Compare the2024 Nissan LeafVS 2023 Mazda MX-30

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Leaf are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The MX-30 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Leaf and the MX-30 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, available daytime running lights, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Leaf is safer than the Mazda MX-30:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are almost 2 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Leaf’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated below average.

The Leaf’s standard electric motor produces 4 more horsepower (147 vs. 143) and 36 lbs.-ft. more torque (236 vs. 200) than the MX-30’s electric motor. The Leaf PLUS’ standard electric motor produces 71 more horsepower (214 vs. 143) and 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (250 vs. 200) than the MX-30’s electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Leaf is faster than the Mazda MX-30:

On the EPA test cycle the Leaf gets better mileage than the MX-30:

The Leaf can travel longer on a full charge than the MX-30 on a full charge:

The Leaf’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the MX-30 are solid, not vented.

The Leaf SV PLUS’ tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the MX-30’s 55 series tires.

The Leaf has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The MX-30 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Leaf has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Leaf flat and controlled during cornering. The MX-30’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Leaf has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The MX-30 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Leaf’s wheelbase is 1.9 inches longer than on the MX-30 (106.3 inches vs. 104.4 inches).

The Leaf has 2.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MX-30 (92.4 vs. 89.8).

The Leaf has 2.7 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more rear headroom, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and 1.5 inches more rear hip room than the MX-30.

Consumer Reports® chose the Nissan Leaf as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Nissan Leaf outsold the Mazda MX-30 by over 37 to one during 2022.