We Bought A Nissan Leaf Instead Of Tesla: What Were We Thinking?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ย. 2022
- In this video, we're sharing our experience buying a Nissan Leaf instead of Tesla. We discuss the pros and cons of the different models, and give you our honest opinion on what we thought about the decision.
If you're thinking about buying a new vehicle, be sure to watch this video to see what we think about the best options! We discuss the pros and cons of the Nissan Leaf SV Plus in detail, and give you our honest opinion on whether or not this is the right vehicle for you.
Why on earth did we purchase a new 2023 Nissan Leaf EV when I own the most advanced Tesla Model Y Performance? Find out in this video my thoughts on the Leaf as an alternative or replacement for a Tesla.
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Great review but I was surprised that you didn't talk about the e-pedal more. For us it's the best part of the Leaf driving experience and means the brakes will probably never have to be replaced. We work on 10% per hour charging which makes the calculation easier- if we want to charge 40%, we set the timer for 4 hours although I too don't really understand why Nissan couldn't allow you to set an upper limit to the state of charge.
Talking about your teens driving it, my wife is a driving instructor and she bought the Leaf to teach in- her students love it!
Hey that's great to know. Yeah the e-pedal is amazing and we really like it. Good to know about the driving school. The leaf is a easy transition from ICE to EV for sure. Thanks for the kind words.
I have a 2015 Leaf. At the last service/MOT it was pointed out to me that the inside disk surfaces were rusty. That is not surprising since the brakes are hardly ever used. They wanted £450 to replace them all which is ridiculous. It was not a MOT test failure so I declined their offer. Next time I will do a bit of heavy braking prior to the service/MOT. Incidentally they also offered to recharge the Air conditioning. Clearly they do not understand that air con units on ICE cars leak fluid through the rotating drive shaft seal whereas the air conditioning unit is just like your freezer. It is electrically powered and completely sealed and will never need servicing, just like your freezer.
My Leaf has just got up to 50,000 miles and the battery SOH has been 11 bars for ages.
Is there the choice of charging to 80% or 100%?
@@Prodigious1One My 2023 has no provision to set the %.
@@jeffcohoon5488 really? My 2013 has it. I wonder why they didn't keep it for the 2023? Does your car have a charge timer?
My 2017 Nissan Leaf is my work car I average 60 miles a day it's the best thing I ever owned I love it
everytime I drive the leaf it brings a smile. Something simple for sure but its a pretty slick ride. Congrats!
Some reason I can thinks of :) 1) Cheaper 2) Elon is not on one's Christmas card list 3) Used SL Plus is $20k 4) The Wheels 5) just to be a contrarian to all the Tesla fanboy bros 6) Apple CarPlay 7) $169/m lease .......
Some good ones
I just have to say that the Nissan Leaf may be my first EV, but I’m just in love with it. My favorite feature is probably B-mode because it makes me feel like I’m driving a manual lol. Just a lovely vehicle
Totally agree and congratulations!
Honestly, the Nissan LEAF is a great option for people who don't drive long distances or who already have another car capable of long trips. They are some of the most comfortable, well-appointed EVs currently available. For the price, it's hard to be the value. Only the Chevy Bolt EV/EUV comes close.
Agree, that's been our experience. Zero regrets.
@@paulshoover Running with 3rd nissan leaf in my family. These nissan leaf cars gives best value for money. Added more than 130K miles on nissan leaf cars, all together. These cars are best to run-around house with-in 100 miles.
I think so too, leaf for short range trips, train or other car for long range
Agree. Bought a 23 Leaf to supplement my Ford F150. The leaf for round the town driving. The F150 for long trips and recreation.
A very underrated car and that’s due to car pundits who never gives Nissan any due credit for this car and other innovative techs they pioneered.
so true! We love zipping around in the leaf. Brings a smile for sure.
I agree nissan was 1st mass market car but Tesla fans think it was them. I have a 2012 leaf in Columbus Ohio 7.5 years. It would be great to get 200 miles my 24 kwh gets 30 miles and max 73 new
@@markfitzpatrick6692 Now they 200, I didn't watch this whole video yet but I know they do.
@@paulshoover Also what I love about Leaf, compared to Telsa, is has buttons on the wheel! like wtf was Telsa thinking
@@zizzla3887 tesla is 1000% better. The leaf is nice but tesla tech is so far advanced. Ui and otherwise. Tesla wins
Excellent review of the 2022 Nissan Leaf. I drive a used 2015 Nissan Leaf. The range is plenty for my daily commute and I can charge at home on a 110 volt outlet. Yes I am still on the same battery. The heated front and rear seats and heated steering wheel are nice during cold weather. Yes it also has a heat pump. The price was about $7,000 dollars.
Leaf is a pretty solid little EV. Congratulations! I think 110 would do great in virtually all situations.
@Paul Hoover your video mentioned in your video that you only need to replace the wipers and washer fluid, yet you failed to mention the higher tyre wear due to the weight of the electric vehicle, here in the UK electric vehicle only makes sense if you don't drive more than 40 miles return per day.
@@AH1981 Yep and the higher torque, I find I have to replace tires more often on my 2017 Volt than when I used to daily my pickup but I would still take it over a pure ICE or BEV (public charging sucks around here) for my daily commuting appliance since I have a full battery and ~60km of electric range every morning. What I save on almost never having to pay for dino fuel (I might go through about 70 - 80 L a year at the most and that is 90% for road trips) I'll accept taking a few km off my tire life.
Different mentality here in the UK where we cover more miles and electric vehicles are only good for short range travel and we are not heavily subsidised to take up electric vehicles.
@user-yj4rt7bn1o your gas prices help encourage ev adoption. It's compelling economically
Great review. I love my 2023 Leaf. It is an A to B car, but isn’t that what most of us need? I also like that it doesn’t stand out in a crowd.
Congratulations on your leaf! Keep rocking the EV live.
I like flying under the radar sometimes and this little car does the trick! Thank you for the kind words.
