The Nissan Ariya flies under the radar a bit. It usually isn't a buyer's first choice when it comes to all-electric crossovers, as it's on the pricey side brand new and the sector is becoming increasingly cluttered. But that also means used Ariyas are going for cheap in the second-hand market. And by cheap, we mean they're going for more than half off MSRP for one-year-old models.
That's not bad at all for an EV that comes standard with a well-equipped interior, and the longest-range model is EPA-rated at 304 miles.
Scanning the used market, Cars.com shows about 270 Nissan Ariyas priced at less than $30,000 used. 39 examples cost under $25,000. All of these examples have no accidents, and 146 have fewer than 10,000 miles on the odometers. The Ariya is a depreciation monster, and this is partly due to Nissan lowering the base price for the 2024 model year. But even then, the depreciation numbers are remarkably high.
The 2023 Ariya Engage E-4ORCE (dual motor) cost $48,580 when new. Today, an Illinois-based dealership is selling a 10,000-mile example for far less. It's now listed for $22,372, a 53.9% drop in value since it was registered last September.
Percentage-wise, this drop in value is steeper than a 2023 Maserati Gracale, a car from a brand synonymous with heavy depreciation.
A different dealer in the same state has a top trim, Platinum + E-4ORCE, for sale. This one has more features, additional range, and more powerful electric motors. Brand new it had an MSRP of $63,715. At present, it's priced at $29,929 with under 9,000 miles on the odometer. That's 53.0% depreciation in just one year of service. Remember, this car makes 389 horsepower, has ventilated leather seats, features a Bose audio system, and has hands-free highway driving capabilities.
Most interestingly, none of the used Ariyas currently qualify for the $4,000 EV incentive. That's because the Ariya is simply too new. To qualify, an EV must be at least two model years old. This means that when 2025 rolls around, 2023 Ariyas might be even more affordable.
With prices on the decline, you may pop the question. Is it time to park a used Ariya in your driveway?
The Nissan Ariya: Tech Specs
The 2023 Nissan Ariya has two battery sizes and four motor configurations. The base Engage version has a 63-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a front-mounted electric motor pushing 214 horsepower. The Engage E-4ORCE (dual motor) model uses the same size battery, but uses a dual-motor AWD setup producing 335 horsepower. The FWD Engage has an EPA range of 216 miles, and the AWD can go 205 miles.
Next in line comes the big battery models. These feature an 87-kilowatt-hour battery pack with an option of single or dual motors. The Venture +, Evolve +, and Empower + versions come with a beefier 238-horsepower to counteract the added weight. The Evolve + and Empower + are rated at 289 miles whereas the Venture + has a 304-mile rating.
The Engage + E-4ORCE, Evolve + E-4ORCE, and Platinum + E-4ORCE all feature a 389 horsepower dual motor setup. The powertrain is good for a zero-to-sixty run of just 4.8 seconds. The Engage + E-4ORCE and Evolve + E4ORCE have an EPA range of 272 miles. The top trim Platinum version manages 257 miles thanks to the larger wheels. But the Ariya lineup's EPA ranges seem to be pretty liberal estimates. Out of Spec Studios managed 240 miles in its 70-mile-per-hour range test. The Ariya averaged a pretty dismal 2.9 miles per kilowatt-hour in that test.
Why? Despite its smooth and sculpted lines, the Ariya is inefficient. Underneath the attractive design is a lot of mass. The entry-level Engage front-wheel-drive version weighs 4,323 pounds, and the long-range AWD Platinum is 5,057 pounds. That's a lot of mass for a car that's shorter in length than a Kia EV6. For comparison, the Long Range Dual Motor Model Y is 4,363 pounds, nearly the same weight as the single motor base Ariya.
But just because the range and efficiency are underwhelming doesn't mean the charging capabilities are. While the Ariya has a relatively mediocre 130-kilowatt peak charge rate, it performs really well thanks to a flat charging curve. According to EV data website EVKX, the Ariya averaged 105 kilowatts from 10 to 80% state of charge. For comparison, the Mustang Mach-E, with a higher peak rate of 150 kW, only averaged 84.1 kW from 10 to 80%.
Even crazier is the 250 kilowatt-rated Model Y, which secured an average of 99.1 kW in the same test. As always, an EV's peak charge rate does not totally reflect real-world performance. And in real-world performance, the Ariya does well.
On paper, one could categorize the Ariya by its good charging capabilities, sprightly performance (at least for all-wheel-drive versions) and decent range. But its prowess lies within its generous array of features.
Which Trim Should You Get?
As you can tell above, Nissan went a little overboard on Ariya's trims. But for options and features, it's a little more straightforward as they can be categorized by the five main versions: Engage, Venture, Evolve, Empower, and Platinum.
Despite the numerous trims, even the base "Engage" version comes well-equipped.
The Engage and Venture feature a power sliding center console, a head-up display (yes, in the base model), a surprisingly pleasant-sounding six-speaker sound system, heated front and rear leatherette seats, wireless Apple CarPlay, and a heated steering wheel. As for safety features, the two lower trims come with front and rear parking sensors and ProPILOT assist, which includes lane centering and adaptive cruise control.
Next on the Ariya trim hierarchy is the Evolve. The Evolve features a wireless phone charger, camera rear view mirror, panoramic moonroof, power liftgate, and LED fog lights. The Empower version merely adds multi-color ambient lighting over the Evolve, but it gets a considerable upgrade in terms of safety features. The Empower includes ProPILOT Park, which can automatically parallel park the car, and ProPILOT Assist 2.0, allowing for true hands-free driving and automatic lane changes on highways.
The Premier is the priciest version, so it has the best array of amenities. It's a borderline luxury car with ventilated Nappa leather seats, a 10-speaker Bose sound system, a foot-activated liftgate, and a memory setting for the seats and mirrors. It also features all the safety features that Empower does (ProPILOT Park and Assist 2.0).
Any Areas Of Concern?
There is little data on Ariya reliability as it is a very new vehicle. Consumer Reports thinks it'll be more reliable than other new cars on the road. Based on the Nissan Leaf's solid reliability since its 2010 release, we can expect Nissan has figured out most of the kinks with its electric vehicles.
That said, the Ariya is nevertheless a new product on a new platform. This always opens up the possibility of some software issues and bugs appearing. But according to Redditors thus far, the Ariya seems to be a pretty solid car, with a few exceptions here and there.
Should I Buy One?
The reality is the Nissan Ariya is a very good electric car.
It doesn't necessarily excel in every metric, but it's good all-around. It has a pleasant array of standard features, impressive horsepower numbers, good charging, and decent range. Brand new, it's a tough sell due to the numerous similar options on the market, but used it's very desirable.
It is a big deal, considering all-wheel-drive models can be had for under $25,000. It's a far better car than the similarly priced Subaru Solterra or Toyota bZ4X, and the Platinum version is an excellent alternative to other high-end used EVs like the Audi E-Tron, especially on the reliability front.
Ultimately, the fact that you can buy a 5,000-mile Ariya for less than a 141-horsepower Nissan Kicks SV is nothing short of insanity. I would argue that the Nissan Ariya is the best used electric car deal of the year.
Andrew Lambrecht is a contributor at InsideEVs and an industrial engineering student at Clemson University. In addition to InsideEVs, Andrew writes for Forbes Wheels and Business Insider, covering the transportation sector.
