A new comparison of the 2018 Nissan Leaf SL to the 2011 Nissan Leaf SL shows substantial gains in performance, cargo space, and power, with no change in price between the two models after adjusting for inflation. Using specs and data provided by Nissan and the EPA, the 2018 Nissan Leaf beats the 2011 version in a number of ways. While improvements are expected from one vehicle generation to the next, the changes in the Nissan Leaf illustrate how rapidly electric vehicle technology is improving. The comparison chart was created by the team at NissanPartsPlus.com, with an eye toward illustrating the Leaf’s substantial improvement.
“The Nissan Leaf is one of the most underrated and underappreciated cars on the road,” says Steve Ferreira director at NissanPartsPlus.com. “Nissan has been building and selling reliable, affordable EVs with great range and performance for years. The 2018 Nissan Leaf is the next generation of a successful, practical vehicle. It should be getting a lot more attention than a car that still isn’t available from a company that’s hand-building EVs in a so-called ‘dreadnought’ factory.”
The comparison chart shows significant improvements in the 2018 Leaf over the previous generation:
- The 2018 Leaf has 147 hp vs. the 2011’s 107 hp
- The new Leaf’s battery power is 40 kwh compared to the original’s 24 kwh
- The 2018 Leaf has 150 miles of driving range, according to the EPA, vs 73 miles of range on the 2011 model
- When the 2011 MSRP is adjusted for inflation, the 2011 was actually slightly more expensive than the 2018 model
“The new Leaf has more range, more horsepower, a bigger battery, more technology, more cargo space, and it costs less than the 2011 when you adjust for inflation,” says Ferreira. “But I guess the media can’t talk about any of that because Nissan doesn’t make solar roofing or something.”
The 2018 Leaf sports a new look, consistent with Nissan’s other models. The Leaf’s revamped styling did not negatively impact drag coefficient. In fact, the new 2018 model has a drag coefficient that’s just slightly lower than the outgoing model of 0.28, down from the 2011 model’s 0.29. The new Leaf also gains 6 cubic feet of cargo space, at least with the rear seats down.
To see the full comparison chart, visit https://www.nissanpartsplus.com/blog/2018-2011-leaf-comparison