I have the very same Leaf you have. I watch the reviews to find features that I didn't know I had and you told me one. Setting the Leaf on a timer to warm the cabin, thank you so much for the tip. Excellent review and I agree with you. One thing that is ironic is that mine has 'HomeLink' but I can't use it because I have no garage or anything else that it would connect to.
Glad you found it helpful with the climate timer. In 2023 Nissan removed some luxury features to save money. Bose, homelink, and leather to name a few.
I'm on my second Leaf. The first was a 2013 24 kWh. I drove it for 50,000 miles. Changed the 12 volt battery and had a new set of tires put on. That was it. The leaf I have now I bought used for $12,000. It's a 2016 Leaf SL 30 kWh. with all the bells and whistles. Leather, Bose Stereo etc. It's pushing 40,000 miles and it still has a range of about 95 miles. It's my wife's car and she drives it everywhere. We call it the grocery getter.
I wish Nissan would show the Leaf some love. All they would have to do is change to CCS charging and throw a liquid cooled battery in. It would sell like hotcakes as there are so many Leaf lovers out there.
Agree with the CCS. I did see that there is a aftermarket blade battery with liquid cooling being offered for the 40 kw battery. No word on 60kw.
Excellent, I have a Leaf and you spoke about it comprehensively and well. A note, your video audio is very soft for the voice and very loud for the music. I struggled to hear every word and was then deafened by any music.
Easy to fix hopefully. Thank you, great video, and I concur, as a second car the Leaf is tops. I do road trip it in a hot climate, just wait 15 mins after rapid charging and don't go too fast then. With battery cooling it would be a wonderful road tripper!
Yes I had issues in post production. It's since been resolved.
This car is very under rated. And I don’t know why. The only reason that I am getting rid of it is the lack of cupholders and the crampy interior. I just love the “one pedal” drive and it handles superbly on the road. It has the Chadamo if I need it, tho I usually charge it at home. I have found that level 1 charging cost me $1 to fill it, meaning that it only cost $20 per month as it does not need charging every day. However, since my solar panels went online my charge is free, as I pay no electric bill. It is dismaying that the other vehicles I am looking at (Kia EV 6 & Niro and Ioniq 5) do not have “one pedal” driving. I will miss that. Thanks for the review. I know your kids are going to love the car.
Thanks - Agree. Look forward to hearing what you decide to get. I'd love to go solar but right now the investment has too long to payback for us to make sense.
Everything i was wanting to know thank you very good review
You ste most welcome.
Totally agree. Great 2nd car and keep battery range between 30 & 80%. Unless you need the extra range. Can't bet the price.
Great buy! Thought about picking one of these up used someday just for local commute.
For one thing you could buy two Nissan leafs for the price of one Model Y. I own the Leaf S Plus and it is great. I can easily go about 225 miles on a charge. I really never have range anxiety. It is very efficient as well . I'm averaging 4.2 miles per kW.
That was our thought as well. Not a premium but it still goes the distance. I have the same experience with range/efficiency. Congratulations!
@@paulshoover Me too. Half the price and it gets 200 miles +. Big boot too.
Pretty cool! 😎
It's a great car. I also got one for my son. Certainly more than enough car for most folk. If I was to moan about it a bit, it would be about nissan and not the car itself. When you think of what the first leaf was and where this latest generation evolved from, nissan was very lazy as this car should be much more advanced in many aspects.
Thank you for the review. I had number 300 of the original batch from 2011. After 11 years, the battery was at 46% state of health. My guess-o-meter would show 41 miles, and I had 6 bars on the day I traded it in. 65870 miles.
It was fun to be on the cutting edge back then. Now, the Tesla is out of my price range.
Maintenance? I only spent money on 12 volt battery, and 2 tire repairs. The 40 mile range would have been adequate for my daily needs, but my purpose for the car was commuting. After I retired, it was time for an upgrade. $3600 trade in on a Ford Fusion PHEV. My electric only range on this car is about 30 miles, but as a hybrid I can go another 600 miles on the gasoline side. Like Morris said in another comment, the longevity of the high voltage battery system is questionable for the long term. The CHADEMO plug is on limited time, as evidenced by the new Nissan EV SUV. It has the CCS plug.
If I were independently wealthy, I would by a Tesla model 3, but the cost of one would equal out to me driving 12 years at $7 per gallon and 185,000 miles to be even with this Ford PHEV. I did not run the numbers on a Nissan Leaf. My calculations were for a Kia EV6 or a model 3. At $57,000 plus 10% tax.
Best wishes for success with the Leaf. My total cost to operate was 0.05¢ per mile.
Great feedback, I also purchases leafspy which gives a ton of data on the HV battery. The cost per mile was my main factor. This is a 3rd car for my wife and soon to be teen driver. I'm not letting them touch a tesla for a few years. Teen drivers = accidents and speeding tickets. Want to make it cheaper when snd keep them safe. Also no gas/maintenance and low operating costs made this a no-brainer.
Excellent breakdown.
Just get a 2019 230 mile SV for $20k used :) prices are dropping. We snatched our 2012 for $4000(+$1000 shipping) with a new 2015 lizard pack in 2017 and just lost a bar in July 2023.
@@paulshooverwhat is Leafspy? We also bought a 2020 pre owned Nissan Leaf with 25k miles on it.
@01Josh01 it's a app you can download and use to get vehicle specific data on your leaf. Check the app store.
I have been charging my 2018 LEAF2.0 (40 KwH ) to full from day one, Now at 82000 miles, no discernable degradation. Very seldom use rapid chargers , normally the 7Kw home charger.
The charge timer is used to set times overnight to take advantage of off peak prices.
Congratulations on the 82k miles of EV life. Thats terrific to have no degradation over that time. We use the timer to limit the full charge. In ohio we have flat rate electricity.
I have the same 2018 40kWh Leaf… love the car! I’ve put about 30k miles on it and my battery is at 90% SOH according to LeafSpy. I also charge it to 100%, however I am conscious about not leaving it at 100% for an extended period of time. I won’t plug it in at night if I know I won’t be driving the next day or if I’m going out of down.
