AlexDarcy said:
Surprise negatives that I either did not anticipate or had under-estimated:
* The lack of an 80% max charge limiter (this is the #1 negative by far).
* Hard suspension that transmits small road bumps up through the seats (#2 negative).
* The damn low-velocity noise maker (#3).
* The iPhone Connect app rarely worked and was too slow when it did work (minor).
* The tinted windows are a touch too dark, and the pillars to the left and right of the windshield are a bit large, which makes driving at night in the rain a little bit more stressful (minor).
Not really to defend the negatives as I agree with them, but some things that might help at least.
We've discovered over the years, 100% SoC isn't really 100%. My Leaf plus came with the 62 kWh battery and even when it was new, it would never charge more than 56.7 kWh into the battery. So technically, even at 100% on the Dash, I was really only charging to 91%. That 10% gaps seems to follow all the plus versions, so it might have been done on purpose to help with battery life. My wife though, has the 40 kWh battery and Nissan allowed it to be charged to a much higher percentage relative to it's rating (like almost 39 kWh if I remember reading correctly), so maybe the 40 kWh battery is actually a higher capacity (like 42 kWh for example, but no one has any definitive proof)
Basically, if you are not leaving it sit at 100% SoC for multiple days, weeks, months on end, you'll be fine.
The hard suspension is definitely just that "hard" when it is new. I've found that after enough miles and time, it will soften up, but I suppose it's because the Leaf is so much heavier than a similar ICE vehicle of the same size, so they had to use some beefier equipment to at least give it a stable ride first and maybe comfort later? :lol:
I'm one of the few that like my VPS. The ones in the Gen 1 (and 2018 as my wife still has the same VPS sound) were not as loud, but also didn't give me that "future" feeling. The new VPS (Tron sound I call it), I actually love it and it's twice as loud, more love from me. It's also good at making sure people don't walk right out in front of me, they always look when they hear it, so I know they are at least paying attention to a moving vehicle. I'm probably in the minority of people that like the Gen 2 VPS sound. :mrgreen:
I have used Android Auto a few times (only guessing the iOS version does the same stuff) and while it is neat that you can mirror the screen to the dash or split-screen applications or play movies on the Dash (which I think is illegal in a lot of states :lol: ), the novelty part wears off after a while and I don't really use it anymore. Just the basic phone and text features over blue-tooth work fine for me. The rest of the time, the Radio rules and maybe a little bluetooth music from the phone sometimes.
I'm glad I wasn't the only person to notice the dark tinting. Sometimes, it makes it really hard to see around at night. Great during the day time, but at night, if they get a touch of fog on them, I do hate that part, but I've found just defrosting the cabin ahead of time and leaving it on is the only way to avoid that nightmare. Yeah, those A pillars can make some weird blind spots sometimes that I have to mentally "look around" if I'm in an angle that isn't safe. Kind of like when you are making a turn, but it's way more than 90 degrees and the pillar gets in the way. :?
Negatives that turned out to be less bad than feared:
* The Leaf touch screen apps are not nearly as nice as the Tesla's, but 99% of the time the only app used is the radio, and I almost always flip between preset radio stations using the physical buttons on the steering wheel, not the touch screen. For maps and navigation, we prefer using our phones anyway, like when texting street addresses.
* The CHAdeMO charge port has been used zero times. We have never needed a rapid CCS or Tesla charger. The 62 kWh battery and 50 Amp NEMA 14-50 outlet in the garage has been just right for our run-around-town needs.
From Dec 2021 to Dec 2022, LeafSpy shows that AHr has gone from 175.15 (2021) down to 164.92 (2022) and SOH has gone from 99.29% (2021) down to 93.49% (2022). This was expected. We live in Texas.
After driving 15k miles, I estimate I've saved $2140 in gasoline not purchased (my old car got 21 mil/gal and gas has averaged $3/gal here). I switched my electrical billing to the "Free Nights and Weekends Plan" and have only charged after 10pm. We also started only doing laundry on the weekends. Amazingly, our average electricity bill actually declined by $19/mo in 2022 versus 2021. Weird!
So, nothing's perfect, but the Leaf has been a good purchase so far!
It's funny you mentioned the touch screen. I do to several "EV events" a year where we show off Nissan, Tesla, Volvo, Ford, Kia, etc. EV's and answer questions for anyone interested in looking inside them, sitting on seats, looking at features, etc. People always tell me "Your EV has the smallest touch screen of all of them... and I love it". Seems having more buttons and less touch-screen is a big bonus to people that are looking at buying an EV in the future but have never really looked at one up close and personal.
Sounds like you have the perfect setup then, charge when rates are lowest and more than enough mileage to meet your daily needs. You might not be thinking of any road-trips in the future, but that adventure may come one day. :lol: