2023 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ e-4ORCE AWD test drive review

Nissan’s newest electric vehicle is here, and it’s a welcome new effort from the brand. It departs in many ways from the rest of the lineup, especially in style, but the Ariya is perhaps most exciting for its glimpse into Nissan’s future. 

Nissan is no newcomer to the EV crowd. The Leaf has been around for more than a decade and has enjoyed decent success. Now, Nissan’s new EV SUV, the Ariya, hopes to expand sales and appeal with its modern and minimalist styling, decent range and unique interior. We only had a short time with the Ariya, but it was enough to get a feel for what we liked, what we didn’t and why you should get one. 

Curious about the Nissan Ariya? Find yours at KSL Cars.

Price and Value 

The MSRP range for the 2023 Nissan Ariya is $43,190-$60,190. It is available in eight, slightly confusing trim levels. It has a suite of standard features that include a power sliding center console, heated front seats, a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel and Nissan’s driver-assistance system, ProPilot 2.0. Some of the major differences in trim levels are noted below. 

Engage FWD: $43,190  See listings

• 63 kWh battery

• Leatherette appointed seats

• Up to 216-mile estimated range

• Front-wheel drive

• 214 horsepower, 221 pound-feet of torque

Engage e-4ORCE AWD: $47,190  See listings

• 250 kW AC synchronous electric motors

• Up to 205-mile range

• All-wheel drive 

• 335 horsepower, 413 pound-feet of torque

Venture+ FWD: $47,190  See listings

• 87 kWh battery 

• 178 kW AC synchronous electric motor 

• Nissan Safety Shield 360

• 12.3-inch digital dashboard

• Wireless Apple CarPlay

• Up to 304-mile range

• Front-wheel drive

• 238 horsepower, 221 pound-feet of torque

Evolve+ FWD: $50,190  See listings

• 87 kWh battery 

• 178 kW AC synchronous electric motor 

• Panoramic Moonroof 

• Intelligent Around View Monitor

• Intelligent rear-view mirror

• Wireless charger

• Up to 289-mile range

• Front-wheel drive

• 238 horsepower, 221 pound-feet of torque

Engage+ e4ORCE AWD: $51,190  See listings

• 87 kWh battery

• 290 kW AC synchronous electric motors

• Up to 272-mile range 

• All-wheel drive

• 389 horsepower, 442-pound feet of torque

Empower+ FWD: $53,690  See listings

• 87 kWh battery

• 178 mK motor 

• Up to 289-mile range

• ProPilot Assist 2.0

• ProPilot Park 

• Multi-color contextual line illumination

• Front-wheel drive

• 238 horsepower, 221 pound-feet of torque

Evolve+ e-4ORCE AWD: $54,190  See listings

• 87 kWh battery 

• 290 kW AC synchronous electric motors

• All-wheel drive

• Panoramic Moonroof 

• Intelligent Around View Monitor

• Intelligent rear-view mirror

• Wireless charger

• Up to 272-mile range

• 389 horsepower, 442 pound-feet of torque

Platinum+ e-4ORCE AWD: $60,190  See listings

• 87 kWh battery

• 290 kW motors

• All-wheel drive

• Motion activated liftgate

• Nappa-leather appointed seats

• Heated and cooled front  seats

• Bose premium audio system

• Up to 267-mile range

• 389 horsepower, 442 pound-feet of torque

The Nissan is priced mostly in line with its competitors and offers a trim for everyone. Our tester was a fully loaded Platinum+ e-4ORCE AWD and while it boasted some nice features, the as-tested price was nearly $63,000. 

Nissan offers a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty and an 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty. Shop 2023 Nissan Ariya models.

What we liked 

There’s a lot to like about the new Ariya. Here’s what stood out to us the most. 

