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Compare any two cars and get our Virtual Adviser™ opinion

Car #1
Make
Model
Variant
Engine
Car #2
Make
Model
Variant
Engine

compare selected cars
2011. - 2017.
C - Small family car
hatchback, 5 door
front
Badges
Production
Vehicle class
Body style
Wheel drive
Safety
2012. - 2016.
C - Small family car
hatchback, 5 door
front

Dimensons & Outlines

4445 mm
1770 mm
1550 mm
355 liters
720 liters
Length
Width
Height
Boot (min)
Boot (max)
4255 mm
1799 mm
1452 mm
380 liters
1270 liters
2011 Nissan Leaf
2012 Volkswagen Golf

Engine

Electric
PMSM Electric unit in formation 1 / 0
PMSM
1 motor
-
109 hp
280 Nm
Engine
Fuel
Configuration
El. motor type
Front axle
Rear axle
Power
Torque
Volkswagen
VW EAQ270 115
Electric
PMSM Electric unit in formation 1 / 0
PMSM
1 motor
-
115 hp
270 Nm

Performance (manual gearbox)

 
kg
s
km/h
kWh
km
h
0 g/km
Gearbox type
Vehicle weight
Acc. 0-100
Top speed
Battery capacity
Range
Charge time (80%)
CO2 emissions
 
kg
s
km/h
kWh
km
h
0 g/km

Performance (automatic gearbox)

automatic - 1 gears
1570 kg
11.5 s
144 km/h
30.0 kWh
250 km
8.0 h
0 g/km
Gearbox type
Vehicle weight
Acc. 0-100
Top speed
Battery capacity
Range
Charge time (80%)
CO2 emissions
automatic - 1 gears
1585 kg
10.4 s
140 km/h
24.0 kWh
190 km
8.0 h
0 g/km

Expenses

7700 EUR
Price from
7300 EUR

Virtual Adviser's™ opinion

Overview

Well, these are two pretty similar cars we have here! It's only details that could potentially make the difference. Considering they both belong to the small family car segment and utilize the same 5-door hatchback body style and the front wheel drive system, it all comes up to the specific electric engine choice they offer. The first one has a Nissan-engineered powertrain under the hood, a PMSM Electric unit in formation 1 / 0 with 109hp unit, while the other one gets its power and torque from a PMSM Electric unit in formation 1 / 0 with 115hp engine designed by Volkswagen.

Safety

Both vehicles got tested by European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), with the same number of safety stars gained in the process. Still, apart from the official crash test results there are other things we need to be aware of. Both vehicles belong to the small family car segment, which is generally classifying them somewhere in the middle safety-wise, but it doesn't do much to help us decide between the two. On the other hand, if we'd like to consider vehicle mass in this context too, which we definitely should, the German car offers a marginal difference of 1% more metal.

Reliability

Reliability is not the best thing to consider on the make level, but it is worth mentioning that Nissan does have a slight advantage, when all the models are taken into account. These are the official statistics, while our visitors describe reliability of Nissan with an average rating of 4.3, and models under the Volkswagen badge with 4.2 out of 5. Unfortunatelly, I don't have enough insight that would allow me to comment in more details on the specific models level. We should definitely mention that owners of cars with the same powertrain as the Japanese car rank it on average as 3.0 out of 5, exactly the same as the other one.

Performance & Fuel economy

Volkswagen is undoubtly more agile, reaching 100km/h in 1.1 seconds less than its competitor. Still, it lacks the power to win the top speed competition, topping at 140 kilometers per hour, 4km/h less than the other car. When it comes to fuel economy things look pretty much the same for both cars, especially if you take into account all the free charging points provided by the manufacturer and/or the local government's environmental programs. One of the essential things to consider when it comes to this type of vehicles would be range, giving a significant advantage to the Japanese car with its additional 60 kilometers on a single charge.


Verdict

Nissan appears just a bit more reliable, although the difference is truly marginal. The most important thing when deciding between any two vehicles should always be safety, both passive and active. In my opinion, everything taken into account, the German car offers slightly better overall protection and takes the lead. It all continues in the same direction, with Volkswagen offering somewhat better performance, just enough to call it quicker. The Japanese car provides significantly better range, something that shouldn't be overlooked. I believe that, when we take all into account, we have only one winner here - the Nissan. Anyway, that's the most objective conclusion I could've came up with and it's based solely on the information found on this website. Aspects such as design, practicality, brand value and driving experience are there for you to measure them out. I suggest you spend two more minutes in order to find out which car, based on your needs and budget, would be picked by the virtual adviser, among thousands of similar, yet so different vehicles.

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