@@justin674 great thanks for sharing b
Love my third Leaf but only as a local transporter. My previous two Leafs had no mechanical issues--none! I went with the Plus model this time but had to wait over 12 moths to get it! Point is a lot.of car buyers like the Leaf!
Nice to hear! Congratulations on the +
@@paulshoover thanks
Paul - We just bought a Leaf (waiting for delivery in a few months😠) and I wanted to thank you for the honest detailed tutorial. It'll come in very handy.
Glad it can help. Congratulations!
Thanks for the informative first-hand account of your experience with your new Leaf SV Plus. Clearly the Leaf is an excellent second car for around town and shorter road trips.
Glad it was helpful!
A good thing about Japanese cars is they have a pretty good record with quality and durability. We have an old 2013 (gen 1.5) LEAF and while there has been over 30% degradation its still a great town runabout. We bought it 4.5 years ago (Japanese second hand import) cheap enough that now it literally owes us nothing (running cost savings over our previous car have equaled purchase price!). My wife loves it.
At the end of last year I looked at getting a LEAF e+ (60kWh) to replace my Toyota Surf. However here in NZ (and at that time) the LEAF was more expensive that the Model 3 RWD (also 60 kWh) and I liked the sportiness of the Model 3, its looks, its battery management, and software features very much. So I went with that and very happy with it.
Nice - great find!
Excellent review of the Nissan Leaf. I watched another review of the Leaf on YT and it was noted that the brakes are very spongey; in that reviewer's opinion the brakes were quite bad. I test drove a Leaf and did not notice any sponginess. I would like to hear your thoughts. Thank you.
Brakes work well. It's not a sports car but they work well. I think they work well. Nothing to write home about they are far from spongy.
I think buyers will like that it’s interior layout and controls are much more like a conventional piston car. The All-Screen Tesla layout is a big turn-off to me. I want some knobs & buttons, I think a lot of drivers will also. Great Review!
I agree. I met a older couple last week that rented a tesla from hertz and upon getting in became overwhelmed and swapped back to a ICE car. The Leaf is a good entry point to the segment. I like the layout. Thanks for the kind words. Will be posting a follow-up to the review soon.
I agree. Knobs and buttons are more difficult to design and manufacture, but they deliver much better UX.
I originally had a 2015 that I bought for $15,000. Technically it was "used" but only had 47 miles on it. Drove it two years. Loved it. Upgraded to a 2019 SV (regular range) with the tech and winter packages, in 2019. I've put 29,000 miles on iwith no problems. Great car. Love the added features of the optional packages. Great size with excellent hauling capacity.
Congratulations! They sure are. Keep on rocking the EV life.
47 miles or 47k?
Great video, I just bought the same color leaf. Love the look with the tinted windows, do you know what % tint was installed?
Congratulations! Tint is ceramic 80% windshield and 40% rest of the way around. Was installed by Zeibart for $600 OTD. They have been tinting my cars for many years and always been happy. Tint makes such a huge improvement in the heat. Cuts electricity consumption by about 15% (as experienced in my Tesla in my Model Y) expect the same in the leaf however have not calculated as Temps dropped shortly after installation.
Congrats, Mike! We have a 2019 Leaf Plus (62 kWh battery) which we bought used just this year, and we love it. Here's our story: th-cam.com/video/k_uW7FCbPxw/w-d-xo.html More on our channel: th-cam.com/video/k_uW7FCbPxw/w-d-xo.html
I'll check it out! Congratulations!
@@paulshoover Thank you!
I have a 2022 SL Plus LEAF. I love it. Looks great. Good acceleration. Your review is accurate. Agree that the charge timer function is a pain... only thing I would add is that, for me, I think the road noise (specially wind noise) is a bit louder than what I was expecting... but is not a dealbreaker specially for the price you pay compared to other EVs.
Thanks for the kind words. Agree with no motor it could be a little
Ore quite.
Great review, Nissan leaf is all about practicality and affordability for most people. Low on technology and not for racing. I had a 2018 sl but sold it and bought a 2013 because I didn't need the big battery. The 2013 battery still has 12 bars. It will be my daughter's in soon.
Could not agree more. Hard for most to understand unless they actually take stock of their actual driving needs and just purchased that. Long road trips, nope. Super fast, Nope, Safe, fun, affordable, yes. We have almost 3k miles and my wife drives every day. School, store, library, local trips, and she is loving it. We've parked her hybrid van till my daughter starts driving because she likes zipping around in it so much.
Excellent honest review from an existing Tesla owner who realizes there are other options out there for any prospective EV buyer and I thank you for that. We do owe the EV revolution to Tesla but now the options are endless.
Well said! I just love cars in general and love seeing expanded options for people to choose from. Tesla is amazing but prices preclude some from experiencing.
One of the best Leaf reviews out there. Thumbs up 👍
Wow, thanks!
Great review. Do you use the mobile app to program your charging? I think there are more options than are presented on the car itself.
Not on the 2023. In the brochure and website they elude to other options such as preconditioning, charging etc,... None of them are on mine. I just have lock/unlock, honk, and flash lights. Pretty dumb and useless IMHO. We have the full connectivity through nissan for a few years "free" so we've got what ever they offer. Not impressed on that front.
Awesome car, has required zero updates or problems. I take mine on trips from free to cheap on charging. I did 1,003 through West Virginia I-77 in September. I run e-pedal off every so often to put wear on the brakes to prevent glazing over and fading from non-use. Great zippy car around town and wonderful on trips and I have standard cruise. 2021 S Plus
Nice!
The e-pedal feature also uses the normal brakes. When it slows down faster than B mode.
I was wondering this myself so stopped a few times with e-pedal on and the brakes got hot.
With normal D-B mode (e-pedal off) the brakes really are not used, unless you brake harder than the motors can by itself.
@@sebastiaanvandevelde6550 agreed, the normal break becomes a bit more blunt when e-pedal is activated. takes a wee bit of time to get used to it.
