2019 Nissan Leaf The Affordable EV Benchmark
video description
Date: 2019-05-30
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 10
EV Revolution
Ive had my 2018 Leaf SL 40kWh for almost a year with absolutely no issues. 0 maintenance cost and 600 CAD to drive over 21, 000 kms (includes several rapid charges at fixed pricing. Its absolutely quiet with not one squeak or rattle to be found ever. I get in and drive the car as much as I can for my daily use and plug it in to start with a full charge again the next day if needed. With regards to your polar vortex comments, this is my first winter experiencing my Leaf (and an EV at all) and I have to say the Leaf performed fantastic. Plowed thru anything mother nature could throw at me including a massive freezing rainstorm I encountered coming back home one afternoon for a 400km trip. The heat pump works very well with the cabin heating up very hot, in fact even with -25 Degrees C temps, I did not need to increase the cabin temp control to past 20 degrees C. It actually can get to hot. With heated sets and steering wheel, these make up most of the heat. I even took my Leaf out to country back roads to try out snow driving when we got our first good snow and it performs fantastic. I just could not get it sideways even after trying to. Sticks to the road extremely well and that is in much part to the set Michelin XICE3s I put on. Someone mentioned depreciation which I agree with another commenter all cars depreciate especially EVs. This is only important if you plan on selling it within a shorter time. If you lease you are guaranteed a residual value and if you are like me that purchase and keep cars till they die, then depreciation is meaningless and should NOT be factored into any ROI numbers. With the incentive I was fortunate to get on my Leaf last year, I basically paid the same for it as a comparable ICEV car meaning that I was already ahead of the curve financially with the Leaf. The extremely low operating cost and ease of use makes this a very strong value-prop BEV. Its 150 mile/270 km daily range in nice temps is more than adequate for my daily needs as well as 2-3 out of town trips per quarter. In the very cold of winter, I have seen my range drop 30-40% which is typical with all EVs. So good summary Alex, you go thru all the nitty gritty stuff. However beyond all that, I can state that I am extremely pleased with my first ever EV purchase and I just get in a go, never worrying about it and I plan to keep it for the 8-year warranty period. Love love love my Leaf.
reply
Ive had my 2018 Leaf SL 40kWh for almost a year with absolutely no issues. 0 maintenance cost and 600 CAD to drive over 21, 000 kms (includes several rapid charges at fixed pricing. Its absolutely quiet with not one squeak or rattle to be found ever. I get in and drive the car as much as I can for my daily use and plug it in to start with a full charge again the next day if needed. With regards to your polar vortex comments, this is my first winter experiencing my Leaf (and an EV at all) and I have to say the Leaf performed fantastic. Plowed thru anything mother nature could throw at me including a massive freezing rainstorm I encountered coming back home one afternoon for a 400km trip. The heat pump works very well with the cabin heating up very hot, in fact even with -25 Degrees C temps, I did not need to increase the cabin temp control to past 20 degrees C. It actually can get to hot. With heated sets and steering wheel, these make up most of the heat. I even took my Leaf out to country back roads to try out snow driving when we got our first good snow and it performs fantastic. I just could not get it sideways even after trying to. Sticks to the road extremely well and that is in much part to the set Michelin XICE3s I put on. Someone mentioned depreciation which I agree with another commenter all cars depreciate especially EVs. This is only important if you plan on selling it within a shorter time. If you lease you are guaranteed a residual value and if you are like me that purchase and keep cars till they die, then depreciation is meaningless and should NOT be factored into any ROI numbers. With the incentive I was fortunate to get on my Leaf last year, I basically paid the same for it as a comparable ICEV car meaning that I was already ahead of the curve financially with the Leaf. The extremely low operating cost and ease of use makes this a very strong value-prop BEV. Its 150 mile/270 km daily range in nice temps is more than adequate for my daily needs as well as 2-3 out of town trips per quarter. In the very cold of winter, I have seen my range drop 30-40% which is typical with all EVs. So good summary Alex, you go thru all the nitty gritty stuff. However beyond all that, I can state that I am extremely pleased with my first ever EV purchase and I just get in a go, never worrying about it and I plan to keep it for the 8-year warranty period. Love love love my Leaf.
