First of all, I have to get this off my chest: I was completely wrong about the Nissan Ariya. In the past, I felt it was “so-so,” compared to offerings from Tesla, Hyundai and even VW. After spending even more time in it, I think that it goes from the middle, to near the top.
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Real world range, charging and driving are not what you think
Yes, the base model ($40K) Nissan Ariya has a smaller battery and is rated at 216 miles of range. That’s not quite good enough. In my estimation, people expect a minimum of 250 miles of range. In that regard, Nissan has to do better.
Step up to the 87 kWh “big” battery, you’ll achieve about 304 miles. That’s good, but still mid-pack among some competitors. The same goes for its fast charging rating of 130 kW. The thing is, neither of these things mattered to me much during my sojourn.
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Given that my tester was equipped with the e-4ORCE AWD system and Platinum trim with 20” wheels, it was far less efficient given the extra drag and weight. My maximum range estimate was dropped to 257 miles.
Once again, not that big of a deal to me. Why? During my 220-ish mile, long-distance loop from Redondo Beach, to San Diego, CA – the Nissan Ariya exceeded all my expectations.
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Real world, long-distance driving in the Nissan Ariya
My plan was: fully charge the Ariya at home, drive the round trip to San Diego, and hope that I make it back on that same charge. This was without driving below the speed limit, or limiting my interior comfort to save energy.
Funny thing: about 75% of that drive was under the speed limit given the traffic, which the electric Nissan loved. Set in its most aggressive regeneration mode, the efficiency kept going in the right direction. That is to say, I was doing better than the initial estimates, without even trying.
There’s 389 horsepower on tap, and (during most driving situations) it felt nearly as frisky as a Tesla Model Y. In addition, its ProPilot Assist 2.0, paired with the Navi-link system, made for an excellent highway companion. Semi-autonomous driving was useful.
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Along the way, I marveled at the seat comfort, excellent interior design, and funky use of interior spaces. That includes the motorized arm-rest/storage-compartment. Everything feels expensive to the touch; feeling superior to Tesla’s interior quality.
Despite the oversized wheels, the ride was comfortable. Handling is quite good, if a bit mellow. This car does not feel very sporting, but I think most buyers aren’t looking at the Mach-E as a performance competitor. The steering is well weighted, but there is no steering feel.
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The truth about fast charging
This is why I had no issue with the competitive, but not awe-inspiring range: nearly every fast (300 kW) charger I approach, rarely comes close to that level. I’ve driven several vehicles that can charge at 280 kW or better, only to be often let down by the charger’s 100 kW (at best) speed.
That’s exactly what happened with the Nissan Ariya. I got to the requested 80% in about the same amount of time it took me to do the same charge, from the exact same charger, with a vehicle using a monster 800 Volt architecture.
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As I made it past the 200 mile mark during my return trip, I opted to pull over in San Juan Capistrano. I still had over 50-miles of range, and I was pretty close to making the trip home at zero-percent. As such, I figured I could quickly add a few miles and grab a coffee.
Long story short, I was able to gain over 80-miles while having a nice coffee break. Until the charging systems can match the car’s capabilities, many vehicles will be on par during public station charging.
Oh, and I suspect things will be much better for everyone when Nissan offers a NACS (Tesla) adaptor for their electric vehicles. I know it’s coming for the Ariya soon, and it will help a lot when Nissan drivers can use Tesla Superchargers.
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Final thoughts
Overall, I think the Nissan Ariya is more than competitive with the Toyota BZ4x, Honda Prologue and (in many ways) the Ford Mustang Mach-E. It can be a great alternative to Tesla, Hyundai and Kia as well.
I’m not saying it’s better at any one thing – it isn’t. Still, as a package, I found it to be such an easy car to drive daily. Additionally, it was just as competent as some luxury EVs I’ve driven to San Diego in the past.
I think the interior design is inventive, and very comfortable. The ride is great, and the power doesn’t embarrass itself. Its new pricing, which starts at $40,000 and goes up to about $60K top-of-the-line is competitive too.
If you forget the printed numbers, and test this car side-by-side with any of its competitors, I think you’ll be impressed. That is, up until they finally make these chargers work at their advertised speeds.
About the author
Nathan Adlen
Contributing Writer, Autoblog