You need to invest in a smart charger for your home. Chargepoint makes a real nice one that you can put onto a 240 volt circuit. You can even set it up on a 20 amp circuit if you need to. The smart timers and apps can do all kinds of things now. You can convert a 120 volt 20 amp circuit in your home to run 240 volts through it quite easily. I used to do this trick for baseboard heaters quite a bit. You just need to make sure that you get an electrician to help you out.
I'll check it out. Sounds interesting and helpful.
I bought 2023 leaf s 2 weeks ago and love it too
Congratulations!
Paul, thanks for your videos; I’ve learned a lot from you and Kyle at the Out of Spec channels. I’m looking to trade in my 2003 350Z for electric sometime before the tax incentives expire.
I was leaning to the Leaf, but became concerned that the fast charge port is not going to become a standard in the USA. I’m currently evaluating Tesla or a manufacturer with CCS.
Thanks!
Really depends what you want the car for. Road trips I'd go tesla all the time. If you have a 2nd car the leaf could work. I'd not over think it.
Tesla tech is so much better but the leaf is good.
Enjoy! The 350z is a fun car.
recently sold the leaf and now have a new MG5 but what i have found when you compare the two the leaf has so much more useability and more features ...and switches! i hope i have made the right decision .many cars are going away from switches but the leaf has switches and knobs to help access the screen.
Time will tell for sure. My wife drives it daily and enjoys it after 3000 miles. Time will tell and I'll do a follow-up.
Nice job Paul, and it looks like you got a good deal - it's a great EV congratulations.
Thanks 👍
I bought a Tesl model 3, took it back for a full refund within 2 weeks. Very hard ride especially on bumpy roads we get I. The UK 🇬🇧. Bought a Nissan Leaf, it’s a very smooth ride.
Nice, congratulations!
Greetings from the UK. I'm yet to get onboard with an e-car, but our 11 year old Skoda is coming to end of life and seriously thinking of getting a Nissan Leaf. The price is very attractive and I like the look and reliability with Nissan. This review has helped reinforce my feeling that this is the way to go. Cheers!
Excellent! Glad it helped.
Nice video. Did miss the 360 camera, and the size of the boot / trunk?
Great features for sure
My earley Leaf had the option to set 80% or 100% for chaging, just plug in operation. Also an older model Leaf is a good buy, just check the battery condition indidactor. My 2013 has 9 segments out of 12 at 55000 miles. Just love the car around town.
Still at 100% but yes time and conditions will tell the story
Appriciated comments both pro and con. We are looking for the "right" car that matches the needs of an octrogenerican. Specifically, we need a car that is easy to get in and out of and once in provides a clear view of the road. I hope my quest might elicit a few helpful responses. Thanks
Tons of good options. Leaf has a good view. It does sit low so kinda determines what you want.
I drive a 2020 LEAF in Alberta, Canada. I generally like it. however, FWD is proven been challenging for me during winter time (summer is not a problem). Also it’s low ground clearance constantly brushing when there is recent snow
fall and later ice buildup on the road. The one annoying factor though is driver’s feet area gets too cold and only until you get cabin to temperature is just uncomfortable.; My thought its got budget (minimal) trimming around the door and/or under-the-dash area…
Interesting points you raise regarding snow. We have only had a light snow here so will wait and see. Regarding the climate control, this is one area that I think is lacking. It works (hot & cold). I do find it has a hard time deciding how much to heat/cool. Its calibration just seams weird. I have to manually adjust to get the desired cool/hot setting along with fan speed. This is one of my gripes. I'll keep an eye out for the cold feet. ;) Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience.
Nicely done., thanks.
I have a 2011 SL with CHAdeMO. (Yes...I do. Because I bought the Showroom Model; 120K km so far, and expect to swap in a 62kWh battery next month.) Stock, it can charge to 80 or 100%, or I can ballpark the timing, as you did. But the 2023 SV+ doesn't have a charge-to-80% setting? Does the phone-based charging app allow you that control?
Nissan always seemed to be stingy with their batteries as aftermarket products because (I assume) they'd rather you bought a new car.
In any case, good on ya figuring it out.
The app for the leaf is just basic honk, unlock/lock, and flash lights. Nothing to do with charging. The only way to manage charge is via the charge timer. There is not a user operated max SOC selector. A bummer and it feels like you have to choose between just letting it charge to 100% or calculating max SOC and using the charge timer (what we do). We charge to 80-85% when we do charge. 1x every 3 months we go to 100 but have it finish in the AM when we are ready to drive. The reason we do this is to keep the BMS calibrated. Also let it go down to 5% typically when we charge to 100% so the car remembers what it can do. Keep on rocking the leaf!
@@paulshoover Wow...seriously? Nissan have really made the app a lot less functional. Until the telcos killed the 3G antennas, I could start my car charging remotely, set a timer to do so for me, program it when to be ready to be at a certain temperature, and check its charge status. (And to add insult to injury, they went to a less informative and (AFAIC) less attractive instrument panel.
Oh, how the mighty are fallen.
7:53 People who think that there is no maintenance on a Nissan Leaf are misinformed. If you buy new then your dealership may require you to do a regular maintenance scheme to keeps the warranty void. Nissan Leaf still requires brake fluid flushes (as the fluid is hydroscopic) every 2nd year, cabin filter is recommend to replace 1-2 yearly (unless you prefer smelly AC), yes wiper blades 1-2 yearly, full undercar inspections, suspension linkages, bushes, joints, boots, etc, then you should also replace the reduction gear oil every 5 years so the bearings don't fail, also there is coolant flush some say every 30K miles others 125K miles.
Then you will have to replace other items like brake pads, CV joints, suspension shocks, joint bushing, tie rod ends, rust repair especially on roads that use salt, 12V auxiliary battery only lasts 6-8 years and finally if you going to own the car 10 years then there is a degradation of the main battery which after that time you would be in the 50-60's % SOH range, replacement if you're keeping the car or needing the range.
So as owner of 2x Nissan Leaf's for coming up 6 years, who watches TH-cam reviews and they say "they don't need maintenance" line well I need to inform you all, you do!
