3 Things We Love About the 2023 Nissan Ariya and 3 Things We Don’t

The 2023 Nissan Ariya marks the brand’s second all-electric vehicle. Competing in the booming small SUV EV segment, the Ariya is in tough against a lot of great competition. To attract the most possible customers, the vehicle comes in several different configurations.

There are two battery sizes, the choice of front- or all-wheel drive, and multiple power levels. Recently, we spent a week with a top-of-the-line 2023 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ e-4ORCE. With nearly every available feature included, there’s a lot to like about this small electric utility vehicle. But there’s also some things we’d like to change. Below are three things we love about it, and three features we’re not so keen about.

The Nissan Ariya is simple to operate. The driving controls are light and predictable. Sight-lines are good overall, and the vehicle’s small size makes it quite maneuverable.

The digital driver information center and infotainment screen are easy to customize and operate. It’s one of the more straightforward touchscreen set-ups that doesn't require much effort to learn. The haptic controls do take a bit of precision to use but are well laid out.

With the dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up, the 2023 Nissan Ariya makes 389 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. That’s a lot of power and enough to rocket the electric SUV from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds. So why are we complaining about power?

The problem lies with the competition. Every other EV SUV it competes with also has a powerful dual motor set-up, most of which make less power. But in practice, they all feel more robust than the Ariya. There isn’t the same wall of torque off the line in the Nissan, or the neck-snapping passing power.

Switching the Ariya to the Sport drive mode alleviates a lot of this, but it also hurts range and efficiency.

Electric vehicles by nature are heavy. With large batteries required to deliver ample driving range, an EV will outweigh its gas-powered counterparts. That stated, the Nissan Ariya is extra portly.

The Ariya surpass the 5,000-pound mark and compared to the competition, that's a few hundred pounds more than an equivalent Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6.

The extra weight isn’t felt behind the wheel as the Ariya has perfectly acceptable driving manners. But it probably does factor into the power issue listed above.

Not only is the driving experience easy and comfortable, but the interior is also a great place to be. Ignore the official measurements as the 2023 Nissan Ariya feels larger inside than it really is. With the large windows all around, and the optional dual-pane sunroof, the vehicle feels open and airy.

Up front passengers benefit from supportive seats that keep various body types comfortable. In the back, there’s enough room for two adults or three children. If hauling around multiple individuals on a constant basis is the main use for an EV like this, the Ariya is an excellent option.

This is a minor issue, but we find the Ariya’s Lane Intervention safety system too intrusive. It intervenes too early for our liking and is too aggressive in how it steers the vehicle back into its lane. This isn’t the only vehicle to be guilty of this, but it did stick out within an otherwise seamlessly implanted safety suite.

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