adric22
Well-known member
I went to my local dealer here in Arlington, TX. I told the guy my lease would be ending in a few months and was interested in possibly getting another new Leaf. Here's the cool thing. Just for some perspective, I currently have a 2011 SL without DC port, but otherwise loaded.
He showed me an SL, SV, and S model. I actually got to sit in them, turn them on and play with them. Something I can't do at a car show where the cars are turned off and they usually just have the one model to look at. So, I can say that I wouldn't want the S model because it lacks navigation and some of the other features of the center screen such as the energy screen. However, it was still a nice car at a good price and I wouldn't fault anyone for getting the S model. Just myself, I really want those other features. Oh, and I was surprised to see the S model has a backup camera on that small screen.
However, the SV model was actually better equipped than my current SL model, at least as far as any equipment I actually care about. Some of the upgrades I would get by moving to this car would be:
And the best news of all, is that I can lease one with zero down payment and have a monthly payment somewhere in the ballpark of $350. Which is awesome because I'd actually gain all of these features and my monthly payment would actually drop by about $70. How cool is that?
A couple of other observations. This guy, James Whitehouse, actually knows his stuff. Not only was he a whiz at calculating the numbers and understanding how the leases work on the Leaf, but he actually understands the car and all of the equipment. When I pointed to a new button I didn't understand he knew exactly what it was for and how it was different from the 2011-2012 Leafs. It is rare to find a salesman that knows anything about these cars. When I went to a Chevy dealer a few months ago the salesmen there knew absolutely nothing about the Volt.
The other neat thing is about the camera. I had seen photos online of the surround view camera, but I thought it only worked when in reverse like the one on my car. But there is a button called "camera" you can press and it will turn it on at any time. This would be great for parking in tight spaces, even when moving forward!
He showed me an SL, SV, and S model. I actually got to sit in them, turn them on and play with them. Something I can't do at a car show where the cars are turned off and they usually just have the one model to look at. So, I can say that I wouldn't want the S model because it lacks navigation and some of the other features of the center screen such as the energy screen. However, it was still a nice car at a good price and I wouldn't fault anyone for getting the S model. Just myself, I really want those other features. Oh, and I was surprised to see the S model has a backup camera on that small screen.
However, the SV model was actually better equipped than my current SL model, at least as far as any equipment I actually care about. Some of the upgrades I would get by moving to this car would be:
- More cargo area.
- Heated seats AND steering wheel.
- Faster L2 charging
- DC fast charge
- charge port opens from keyfob
- heat-pump
- B-mode
- SOC meter
- 360-degree camera
- A year's free fast charging at all EVGO stations
- A brand new battery (assuming it would be the heat resistant version too)
And the best news of all, is that I can lease one with zero down payment and have a monthly payment somewhere in the ballpark of $350. Which is awesome because I'd actually gain all of these features and my monthly payment would actually drop by about $70. How cool is that?
A couple of other observations. This guy, James Whitehouse, actually knows his stuff. Not only was he a whiz at calculating the numbers and understanding how the leases work on the Leaf, but he actually understands the car and all of the equipment. When I pointed to a new button I didn't understand he knew exactly what it was for and how it was different from the 2011-2012 Leafs. It is rare to find a salesman that knows anything about these cars. When I went to a Chevy dealer a few months ago the salesmen there knew absolutely nothing about the Volt.
The other neat thing is about the camera. I had seen photos online of the surround view camera, but I thought it only worked when in reverse like the one on my car. But there is a button called "camera" you can press and it will turn it on at any time. This would be great for parking in tight spaces, even when moving forward!