reply
ronkemperful
Your review is good as always You mentioned that the Tesla Model 3 is a luxury car, and I agree with you for it is pricy, even at the 35, 000 price point, when the full-self driving autopilot is thrown in, it can easily top 50, 000. But, in a sense you get what you pay for, as with all non-Tesla electrics, there still is the wait for a comprehensive, nationwide fast-charging network to develop; but with a Tesla, there is already a charging network that allows an unplanned trip, virtually anywhere in the country, for a lower cost than gasoline, and without the inconvenience and delay of multi-hour charging times. While I am hesitant to spend 40, 000 or more for any car, if I was looking at investing in an electric, I would be considering as to how I would charge it for a trip to my office, or to my sisters house in Montana. Thanks again for the review.
reply
Your review is good as always You mentioned that the Tesla Model 3 is a luxury car, and I agree with you for it is pricy, even at the 35, 000 price point, when the full-self driving autopilot is thrown in, it can easily top 50, 000. But, in a sense you get what you pay for, as with all non-Tesla electrics, there still is the wait for a comprehensive, nationwide fast-charging network to develop; but with a Tesla, there is already a charging network that allows an unplanned trip, virtually anywhere in the country, for a lower cost than gasoline, and without the inconvenience and delay of multi-hour charging times. While I am hesitant to spend 40, 000 or more for any car, if I was looking at investing in an electric, I would be considering as to how I would charge it for a trip to my office, or to my sisters house in Montana. Thanks again for the review.
reply
Jon Doeringer
We will be selling our 2015 SL for a new Leaf. Maybe the Plus? But 150 miles is plenty for my wife. We want the Pro Drive. Otherwise, wed get the Niro. As far as depreciation - with 38, 000 miles, we still have all our capacity bars, in Atlanta. Ive checked depreciation against a Carolla. It seemed about the same, so Im not sure where these scary warnings are coming from. The biggest problem with an EV is that when the battery gets too weak - the car is worthless. Ive read that takes 10 years? In that time, a Corolla is worth 1700 as a trade in. So if I lose 1700, Im not too worried. Ive saved a lot more. And to get a similar driver aid package on a Tesla will be 65k. Talk about a hard pass Im not spending big money on an EV until the advances slow down
reply
We will be selling our 2015 SL for a new Leaf. Maybe the Plus? But 150 miles is plenty for my wife. We want the Pro Drive. Otherwise, wed get the Niro. As far as depreciation - with 38, 000 miles, we still have all our capacity bars, in Atlanta. Ive checked depreciation against a Carolla. It seemed about the same, so Im not sure where these scary warnings are coming from. The biggest problem with an EV is that when the battery gets too weak - the car is worthless. Ive read that takes 10 years? In that time, a Corolla is worth 1700 as a trade in. So if I lose 1700, Im not too worried. Ive saved a lot more. And to get a similar driver aid package on a Tesla will be 65k. Talk about a hard pass Im not spending big money on an EV until the advances slow down
reply
Justin Waters
No telescoping steering wheel, low-res and dated infotainment screen, intrusive lower console design, skimpy center armrest, no sunroof, no cooled seats, an oddly placed amp in the middle of the cargo area, and the big ones - slow level 3 charging on road trips and no thermal battery management. Nissan isnt even trying to be competitive with the Koreans and GM, let alone Tesla. I dont see any reason why youd look beyond the the Kona or Niro if you are looking for a budget-minded EV with a 7500 tax credit. Sure, they are a bit more money, but you get a much more well-rounded vehicle to the point where I would even pick a base Kona over a fully-loaded Leaf (and Im a stickler for feature content.
reply
No telescoping steering wheel, low-res and dated infotainment screen, intrusive lower console design, skimpy center armrest, no sunroof, no cooled seats, an oddly placed amp in the middle of the cargo area, and the big ones - slow level 3 charging on road trips and no thermal battery management. Nissan isnt even trying to be competitive with the Koreans and GM, let alone Tesla. I dont see any reason why youd look beyond the the Kona or Niro if you are looking for a budget-minded EV with a 7500 tax credit. Sure, they are a bit more money, but you get a much more well-rounded vehicle to the point where I would even pick a base Kona over a fully-loaded Leaf (and Im a stickler for feature content.
