Goodbye Nissan Leaf, hello Kia Soul EV

[LTLFTcomposite]

Sometimes I think car dealers are just in it to make money.

 

[nerys]

My car is under warranty. Cost me nothing.

The window was lagging got bad when it got cold so i made appt and they fixed it.

In well over a million miles driving i have paid aomeone to do my brakes. Always didnthem miself. Changing rotors once it is apart does not even require tools.

Typically the only time you need to service the rotors is when you run the pads too low a pad breaks or the surface is otherwise marred. Alsknif they het too thin (takes a couple hundred thousand miles to do that unless you anuse them)

In 3 or so years when i have to do brake pads on my leaf i will post a full tutorial

Maybe 2 years as i dont know how abusive the original owner was to them though i dont know how much harm he could have done in 4800 miles.

I usually get 70 or 80 thousand miles on a set of brake pads i expect to do better with the leaf with regen. Although delivery driving takes more braking so it might be a wash.

 

[nosuchthing]

I bought 2011 Leaf for 25,000 (after all rebates) and sold it for 11,500. That's 13,500 drop in value. I consider myself very lucky to unload it for that price. My feeling is that I would have gotten much less with 58-mile, 2 bars down range.

I figure about 4,000 savings on fuel over the time I owned it. My final loss remains at 9,500.

Here is the thing. I drive EVs to save environment, not to save or spend money for that matter. We have to start somewhere, and my motto is not to wait for someone else, but put my money where my mouth is.

nerys, you live in an alternate universe about 20 years ago as far as prices of car parts and labor. At least in Ca. I do change oil and do little stuff, but for a brake job, you gotta get rotors turned somewhere, and Kragen/O'Reilly's parts are not always up to par, so you're better off going with the dealership parts. Thus 300 dollar break job. I killed my distributor with Kragen cap and rotor years back, so that was it for me.

 

[mwalsh]

Thus 300 dollar break job. I killed my distributor with Kragen cap and rotor years back, so that was it for me.

Prices are completely out of control here. I was quoted ~$500 from three different places (Pep Boys, Midas, and an independent shop) on a fuel pump replacement. Ended up doing it myself, even though I really, really didn't want to take the time right then, for a $60 part and about an hour of labor.

 

[nerys]

alternate universe my ass

I just live by a simple motto. I NEVER pay retail.

my favorite new car parts place is advance auto. I don't think I ever ordered with less than a 30% coupon usually 35 to 40% off coupon. Google Fu baby.

GNAD905 Front Ceramic Pads Set $35.99 don't forget 30% off with code TRT30 or TRT25 $31-$32?

NAD 905 $18 for rear pads plus 30% off $13? $13.97 prime shipped on amazon and they are ceramics on amazon.

or splurge $44 ceramics and don't forget 30% off $31?

and this is all ISP order it 10 minutes later drop by the store and pick it up.

How about a rotor? YH321922 $46 don't forget your 30% off coupon $42?

Need the full monty? pads and both rotors? $123 prime shipped on amazon. all 4 pads and both rotors.

should take around 60 minutes if your slow or unsure of yourself (first timer) maybe 90 minutes. I could whack them out in 30 or 40 minutes with time for pics and video for my youtube channel.

How about a Caliper ? SLC581 $37 don't forget your 30% off. $28?

what about struts? $21 plus discount coupon $15?

$51 will get you a hub bearing assembly.

?? Tires?

$104 tire rack pretty much unconditional 2 year warranty.

I bet I can get them cheaper. I am willing to pay that for the warranty based on the miles I drive I have seen them as low as $70 and that is not even going used yet.

$10 to mount and balance though my guy usually does it for $5 (I buy a lot from him)

Ball joint? Tie Rod? $13 to $21 plus discount.

shall I keep going? and I did not even TRY hard. I just went to advance and said show me this crap. with 5 minutes on google and amazon and rock auto and ebay I bet I can beat a lot of those prices.