Futuristic and minimalist design

From smooth exterior lines to the flat floor and minimalist dash, it’s clear Nissan’s designers put a lot of thought and care into their new EV. We found it beautiful to look at, especially in its two-tone Passion Red Tricoat and Black Diamond Pearl paint. The 20-inch wheels also looked stylish, with machine-finished surfaces and painted gloss black inserts. 

Nissan has done away with physical buttons, all in favor of integrated haptic buttons on the dash and center console. It’s a clean look but some drivers might find their functionality and responsiveness frustrating. 

Overall, the interior’s design lends itself to an airy and spacious feeling, especially in the front. The backseat is decently spacious, but the front seats are definitely where you want to spend your time. 

An added bonus was the blue Nappa leather in the Platinum+ trim, which was eye-catching and felt very futuristic. We dug it.  

Quiet ride

We appreciate a serene ride and the Ariya gave us just that. No thrills or drama here. Just a nice, quieter-than-usual ride. If you feel stressed, you’ll love hopping in the Ariya and calmly driving for a while. Because of the quiet ride and peaceful interior, we were really able to notice how well the Bose premium stereo sounded. 

Range

The Ariya in its Platinum+ e-4ORCE AWD form can go up to 267 miles on a charge, given ideal conditions. In Car and Driver’s real-world testing, they were able to eke out 210 highway miles at 75 mph. While those aren’t amazing numbers, they’re definitely good enough for most buyers and a few days' worth of commuting and errand runs. We also spent some time with the Ariya in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. It sailed through largely thanks to its regenerative braking. Shop 2023 Nissan Ariya models.

What we wish was better

While the Ariya impressed us on several points, there were a few things we wished were different. They’re not necessarily deal-breakers, but things potential buyers should be aware of. 

Braking feel and power

If you’ve read other reviews, you know the braking feel is off in this car. The regenerative braking is very aggressive and difficult to modulate and predict. Even more challenging is braking with the regenerative feature turned off. 

The vehicle is so heavy, the brakes do not feel up to the task of slowing it down on their own. There were several times it felt like we had the pedal to the floor, only to be disappointed and even a little nervous if the vehicle would stop in time. Our advice: keep the regenerative braking on and get used to its aggressive nature.

Overly sensitive driver-assist technology

Compounding upon the braking scares was when the brakes would be applied on their own as a result of the adaptive cruise control’s overly sensitive programming. We’ve driven numerous Nissan products before, but never have we had scares like what we experienced in the Ariya. 

Multiple times the Ariya would slam on the brakes, usually without warning, which resulted in us almost getting rear-ended more than once. We hope we can chalk it up to being a pre-production issue, but as it is, it was very disconcerting.

Tighter than expected backseat and cargo area

As wonderful as the interior and flat floor is, the backseat and cargo area are tighter than we expected. There was still plenty of room for our two kids in the rear, just not as much as the dimensions suggest. But with all the blue leather and interesting design shapes and choices, the space was easy to forgive. Shop 2023 Nissan Ariya models.

Final Impression 

The Nissan Ariya is a solid effort in the EV SUV space. It exudes style and minimalism and has an intentionality and uniqueness about it that is refreshing. It makes good power, is quiet and calm to drive and gets decent range. In short, the Ariya is just a few programming tweaks away from being even better. 

Find your Nissan Ariya on KSL Cars. 

FAQs 

Is the Nissan Ariya fun to drive? 

The Ariya is not built for sport driving. Instead, it focuses on a serene ride. Sure, the ride might be interrupted by the aggressive regenerative braking, but overall, we still enjoyed it.

Is it good for families? 

For short trips around town? Yes. For road trips? Probably not. Potential range and charging issues aside, the Ariya does not have the most rear seat or cargo space, which would make longer trips challenging. 

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KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.

About the author: Having owned everything from a DeLorean to an E46 BMW M3 and a Toyota Land Cruiser, Jason Bell is a lifelong car enthusiast who loves sharing his passions as a teacher, automotive journalist, and social media manager. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press where he serves on the Board of Directors. Contact him at jasonbellcars@gmail.com