2013 NISSAN Leaf

Excellent Commute Car - But Not for Everyone

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 5

Great deals for a used Leaf these days. You'll need to consider your driving range. For this car, range is limited. I'm getting about 75-80 mile max range depending on the day, though I'm too chicken to ever push it to the max. If you have a second car for longer distance travel, this serves as a great commute car. I live in Southern California and charging has never been an issue. Assuming a 50-miles daily commute, you'll need to charge 50 miles on a daily basis since you won't deplete the charge fully. This can easily be done overnight at home even with a regular 110V outlet. The car has very little moving parts (no gas engine, no oil, no transmission, no fuel tank, no oil filter, no muffler, no belts). It's basically battery, electric motor, and wheels connected to motor, which makes maintenance very easy. And because of less moving parts, reliability for a used EV, in my opinion, would generally be better than an equivalent gas vehicle. All else equal, I would choose a Leaf over other used gas vehicle provided the range is within your tolerance.

We love this car!

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

Most dealers will tell you this is a great 2nd car for around town driving. But this has been our only car, and we've taken it on trips numerous times. You just need to plan your route more carefully than with a gas car. I suppose it helps that we are retired and under few time constraints. But we do love this car. The acceleration is fast... surprisingly so. The car is incredibly comfortable to drive, even on long distances. My wife loves the heated seats and steering wheel, I like the Bose sound system with XM and the ability to plug in a USB drive and play music off that. Maintenance is minimal, and it's a very safe car.

Like riding on a silent magic carpet

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

The Leaf is a terrific nearly silent comfortable pleasure to drive. Over 45 years I've owned a lot of different models and brands and the Leaf is hands down the least expensive to operate. There is virtually no routine maintenance beyond tire rotations. No oil changes. No worry about changing spark plugs or exhaust parts. No engine noise. Driving carefully I could go half again as far as the rated 82 miles to over 125 miles before needing a charge. The downside side is trips beyond 80 miles requires careful planning. Charge points are expanding but nowhere near as plentiful as gas stations.

Had 36,000 miles so battery only good for about 72

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 3

Low mileage on battery

Poor electric car, don't buy any Nissan product.

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: Technology Rating: 2 Value Rating:

I was excited for my first electric car when I bought it last year. They say 110+ miles in sticker but don't expect more than 90 miles. If you drive highways/winter it would significantly low. The worst part for this car is the customer service and dealership. My from tire worn out in less than 10k, checked wheel alignment and its perfectly aligned but they won't even cover under any warranty, very poor quality stuff. I will certainly recommend buying electric car bit stay away from Nissan.

Falling for the Leaf

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

Before I purchased my used Leaf I spent months handwringing over range, battery life, and resale value. I should not have wasted any of that time worry and should have purchased this long ago. The Leaf rocks! Once you drive an electric car for a few days, it is hard to go back to the noise, pollution, and rumble of an internal combustion engine. The Leaf has required very little change from our normal driving habits in order to have a nearly pollution and carbon free vehicle (our electricity is wind- and solar-generated). We typically charge the Leaf at night every two or three days so charging issue is not the inconvenience that I was anticipating. We have used just a 110-120 volt outlet and real charge times are usually way less than forecasted because we seldom charge from empty to 100 percent (more typically we are going from something like 30 percent up to 80 percent). One great feature with the 2013 Leaf is the long-life setting for charging--it shuts down the charge at 80 percent to preserve battery life. Using that 80 percent cap, our real world range typically runs between 55 to 80 miles (again, that is at 80 percent battery). The reason for the range has to do with temperature and destination, for example. The coldest part of winter will reduce your range and battery power noticeably (just like your cell phone when it is really cold). During the height of summer, battery life also diminishes some, as a result of the heat and AC use (at least, that is my understanding). We drive ours in Salt Lake City to give you and idea of temperature fluctuations. Also, you can expect changes in range based on whether you are driving at highway speeds, up mountain canyons, or in the rain. With just a little bit of experience, it becomes fairly easy to anticipate these fluctuations on the Leaf. I highly recommend this vehicle for those that understand the range limitations. Nissan has used great materials and put together an excellent car.

