Well after 3 flawless years, I'm giving up the Nissan LEAF and going to BMW i3. I, unlike other people still really love the LEAF and I'm still a big advocate.. after all the LEAF is the best selling EV in the world. I've have no issues at all with mine, but I just wanted to get something with better performance, and I gotta say I love the adaptive cruise control on the i3.
Moving On.
- Thread starter deimos909
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DanCar
Well-known member
Where are you located?
TimLee
Well-known member
About right for Massachusetts.deimos909 said:
Were you able to do the 40 mile round trip commute at 70 mph with only 80% charging?
Even in winter?
CMYK4Life
Well-known member
deimos909 said:
One of the better written 'moving on' posts yet! Finally someone who is generally satisfied with the LeaF and appreciates it for what it is.
There is nothing wrong with moving onto something different or 'better'... what I dislike is the trash talk on the way out. People move from car to car all the time... but in the EV market it seems like everyone feels the need to go online and bash the car on the way out... voting with your wallet is feedback enough imo.
asimba2
Well-known member
Agreed, people seem to easily forget how the Leaf is the first mass produced EV and the success of future EVs have and will rely heavily on everything learned with Leaf 1.0. Another thing is the 2013+ Leafs have enough improvements that they're really almost a Leaf 2.0. Many of the complaints 1.0 owners had with their cars have been mostly addressed in the 2013+ model.
adric22
Well-known member
deimos909 said:
Congrats on the new i3. I did the 3-day test drive and was really impressed. If the price were the same, there's no question I'd trade for an i3, especially an i3 Rex. But I don't think I can afford an i3.
nosuchthing
Well-known member
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- Jul 16, 2010
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Your post should have been called goodbye Nissan Leaf, hello BMW i3.
PatricioEV
Well-known member
I am just finishing the 3 day test drive of the i3. I agree that I LOVE the adaptive CC. It is a very cool feature. I also have quite enjoyed the (for the most part) one pedal driving. All in all, however, this extended time with the vehicle has confirmed my initial impressions when I briefly test drove it earlier this year. It is too small for my family, with too little carrying capacity. I don't like the back doors/windows or the skinny tires. Also, no matter how low you place the steering wheel, it is too high. I do like that it telescopes, though.
They are both great cars, just different. Sounds like you liked both as well. There is no doubt the interior is more upscale on the i3. I drove the Terra trim version. Enjoy your new i3 and, most of all, I'm glad you stayed with an EV!
They are both great cars, just different. Sounds like you liked both as well. There is no doubt the interior is more upscale on the i3. I drove the Terra trim version. Enjoy your new i3 and, most of all, I'm glad you stayed with an EV!
TomT
Well-known member
I might have considered it but the meager range and lack of Chademo QC squashed it for me... And I have no interest at all in the Rex...
jelloslug said:
LTLFTcomposite
Well-known member
$369/mo with > $4k down?jelloslug said:
derkraut
Well-known member
LTLFTcomposite said:
Gulp!! :roll:
I agree that there's too much leaf bashing on the way out, I feel that you really need to give Nissan credit for going all out on EVs.
I didn't meant to imply that the BMW is better, actually I sorely miss the heated steering wheel and the LEAF definitely has better cargo capacity, also the coach doors are a pain in the butt. The range of the BMW is quite impressive though, on my daily commute I used to get home with about 9 miles left on the Guess o meter, on the new car I only use 1/2 battery charge. The other nice thing is the phone App is so much faster than the LEAF one.
To PatricioEV: I had the same issue when I first test drove the BMW, with the steering wheel seemed too high, later I realized you needed to lift the seat up, :lol: .
I didn't meant to imply that the BMW is better, actually I sorely miss the heated steering wheel and the LEAF definitely has better cargo capacity, also the coach doors are a pain in the butt. The range of the BMW is quite impressive though, on my daily commute I used to get home with about 9 miles left on the Guess o meter, on the new car I only use 1/2 battery charge. The other nice thing is the phone App is so much faster than the LEAF one.
To PatricioEV: I had the same issue when I first test drove the BMW, with the steering wheel seemed too high, later I realized you needed to lift the seat up, :lol: .
cgaydos
Well-known member
deimos909 said:
Most of that I've seen comes from people who acquired LEAFs in 2011. I can understand their point of view. In 2011 you paid a premium for the LEAF only to discover that the battery didn't degrade as advertised, and that Nissan has never been forthright about the problems with the initial battery. I signed up early for the LEAF but in Colorado had to wait until early 2012 for availability - and when it did become available the MSRP had increased significantly and dealers were adding large markups. If I'd bought then only to see the prices plummet in late 2012 I'd probably have a negative view of the experience given the battery issues.
But unfortunately a lot of the LEAF bashing (and I'm especially thinking of the recent Kia EV thread here) compares the current EV competition to the 2011 LEAF. Starting in late 2012 LEAF pricing became affordable and - at times - extremely attractive. Starting in 2013 all kinds of improvements were introduced from the 6.6 charger to the heat pump to a host of other helpful features. At some point (Nissan not being forthright again here) the battery was replaced and the current battery appears to provide better range and not be susceptible to the same degradation issues. A new LEAF today compares very favorably, with price factored in, with the EV competition. There are good reasons people may prefer another EV depending on their situation - longer range for the Soul, better performance for the i3, etc. - but the LEAF is a great overall package. The LEAF is still - 4 years after launch - the only pure EV in ample supply available for walk-in purchase in all states.
TimLee
Well-known member
Congratulations on the new i3deimos909 said:
It is an excellent vehicle and as you stated has some performance superior to the LEAF.
But keep in mind that it's range is not much different than your old LEAF.
You were only charging the LEAF to 80%.
I am surprised you were managing to do a 40 mile round trip commute in MA with that in cold weather, even though you had not lost a capacity bar.
The i3 and new LEAFs don't stop at 80%.
Your old LEAF probably was down 10% on capacity which would be 21.6 kWh battery.
The new i3 is listed as 22 kWh battery.
It is a bit more efficient so slightly more range.
But not much.
A new LEAF would have had more range, at least at the start.
Hard to know how a five year old i3 and a five year old 2015 LEAF will compare five years from now.
