After scaling back its EV plans, Nissan doesn’t appear to be trying particularly hard to hang on to existing customers. According to a bulletin sent to dealers, the brand is offering a $1,000 loyalty discount to current Leaf and Ariya owners and lessees. Unfortunately, the choices for how to use the incentive are extremely limited.
You Can Only Use It On Three Vehicles
The Returning EV NMAC Loyalty offer is available to current owners and lessees of any Leaf or Ariya. It’s worth $1,000 when financing or leasing an eligible car through NMAC, its captive lender, through June 30. Unfortunately, the program is limited to just 3 models: the Leaf, Murano, and the new Rogue Plug-In Hybrid.
On paper, the 2026 Nissan Leaf is one of the most affordable EVs with a base price of only $31,535, including destination. However, Nissan’s current Leaf incentives aren’t anywhere near as good as the outgoing generation. In California, the SV+ is listed at $449 for 48 months with $4,179 due at signing, or $536 per month.
$500 A Month To Lease A Leaf?!
Even with the loyalty discount, we estimate that the cheapest Leaf costs $515 per month. Per our records, that’s more than twice as expensive as what a $42,000 Ariya cost this time last year. While it’s not fair to compare EV prices with what they looked like before a federal tax credit went away, it’s still a massive price difference.
Nissan’s options for Ariya drivers aren’t great. After all, is an owner really going to consider downgrading to a Leaf that’s twice as expensive, or opt for a 23 mpg Murano? The Rogue Plug-In Hybrid, which bears much in common with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, can only go 38 miles on electricity and costs over $47,000.
Other car brands appear to be trying harder.
There May Be Better Alternatives For Leaf and Ariya Owners
For example, the 2026 Toyota bZ has one of the largest loyalty discounts right now at $5,000. It can be stacked with a $5,000 lease cash incentive for $10,000 off MSRP. On the flip side, the 2026 Honda Prologue has one of the top conquest cash incentives at $2,000, or $8,450 off MSRP when stacked with other discounts.
We suspect a vehicle like the Prologue may be appealing for Leaf or Ariya drivers. With the conquest cash offer, an EX All-Wheel Drive can be leased for $249 for 36 months with $4,599 at signing (10,000 miles a year). That comes out to $377, making it one of the best EVs to lease and a more affordable potential match.
Nissan’s current financing deals and rebate offers end on June 30. Stay tuned for our special July Fourth deal coverage.
Source: Nissan
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