An unexpected bargain

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

I have to tell you how happy I am with this Nissan Leaf. It's a quiet, comfortable, very affordable "mid-sized-category" little car. It feels spacious and the electric motor is plenty nimble. The super low rolling resistance tires are a limitation, so if you want a car that feels more "sporty" in cornering and handling you'd swap those out, at some cost to range. Which brings us to range. My experience for the way I drive, is that I average roughly around 4 miles/kwh and I can reliably count on being able to drive 70 miles between charges no matter what, even including any "range destroying" variables such as using climate control, lights, driving between 65mph and 70mph for the "freeway" portion of my commute; and all this is on a car that I bought used - a 2013 lease return that's about 2.5 years old with already about 27,000 miles on it. But if ever there was a car for which the saying is true "your mileage may vary" this has got to be the one. The instruments give you tons of feedback about how to drive efficiently. But it's a simple fact that wind resistance is proportional to velocity cubed and that it takes more energy to accelerate a heavy object quickly. So if you're an unrepentant leadfoot, this is probably not the car for you - look to the Tesla Model S. Now, many folks refill their cars with gasoline at or before the point when there are 70 miles left on the tank. 70 miles is only about a quarter tank's worth. But the electric car is different, you plug it in at your house every night. And that turns out to be far more convenient than stopping into the gas station once a week. Also the new 2016 SV and SL "high end" leaf models have a new 30kwh battery - 25% more electrical storage than the current model's 24kwh. But what'll probably surprise you is how *cheap* it is. I bought this one used for only about 11k. Pretty much no other 2013 used car on the market sells for $11k except a high-mileage econobox. And the leaf's a nicer car - larger, more electronics, heated seats, etc... And the cost to *operate* it once you've got it is a lot lower than any gasoline car. Electricity is 12cents/kwh (on the night time tiered rate - much higher during peak hours!) New ones are cheap too, though. With the end-of-year incentives available I've seen "one at this price" 3 year lease deals for a strip model "S" 2015 leaf for only $109 a month(!) Leasing tends to be the preferred option for new leafs, because the leasing company can claim the government incentives and roll that into the price, whereas if you buy outright, you have to wait until tax-filing time to claim the electric-vehicle-tax-credit. Gasoline's dirt cheap right now at about $2.75 a gallon. But even a fairly efficient car gets only say, 35 mpg. If like me you drive 225 miles a week, that's $18/week. The leaf uses 56 kwh to go the same distance - about $6.75 worth of electricity. To convert apples to apples, there are 33kwh of energy in one gallon of gasoline. So a car that gets 35mpg gets about 1mi/kwh. Or, an electric car that gets 4mi/kwh basically gets 132 mi/gallon energy equivalent. I didn't switch from a 35mpg car though. I switched from commuting in a 16mpg 4x4 truck. All that said, for most folks a leaf is still NOT practical as the ONLY car in a household. Sometimes you need or want to take longer trips. Anne and I drove up to see friends in Concord yesterday, a 130 mile round trip. Naturally we took the gas powered car. And you need to live in a house where you can install an electric vehicle charger. But if you've got a "two car" household where one car can do pure commute duty, especially if it's a pretty long commute, a Leaf could pay off well for you. If you buy used, you want to be aware of how to read the battery's residual capacity (different than state-of-charge) off the instrument panel, and discount the price for reduced capacity. Nissan improved the battery durability (ability to hold a charge) in 2013, and again in 2014. To my mind, the 2011 and 2012 models aren't discounted heavily enough yet to reflect this difference, so I'd probably focus on finding a 2013 model. Finally, if you live in a hot climate like Arizona, you should probably get a 2015 or newer - as that's when Nissan adopted their newer "Lizard" battery design that's more heat resistant. Conversely, if you live in a colder climate, you should probably get an SV or SL model, since those have a heat pump heater rather than a current drawing resistive heat unit.