Window Lift motor? $50 on ebay

How about the main drive motor? about $1100 on ebay there is one I am SERIOUSLY tempted by (if I dreamed of having enough money to do anything with it) for $380

about $800 will get you a gear reduction unit (transmission equivalent)

I doubt many of us will need to replace either of those however. those components short of fault or accident should outlive the car by quite a bit.

SO what other basic maintenance is needed on these cars?

I mean that is about all they need really. everything else is solid state and not likely to ever really fail ??? at least not in the next few years.

a floor jack will set you back $30 I would advise paying the $65 for the nice aluminum one (with coupon of course) at harbour freight. no rust and MUCH lighter to carry from the garage to the car.

$20 will net you a pair of aluminum jack stands (nice)

Good quality basic socket sets? $10 metric $10 SAE (keep checking out bens bargains sears puts them onsale ALL the time)

good stanley wrench set $28 at wally world.

$20 will get you a serviceable torque wrench at harbour freight.

grab a $10 "extension" set for your socket sets while your their they help a lot. Especially the wobbles for a couple bucks more.

you might need some torx for the brake calipers (not sure I have not pulled the car apart yet) its a couple dollars at HF or any parts store. probably a T50 or something close to that (if it needs it at all)

get a C Clamp while your their as well to compress the calipers down to install the new pads.

 

[Wennfred]

Biggest score yet was on Amazon, $6.95 for rear shocks for the civic each, Auto Zone has them for 72.00 each and $50.00 for both structs on EBay. $130.00 for a new Air Compressor on eBay, 495.00 elsewhere.

I'm surprised Autozone & Pepboys are still in business. Kragen no longer, they are O'Reilly's now.

It pays to surf the net, order online and have someone else install it, time is money.

Fred

 

[nerys]

Time is not money.

but money can BUY time.

You can not BANK time. saving time overall is usually meaningless. AMAZES me when people say I speed to save 3 minutes getting to work.

OK what do you do with those 3 minutes? well 3 each way is 6 times then 5 tim NO.

your not allowed to "add it up" you can't BANK time. you have 3 minutes saved "right now" use it or lose it. once its gone its gone. you can't add it to the 3 minutes you save on the way home or the 3 minutes you save on the way in in the morning.

YOU CAN however bank MONEY and MONEY can sometimes buy "time" which you can then use to do whatever you want.

if I save $400 I CAN PUT that in my pocket. I can hold it. I can store it. I can save it. I can COMBINE IT with other monetary savings. it is real and it is stackable.

people who say time is money are either lawyers or bad at reality math

 

[Wennfred]

Here is the thing. I drive EVs to save environment.

Grats on the new Soul EV, I can't find any in San Diego to look at. As far as saving the world, I'm in it to save money

 

[Wennfred]

Time is not money.

people who say time is money are either lawyers or bad at reality math

You got me there, My math does suck lol, but there was a guy named Einstein that talked about bending time. We need to get that fixed so that the phrase "Time is Money" will make more sense.

Fred

 

[nerys]

Time is money only applies to people who charge money "quite literally" for time.

IE lawyers. that is where it came from.

for us schleps who are not rich lawyers. time is not money. our blood and sweat is money.

we can however "buy" time and to do that you must save money and spend time. (IE do it yourself)

 

[Valdemar]

I bought 2011 Leaf for 25,000 (after all rebates) and sold it for 11,500. That's 13,500 drop in value. I consider myself very lucky to unload it for that price. My feeling is that I would have gotten much less with 58-mile, 2 bars down range.

I figure about 4,000 savings on fuel over the time I owned it. My final loss remains at 9,500.

Let's see if your lease is any better. You didn't say or I missed it the length of your lease, considering the payment it's likely a 36-mo contract.

