Nissan Leaf - Oppopinions?

"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich) 12/30/2014 at 10:11 • Filed to: oppopinions

0

38

It just occurred to my wife and I that we will likely be needing to get her something different to drive in the next year or so. We recently had our first child, and getting the car seat in/out of her car (a 2000 2-door Cavalier) isn't the easiest right now. Eventually our daughter will need a different car seat - one which doesn't just snap in/out, but requires her to be strapped in. This means my wife will have to climb in there facing the car seat - not an easy task when the front seat only folds/slides so far forward. I've been digging the idea of a plug-in hybrid, and I just noticed today how cheap the used Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) are getting. I saw one in my area down to about $21k.

Our requirements for a new (to us) vehicle would be:

1. Must have a large trunk/hatch - large enough to fit a folding stroller.

2. Must be better than her current vehicle on gas (which has probably been averaging ~26 MPG).

I'm not worried about range with the Leaf because she'd mostly be driving around town, and for any longer trips we'd use my car (a 2001 Civic).

I also kind of like the idea of the Nissan Juke AWD. It seems like it actually has quite a bit of ground clearance and a decent AWD system. I'll admit - when I first saw the Juke I thought it was hideous, but it's really starting to grow on me. It'd be a bit cheaper than the Leaf, but it looks like it doesn't have nearly the same trunk/hatch space, and the rear doors seem small, which could mean it is difficult to get a child in/out.

Anyway - what does everyone think of the Leaf? I know it's sort of the anti-vehicle around here, but for those of you who have driven one - how was it?

My citroen won't start > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:16

0

Well, if you are looking into hybrids and need some space, why not a Prius V? You can get one for as low as 14k.

Leon711 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:19

0

if you were not in North America you could have the leaf's sexier cheaper french cousin.

OPPOsaurus WRX > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:20

0

i think if you drive a WRX like a wimp you can get 26 mpg. I really wouldn;t go any smaller than a WRX. I'm not sure how the Leaf compares (i'm guessing it might be smaller) but we have a double stroller and it just barely fits in the hatch. My wife loves her Escape. It has AWD and a V6 and can get out of its own way. It has plenty of room for what we've needed. I would say go with something slightly larger. Do you have 1 or 2 kids? The big problem we're having now is if we want to go anywhere with other people we automatically have to take 2 cars which sux. Have you considered something with more seats? I'm thinking a Flex will be my wife's next ride in a few yrs once the WRX is paid off. I understand the keep it small and efficient but some people do need more seats and that may be your wife.

Jcarr > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:20

0

My main concern with the Leaf would be size. We have a 9-month old and in the few weekend trips we have taken with him I have been shocked by how much stuff gets dragged along. We have a MkV Jetta and 2004 Envoy and the Envoy is the undisputed choice when we travel with him because we just can't fit everything in the Jetta.

My $.02

BaconSandwich is tasty. > My citroen won't start 12/30/2014 at 10:21

0

If I'm going to go the electric route, I either want to go full electric or plug-in hybrid. The Prius plug-in hybrid has an abysmal electric-only range.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Leon711 12/30/2014 at 10:21

1

I thought the Zoe required a monthly battery rental fee? Kind of defeats the purpose of owning an electric car for the sake of lower monthly cost...

Leon711 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:24

0

it's £25/$40 per month, it would suit my needs as I only travel 250 miles a week and spend nearer £200 per month on petrol.

Margin Of Error > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:24

0

You can get one of these bad boys, slightly used, for much less

My citroen won't start > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:28

0

The I'd say Chevy Volt or Honda Insight.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > OPPOsaurus WRX 12/30/2014 at 10:29

0

I generally thought the prices on used Subarus were quite a bit higher - especially on something like a WRX. Perhaps I'll have to take a look.

We currently have just one child, but we definitely want to have at least one more. I have been looking around at other three-row vehicles, including the Chevy Orlando. They are quite inexpensive, aren't too bad on gas, and have three rows of seats (although a very tiny space between the third row and the rear door). I've heard good things about the Flex - in particular tuning that Ecoboost to some nice horsepower numbers.

Thinking about how my parents did it, they had a Buick LeSabre station wagon with 8 seats, and a Malibu with 5 seats. When we all needed to go somewhere we took the wagon, and when only some of us needed to go somewhere, we took the Malibu. I can imagine a similar situation if we end up having three children - one larger vehicle, one smaller vehicle.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Jcarr 12/30/2014 at 10:31

0

Oh, I'm beginning to see how space is an issue as well! We went to my in-law's for Christmas - just an overnight stay. My car (the Civic) was impressively full. I suppose it also doesn't help that I usually carry around a snow shovel, full-sized spare, fire extinguisher, etc., but still.

