In my opinion, based on experience, the Leaf is a pretty terrible vehicle to own if you have any significant winter driving to do because its range is ghastly when it's cold out and you're using the heat.
I know the newer leafs are capable of slightly better range than the older, but in New York state where I live
I was able to hit turtle on my 2012 Leaf, on a 100% charge with all 12 bars one winter day last year ~ 35 miles. The despicable range of the Leaf in the winter is the only reason I got rid of it.
When the car is cold soaked (batteries start very cold) and temps are in the single digits, and you're using the heat liberally (the day I turtled I had heat on max all day--not because I was trying to kill the range, but because I decided I was going to refuse lowering heat to enhance range) winter range is horrendous. My driving on that particular day was averaging speeds of about 30 mph, basically suburban driving with a little bit of traffic, but nothing too bad.
Personally I would not buy a leaf if I wanted it to reliably make 59 miles in CT in the winter, because I don't believe in 2015 we should be setting cabin heat down just to help cover the weak range of a vehicle. Also, that 59 miles could end up being a long drive indeed in the middle of inclement winter weather. One could find oneself creeping along at 5 mph with the heat on bust in 4 F temps, and that is annihilate range of even a brand new Leaf, guaranteed.
I do think that for people in winter climates the Leaf is not a car I would recommend until Nissan has increased its range at least 50%. That would allow a person during the entire lease of their vehicle to reliably make 50 miles in winter driving when the car starts cold and the occupant isn't expected to freeze to death.
It's been hinted, but I'll just state it outright: you will have no trouble with the proposed use of the car, if you *simply slow down to 60MPH*. Feel free to go 65-70MPH downhill, but otherwise just get used to driving in the right lane at 60, and the car will work fine, for years. Slowing down, BTW, is always faster than L-2 charging.
In my experience this advice would be insufficient to make 59 miles on a particularly cold day in the Leaf.
As the OP has no doubt noticed, there are many people who are so desperate to find their Leaf acceptable that they are willing to drive with the heat set to uncomfortably low levels or drive significantly below the speed limit. I don't think this kind of behavior benefits the EV community at all and on the contrary merely illuminates the shortcomings of the vehicles even more. When I have mentioned to co-workers that some recommend setting the heat lower or slowing down to coax enough range out of the EV they predictably and understandably find the notion shocking, for these are things they've not done in any vehicle ever, even ones bought decades ago.
I think the leaf is an excellent car and drives very well, but this is only with the caveat that it is unfit for winter climates. I expect Nissan will fix that, given enough time.
