We’ve got an electric car on deck today! The 2023 Nissan Ariya is what you could call Nissan’s more high-end electric SUV. Nissan has their very popular Leaf model, which is their more affordable electric car, but I’m really excited to walk you through every row of this vehicle and see if it’s right for your family.

If you’re new here - welcome! I’m Kelly the Car Mom and as a CPST, mom of three, and just a lover of family vehicles, I’m really excited to dive into this car tour and see if the Ariya can be both an electric car and family friendly as this type of vehicle continues to get more and more competitive.

Before you dive in and start car shopping, make sure you’re fully prepared to tackle today’s market with confidence. To learn everything from dealership prep to a complete negotiations strategy, check out my Car Buying Course!

2023 Nissan Ariya Exterior

For an MSRP of about $60,000, this is definitely one of Nissan’s more premium models in their complete lineup. That being said, the exterior of this vehicle really fits in with the typical look of a Nissan.

Looking at the front, I wish they had a little more fun with the grill. The whole point of an electric vehicle is since there’s no engine to cool down, they can do some really nice things with the front. They’ve taken a super basic approach, but I do think it looks very sleek and sharp.

Moving along to the side profile, you can see this is a very sedan-esque SUV in shape. It’s got almost a coupe style roof, but don’t be fooled it’s quite a spacious 5 passenger vehicle. Now the back is where they lose me just a little bit. I really dislike the spelling of Nissan instead of their typical logo, it just feels a bit disconnected along with the Ariya badging and the trim level. It's a lot going on.

2023 Nissan Ariya First Row Details

The interior of the Nissan Ariya has a lot of nice details. The leather inside is a nice soft touch, along with some pretty brown contrast stitching and white accents throughout. As for the buttons, it’s this really interesting piano gloss over the top that I haven’t really seen in vehicles before.

The center console can be moved forwards or backwards, I don’t really know why you would need to, but a nice touch. Huge cup holders and this interesting push to reveal additional storage. I don’t know how necessary it is, but I like it.

Infotainment System

We’ve got some tech in here! For $60,000 I’d expect some good tech in here and I’m very happy with it. There’s a very pretty curved dash and screen display, along with some nice upgrades to the interface. That being said, I do feel like it’s a little slow compared to other systems I’ve used in this category.

One thing I hate with new infotainment systems is when so much of the controls are in it. For example, the heated seats are in here and it’s way too complicated. I don’t really understand how to turn it on. What’s interesting is that they’ve pulled climate controls out, yet some of it isn’t - I don’t really understand. The pulled out buttons are on wood though and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Very futuristic.

Nissan has introduced a rear view camera in their mirror, which is a great addition I wanted to see added to the entire Nissan lineup. I had my son, George, with me during this car tour and he liked this feature the most as well.

2023 Nissan Ariya Second Row Details

Let's talk car seat setup for the Nissan Ariya. It’s very interesting and not quite what you would expect because it has a fifth lower anchor. We have two lower anchors on the outboard seats and then one single lower anchor in the middle seat, which isn't my favorite feature in a car because it seems a little silly.

Basically all it means is you could choose to install a car seat in the middle seat with a LATCH system instead of a seat belt, but since they don't give you a full LATCH system you can’t do three car seats with LATCH.

We're going to have three tether anchors across the bench. With a forward facing Graco SlimFit 3LX installed, there’s still excellent clearance. One of the reasons for this is how deep the bench is. This is great for both car seat install and passenger comfort.

2023 Nissan Ariya Trunk Details

Moving along to the trunk, I have a Mockingbird single stroller honestly just thrown in here and I could have made it fit a little bit better, but bottom line iit fits even with cargo cover on top. I thought this was quite impressive. We also have some nice deep storage on either end of the trunk, with a light as well. I'm feeling pretty good about the trunk space for this car.

2023 Nissan Ariya Wrap Up

After driving this car on and off for a couple of days, I will say it’s on the touchier side for electric vehicles and I will say it is on the touchier side of the electric vehicles. As soon as you let off the gas, you really get that regenerative braking and it definitely takes some getting used to.

For a $60,000 MSRP, I can justify the price while I’m inside it. Sometimes I get in these vehicles and I cannot understand the price at all, but for the tech and overall interior, it does feel really nice and lux. If you’re in the market for an electric five passenger vehicle, I would recommend giving it a test drive.

To see a complete walkthrough of the 2023 Nissan Ariya, click here.

What do you think of the 2023 Nissan Ariya? Let me know in the comments! With this new wave of electric vehicles, it’s really interesting to see this market become more and more competitive. And to keep up with the latest family vehicles on the market, check out my recent posts:

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