Otherwise a great review Paul :)
Good points. Nothing is maintenance free. At least not oil, spark plugs, valve cover gaskets, timing belt, trans fluid, etc..
Hi. Just wondering why you didn’t get leather seats as you mentioned you paid for top of the range with all options. Thanks
Good question! They discontinued leather in 22 to see cost. This was the top of the line package in the US at the time of filming.
With our 2016 LEAF SV we get 19% per hour with a 16 amp 240 Zencar Charger. But, battery is at about 21 KW out of the original 30. So there is that. Getting 5.2 miles/kw winter, 5.4 summer. Mostly city driving, around Prescott Valley & Prescott AZ.
Nice, likely that is due to the battery size being smaller. 5.2 is really terrific! Congratulations
We own a 2019 Nissan Leaf and a Tesla Model 3. We use the Leaf anytime we want to take the dog, we are a fan of both cars.
Great idea with the doggio and the leaf.
I am surprised it is so complicated to charge to 80% in your Leaf. My 2012 Leaf allows me to set an 80% limit with the charge timer. I wonder. Why they would remove that feature?
No idea - I read something to do with the EPA was going to lower their EPA rating back in the day so Nissan removed it. Now it has a timer... Just different but once you know the charge rate its simple to manage.
You can also wing-it by remembering that the 62 kWh battery recovers roughly 2% SOC every hour with Level 1 (120V) and will recover roughly 12% every hour with Level 2 (240V). You just have to remember to unplug it.
Part of a court arbitration that ruled 80% was misleading the range.
I have been very impressed with Nissan. I have recently bought. What do you call the Rogue Sport, but here in the UK it is called a Qashqai. It was top of the range, but I had a big discount of about £3000 on the recommended retail. And got it within two months of ordering. Most of the other manufacturers, didn’t come close, as regarding value for money and lead time.
Nice car. Nissan has always made a quality product.
I just ordered a 2023 Bolt today with a thousand dollar deposit and luckily I'm only paying MSRP as well. Hopefully it arrives in the next couple of months. I know that the $7500 conditions are convoluted but I'm hearing that starting January 1st 2023 the Bolt along with a few others will be eligible for the full $7500. After that only $3750will be available because the battery minerals must be sourced in North America. My understanding is the rules governing the $7500 won't be ready until March. At this time my dealership doesn't know the specifics of how this credit will be dispersed. No one really knows. Gr8 vid. 🚙 🇺🇸
Congratulations on the bolt. I think you will like it. our friends had one and loved it. Enjoy the EV life! Thanks for the kind words.
I bought my 22 SV Plus exactly a 1 year now with 15K miles and 96% SOH (Level 2 charging with minimal fast charge). Save a tons of money for our daily commute. The only thing I hate is I'm having a Chademmo anxiety (Not range) for long travel due to the limited charging station so plan accordingly. Overall...I wish I bought this early year when it was introduced.
That's great battery Health. Agree about chademo charging. I just went to EVGo and was impressed they had 2 vs the usual ea 1.
Great video, only "complaint" is sound issues, voice is much lower than the music ;)
Yep still learning the new mic setup. Thanks for the feedback! Keep on rocking MrPicky! 😎
@@paulshoover I've had both generations of Nissan Leaf and it is a pretty basic car that gets you from A to B safely and comfortably.
It is actually much more fun than I thought, and the best bit is that it doesn't need any special servicing. Nothing seems to fail 👍
I have a big 4 door work pick up. I currently use it as my only vehicle for both my work and transit . I'm thinking about a new car .. wondering if EV is right for me??
Could be, if you are looking for a cheep EV the leaf could fit. Several other low cost evs are out there as well, fiat, Chevy bolt, to name 2. All comes down to pricing, availability, and which you think you like.
We are happy with the leaf as a cheep car for our soon to be teen drivers to use.
I have Homelink on my 2018 Leaf. It is in the rear view mirror and works great!
Nice wish they had that as a option. They removed some features from 22 and 23.
It's impossible to get one without a long wait and a substantial dealer markup. A great review of the Leaf.
This is really frustrating for any non-tesla EV. This is one reason why we passed on the bolt when we were considering which A to B car to purchase.
Cochran dealers in Pittsburgh do not mark up
@@daviddufresne7049 Nice - great to know there are a few dealers out there. Several around Dayton and Indi were selling at MSRP.
Nice review
I am a Nissan leaf 2022 and great car
Nice 👍
Any chance finding a ev conversion shop. Modify the leafs battery and add a liquid cooled system?
That would be interesting. Let us know if you find something. Ohio temps are so moderate that this is not a concern here.
We owned a 2019 Tesla Model 3 for 2.5 years the #1 Reason we sold it Everyone thinks we are rich, We hated that experience. We do own a 2015 Leaf bought it when it was 2 years old, Its been a great cheap city car.
Funny how tesla has become a status symbol. With the recent price drop I think it will fade some.
You bought it for, better quality, better customer service, higher off the ground, had a Speedo above the wheel. I looked at a M3 a couple of years ago and went with a Leaf e+. Fantastic vehicle, sold you for a $5k profit and now drive a Lightning. Not a fanboy of St Elon or his cars. Yes, I will join his charging network when it opens, but don’t really care for his cars
Elon is an interesting character for sure. Enjoy the lighting, that's a cool looming truck.
@@paulshoover oh, most interesting dude to be sure, glad he set fires under oem’s. I too have a CT reservation that I made in the first 5 minutes of the reveal, but the vehicle is so weird I could never pull the trigger. More or less a 3/4 PU, just too big. I do have a first day reservation for the Silverado ev, but I really like my current Lightning and it’s styling.
Great review and very informative, but your volume levels were pretty wild in the video. The music was way louder than the commentary. 🙂
Sorry about that. Yep I've fixed in subsequent videos. Thanks for hanging with me.
I was going to buy one this month but there were none to be had and delivery was 6 months out. We could not wait that long and we needed a new car for my wife. We ended up with a Kia Soul for her commuter. In 3 years we are going to get something different. I myself am going to get a later first generation leaf just to run back and forth to work. My commute is shorter range and then I drive a company vehicle all day.
