Nissan LEAF (2011-2017) vs Vauxhall Frontera

The Nissan LEAF costs £1,995 more than the Vauxhall Frontera. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The Vauxhall Frontera is not just cheaper - it also offers 68 miles more WLTP range, 50 kW faster peak rapid charging and 90 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Nissan LEAF comes out ahead overall.

The Vauxhall Frontera is £1,995 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 Vauxhall Frontera comes out roughly £2,035 cheaper overall. 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 155 miles for the Vauxhall Frontera - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Vauxhall Frontera goes roughly 79 miles further between charging stops.

The two are within 25 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 630 mm of total clearance for the Nissan LEAF and about 605 mm of total clearance for the Vauxhall Frontera. The Nissan LEAF also turns in a 0.7 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 65% battery health for the Nissan LEAF and 90% for the Vauxhall Frontera. That gives the Vauxhall Frontera a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Vauxhall Frontera'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.