$3,500 drive-off
$11,200 lease payments sans sales tax
$400 disposition
-$2,500 CVRP rebate

Total so far: $12,600

Now comes the interesting part, if you're still driving 1700 miles each month this will put you 16200 miles over allowed at the end of the lease. Current lease offer from Kia cites $0.20 per mile cost, so add $3,240 get $15,840. You will likely get dinged for excess wear too at the end of the lease. So you're looking to spend more than $16,000 over 3 years on your new toy.

I paid roughly the same price on my Leaf originally as you did and I'm keeping it because I can still make my 60 mile commute, I will have to rely on public charging regularly in a year or 2 but charging options on my daily route are abundant. If I have to send my car to a dump in 3 years I will still come ahead of you.

You bought a wrong car originally, that is the only problem I see.

 

[RonDawg]

Actually, it looks much nicer in person...

At least Kia had a presence at the L.A. Auto Show with their Soul EV and didn't treat it like an unwanted stepchild as Nissan did with the Leaf (see my comments on this in the LAB thread)...
Everyone with an EV did a better job of showing it off than Nissan, in fact!

If you call "sitting there among all the other cars with nothing to make it stand out" as treating it like an unwanted stepchild, then you are talking about most of the EV's at that show. For that matter you're talking about most of the cars and trucks there, regardless of motive power.

Mitsubishi had a lone black iMiEV sitting there lost among the rest of Mitsubishi's USA offerings (which is saying something, as all their offerings are pretty uninspiring in themselves). The ONLY reason I even saw it was because it was the Soul EV's were parked nearby. Certainly no better than Nissan.

I think there was Fiat 500e there, but FCA clearly had its attention focused on its newest baby, the 500x CUV (I LOL'd at the commercials poking fun of Fiat's "Fix It Again, Tony" reputation).

The Mercedes B-EV was there, finally unlocked to allow you to sit in it, but like last year there wasn't anybody that I could find to help promote the car. It was just....there...like the iMIEV. and 500e. I don't know if Ford even brought the FFE. If they did, it was unnoticed among the 2015 Mustang and 2015 F-150.

While Kia did a great job showing off the Soul EV by having a knowledgeable rep (whom I talked to at great length) and offering a blue/white one for a test drive outside (which I took advantage of), to imply that "everybody else" did a better job at the show than Nissan simply isn't true. The only other company there that promoted their EV's more than Kia was BMW. And Tesla didn't even bother showing up; the only ones I saw were customized ones, mostly in Kentia Hall.

 

[nosuchthing]

What would you rather do with your time, fix cars, or enjoy yourself on your day off? Pay the piper and relax. You're not taking it with you anyway, if you know what I mean.

I slowed down to 63 mph nowadays in #3 lane. I never have to look in my rearview mirror for black and white. Literally. Save gas too (Soul is mine on days available only). Yes I lose 3 minutes on 40 mile commute. Bfd. What I gain is no tickets and relaxation behind the wheel. I used to come to work all frazzled on adrenaline and tired like I put in 4 hours already. Now I'm on time and refreshed. Try it sometimes. You'd be amazed at the experience of peace while watching fast-lane crazies pushing to get wherever they're going as fast as they can. At what price?

 

[nerys]

Neither. I need the money more than i need the miniscule amount of time it takes to repair it myself

And i select cars based on difficulty to repair.

 

[cwerdna]

Actually, it looks much nicer in person...

At least Kia had a presence at the L.A. Auto Show with their Soul EV and didn't treat it like an unwanted stepchild as Nissan did with the Leaf (see my comments on this in the LAB thread)...
Everyone with an EV did a better job of showing it off than Nissan, in fact!

If you call "sitting there among all the other cars with nothing to make it stand out" as treating it like an unwanted stepchild, then you are talking about most of the EV's at that show. For that matter you're talking about most of the cars and trucks there, regardless of motive power.