I like the simplicity of the 2015 Leaf up to the 2017 first gen. I am going to get one dirt cheap and get an LFP upgraded larger battery to go back into the older Leaf. Those years are my favorite and in my opinion are the most useful for me.I am also going to DIY a chademo bi directional system for it.
I am a Solar guy.
That's next level on the mods. Hope to see you get those done. The shortage is still real and making it difficult to get. Check and see if they will put you on a list. That's how we purchased ours. Someone else backed out and we took delivery even though we didn't order.
Ps. Congratulations on the Kia Sole. It's a fun car to drive.
I bought my Leaf before I knew that active cooling was even a thing. 5 years later, I am at 67% health and looking at getting the battery fixed under warranty. It is barely usable now and if I didn't also own an ICE, I would be in real trouble.
Glad they are fixing. Did you charge to 100% everyday or did you limit charge to some other amount?
@@paulshoover My leaf is a 2017 with a 30KW battery, i.e. 107 mi range when it was brand new. It is now ~75 mi. With such low range, I have to keep it fully charged. I am not even sure that this old thing has an option for any kind of partial charge, I have never found it.
Do you live in a hot climate? Did you store the car on hot place with 100% charge for long periods? Did you use often fast charging?
You need the BMS software update.
@@davidradzieta6458 Actually, what I need is a new battery. It gave you on me completely on the highway 3 months ago. It has been in the shop waiting for a warranty replacement since then. My local dealer jumped through all their hoops to get a replacement approved but they have yet to "release" one. I can not get any kind of commitment from Nissan as to when I will get a battery. The person ahead of me waited over 6 months to get theirs. Believe me when I tell you that I will NEVER, EVER buy any kind of Nissan again.
I went with the 2023 Chevy EUV. I use it for deliveries and the range is perfect (even in this colder season). The luxury features are also nice for the price point.
The bolt is very nice. Congratulations and welcome to the EV life.
I can relate, because I just recently traded in my used 2015 Nissan Leaf for a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. Having the extra range per charge and faster charging speeds is nice 👌 for longer road trips.
@@jacksonbangs6603 100%. I had a 2017 before but I was considering the Leaf as my first car too. I ultimately went with the Bolt because it had better battery heating/cooling and more longevity with the winters here.
@@Sophia-vk5bq I should also be getting a new battery in my 2020 Bolt because of the battery recall by LG Chem. In the mean time the current battery is still doing fine and offering better range than my old 2015 Nissan Leaf. Thank goodness GM is taking some responsibility for their EV batteries.
@@jacksonbangs6603 Yeah I got the replacement in my 2017 too, it made a pretty big difference in range.
Smart choice. Pure genius.
We are still happy with our choice.
Setting a timer bit ne on the a$$ a couple of times when my EVSE tripped its internal breaker and didn't auto reset. I got up to find my car didn't have charge enough to go to work.
Lucky for me the car charged from 20% to 100% in 3.5 hrs.
Agree, it's only a option if you want it.
Absolutely love mine , the E pedal is fantastic.
Agree!
love the seats -uber comfy
I agree, they are super comfortable. Dare I say Almost sporty.
Paul, did you also get a state rebate and a rebate from your electric company. If so what was your out the door price?
No state rebate here. 43,700 out the door, car, tax, tag title, etc... in that we had the car ceramic coated, mats, and a few other accessories we wanted. Those were a extra 1800 for context.
Also remember thr leaf for 2022 is eligible for the 7,500 federal tax credit. This was a key factor for us. Why not wait till next year and then get one of the other cheap evs? We are excluded from best years tax credit so timing this year was important. Only a few met the tax credit and were "cheap" enough to make sense for us.
Hope this helps.
Thankyou Paul, i was engrossed! I have a 1st gen leaf and love it for around town. Am quite envious of the price you pay in the US. In Aus it's AUD$65K (USD$43.5K) for the same model. The other issue i have is a moral one, buying from a company that still heavily promotes horrible SUVs and giant utes which makes cities filthy and roads unsafer. But i still admire Nissan as an ev pioneer, so a true dilemma.
I get it. Thanks for the kind words.
I see a lot of comments on lack of maintenance, I've a 2021 Leaf SVE (SV+) in Ireland, dealership wants to see me every year which surprised me as my last Mini Countryman dealership told me to come in when car tells me which was 3 years later, so are they just money grabbing? €125 for them to do a battery health check and recommend wipers.
Sounds like a money grab. You can do wipers yourself. Beyond that what do you need?
Good review BUT a couple of things jumped out. I had Homelink on my 2019 SL 40KW but I guess that went away on the SV for 2022 and later. However, Homelink has not been included on a Tesla M3 or MY since 2019. It's now a $350 option. Yes, charging with the timer was not fun, but I had a system to charge for 3 hours Monday - Friday from 1-4 am for my weekday commute. I aimed for 80 to 85% charge. Worked out fine. Your 11% per hour might work for you but charging is not linear. The car was very quiet and the ride was great. What I don't miss is the yearly battery check (required at the time for the battery warranty), it is NOT listed on the maintenance schedule. I had a 2-year lease, so I did not worry about having that done. In theory, if you don't pay for the yearly battery check, your battery warranty is in jeopardy. My local Nissan dealers were pretty much clueless and I live in Middle TN (where Smyrna is!). I pulled into service just to have the tires rotated. The nice lady that greeted me at the curb asked if I was there for an oil change. I said it was electric. She did not know that meant no was the correct response on the oil change. Lastly the radio did have HD FM but the Bose system with subwoofer was sub par. The car was very comfortable and fun to drive with actual controls like knobs and switches. E-pedal is great, I used it daily, even on I40. It's perfect for a daily commuter.
I think it will be VERY interesting in a couple of years when NACS (Tesla's connector) is supported on Ford, GM, and a bunch of others and Tesla's Superchargers are maxed out with other brands charging. The often stated selling point of a Tesla having exclusive access to their own charging network will be gone.
They took off some features to keep costs down.
