2016 NISSAN Leaf

Fun travel

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: Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: Technology Rating: Value Rating: 5

and quiet

Don't be shocked! It's a great electric 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: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

I leased my 2016 LEAF about 900 miles ago and I have to say I'm "shocked" at how great it is. It's the SL version which means it's fully loaded with all options. The car is well built and very solid. With all the incentives, I got a great deal and will be able to buy it in a few years at an awesome price. Fully charged, it is capable of 125 miles. This is plenty for my daily 40 mile round trip commute. I installed a 240 V level 2 charger myself with not too much difficulty. I'm fairly handy and have a newer home with 200 amp service and spare breakers. I bought the NISSAN charger or EVSE online. I charge the car on early Wedsnesday mornings and again on Sunday mornings during off peak hours. It charges from empty in less than 5 hours but I usually only need about 3 and a half hours to go from 20 miles to about 110. It costs me about 2 bucks per charge. This is easy to do beacuse it's fully programmable. It's incredibly loaded with technology that makes it fun to drive. While searching for an alternative vehicle, I drove the VOLT and Prius. I was not impressed with either one. The VOLT has hardly any rear headroom and is a joke for tall people to sit in the back plus it's a true four seater at best. The Prius was interesting but seemd to lack any pep. The LEAF is decievingly large inside due to its height. It also has great acceleration due to its torque from the electric motors. Driving an electric car is a unique experience. It's silent and smooth. There is no drag when using the A/C and no strain from a gas motor. It accelerates effortlessly, quietly, and smoothly. I don't have trouble with range because there are many chargers available in my area plus at any NISSAN dealer. I still have gas cars for long trips though. But, I don't travel much anyway. I love pulling into my garage silently, having no motor to heat up the garage, no smells from oil and exhaust etc. It requires no maintenance except tire rotations. No belts, exhaust, oil etc. I'm no hypermiler either- don't have to be- I use the climate control liberally, drive at normal speeds on the highway every day, plus I'm a car guy and own a classic musclecar which I drive pretty hard on the weekends. I guess I'm not the typical electric car owner but it's just a blast to drive the LEAF. It has a nice sized hatch area for groceries unlike the Honda Fit. The electronics are intuitive and easy to use. The nav is great and the Bose sound is very good. I would say to anyone on the fence, examine your driving practices and see if it's for you. I should add that the build quality is exceptional and the materials are excellent. I am VERY picky with cars and don't have any major cons for this car. I will say that the center armrest could be improved by making it adjustable to slide forward. There is a little more wind noise than I like but it's a smaller car. There is no lock on the glove box. There should be courtesy lights for rear passengers. I hope this review helps you.