New Nissan LEAF Wins Another Award — Best Buy Award from Kelley Blue Book

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The new Nissan LEAF could be an absolute blockbuster. If it came from another brand, I’m convinced it could break records, but Nissan is a good midsized car company that could have really hit it out of the park with this one. The pricing and spec and size and design combo is a quadruple slam (err, ah, grand slam).

Of course, Nissan has deep, successful history with the LEAF. The vehicle led the EV market for years. It was the highest selling EV of all time for years before the Tesla Model 3 displaced it. Frankly, as the rest of the market evolved, the LEAF fell behind, but Nissan still got decent sales from the inertia of that early leadership.

The third-generation LEAF grew up just enough to become a small crossover (what everyone seems to want now, or at least everyone who doesn’t want a pickup truck or large SUV). Yet it’s still down at the low prices it was at before, even despite all of the inflation that’s hit the market this decade. So, it’s not surprising that it’s been racking up awards quite quickly.

Anyway, let’s see what exact awards the Nissan LEAF won this time.

The LEAF won two 2026 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards. It won in the Best New Model category — a big award. It also won the Best Electric Vehicle Under $35,000 award. Here’s more:

“Kelley Blue Book editors praised the Nissan LEAF’s modern design, EPA-estimated driving range of up to 303 miles per charge¹, compatibility with North American Charging Standard (NACS) fast chargers and accessible price. LEAF has a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the S+ grade of $29,990² – a lower MSRP than the original 2011 LEAF. […]

“The all-new electric 2026 Nissan LEAF builds on the model’s DNA of reliable, affordable and attractive EV ownership, delivering strong value for the mass market. Its design has been completely reimagined with clean, dynamic body lines, combining a sleek profile with an SUV-like stance. A built-in NACS port with Plug & Charge³ functionality provides seamless access to more than 27,500 Tesla Superchargers⁴ for convenient public charging, making LEAF ideal for commuting and road trips alike.

“LEAF also offers an extensive list of advanced technologies, including an available segment-first dimming panoramic roof⁵, standard class-exclusive Intelligent AroundView® Monitor⁶, 64-color ambient interior lighting, flush door handles, 3D holographic tail lamps and available dual 14.3-inch displays with Google Built-in⁷, including Google Maps.”

Frankly, that’s a lot of goodness for such a low price. That’s why so many of us who cover and track this industry have been so excited by this model introduction. For more on our initial thoughts and analyses on this, see: