After 3 months with my used 2015 Leaf.

I have been very happy with my 2015 Leaf S that I bought last October.


My favorite things are...
1. Being able to keep the autoclimate control on anytime without polluting air, making noise, wasting gas, or wearing out mechanical parts.
2. Steering wheel warmer. I don't have arthritis but my hands appreciate this a lot.
3. Cheap to own. $15/month in fuel. No maintenance cost.
4. No engine/exhaust noise. When I drive in the quiet neighborhood at night, I am like a stealth mobile.
5. Strong brakes. Leaf brakes are the grippiest brakes I have experienced even when compared with BMW and Miata I have owned.
6. Being able to go from N to D without stepping on the brake. When exiting car wash tunnel, on my ICE cars, I had to step on the brake to go from N to D.
7. Regenerating on downhill. Save money on brake pads and save money on electricity. It is fun to watch the percentage go up 1 or 2%.
8. Keyless access. The button on the door handles is very convenient.

tesleaf said:

5. Strong brakes. Leaf brakes are the grippiest brakes I have experienced even when compared with BMW and Miata I have owned.
6. Being able to go from N to D without stepping on the brake. When exiting car wash tunnel, on my ICE cars, I had to step on the brake to go from N to D.

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I've never driven a BMW or Miata but those should have strong brakes. My Leaf is new and they feel weak, maybe they haven't broken in yet. As for my ICE cars, I've always been able to go from N to D without stepping on the brake.

Triggerhappy007 said:

I've never driven a BMW or Miata but those should have strong brakes. My Leaf is new and they feel weak, maybe they haven't broken in yet. As for my ICE cars, I've always been able to go from N to D without stepping on the brake.

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Sounds like you're not getting full regen (low SOH?) or you have air in the brake system then.

Triggerhappy007 said:

I've never driven a BMW or Miata but those should have strong brakes. My Leaf is new and they feel weak, maybe they haven't broken in yet.

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If the 2019 is like my 2011 and 2015, it has ceramic brake pads which take longer to "break in" (wear to match the rotor surface). The brakes on both of my Leafs were OK when brand new, but a little soft or spongy feeling until the pads broke in (took about 1000 miles on the 2015 even though I tried to use neutral when approaching stop lights to use friction brakes instead of regeneration). The ceramic pads are great after they break in. I have switched to ceramic pads on a couple of other vehicles and they were the same way--soft at first and great after break-in.