Car and Driver Test Drive

[sparky]

"Electric Revival: Better not Leaf us stranded" ... wow that's clever.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q4/2011_nissan_leaf_sl-short_take_road_test

Not much new here and they managed only a paltry 2.9mi/kWh. Kinda disappointing.

"Curb weight: 3366 lb "

Highs: As quiet as a monastery, convenient to drive, feels like a real car.

Lows: Range, range, range; disconnected steering.

 

[electriclarry]

Braking?

I'm no longer a regular reader of C&D, R&T or similar.
How would the Leaf's braking from 70 to 0 at 185 feet compared to similar cars ( say a Corrolla, Fit...) or cars with Brimbro brakes?

Thanks

 

[DeaneG]

70-0 braking is typically about 180 feet for an ordinary passenger car, 160-170 feet for a sports car, could be 200 feet for a scary SUV. I may try to fit wider or stickier tires to mine to improve braking and cornering at the expense of efficiency.

 

[EVDRIVER]

Interesting comments on the EPS and very disappointing. (steering)

 

[EVDRIVER]

70-0 braking is typically about 180 feet for an ordinary passenger car, 160-170 feet for a sports car, could be 200 feet for a scary SUV. I may try to fit wider or stickier tires to mine to improve braking and cornering at the expense of efficiency.

That could possibly cost you quite a bit of range depending on the tires.

 

[sparky]

Interesting comments on the EPS and very disappointing. (steering)

Yeah, we keep hearing this from the pro car testers. I drive a Porsche and a Subaru AWD Impreza. I like the steering and road feel in both of these cars. I've driven the LEAF twice and the steering seems more connected than the 2007 Prius (now that felt like casters) but it is very light. My wife hates driving the Porsche and would rather not drive the Subaru. She likes "feather light" steering and I'll bet she'll love the LEAF. I think that type of driver is exactly who Nissan is targeting and I can't fault them for it unless they're gonna call this a Sport Sedan.

 

[evnow]

My wife hates driving the Porsche and would rather not drive the Subaru. She likes "feather light" steering and I'll bet she'll love the LEAF. I think that type of driver is exactly who Nissan is targeting and I can't fault them for it unless they're gonna call this a Sport Sedan.

I expect the steering to be like my Maxima (not sport edition). Feather touch.

 

[garygid]

My wife REALLY liked the light steering, "It's so EASY to drive!", she exclaimed when I asked her how her drive went.

Another driver reported good "centering", increased road feel at higher speeds, and arrow-straight hands-off braking. These are really good things.

With the right speed-modified road feedback, it seems that Nissan would have the best of both worlds.

 

[smkettner]

Steering felt fine to me. I do not plan any autocross or drifting competitions.
It is just meant to be basic transportation and it does that well.

Although I do see many many Prius zoooming around rather aggresively :lol: :roll:

 

[Gonewild]

I like this statement about the car. I thought it was to be a family car?

Acceleration keeps up with traffic but tapers toward the car’s 92-mph top speed. Zero to 60 comes in 10 seconds flat; add 8.7 seconds to hit 80.


I for one will not be driving at 90+ miles per hour. Is that not really speeding? I mean I may do up to 10 over but who are these guys? Do they rate mopeds in the same class as Super bikes on road courses?

 

[evnow]

I for one will not be driving at 90+ miles per hour. Is that not really speeding? I mean I may do up to 10 over but who are these guys? Do they rate mopeds in the same class as Super bikes on road courses?

Yes - poeple like the Car & Driver folks are part of the problem. They are the ones who cheered the relentless persuit of quicker, bigger and more powerful vehicles. That is like cheering for the fatter burgers and not being impressed with the fattening ability of a fresh salad.

 

[Fabio]

C&D loves their SUVs:
http://blog.caranddriver.com/hummer-and-car-and-driver-collaborate-on-the-caranddriver-com-limited-edition-hummer-h2/

Of course they put down the Leaf, they just repeat GM's corporate line on range fears, and are behind the volt...

 

[EVDRIVER]

C&D loves their SUVs:
http://blog.caranddriver.com/hummer-and-car-and-driver-collaborate-on-the-caranddriver-com-limited-edition-hummer-h2/

Of course they put down the Leaf, they just repeat GM's corporate line on range fears, and are behind the volt...