Mitsubishi had a lone black iMiEV sitting there lost among the rest of Mitsubishi's USA offerings (which is saying something, as all their offerings are pretty uninspiring in themselves). The ONLY reason I even saw it was because it was the Soul EV's were parked nearby. Certainly no better than Nissan.

I think there was Fiat 500e there, but FCA clearly had its attention focused on its newest baby, the 500x CUV (I LOL'd at the commercials poking fun of Fiat's "Fix It Again, Tony" reputation).

The Mercedes B-EV was there, finally unlocked to allow you to sit in it, but like last year there wasn't anybody that I could find to help promote the car. It was just....there...like the iMIEV. and 500e. I don't know if Ford even brought the FFE. If they did, it was unnoticed among the 2015 Mustang and 2015 F-150.

While Kia did a great job showing off the Soul EV by having a knowledgeable rep (whom I talked to at great length) and offering a blue/white one for a test drive outside (which I took advantage of), to imply that "everybody else" did a better job at the show than Nissan simply isn't true. The only other company there that promoted their EV's more than Kia was BMW. And Tesla didn't even bother showing up; the only ones I saw were customized ones, mostly in Kentia Hall.

Maybe I should start another thread on this...

FWIW, at the SF Auto Show (went on Wednesday):
- Mercedes: seems they didn't show up at all. I didn't notice them and didn't see them on the map at http://www.sfautoshow.com/show-info/show-map/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
- Mitsubishi: ditto on not showing up.
- Nissan had 3 Leafs on display and they weren't hidden away. Will post a pic sometime.
- Kia: Had at least 2 Soul EV on display. No test drives available.
- Tesla: Of course they didn't show up. They almost never show up to any auto shows or EV events.
- BMW: Their whole booth was actually smaller than normal. They had an i3 and i8 on display but both were locked up. I'm surprised they wouldn't at least people get in the i3.
- Fiat: 500e was there.
- GM: Spark EV Was in a corner, at least not hidden away. They did little to promote it though, it seemed. Volt had more prominence w/a few on the floor. Saw 1 ELR on the floor. At least it was shown plugged in, so people could tell it was a plug-in
- Porsche - Panamera PHEV was on the floor shown plugged into a GIGANTIC Porsche L2 EVSE, so people could tell it was a plug-in.
- FFE: Saw it at Ford's booth.
- VW: Had 2 eGolfs + a few other VWs available for test drive. (Test drive list at http://www.sfautoshow.com/special-attractions/manufacturer-ride-drives/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.)

 

[blimpy]

Well, it has come to this. I have traded in my '11 Leaf for Kia. It was just an innocent "let's go take a look at that Soul" kinda Sunday thing.

After defending Leaf for a long time I had to concede defeat and trow in the towel. I had no other choice due to its shaky battery-swap future, inferior heating, slow 3.3 charging, and particularly in view of the fact how much superior Kia Soul is. That would be superior in ALL aspects of what a good and relatively inexpensive EV should be. Inexpensive as a lease of course. I learned my Leaf lesson well. Thank the lord I resisted the urge putting leather in that car.

So upon considering permutations of all available options we traded in our Leaf - sight unseen, if you can believe that - at Santa Rosa Kia for 11,500 and got a 15,000 mile lease deal for mid 300s. It doesn't get any better than that, fellow Leafers. Two years left on Leaf payments have been wiped out, and with it the my age of innocence in electrounatics.

First day of Soul driving, mostly freeway, Marin hills and all: trip + miles remaining = 105. Kia is serious about that 93 range claim. This was, of course, B mode in Eco. Folks, I cannot be happier. I can actually make it to work and back (84 miles), something I could only dream about my 2011 "100-mile" Leaf. Charging at 6.6, TMS, my phone instantly recognized as soon as I turn the power it on (something Nissan never fixed, even though I griped about it right from the start) is only the icing on the cake.

