Nissan LEAF (2011-2017) vs Suzuki e VITARA

The Nissan LEAF is £259 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £160 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the two land within £219 of each other - effectively the same to own. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 76 miles for the Nissan LEAF and 162 miles for the Suzuki e VITARA - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Suzuki e VITARA goes roughly 86 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 30 minutes in the Nissan LEAF and 45 in the Suzuki e VITARA, so the Nissan LEAF loses less time at each stop. So the Suzuki e VITARA stops less often while the Nissan LEAF stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The Nissan LEAF is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 30 mm narrower than the Suzuki e VITARA. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 630 mm of total clearance for the Nissan LEAF and about 600 mm of total clearance for the Suzuki e VITARA.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 65% battery health for the Nissan LEAF and 90% for the Suzuki e VITARA. That gives the Suzuki e VITARA a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Suzuki e VITARA's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Nissan LEAF's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.