2016 S First time EV owner

I've had my new 2016 Nissan Leaf for about a week now and surprised how much I like it. I was originally looking for an older beater to drive in the winter and keep my BMW 335is convertible parked in the garage away from salt and Chicagoland pot holes. Plus my oldest son is about to start driving and I didn't want him behind the wheel of a 400 hp car either.

The Nissan corporate lease deal on remaining 2016 model S I couldn't pass up. The monthly lease payment is just slightly higher than what I spend in premium gas monthly. If gas goes north of $3 again, I'm definitely saving money. No maintenance beyond tire rotation and possibly brakes which I can do myself is great! My son won't go broke paying for gas to get around town. A new EV lease vs older ICE clunker seemed a no brainer to me.

I'm still not used to passing my regular gas station and not feeling the need to stop in once a week. I'm a little leary on the "B" +Eco mode. People don't seem ready for a car the decelerates without brake lights. That total silence of the car while sitting in stop and go traffic is nice. There is something more peaceful about my commute in the EV vs my angry-drive-me-fast BMW. Not to mention it is fun to blast off from a red light in non-Eco mode. I don't drive this thing like the average Prius user.

Juicebox Pro gets installed this week which I definitely need.

Finny

Welcome to silent driving. Like you, I had concerns about B mode when I first got the 2015. I soon decided that it is the other driver's problem if he/she is not paying attention. I was rear ended while sitting at a traffic light with bright red LED brake lights lit in the 2011 so I doubt that it makes much difference. I use B mode without ECO almost all of the time because I don't like the accelerator pedal feel in ECO. It is really nice to do most of my braking without touching the brake pedal.

If you want the tires to last through your 2-year lease, you need to inflate them to at least 40 psi and rotate them frequently (cross the fronts as you move them to the back). The Bridgestone Ecopias (on 16-inch wheels) handle better and have better wet traction when inflated higher. I always run 44 psi. The only other maintenance is the annual battery check (first 2 are free), cabin air filter, and brake fluid change (every 2 years).

Gerry

GerryAZ said:

If you want the tires to last through your 2-year lease, you need to inflate them to at least 40 psi and rotate them frequently (cross the fronts as you move them to the back). The Bridgestone Ecopias (on 16-inch wheels) handle better and have better wet traction when inflated higher. I always rin 44 psi. The only other maintenance is the annual battery check (first 2 are free), cabin air filter, and brake fluid change (every 2 years).

Gerry

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+1, I'm actually running mine closer to 50psi now as originally I had them inflated to what the car said(35?? psi) and the outer edges wore much quicker than the center. I'm now trying to purposely wear the center more to catch up. I have a feeling if I had originally ran with 44psi the tires would have worn evenly and I wouldn't have to be playing catch up now.
Does the S model now have both the B and ECO mode? My '13S only has ECO mode(accessed by a single time double shift of the shifter) and ECO mode in my car not only changes the accelerator to be not so touchy(which I'm OK with) but also gives much more regen(which I like) than not using ECO. At least in '13 to get a dedicated B mode I'd of had to jump to the SV or SL models.

finny47 said:

No maintenance beyond tire rotation and possibly brakes which I can do myself is great!

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Tire rotation, yes. Especially if you use full power on starts a lot.

Brakes last a long, long time. Most braking can be done with regeneration, so the pads don't get worn.

Hi, appreciate the post as I am in the debate over getting a used Leaf, or doing a 3 year lease on a 2016 S. Can you share what lease deal you got and did you run numbers on buying a used Leaf vs leasing a new 2016?

i got the price of the new 2016 S down to $14,700 with quick charge option and floor mats.
I put down $1800 and payments are $239 on 3yr 36k lease. I just love IL taxes.
I thought about the buy option, but I know someone who bought a 2014 and the $7500 fed tax credit took over 18 months to get.

With a purchase, it would basically pay for itself in probably 5 years with the gas saving plus the tax credit, but I was highly concerned about trying to trade or sell a 5 yr old EV. To me it is technology. Similar to buying a computer. Who buys a computer from 5 years ago?
Battery would degrade to <50 miles and you can only imagine how much further the tech will be in 5 years and how worthless the car would be at that point. From the little I've read, the lower cost EVs like Leaf will go at least 200 miles in 5 years. Don't quote me on that.

The idea of being able to walk away from this car before the battery performance drops off is what pushed me towards a lease.

Thanks for the tire pressure recommendations. I'll check that in the morning when the tires are cold.

40psi is a good compromise pressure. You get great wear and more range, with only a little bit more harshness in the ride.