) than the Leaf PLUS’ standard electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota Rav4 Prime is faster than the Nissan Leaf:

	Rav4 Prime	Leaf 0.0	Leaf PLUS
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	7.4 sec	6.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.6 sec	7.3 sec	n/a
Quarter Mile	14 sec	15.8 sec	15.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	100 MPH	88 MPH	91 MPH
Top Speed	117 MPH	92 MPH	101 MPH

The Rav4 Prime’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 622 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Leaf’s range is only 149 to 212 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 40 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge using a conventional 110-volt outlet can take up to 53 hours and 40 minutes.

For better stopping power the Rav4 Prime’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Leaf:

	Rav4 Prime	Leaf
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	11.5 inches

The Rav4 Prime stops shorter than the Leaf:

	Rav4 Prime	Leaf
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Rav4 Prime has larger standard tires than the Leaf (225/60R18 vs. 205/55R16). The Rav4 Prime XSE’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Leaf (235/55R19 vs. 215/50R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rav4 Prime SE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Leaf S. The Rav4 Prime XSE’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Leaf SV PLUS.

The Rav4 Prime has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Leaf; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For superior ride and handling, the Toyota Rav4 Prime has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Leaf has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Rav4 Prime is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Leaf.

The Rav4 Prime’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the Leaf’s (57.3% to 42.7%). This gives the Rav4 Prime more stable handling and braking.

The Rav4 Prime XSE handles at .83 G’s, while the Leaf pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The front grille of the Rav4 Prime uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Leaf doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Rav4 Prime has 6.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Leaf (98.9 vs. 92.4).

The Rav4 Prime has 2.6 inches more front hip room, 3.5 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear headroom, 4.3 inches more rear legroom and 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Leaf.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Rav4 Prime’s rear seats recline. The Leaf’s rear seats don’t recline.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Rav4 Prime. The Leaf doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Rav4 Prime has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or, optionally on the Rav4 Prime XSE, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Leaf doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

The Rav4 Prime has a 2500 lbs. towing capacity. The Leaf has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 Prime uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Leaf doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

When two different drivers share the Rav4 Prime XSE, the optional memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Leaf doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Rav4 Prime XSE offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Leaf doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Rav4 Prime’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Leaf’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Rav4 Prime and the Leaf have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Rav4 Prime is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Leaf prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Rav4 Prime’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Leaf’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Rav4 Prime the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Leaf can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Rav4 Prime’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Leaf’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Rav4 Prime’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Leaf S’ standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Rav4 Prime XSE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Leaf doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Rav4 Prime’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Leaf SV PLUS.

The Rav4 Prime has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Leaf SV PLUS. The Rav4 Prime also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Leaf.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Rav4 Prime XSE keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Leaf doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Rav4 Prime has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Leaf doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Rav4 Prime’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Leaf doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Rav4 Prime has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Leaf doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Rav4 Prime XSE has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Leaf doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Rav4 Prime XSE offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Leaf doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Nissan Leaf by over 33 to one during 2022.