The trunk/hatch on the Leaf actually looks pretty large. I suppose if it also comes down to it, there's the option of a roof-top carrier. The thing about the Leaf, though, is that it would only be used for around town driving. If we were going somewhere further, we'd take my Civic. Perhaps eventually we'll replace the Civic as well, but that won't be for a few more years.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:32

0

I've driven the Leaf for some reviews previously and came away loving it. It's surprisingly quick, well packaged and dare I say fun to drive. One consideration is cold weather range. I live in Canada where severe cold (-25 C) can lower the range by 50%. That's sort of a deal-breaker for me but if you live in a warmer clime then I highly recommend checking one out. If you have any questions about the car or the driving experience, let me know!

OPPOsaurus WRX > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:42

0

yea exactly. I know the Subaru Dealer up the street from my house has both 2014 and 2015 WRX's on the lot. I bet you could get a 14 for a good deal but they do hold their value. My kids (2.5 yrs) love riding in it. i really think (especially with 3) you'd need more than 5 seats. The Flex Ecoboost is only like 1/10th a second to 60 slower than the WRX.

E92M3 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:44

0

You can lease a new one for $199 a month. Damn good bargain. I've been thinking about getting one. Would almost pay for itself in gas savings.

deekster_caddy > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:55

0

The Leaf is a fine EV. I'm not sure if they addressed the early complaints about battery life in hot climates. I'm a big fan of the Volt because of it's freedom - the range on the Leaf would be limiting. But if you live in an area where public chargers are plentiful and accessible then it's a different story.

Get a zipcar account just to have an alternative ready to go for those days when everything was going as planned but your daughter's school calls midday bacause she put a ring on her finger that's too small and she needs to have it cut off at the ER and suddenly you are urgently tripling your normal milage for the day...

deekster_caddy > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:57

0

Yup. My Voltseats 4, which fits our family perfectly. But often we have one or two mothers to bring and end up taking two cars. Still cheaper than taking my old Yukon XL...

jariten1781 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 10:59

0

I've got a co-worker who has a Leaf and another with a Volt. After taking a couple spins in both of them...they're both, um, cars. It's actually pretty transparent driving them. I'd probably go with the Volt personally because range extension seems like a 'why the hell not?' kind of a thing if you're choosing between not having it and having it for about the same price. Both of the guys love their respective vehicles so it's really a personal preference thing in my experience.

One thing about the Leaf is that it requires yearly or 15k mile brake fluid changes (Volt is 150k miles) or you can end up with frozen calipers. Apparently a lot of the owners aren't doing that even though it's in the service schedule and there have been failures. Evens out the maintenance costs when you throw in the Volt oil changes.

Also, both of them devour tires.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > deekster_caddy 12/30/2014 at 10:59

0

I have considered the Volt as well. I'm hoping that the announcement of the new Volt will help drive used prices down. It looks like it is possible to pick up a used Volt for <$20k, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Trunk space on the Volt also seems decent.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 11:05

0

I have a friend who has a Leaf and he really loves it for what it is. He and his wife had their first child about a year ago. He DD's a 911, and she had a 3 series. The 911 doesn't baby, and the 3 series was too small, so he traded that in for an X5 35d. They love the X5 but he said he wasn't crazy about the fuel mileage. It's better than gas, but diesel is more expensive around here, so he wasn't seeing a benefit. When he saw the Leaf lease for $199/mo he jumped on it. His wife works a few days a week, not far away, so she commutes in that, and on the days she's off it's perfect for her and their daughter. Now the X5 is relegated to long road trips for all 3 of them. He says the Leaf *almost* pays for the fuel they save by his wife not DD'ing the X5.

I don't have kids, so take that for what it's worth, but I do love my Cruze. It's got 4 doors, reasonably large back seat, and a spacious trunk. With the 1.4L turbo 4 it's got some pep and returns great gas mileage, and should be right around $20k.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > deekster_caddy 12/30/2014 at 11:05

0

... not that that sort of thing happens, though, right? :P

From the reading I did a while back, the battery life in hot climates was within the bounds that Nissan had expected. Given where we live (Southern Alberta), I don't think getting too hot is an issue. More the opposite.

I might have to do some more thinking about a Volt. One issue I do have is finding one. No one up here seems to have heard of it, let alone sells it. I'd likely head down to California and buy one down there and bring it up. That means I'll be taking a hit on the exchange rate and import duty, but it still might be worth it.

