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New Nissan Leaf vs. Renault Zoe vs. VW e-Golf Review Is Surprising

Carmakers are still working on those expensive electric SUVs like the e-tron or the EQ C, much cheaper hatchbacks are already a reality. They have been around for several years and are selling quite well.
New Nissan Leaf vs. Renault Zoe vs. VW e-Golf Review Is Surprising 1 photo
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Despite that, comparative reviews between the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, and Volkswagen e-Golf are pretty rare. Considering Sunderland now assembles an all-new version of the Leaf, his segment needs a re-visit.

Pay attention guys, because of the outcome of this video will tell us what state the EV market is in right now. Let's just start with the range, because that's the biggest problem cheap electric cars had/have.

The official numbers put the Nissan Leaf ahead at 235 miles, followed by the Zoe at 230 miles. Even though the e-Golf just got more range during Volkswagen's facelift, it's still lagging with 186 miles. But, those are unrealistic numbers.

What Car? did a real-world test with the trio driven in convoy. The e-Golf was last, but its range was shockingly bad - only 93 miles or half of what's officially claimed.

The Leaf didn't do much better: 108 miles per charge. Surprisingly, the Zoe did far better at 135 miles. Even though it has about the same sized battery, the Frech car has a much less powerful engine, so it can't drink as much electricity. That's the theory we're going with, especially when the Leaf and e-Golf are described as "fun to drive."

Add the fact that the Zoe is much cheaper to buy and you might think it's the winner. But the maturity of the e-Golf's cabin and suspension put it in another class. It comes with the best navigation system Volkswagen offers in its compact cars, as well as a cool digital dash. Infuriatingly, you can't ignore the Golf. Because it's a Volkswagen, it holds onto its value way better.

When it comes to features, the Leaf is fitted as standard with a reversing camera and surround-view monitor. The lights on the Zoe are described here as "terrible," which we think is a little harsh. After all, most of the places you're going to travel to in an EV are already lit.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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