Besides the range FUD the rest was very accurate, in terms of the driving aspects.

 

[sparky]

Besides the range FUD there rest was very accurate,

I don't dispute the accuracy. But one can pick and choose which facts are highlighted. C&D knows it's audience as does Nissan; they're as different as this century and the last. Here's some C&D words about the Tesla.

Highs: Drives like a slot car, open-top fun, nearly silent, women in Birkenstocks dig it

As we all know, you can only get blonds with fake breasts by driving a Camaro.

To our surprise, the Tesla’s range turned out to be a nonissue. It has plenty of reach, either as a daily commuter or for morning coffee runs with the Lotus club. Only people with titanium vertebrae will want to drive more than a couple hundred miles in a sitting.

So, Nissan's mistake was in making the seats too comfortable.

Though fitted with cross-drilled discs and expensive-looking AP Racing brakes, which halt the car from 70 mph in 170 feet, the Tesla would probably get by with Yugo brakes. Regenerative braking—when the drive motor switches itself to become a power generator—slows the car so sharply that you can sail down mountain roads without touching the left pedal. Indeed, for safety, the Tesla has brake lights triggered whenever you lift off the gas. Thus, a small negative for all the cash saved on brake pads is that tailing drivers believe you’ve downed a hockey puck made of codeine.

Codeine hockey pucks?... Where's Dan Neil when you need him?

The Tesla’s charms lie in its otherness relative to ordinary cars. For example, your garage becomes your filling station, self-service only.

Guess the LEAF's charms don't reach that far.

But, I agree that C&D was accurate. The Tesla is an expensive v-dot machine. And that's what they loved (said it makes boys out of men). Maybe I would have learned more about the LEAF's driving characteristics if C&D had a woman do the test drive and left the Ford Mustang to the boys.

 

[evnow]

Besides the range FUD there rest was very accurate,

Not this.

The Leaf isn’t a primary car for most people, even if their driving habits are well within its capabilities.

They just casually toss this at the end without an iota of explanation.

Again no mention of 60% households with multiple cars. How can anyone take such "journalists" seriously ?

 

[tps]

The Leaf isn’t a primary car for most people, even if their driving habits are well within its capabilities.

Not only will the LEAF be my primary car, it will be my only car! I guess I'm not "most people" but I'm sure there are others in my situation. However, I'm sure the LEAF will be the primary car for most people (the car they drive for the daily commute), while a Hybrid or ICE car will be the secondary car. The LEAF is not a "muscle car", nor is it exotic like the Tesla, but there are many who drive more "average" cars as their primary, everyday cars. (But C&D is probably written with a bias toward those who, at least, aspire to drive an exotic car every day.) A major point of the LEAF was to make it an everyday, primary car.

 

[EVDRIVER]

Besides the range FUD there rest was very accurate,

Not this.

The Leaf isn’t a primary car for most people, even if their driving habits are well within its capabilities.

They just casually toss this at the end without an iota of explanation.

Again no mention of 60% households with multiple cars. How can anyone take such "journalists" seriously ?

I was speaking more to the driving aspects, steering. The Leaf will likely be the primary car for most people with a few exceptions.

 

[Jimmydreams]

I like this statement about the car. I thought it was to be a family car?

Acceleration keeps up with traffic but tapers toward the car’s 92-mph top speed. Zero to 60 comes in 10 seconds flat; add 8.7 seconds to hit 80.


I for one will not be driving at 90+ miles per hour. Is that not really speeding? I mean I may do up to 10 over but who are these guys? Do they rate mopeds in the same class as Super bikes on road courses?

They have the same mentality as the designers of the Volt; "we need to design a PHEV, but let's design one that has a top speed of 120!!"

Insert Homer DOH! here.

 

[evnow]

They have the same mentality as the designers of the Volt; "we need to design a PHEV, but let's design one that has a top speed of 120!!"

Volt went the "sport" way mainly because of Lutz. Remember he is the guy who thought AGW was a hoax and under his product planning leadership GM went bankrupt.

 

[cdub]

AGW?

Also - I would have bought the Volt in a heartbeat as a secondary car (TO MY LEAF!) if it was in an SUV or Minivan formfactor.