Volkswagen ID.3 vs Nissan Leaf: verdict and specifications

The family car will change dramatically over the coming years, and the Volkswagen ID.3 – and to some extent, the Nissan Leaf – show where it’s going. These cars are super-quiet, comfortable and cheap to run. Crucially, they don’t produce tailpipe emissions, which will become more and more important as time goes by.

The Volkswagen is a look at the future, with its high-tech interior, comfortable and composed driving experience and super-fast charging, while the Nissan now seems like a ‘first look’ at electric-car technology that's falling behind newer products.

1st: Volkswagen ID.3

The ID.3 is quick, quiet, comfortable, full of technology and very cheap to run – all of which means it’s a superb family car. It has plenty of usable range, and with even longer-range variants coming soon, that point will get even better. It’s also really spacious for passengers and has lots of clever technology on board. It’s just a shame the interior isn’t higher quality, and we'd like a few more physical buttons on the dashboard.

2nd: Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf showed us what the future of the car would be when it first arrived, and this second-generation model improved the formula. It’s now feeling dated, though: the technology inside is lacking and it’s not as comfortable nor as good to drive as the Volkswagen. It’s cursed with a poor driving position and has less passenger space than its newest rival, too.

Specifications