reply
Gary Morrison
Excellent review as always Thanks, Alex. For me, out here in Austin TX, the LEAF is simply a non-starter because it (effectively) has no battery-cooling system. Our Prius Prime at least has forced-air cooling and (more or less) sits in the cabin. Thats barely sufficient for its tiny, 8. 8KWh battery, so clearly having no cooling on a 62KWh battery in a hot climate is simply not an option. I say barely sufficient above, because our Prius Prime has, in less than a years use, lost some range. The fact that I charge it 2-3 times per day probably has a lot to do with that
reply
Excellent review as always Thanks, Alex. For me, out here in Austin TX, the LEAF is simply a non-starter because it (effectively) has no battery-cooling system. Our Prius Prime at least has forced-air cooling and (more or less) sits in the cabin. Thats barely sufficient for its tiny, 8. 8KWh battery, so clearly having no cooling on a 62KWh battery in a hot climate is simply not an option. I say barely sufficient above, because our Prius Prime has, in less than a years use, lost some range. The fact that I charge it 2-3 times per day probably has a lot to do with that
reply
webcomment
Tesla seems better at first, however people dont realize the Tesla will cost more to own after purchase. Tesla maintenance is super expensive. Even though an electric car should require less maintenance than an ICE car, the maintenance it does require is super expensive. Tesla maintenance will cost more than most mainstream ICE cars including the costs of ICE-only maintenance costs like oil changes. Tesla also has expensive tire replacement costs. You can expect very high costs for repairs after the Tesla warranty expires.
reply
Tesla seems better at first, however people dont realize the Tesla will cost more to own after purchase. Tesla maintenance is super expensive. Even though an electric car should require less maintenance than an ICE car, the maintenance it does require is super expensive. Tesla maintenance will cost more than most mainstream ICE cars including the costs of ICE-only maintenance costs like oil changes. Tesla also has expensive tire replacement costs. You can expect very high costs for repairs after the Tesla warranty expires.
reply
Anthony N.
Greetings AlexIf possible can you do a model refresh video review on the 2019 Camaro 2ss? Spring and summer is around the corner and Im itching for one of the 3 American muscle coupes mainly, infinity q60 coupe, the Kia stinger, and the German coupes. I would like to see you compare the manuals and or just all the sporty cars in general. Doesnt matter if luxury or not. I just want a good fun car. Thank you for hearing me out. Keep up the great content.
reply
Greetings AlexIf possible can you do a model refresh video review on the 2019 Camaro 2ss? Spring and summer is around the corner and Im itching for one of the 3 American muscle coupes mainly, infinity q60 coupe, the Kia stinger, and the German coupes. I would like to see you compare the manuals and or just all the sporty cars in general. Doesnt matter if luxury or not. I just want a good fun car. Thank you for hearing me out. Keep up the great content.
reply
Dave & Heidi Murphy
You should have talked about the E pedal. I just test drove the 150 mi range 2019 Leaf and loved the true one pedal driving, the ride and the interior. I did not expect to like the car overall but I was pleasantly surprised. I think it is underrated by many so I appreciate you giving it a fair shake. Ive actually put it on my list as the runner up to the Kona. Wasnt expecting that. Always love your reviews.
reply
You should have talked about the E pedal. I just test drove the 150 mi range 2019 Leaf and loved the true one pedal driving, the ride and the interior. I did not expect to like the car overall but I was pleasantly surprised. I think it is underrated by many so I appreciate you giving it a fair shake. Ive actually put it on my list as the runner up to the Kona. Wasnt expecting that. Always love your reviews.
reply
TbT
The passive cooling imho is a big NOGO. The durability will proably suffer a lot (range reduction. That will make its used price (and thus its longterm value) suffer as well. The Chademo Adapter is also a negative (CCS is the new standard in the EU. Imho, the Koreans are indeed a better value proposition considering they have active battery cooling, CCS (at least in the EU) and (with Kia) that nice 7 year warranty.
reply
The passive cooling imho is a big NOGO. The durability will proably suffer a lot (range reduction. That will make its used price (and thus its longterm value) suffer as well. The Chademo Adapter is also a negative (CCS is the new standard in the EU. Imho, the Koreans are indeed a better value proposition considering they have active battery cooling, CCS (at least in the EU) and (with Kia) that nice 7 year warranty.
reply
Tony P
Did Nissan intentionally put the Bose system in the most obtrusive location possible? Quite the afterthought. Passive cooling battery is another big question mark. Remarkably unremarkable vehicle for the segment. Youd have to be a huge Nissan fan buyer to choose this over other, better, options. I dont know many (any) Nissan fans despite their 8% market share. As mentioned, cheaper to buy not cheaper to own.
reply
Did Nissan intentionally put the Bose system in the most obtrusive location possible? Quite the afterthought. Passive cooling battery is another big question mark. Remarkably unremarkable vehicle for the segment. Youd have to be a huge Nissan fan buyer to choose this over other, better, options. I dont know many (any) Nissan fans despite their 8% market share. As mentioned, cheaper to buy not cheaper to own.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