Safe bet for a used car

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

I purchased this car used to see for myself what living with an electric car is really like. I kept my older cars just in car just in case I found it too difficult to deal with the electric car at times. This car has substantially exceeded my expectations as a car I can live with. It has become my favorite car to drive. I live in two locations in the Washington D.C area on the Beltway. I was expecting to only use this car at one location for local driving. Instead, I find that I can also go between the locations on weekends without range anxiety. This car works very well in the DC area, now the worst commuter area in the nation. When in nasty traffic jams on the DC beltway, the BW parkway, and other major roads this car doesn't get grossly worse energy economy as is the case with my other cars (one a hybrid). In some cases the economy even improves in when you get into a major traffic slowdown. In the DC area that means 99% of the time. I find that a used purchase of a Leaf is a safe bet. I purchased a certified used one with 0% financing for extra security. From what I see now, I think that a non-certified one could have been a good buy too. I got the advantage of someone else claiming the $7500 tax credit, which made my cost lower since people buying new ones have that incentive. I noticed that people buying new 2015 or 2016 models can get very good purchase, financing, and lease deals too. I figured out that that some people won't get the full 7500 incentive since they don't pay 7500 in federal taxes anyway. If they purchase used, or even lease a new one, they effectively get the advantage of that credit. As far as living with the car goes, you learn to "plan" your driving a bit more, to make sure it has adequate charge. For me it is nice my older cars in reserve. I have not purchased a charging station yet, so I depend on my trickle charger and public charging stations. I end up going to businesses (restaurants, malls, grocery stores, etc) having charging stations. Whatever I've saved in gasoline cost in the last month I've ended up spending that (and more) at those businesses. In some cases such charging stations are a mile or two from where I need to be. That has help pushed me to get some more much-needed and pleasant exercise by doing some more walking. As I walk along roads I wish a lot more more people had electric cars so I wouldn't have to hear as much noise, or breath as much exhaust. I do not find that there are yet enough charging stations in the overall DC metro area area. They tend to be common in some areas and very absent in other areas. The campus where my suburban Maryland employer center is doesn't seem to want to make them available. I like the free ones at some businesses, but realistically I'd like some more paid stations that price the power roughly around the cost I pay at home, plus some extra cost for occupying the space beyond a reasonable charging time. It is nice that Walgreens has stations, and I'd like to see them at all of their locations, however, their cost of $2.00 per hour makes it more expensive to power a Leaf than powering my Honda Civic Hybrid at current gasoline prices. I found that living with the hybrid for 9 years, learning how to leverage the regenerative braking, has helped me transition to living with the Leaf. Buying a Leaf used is a safe bet. You can learn to live with it's range quite well. 5/22/2015. I've had this car 7.5 months now and have put 6000 miles on it. I use it much more than my other cars. I have to make a point of driving them periodically to make sure they don't sit too long. I am ready to get rid of one of them. I have come to appreciate the quietness of the car, and it's decent sound system. I've averaged 4.6 miles/kilowatt in nasty DC/Baltimore area traffic, which comes out to about 115 mpg, although I am paying BGE and Virginia power the equivalent of about $4.00/gallon. I still rely on 110V charging overnight for most of my charging, though I'd like to have a 240V charging station. I have found some free charging stations, that I end up using about 25% of the time. The whole charging station situation is not ready for prime time yet. I did find that charging stations are easier to find in the city of Washington D.C. than gas stations. Overall I continue to be very pleased with this used Leaf. A used one is a safe bet.

DO NOT GET THIS CAR!!! The worst ever!!!!

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 1 Performance Rating: 1 Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: 1 Safety Rating: 1 Technology Rating: 1 Value Rating: 1

we were very excited about every single thing about this car. LISTEN! Life changes and if your does, then you will have to deal with the worst nightmare of you buy or lease this car! After 3 years with this car we are lucky if we get 45 miles out of it on a full charge!!!! 45!!! it's horrible!!! if you forget BECAUSE YOU ARE HUMAN!!! to charge it one night, no car the next day! If you move out of state BECAUSE LIFE CHANGES! then you need to get a place with garage to charge it!!! your job must be near your home or it won't happen! 45 miles!!! plan on that! No place for emergencies! or trips! Second car? be real, if for any reason "the first" car fails, plan on 45 miles with one car! DO NOT GET THIS CAR!

