Compare the2024 Nissan LeafVS 2024 BMW i5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Leaf have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW i5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Leaf are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW i5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Leaf has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The i5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Leaf and the i5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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.

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Leaf 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the i5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the i5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Nissan dealers as there are BMW 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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the Leaf gets better mileage than the i5:

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 i5 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Leaf S’ turning circle is 5.6 feet tighter than the i5 eDrive40’s (34.8 feet vs. 40.4 feet).

The Nissan Leaf may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1350 to 1400 pounds less than the BMW i5.

The Leaf is 1 foot, 10.8 inches shorter than the i5, making the Leaf easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Leaf has 2.1 inches more front headroom and .8 inches more front legroom than the i5.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Leaf has a standard rear wiper. The i5 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Leaf has standard extendable sun visors. The i5 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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