FOR HEALTHY BATTERY, TRY TO KEEP IT 30 TO 80 PERCENT
Good call
Didn't Nissan Leaf have 2x Drive goes to B mode or something? like pull back and pull again back and it chances from D to B ? I don't have Nissan Leaf, I can't test it.
Yes it has "D" & "B". B only works when eco pedal/one pedal driving is turned off. Otherwise no noticeable difference in driving, acceleration or braking.
Think it's like putting your car in a low gear for those who are not using one pedal driving.
"B" mode engages a higher level of Regen. "D" mode also provides Regen but much less aggressively. Otherwise they're essentially the same.
How do you charge it at home? Do you use the Tesla charger, dedicated 240V outlet? We have a Nema 14-50 and use the Tesla mobile charger for our MYLR. Thinking now how we will charge our incoming Leaf. Our reason for getting the leaf mirrors yours exactly!!
I use a tesla to j1772 adapter. The one I use is Teslatap mini 80a. There are multiple tesla to j1772. I went with tesla tap so it would be small and well built. Works perfect and have had zero issues. We have 2 tesla wall connectors hard wired and load balanced on the same 60a circuit. Your 15/1
50 with the tesla mobile connector will work. That said I would just use the mobile connector that comes with the leaf & plug into your 14/50 outlet. Either way with a adapter or the leaf mobile connector they both work perfect.
www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=146
@@paulshoover Thanks for the input. I will probably just use the Tesla MCU and an adaptor as I have heard plugging and unplugging into the 240 outlet is not the best. We only have one 240V outlet in our garage
@@stanlipnowski7749 This will work well. They also sell these switches that allow 2 devices to be plugged into the same outlet however only 1 can operate at a time. Just a second option. Something like this. ev-lectron.com/products/lectron-nema-socket-splitter-power-your-ev-charger-and-high-powered-appliance-from-the-same-outlet-nema-14-50-to-nema-14-50-nema-14-50-splitter?variant=40163649880110&adpos=&scid=scplpshopify_US_6855666663470_40163649880110&sc_intid=shopify_US_6855666663470_40163649880110&gclid=Cj0KCQiAlKmeBhCkARIsAHy7WVsZ2kbDFDtzwcy9nCQZg7pPs_niXEfK6bJ09O8HJDSscWmY03pcMnEaAtVQEALw_wcB
@@paulshoover Thanks!!!! Never knew this was an option......
Did they change the battery cooling system. One of the reasons they don't sell much here as it gets hot as in over 100 degrees for most of the summer. Early Leaf autos could not do well and batteries degraded to quickly.
I believe it's air cooled.
Ohio does not get too hot in the summer.
Agree if you live in super hot climates I'd think twice.
Here is a good article on the life of the nissan leaf: cleantechnica.com/2022/09/21/surprise-nissan-leaf-batteries-last-much-longer-than-expected/
I am 6.2 ft guy, how does the space measures up against my height ? Wonderful review
Thanks so much. I'm 6'1" and no issues. Still have room to move back and kids 13&14 have no issues with me up front. The steering wheel telescopes which also helps gain a comfortable driving position.
@@paulshoover thank you for prompt response. Your review really made me seriously consider this car. Happy holidays
Did you consider a Bolt? Similar price and size?
Not really. It's a nice car. Not eligible for tax credit in 2022. Plus dealers were marking up 5-7k above msrp. These two reasons why we didn't consider. The mark up is was really turned me off from GM.
@@paulshoover thanks. I've seen recent stories they are discounting it now perhaps to match the IRA so seems those price hikes misfired.
I'm on the fence because I don't think they're doing the full tax credit right now. Some websites are saying you should get 3750 credit but the nissan site says nothing.
Go off the irs website.
Now there are point of sale tax credits.
I think it makes sense with tax credit, although selling it before the warranty ends would be prudent imo. I'm lookin at a hybrid Rav4 or Venza because a 930 mile trip one way to see family. I take my dog so not flying... I like the drive.
The rav4 and venza are great! If road tripping I'd go with hybrid.
I don't know why Nissan removed the ability to set the max charge. I had a first gen Leaf that I was able to set it to 80%. My son had one also, but his didn't have that ability. Leaf battery issues killed the deal for me and my son. Without active battery management I won't buy another Leaf. The car was solid built, reliable, and worked well for local commuting to work and local in city shopping etc. Not a road trip car with the Gen 1 Leaf. We were happy with the cars in that context.
We on average lost 30% during the winter with our Leaf cars if we were very very careful about using the heat. Heated seats are a must.
The battery degradation was a serious factor for us. Prices were reasonable back when we bought ours. Prices are just insane now for used EV's. No way I will spend what they are asking when I can buy a new Bolt now for 27-30k. I have been looking at used EV's and they are totally disconnected from reality price wise. So you are probably better off just buying new.
You can't compare other EV's to a Tesla. That is a completely different league and a couple of generations of technology ahead. But we are not talking about spending "Tesla money" for a Leaf or a Bolt. The Bolt is the value buy right now, but they have messed up their software for charging. GM needs to get that sorted out or the Bolt is a no go if you need to be able to DCFC and they are still slow to DCFC.
The Leaf needs a serious refresh. I am glad you are enjoying your Leaf. EV's are nice when used within it's design constraints. Very convenient to just plug it in daily and not have to think about it.
Agree the bolt is nice. You make many good points and agree that cheap is relative.
Make it a good one!
I've had a 2011 Leaf for 20 years. Excellent car. Note, my car has a charge timer AND a option to charge to 80%. Curious that they dropped that feature.
10 years...
No ide why they dropped the limiter.... Congratulations on 10 years!
@@paulshoover LOL, I litterally have one bar left. About 14 miles...
@timfrench9391 😆 time for a new battery or a new car? Interested did you charge to 80 or 100% most of the time?
You must have gone back to the future 🤣
The range is the only thing that bothers me a little. My '17 Leaf only gets 75 miles at full charge. Charge is on the way to work so a perfect A to B car. It also bothers me that I have heard that they have not figured out how to put more miles on the new batteries for my '17 Leaf so even if I put a new battery in, I won't get more range. That's my only issue.
agree with that little range it would be concerning. So far zero degradation for us but time will tell. I'll keep you all apprised.