Alex B > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 11:08

1

My family has a 2013 SL in the fleet. It just hit 15k miles today actually! It's a perfect car for everday use... It's surprisingly practical and the interior is pretty spacious for what it is. My older brother who is 6'1" fits in the second row rather well. I wrote a small write up about it:

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/2013-nissan-le…

Hope this helps!

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/30/2014 at 11:14

0

That's pretty crazy. Sounds like your friend has some pretty good automotive taste. We'd probably outright purchase the Leaf if we were to get it, rather than lease. Right now my wife doesn't do a ton of driving, so the Leaf would be fine for range, and the cost of running it would be (or should be) significantly lower than her Cavalier.

I think the Cruze is a pretty sharp looking ride. I know they make a diesel one as well, but from what I remember reading, it wasn't worth the inflated price.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > E92M3 12/30/2014 at 11:17

0

We'd probably buy it, as opposed to leasing. We tend to keep things until they are pretty much done for. To use the adage: "Use it up. Wear it out. Make due, or do without." Right now the Cavalier has around 220,000 km on it, and the Civic is around 230,000. Now that we've got our little one, I suspect I'll be driving less - no long summer road trips, so it'll still take a few years to get it up past my goal of 300,000 km on it. Even then, I'll probably drive it until it completely falls apart.

Our original goal was to get a Tesla in 10 years (that goal was set a year ago, so only 9 more years to go!). By then, either used prices will be low enough or the Model 3 will be out.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > OPPOsaurus WRX 12/30/2014 at 11:24

0

Given how sales of the Tribeca have tanked, I would have thought a person could pick one up for cheap, but so far I haven't seen any impressive prices on them.

I own dead car brands only > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 11:30

0

I would go for the volt. It has a ice that extends the range and you still can plug it in. Plus it looks far better than the leaf.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 12/30/2014 at 11:39

0

Yeah, I'm in Canada as well - Southern Alberta. It's generally not too bad down here, but we do usually get at least a week or two of -25. Even with 50% of the range, I'd think it would still be enough to run around town doing errands.

What part of the country do you happen to be in?

BaconSandwich is tasty. > My citroen won't start 12/30/2014 at 11:40

0

If I'm going to go for something, I'd prefer it to be either totally electric or a plug-in hybrid. As far as I know, the only plug-in hybrid that Honda offers is the Accord, and its electric-only range is pretty low - like barely into the double digit miles.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > I own dead car brands only 12/30/2014 at 11:41

0

Both definitely valid points. The only thing that scares me about the Volt is the added complexity of having both an electric setup and an ICE. More moving parts, more to go wrong. So far I haven't heard any reliability horror stories, so I guess that's something.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Margin Of Error 12/30/2014 at 11:43

0

True, but I'm trying to lower our monthly gas bill, not increase it. :P

Definitely a ton of trunk space though.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Leon711 12/30/2014 at 11:44

0

I really don't like the idea of a lease. It does sound like it could suit your situation, though. What are you currently driving?

Leon711 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 11:45

0

mx-5 so not tremendously thirsty.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 11:49

0

I recently moved from Calgary to Toronto so I'm familiar with both climates haha

BaconSandwich is tasty. > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 12/30/2014 at 12:49

0

Hah! Nice. I used to live in Calgary as well. I have family out that way (Toronto). I haven't been out that way in 10+ years though.

deekster_caddy > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 15:19

0

Trunk space is decent and the rear seats fold down for the occasional Very Large item (like a modine 100,000 btu heater for my garage) or load of lumber...

deekster_caddy > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 15:23

0

I know there are Volt owners in Canada, several on the forum (gm-volt.com). Good to learn about how it does in cold weather too - it's pretty well designed in that when it's below freezeing it will cycle the engine to produce heat. If you are anti-gas use and drive short distances there are some people who figured out how to trick the outside temp sensor to prevent the emgine from running!

BaconSandwich is tasty. > deekster_caddy 12/30/2014 at 15:43

1

Hah, nice! That's one thing the Civic does surprisingly well - with the rear seats down I can fit 8 ft long boards entirely inside the car. They run from the rear of the trunk almost right up into the center console, but they fit!

I have heard about the engine cycling for heat as well. I believe you were the one who mentioned it as well, that the 2013 model year had a feature where you could select a lower temperature where the engine would kick in for heat.

deekster_caddy > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/30/2014 at 15:47

0

Yup that was me. I remember that now... It's hard to remember sometimes if I already had this conversation with someone!

BaconSandwich is tasty. > deekster_caddy 12/30/2014 at 16:10

0

Don't worry - I know the feeling. And I'm not even that old yet!