I am amazed

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 4

I was surprised by how much I love this car. I was a bit worried by range but my husband thought since we would save $200-$250.00 in gas a month it was worth a try. Glad He talked me into it. Super fun to drive, great comfort/room and wonderful technology. In 2 weeks I have driven my 2013 Leaf (purchase with 22,400 miles) over 700 miles with no problems. I live in a very rural area but can find plenty of charging stations within 20-30 miles if I need them. IF you live in the city don't even worry about range average driver in USA only goes 22 miles per day. Think about this not only are you not spending on gas but no more taking the car in for oil changes ect. Love my Leaf!

Don't lease a LEAF!!!

Performance: 1 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 1 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 1

At first when I leased my 2012 Leaf it was the coolest car around. I told all of my friend and before I knew it 6 of my colleagues at work had also leased the Leaf. Man do I wish I'd have waited!!! Now I can't even use the car because of range anxiety. I am getting about 40 miles per full charge for a car that only has about 9000 miles on it. Ridiculous!!! Not even close to the 106 miles on the New car sticker. And yes Range anxiety is REAL- believe me when the meter starts to get near the red mark and you still have about 10 miles to go you get real nervous very fast!! I would NEVER lease another LEAF again.!! Nissan says that this is normal for the car!! Really! 40 miles for a charge!!

We love it so far...

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I'm writing this in January 2015. We bought our 2013 Leaf at the end of May 2014. We overcame the anxiety of buying an all electric car with the comfort that we got a great deal. 7.5 months after buying, we're closing in on 10,000 miles and everything has been fantastic. The car is fun to drive. It's reliable. It's attractive. My kids love the heated back seats. We have a normal mini-van as our second vehicle and we drive it less and less frequently. The Leaf has always provided enough range to go where we want. On only two occasion did we decide NOT to take the Leaf and it's only because we didn't want to pay to charge while we were in downtown Indianapolis. It's a great car.

Makes me enjoy driving!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

This is the best car I've ever owned. Front seats are very comfortable. It is whisper quiet even at high speeds, has adequate storage area, seats 4 comfortably. We decided to lease the 2014 because technology is changing and - like a laptop - it could be hard to resell a few years from now. We got the $7500 rebate, a great trade-in on the 2006 Prius and the payments are incredibly low - $183 a month. The quick charger works great and recharges the car in a few hours and the city paid for half of the cost! It's a no-brainer: it's the perfect second car for running errands around town and 90 miles will cover a lot of errands! Love it!!

Getting used to Value!

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I have owned my Leaf for about 3 yrs now and I still marvel at all the gas, oil, and maintenance dollars I have saved over the years. I also own a Highlander hybrid and it's amazing how much just routine maintenance costs each year. The LEAF still looks new and has not had the first problem. Of course, it would be nice if the range was over 70 miles, but as a 2nd car that is really all I need. From a value standpoint this is one of my best buys. My wife and granddaughters all fit fine in the front and back and it's a great car about town. I charge the Leaf about 95% in my garage and my electric bill is still in the same range as it always was - you would never know I charge a car daily.

know what is important to you

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 4

I lease a 2012 Leaf. It comes with no spare tire, a real drag. It is not a winter car for those who have trouble driving in snow. It needs winter tires for the front, and I don't know how much that will help. Using heat,wipers,defrost, and driving in snow lessens the range by 30%. I commute 26 miles uphill <1000 ft and I've used 80% of the power to do it in winter on bad days. I use a 120volt space heater to warm the car first. Better range (126 mi/charge) 2016. Ad now is misleading . 126/106 isn't the range, but the mpg equivalent- comparing it to a gas car. Don't be fooled. Solar roof is available only overseas,not in usa yet. Decent second car, my 1st, but I'm waiting to 2016 for next..

