The Nissan Ariya Is Better Than You Think

The Nissan Ariya is a revolutionary car for the automaker—or, it has the opportunity to be. We just wish more people knew about it. Read more below: The Ariya is Nissan’s first all-new electric car since the Leaf, which debuted in 2010 with a starting price of about $30,000. The Leaf was the first mass-produced EV in history, and it’s been integral to Nissan’s modern car history because it was electric, widely available, and affordable. But the Leaf is old now, and as EV technology evolves—and the market expands to more expensive, cushier offerings—a model like the Ariya is necessary for Nissan’s EV business to stay relevant. We've driven the Ariya twice now, and most recently, we drove one of the top trims: the 2024 Ariya Empower+ Front-Wheel Drive, which came to $50,440 with options and fees. The Ariya has several motor choices for its front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive trims, and this one had an 87-kWh battery and an EPA-rated 289 miles of range. The interior felt like a boutique hotel; not only was our loaner car bright and roomy inside, but it also had rose-gold trim and intricate patterns everywhere. It was beautiful. The car also drives well. EVs have all of their torque available instantly, meaning the 238-horsepower Ariya still feels quick. Front-wheel-drive cars often skip and hop the front wheels trying to accelerate hard, but that doesn’t happen in the Ariya—it’s just smooth and quick up to whatever speed you desire. It’s peaceful to drive at high speeds, and on certain major roads, it has hands-off driving capabilities with Nissan’s optional ProPilot Assist 2.0 package. (I don’t live near any of those roads, so I couldn’t test that.) The Ariya is special, but its $40,000 starting price may hold it back from reaching true EV greatness—and bringing Nissan along with it. With so many electric competitors in that price bracket and below, it would be easy for buyers to rule out the Ariya before even test-driving it. We hope we're wrong. But until we find out, enjoy our video reviewing the car, the market it competes in, and Nissan’s fascinating EV history before it. Read the full Nissan Ariya review on our site here: Link to content Read more about Nissan on InsideEV's here: https://insideevs.com/search/?q=nissan Sign up for InsideEV’s Newsletter to get our content sent straight to your inbox: https://www.insideEVs.com/newsletter/ INDEX GOES HERE 00:00 Nissan Ariya Introduction 00:39 2024 Nissan Ariya Empower+ FWD Specs 01:03 Nissan's Electric Vehicle History 02:20 Nissan Leaf History 03:26 Nissan Ariya Trims 03:50 2024 Nissan Ariya Price 04:12 2024 Nissan Ariya Horsepower 04:54 2024 Nissan Ariya Charging 06:43 2024 Nissan Ariya Exterior 07:42 2024 Nissan Ariya Interior 12:25 2024 Nissan Ariya Rear Legroom 15:26 2024 Nissan Ariya Driving Impressions 19:47 2024 Nissan Ariya Lane Keep Assist 20:19 2024 Nissan Ariya Parking Assist 21:28 2024 Nisssan Ariya Conclusion Follow InsideEVs at:   / insideevscom     / insideevs   https://x.com/insideEVs https://www.insideEVs.com/newsletter/