Compare the2026 Nissan LeafVS 2025 Volkswagen ID.4

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 ID.4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nissan Leaf has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The ID.4 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the Leaf and the ID.4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available front parking sensors.

The Leaf’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the ID.4’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 68 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Leaf’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 56 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 26th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 70 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 6 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

As tested in Car and Driver the Leaf + is faster than the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the Leaf gets better mileage than the ID.4:

The Leaf can travel longer on a full charge than the ID.4 on a full charge:

The Nissan Leaf has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the ID.4. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

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 ID.4 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Nissan Leaf may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 500 pounds less than the Volkswagen ID.4.

The Leaf is 7.1 inches shorter than the ID.4, making the Leaf easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Nissan Leaf amounts to more than styling. The Leaf has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .26 Cd. That is lower than the ID.4 (.28) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Leaf get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Leaf Platinum+ is quieter than the ID.4 (30 vs. 35 dB).

The Leaf has 1.3 inches more front legroom and 4.8 inches more rear hip room than the ID.4.

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 ID.4 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Compared to the Volkswagen ID.4, the Nissan Leaf eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the driver’s seat.

The Leaf Platinum+ has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The ID.4 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.