I drove the Nissan Ariya EV for a week — here's my pros and cons

Nissan’s actually been making electric cars longer than most other car makers. But despite launching one of the first commercially available EVs on the market, the company has been facing challenges in staying competitive after a failed merger attempt with rival Honda.

Even though the company only has two all-electric models in its lineup, the Nissan Ariya makes for an attractive option with a base starting price of $39,770 — making it a direct rival to other EVs

’ve tested like the Subaru Solterra, Toyota bZ4X, and Ford Mustang Mach-E. I drove the 2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD for a week, which makes it more like a luxury vehicle territory with its $54,370 cost.

Naturally, it comes with a host of premium features and conveniences, so here’s everything I like (and dislike) about it.

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2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD: Specifications

2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD: Testing Summary

Compared to other similar crossovers, I put more mileage in my week’s worth of testing.

With a total mileage of 366.9 miles, the 290 kW dual AC synchronous electric motors eked out an average efficiency of 2.7 mi/kWh, which sits right in between the efficiencies I got with the Toyota bZ4X and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

I would’ve liked to see it closer to 3 mi/kWh since that’s the target I like to see in all EVs.

Having much more in common with the turbocharged Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally, the Ariya's no slouch when it comes to power and performance. On the highway, it gets to cruising speed with little effort, but I do find the handling to be a little stiffer than what I’d like.

Level 1 charging is really slow in my experience with the 2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD. Unlike other models that let me adjust the amperage of the charger, there’s no setting for that whatsoever.

After 10.9 hours with Level 1 charging at home, it returned 8 miles of range — which comes out to a rate of 0.73 mi/hr. That’s one of the slowest I’ve tested, so I would absolutely recommend getting a Level 2 charger installed.

2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD: What I Like

Open and spacious interior

Right away I was most surprised by the spacious design of the interior space. There’s a clear path between the front driver and passenger seats, which isn’t something I normally see — but certainly adds to the open and spacious design. Meanwhile, the backseats also have decent legroom.

Movable armrest

Another interesting design trait of the Ariya is how it features an adjustable armrest in between the front seats. This is actually the first time I’ve seen something like it in the 30+ EVs I’ve tested in the last year and it’s definitely neat.

By pressing on the corresponding button on the side, I can adjust the armrest forward or backward to get that ‘just right’ feel to make long distance driving comfortable.

Adjustable headlights

On the left side of the steering wheel are a set of controls, with one of them being a scrollable toggle that lets me adjust the height of the headlights — so they can be closer to the ground, or slightly higher depending on my preference.

It’s not meant to act as high beams since they’re controlled separately. I just like how I can adjust them manually to make nighttime easier for me.

Intuitive and easy auto park assist

I get annoyed by the auto parking assist that comes in some EVs, especially when they can sometimes take forever to recognize a free spot.

The Nissan Ariya’s auto park assist is one of the most intuitive that I’ve tried. Not only does it detect an open parking spot fast, but I also like the controls at the start of the process to tweak how it parks in between the lines.

Cool ambient light design

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Nissan adds just the right amount of ambient lights to the Ariya, without coming off as being over the top. On the inside, I like the hexagonal pattern of the ambient lights on the car doors and in between the front seats — while the perimeter/approach lights on the sides of the doors activate to project the Ariya’s name onto the ground.

Bright head-up display

One of the perks I always like having in any EV is a head-up display, since it’s less distracting to look down to see my speed.

Not only is the head-up display on the windshield large in size, but it’s bright enough for me to visibly see on the sunniest of days. It just allows me to quickly glance at my speed and directions.

Panoramic sunroof

Another delightful addition found with the Platinum+ trim that you won’t get in the base Engage trim is a panoramic moonroof, which covers most of the rooftop.

I like opening it whenever the weather’s nice out, which is also a good distraction for your passengers.

Large trunk for a crossover

Crossovers generally have tighter trunk spaces, evident in how I needed to pull down the rear seats on the Ford Mustang Mach-E to fit my JackRabbit OG2 micro ebike.

Thankfully it’s not a problem for the 2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD because I’m able to fit it with room to spare — all without the need to pull down the rear seats.

Sleek profile design

From the sides, the Nissan Ariya has a sleek profile design that combines the look of a sporty vehicle with an SUV. I actually prefer its design over the angular looks of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, as well as the futuristic designs of the Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X.

In fact, the Ariya screams luxury design that rivals other EVs like the Genesis GV60 and Lexus RZ 450e.

Boxy looking digital rear view mirror

When I first looked at the rear view mirror, I was surprised by its boxy looking shape. It’s a very distinctive look, but I like how I can instantly activate the digital rear view mirror by simply toggling the switch on it.

For nighttime driving, it helps with any glare and does offer a wider field of view to see more of my blind spots.

2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD: What I Don't Like

Smart cruise control doesn't work on many local roads

Let me be clear by saying that the smart cruise control system on the Nissan Ariya works flawlessly when activated.

Not only does it apply appropriate braking and acceleration while maintaining cruise control speed on the highway, but it’s also reactive to the other cars around me.

However, it doesn’t work on many local roads. Major highways are no problem at all, but I tried activating it on a couple of county roads and it just wouldn’t activate. Although I can still activate standard cruise control, it won’t steer the wheel on its own.

Low quality backup camera

Nearly every feature in the Nissan Ariya feels premium, with exception of the backup camera. For some reason, it’s very low quality with its smudgy looks and heavy noise at night. It’s almost as bad as the backup camera in the Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

Weak speaker system

Despite having a Bose Premium Audio System, the audio performance is a bit underwhelming with its thinner sound. Even after adjusting the bass and treble, I still wasn’t satisfied by the performance.

2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD: Bottom Line

Nissan definitely has a jewel with the Ariya and it’s one to consider if you’re looking for a family car. I actually prefer its design over the Toyota bZ4X and Hyudai Ioniq 5, while also offering just as much thrills with driving as the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Its 2.7 mi/kWh efficiency could be better, but I suspect that could be due to the wintertime. Under warmer conditions, I suspect it would clear the 3 mi/kWh average I like getting with every electric vehicle I test.

At the same time, I do like the premium features in the Nissan Ariya — like the bright head-up display and auto parking assist. I think the Platinum+ AWD trim offers better value at $54,370 than the $70,900 cost of the Genesis GV60.

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