Going EV - Sooner the better!!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I sat on it for 6 months before i pulled the trigger. My daily commute is 40 to 60 miles (one way) and I spend $600.00 a month on gas. model:SL with 360 all around view with Bose sound system I stopped by my health club (before or after work) to charge my car while I work out. Travel takes more planning than driving ICE vehicles but eventually becomes systemic. at times when I get low on battery capacity, i just move over to slower lane. i watch power meter like a hawk and rarely go over the 4th circle.

Not a cold weather car!!

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 1 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

If you live where it rains or snows don't buy this car. The car body designers never drove this car in rain or snow. The spray from the tires creates a truly ugly car within miles. The snow build-up in wheel wells and the 6-12 inches of crud on the running boards is beyond annoying. Try to buy a splash guard post-factory? Not available without a special order and a 4 to 5 week wait. The actual driving range in winter is lowered by several factors: 1. less charge in cold temps (10-12 miles less) 2. if you use the climate control 15 to 20 miles are subtracted from your range estimate. So if you want a car that can go 50 to 60 miles and turn your garage into an ice rink...this is the one.

Loving it! It handles like a sports car.

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 5

I absolute love driving the 2013 Nissan Leaf S model that we have leased. It reminds me of the driving dynamics of the Mini Cooper that we used to own. The biggest problem is that I tend to drive about 15 miles above the speed limit with the Leaf because it's so quiet and smooth. One thing that I'd wish for is better/smoother braking when regenerative braking is being applied. Another is better location of some of the control buttons on the left side of the steering wheel. The majority of these buttons are not illuminated and are hidden by the steering wheel.

Test drive it and you will be sold!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Had my 2013 for about 3 months now. I cannot imagine EVER driving an ICE car again. Now, gas powered cars feel crude, rough and loud. The Leaf is smooth and quiet. I feel like I'm driving on air. I love the fact that I am helping to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and that I am not contributing emissions to the environment. (This car was second choice to my unaffordable fantasy car, a TESLA , but I truly couldn't be happier.) Acceleration is not exactly going to wow you when getting up to highway speeds, but it's certainly enough to feel safe merging into highway traffic. I expected an electric car would be VERY sluggish and was pleasantly surprised from the test drive on!

the second car becomes my first car

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I was not convinced about buying the leaf at all. It looked weird and all the popular auto mags did not seem convinced. A friend convinced us to take a second look and we bought it as a second car ... that was four months ago. So far... - The lease + gas is approx the cost of my previous monthly gas bill. I am basically driving a new car for no extra cost. - - I have taken out my gas car about once a month ! I visited my Costco gas station after four months !!! Its comfortable, spacious and very well equipped. I would have preferred to buy the SV with the BOSE + cameras in hindsight. Bottom-line: if you commute < 60 miles / day, buy a leaf - you wont regret it.

100 percent satisfied

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We leased the 2013 SL in June and completely satisfied with the car at this point. They did a great job making it as much like driving a conventional car, which my wife likes. We spent ab out a year thinking about how it would fit our lifestyle and could not think of a single instance were we would be "stuck" without a gasoline motor. I charges quickly with the 240 volt charger. The dashboard technology is great and easy to interpret.

Best Second Car Ever

Performance: 3 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

We were tired of paying $ 80 per tank to run around town getting 16 MPG running errands etc. This Leaf is fun to drive and has lots of room I am 6.4 and do not fit with comfort in many cars but the headroom in this is great. After 2.5 months of ownership very happy get 90 mile range on a full charge. Able to charge for free at many Nissan dealers . Fast charger at dealers will get you a full charge in 40 minutes. Electric bill has gone up about $ 50 per month charging up almost every night. I did not purchase the level 2 charger as I can charge overnight in about 12 hours with the 6.6 KW on board charger. Our utility company gives better rates for EV owners if you use off peak power

License to Thrill

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I bought my Leaf in the shadow of Nissan's North American HQ - at the Franklin,TN Nissan Dealer. Well just down the street from this dealer (who did a good job) is the Nissan HQ, which has a quick charger (20min). I live pretty close to that charger, so this purchase is a no-brainer for me. I don't have to worry about range ever while I'm driving my normal route. As a result, the people who I pass get to see this Leaf go flying by at whatever speed. Its a quick, fun car, so it's a shame everyone doesn't live this close to a quick, free drink. I only ask that there is an Infiniti version soon that looks a little more sophisticated.