Since you have a 2017, it still has the battery degradation warranty so if you qualify your battery will be replaced with the bigger 40kWh and your range will go up. I am looking into buying a2017 with the battery recently replaced and charged to 77% it displays 133 miles. Worth taking it to the dealer and seeing if your car qualifies.
I did have a 2015, only regret was not doing my research or I would’ve purchased a 2016SV/ any 2017 and getting battery swapped under warranty. I sold it this month to now get the 2017 with an upgraded battery.
The model Y is a much larger vehicle, however, the Nissan leaf is far more reliable.
Agree with the size. Consumer Reports rates the leaf in terms of reliability and they note its well above average. Above the Tesla Model Y. Again I own both so get the differences.
@@paulshoover yeah my wife drives our Model Y Performance and I drive a Model 3 Performance. I was considering getting the Nissan Leaf instead of the model 3, but I love the teslas tech.
Nissan leaf is definitely a wonderful and reliable vehicle regardless.
I don't think the Y is very reliable. My wife's late 2021 model only has 25k miles on it and already, we have had to replace the battery pack.
So how much did your home Electric Bill increase since you bought the car?
Thats a difficult one. Around the same time we installed a new high efficiency AC and also installed shades/blinds. In short has not changed due to the above items. Here is what is "costs" to charge. electricity costs $0.104/kw. Around town we get 4 miles per kw (so around 0.025 cents per mile). The rated range highway and city is 3.73 miles per kw so combined EPA driving around 0.0325 cents per mile). So to "fill" the car from 0%-100% $6.24 to fully charge (60kw battery size). Let me know if this helps. It all depends on driving distance & conditions but I think of it around $6 to full charge and then we get 224 miles +/-.
That is a sharp looking car
Thanks so much. We are enjoying it. Perfect commuter car.
i didn't buy a tesla specifically and only because they don't have enough infrastructure in place. it's that damn chicken/egg problem. i am buying a leaf now because it has everything the tesla has except the "coolness" and it's so much smaller, but there are nissan dealers everywhere who can fix leafs (leaves?) iffin they break down. I also saw reviews saying teslas are VERY expensive to fix if body panels get damaged.
My friends dad owns a body shop and he said the same thing. Thus far the tesla has had zero issues but it is a car and cars are mechinical and at some point something will happen. I've got 25k in 10 months of ownership. The leaf I love because of its cost. Its fun and cheep to operate. The dealer being close is a bonus. That said Tesla just put a service center around 15 miles from us so its now I toss up. Hope neither need to go for service beyond normal maintenance (tires etc...).
Happy with my 2018 Tekna 🇬🇧
They are great ones!
Good review. I test drove the 2022 Nissan Leaf here in NZ but unfortunately I hated the old fashioned Foot Park Brake that it has and the manual seats! Also the old infotainment didn't impress me. Here in NZ the Nissan Leaf is $74,000 and the Tesla Model 3 is $74,200 so there is no comparison as to which car is the best value for money and its not the Leaf.
At that price I would agree. On a side note my family is in NZ right now and loving it. Beautiful country and people. Enjoy the EV life.
Wow. In the UK the model 3 is about £17000 more than the Leaf. In the UK the 2022 Leaf has an electronic parking brake.
Price of a new Leaf in Australia is about the same as a Model 3, so not competitive. Not sure why Nissan have done that here, but it’s a shame. If it was $10k cheaper I’d probably buy one.
@@jimf4748 we have the electric parking brake here in the US.
@@paulshoover Here in NZ for a new Nissan Leaf you pay $72,990 + ORC which brings it to about $74,000 and for a new Tesla is $74,200 incl ORC and with the Tesla you get much more range and much better specs. The Leaf here also has a silly Foot Brake which is terrible to use and only has manual adjusting seats which for me is no good as I a short and can't get a good driving position, I need electric seats in my car. Nissan needs to get with it and get rid of the foot brake and add better specs for that price!
Leaf doesnt have active cooling of its batteries and if you want to charge the car after a long drive charging speed will be extremely low …
Do you know something abt that issue ?
This is correct. We do not DC fast charge thus this does not apply to us. We charge at home & just drive around town.
@@paulshoover what is the ave electricity consumption per mile/km
@@AndroBoy17 4.4 miles per Kw
Just got an EUV WOW these electric cars they are starting to come out with are amazing.
Congratulations, the euv is a nice car! Enjoy the ev revolution
I bought one Nissan Leaf SV plus 2024 !Awesome car and affordable
Good choice!
I drive a 2022 sv plus and put 30k+ a year on it already at 27k in 8 months... I'm hoping the battery last the duration of the loan. If these ev batteries last that long ill be happy with my purchase.
Wow that's some miles. You are really saving on gas with those miles.
Great choice
Thanks!
Would be interesting how the battery degradation plays out. Isthe battery water-cooled battery or air cooled?
Air cooled
Our 2011 we got per pandemic for $5k still has 11 bars and get about 68 miles if you're not too pedal happy. Our Japan made model lacks some sound deadening but it suits us for around town. Of course when the temps drop to 25F and below longer trips get tricky but of course this is not our only car :) My buddies buys one every year for tax breaks. I do with they had longer range but we'd go with the model Y 330miles then but $60k is just too much to pay - no car play too!
😆 funny how people have to have car play. I don't miss it with the Tesla UI.
Tesla model Y really gets about 260 miles.
This was before the tesla massive price drop. Still leaf is a good deal
Yep
I would travel since I'm not addicted to convenience. Actually the dealer wants to check the battery and at least change the reduction gear fluid.
I have had no battery heat issues with my 2014 Leaf. Living in Oregon keeps the battery cool enough. At 121,000 miles the battery is at 75 percent and I have at least 60 miles range. All I need is an average vehicle.
Nice
Good review...but what happened to your actual audio? The intro music was clear and loud, but you were very muffled!
Yep had some sound issues in post. Resolved know.