After much hype and some production delays since the concept was first unveiled in 2019, the Nissan Ariya is finally on the market. This Nissan electric SUV is selling pretty well compared to Nissan’s own Leaf electric hatchback and some of its closest rivals in the growing compact electric SUV segment.

The Nissan Ariya is proving to be pretty popular

Even though the Ariya only represents about 2% of Nissan SUV sales in the first quarter of 2023, its numbers are good for an EV. It’s sold 2,860 units, according to Nissan’s quarterly report, about 500 more units than the Nissan Leaf.

So, how does that compare to rival compact electric SUVs? According to data from GoodCarBadCar, the Ariya is also outselling the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra. Both models have sold fewer than 2,000 models in Q1 2023. However, they’re almost identical mechanically. If you combine their numbers, they outsell the Nissan Ariya together.

Is the Nissan electric SUV better than the Toyota and Subaru?

The Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra have a few strengths but many weaknesses. One of the most important things to most potential EV owners is range. The Ariya boasts an impressive maximum range of up to 304 miles in the Venture+ FWD trim. The best range for the bZ4X is 252 miles, and the Solterra with standard AWD can only get up to 228 miles of range.

All three of these SUVs have practical interiors. However, the Ariya has almost two more inches of rear legroom than the bZ4X and Solterra. That could make the Ariya more appealing for small families regularly using the back seats.

The Ariya boasts some appealing features you can’t get in its Toyota and Subaru Solterra. The available ProPILOT Assist 2.0 safety tech suite allows for hands-free driving on highways mapped by Nissan. The Toyota and Subaru are well-equipped with standard safety tech, but you can’t get them with hands-free driving.

The Ariya is also available with the e-4ORCE dual-motor powertrain, which makes it a sportier SUV. The Ariya can make up to 389 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, the Solterra makes 215 hp and 249 lb-ft of torque, and the AWD-equipped bZ4X makes similar performance numbers.

Other rivals to the Nissan electric SUV

Although the Nissan Ariya is beating its rivals from Toyota and Subaru so far this year, it’s far from being the best-selling electric SUVs. The Volkswagen ID.4 has sold 9,758 units in the first quarter of 2023, the Ford Mustang Mach-E has sold 5,407 units. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model Y has moved a whopping 85,000 units.

There’s plenty of time left in 2023. It will be interesting to watch this race between the electric SUVs and see which ones are the most popular.