2013 LEAF

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: Technology Rating: Value Rating: 3

We now have a 2013 LEAF. we used to have the 2011 for 2 years and many wants have been added to the 2013 like ECO mode stays on, braking mode. Also better estimate of range. The Air Cond is also more efficient. The only BIG problem is the battery degrades in the heat. The 2011 and 20134 have the same fatal problem. We lose 5-10% capacity a summer. It's lost forever. The warranty is sticky you have to lose 4 bars about 40% with in 60K miles and 5 years. They changed the software so that doesn't work and you lose 3. Yet range is bad and you can't drive. We used to love our LEAF. We lease and every 2 years can't wait to see how they improve it and lower the cost. Our daily commute is 44 miles round trip. It's easy with 50 60 left each trip. I can go about 70 miles on city streets when needed.

Great car. Driving the future.

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Comfortable, roomy all electric car. Amazing not using any gas. Haven't used our other cars since we leased it. Overall pleasant car. Roomy, good visibility, handles pretty well, well built, generally well thought out. Compared to Volt, better visibility, seats 5' much better electric range, quick charge option to charge in 30 minutes. Good lease deals available. Factor in gas savings and the car is practically free.

DC fast charger not needed, but 6.6KW is a must!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Had the car for 1300 miles and 1 month. Great car. Purchased after I got tired of waiting for the new Smart ED which had repeated delays. We got the base S model with the $1300 DC Fast Charge option. SL, SV models come with the 6.6KW onboard charger that charges your car at about 30% per hour. The old 3.3KW charger (still standard on the S) gives you about half that charging rate meaning you'll be forced to wait longer when charging out in town. This is a huge deal! The fast charge option adds the high speed DC charge 30 mins 0-80% and upgrades the 3.3kw to the 6.6kw onboard. That is a big deal! In hindsight, prob should have just gotten the mid-grade Leaf with the 6.6w charger.

Great Commuter Car

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

As long as you use this car within its range limitations it is wonderful. I am getting the EPA rated range without trouble (about 85 miles with 100% charge and 65 miles with 80% charge which is recommended to maximize battery life).

2013 SV Leaf Review

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

My commute consists of 5 days a week 33 miles each way on mostly highway (55-60mph) with limited city traffic. I can drive back and forth to work on 1 charge with no problems of range as I pull in my home with about 30 miles of range. You must get a home charger as the trickle charge (regular 110 outlet takes to long to charge). I installed for $1800 the AV Charger which is a 220 volt/30amp charger which charges the car from empt to full in 3-3.5hrs or about 26 miles per hour of charge. The information above is based on driving in April and May in Central NJ. I have not driven the Leaf in the colder temperatures but I will post a follow up this winter.

Love it so far

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 4

We almost bought a 2012 but waited and leased a 2013. We opted for the charger and rearview camera package and are glad we did. State (CA) and local air district rebates cut the already low three-year lease cost in half, making this an unbeatable bargain. We haven't driven our ICE car once in the 10 days since we got our Leaf S. This car does everything we need and is comfortable, easy to drive and costs less than 5 cents a mile for fuel. No problem keeping up with traffic, especially if we take it out of Eco mode. It also appears to have more range than the previous models. We only charge to 80% to save battery and can drive almost 70 miles in urban and suburban traffic.

Much improved, But

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

A lovely new advancement in the 2013. The 6.6 charger really make a big difference, I can charge my mostly empty car in 3hours. I love SL sylings, leather, Bose sound system, and intelligent door locks. A great ride. But little, if any, improvements in range a real disappointment..Edmonds needs to test the 2013 range... And I volunteer my new leaf for the test. JohnL