Because what really sold me on Soul was when I saw that the car not only has heated all seats, front and back, and cooled front seats (yes, that would entail fans inside them) but also that there are 3 levels of the above. Yes, that's 3 levels of heat and cool inside the front seats. Wow! Low, medium, high. This is one Cadillac of EVs to be had for 300+ bucks with a hypermile potential of WAY over 100 miles. It doesn't get any better than that.

So, goodbye Leafy. You served us well for 56170 miles. Now we moved you over so we can move on; on our continued electronaut journey.

PS: Santa Rosa Kia is VERY MOTIVATED to move the metal. Talk to the sales manager. Don't bother with the staff for too long. I gave you all pertinent numbers. Cut to the chase, bring your Leaf with you, get the deal... :mrgreen:

 

[blimpy]

I suspect your whine is not coming from your drive train..

there is no "uncertainty"..you want a new battery..you but it .
and you get the newer technology...

your old car sold in a few days..it was nice !

If range doesn't suit you that's one thing
if your ashtrays are full so you want a new car that's another.

If you are bitching about quality.. compare your kia to an E-golf !

in 10 years compare kia or leaf to E-golf.

You just bought Maximum Uncertainty... you think the kia will be built or sold in high enough numbers to assure
a parts stream ?

you just bet in it. :roll:

 

[RonDawg]

FWIW, at the SF Auto Show (went on Wednesday):
- Mercedes: seems they didn't show up at all. I didn't notice them and didn't see them on the map at http://www.sfautoshow.com/show-info/show-map/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
- Mitsubishi: ditto on not showing up.
- Nissan had 3 Leafs on display and they weren't hidden away. Will post a pic sometime.
- Kia: Had at least 2 Soul EV on display. No test drives available.
- Tesla: Of course they didn't show up. They almost never show up to any auto shows or EV events.
- BMW: Their whole booth was actually smaller than normal. They had an i3 and i8 on display but both were locked up. I'm surprised they wouldn't at least people get in the i3.
- Fiat: 500e was there.
- GM: Spark EV Was in a corner, at least not hidden away. They did little to promote it though, it seemed. Volt had more prominence w/a few on the floor. Saw 1 ELR on the floor. At least it was shown plugged in, so people could tell it was a plug-in
- Porsche - Panamera PHEV was on the floor shown plugged into a GIGANTIC Porsche L2 EVSE, so people could tell it was a plug-in.
- FFE: Saw it at Ford's booth.
- VW: Had 2 eGolfs + a few other VWs available for test drive. (Test drive list at http://www.sfautoshow.com/special-attractions/manufacturer-ride-drives/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.)

Did you do any of the test drives? As I mentioned over at TCF, both the eGolf and the Soul EV could be test driven at the LA Auto Show, and I took advantage of that. I also did a slightly longer test drive of the eGolf at a dealership but the salesman had little knowledge of it.

I forgot to mention GM. They too had some Volts and at least one Spark EV but they were just laid out on the floor like everything else.

Didn't bother with Porsche....I've been so disgusted by their lineup over the last decade that for the first time since I was in high school, I decided to skip their display, which at LA has always occupied Petree Hall by itself.

 

[nosuchthing]

You just bought Maximum Uncertainty...you think the Kia will be built or sold in high enough numbers to assure a parts stream?

I leased! No need to worry about a thing, not even battery degradation. It's bumper to bumper and it's gone in 3 years.

And no, I am not planning to go over my 45,000-mile limit. That can be managed no problem using my Tesla Model 3 :mrgreen: I already have the Ca lic plate ready: MODL 3.

 

[JeremyW]

Didn't bother with Porsche....I've been so disgusted by their lineup over the last decade that for the first time since I was in high school, I decided to skip their display, which at LA has always occupied Petree Hall by itself.

I actually liked their display, at least the PHEV wall. They had their 3 plug in versions with information explaining how they were better than their traditional ICE offerings. They had their own bulky-but-futuristic designed EVSE's. To me, it made a bold statement. Wish I had taken a picture though.