youngregg
Member
Bought my Leaf and drove it home on a frigid night - worried that I wouldn't make it due to the cold, but had charge to spare. Had a round trip work commute of 32 miles...which made the Leaf a perfect commuter car. Only to be asked to transfer two weeks later to a location that more than doubled my commute (now 70 miles). Now I have a bitter sweet experience of having to supplement my charge at work (no "easy" L2 stations close by...may not need the supplement once it warms up!?) to ensure I get home vs. very significant gas savings (I drove a dodge durango prior, so maybe changing to the Leaf happened for a reason :lol: )
Some Observations (some may be old news to those with experience...sorry to be "master of the obvious"):
*Based on what I've read, my leasing experience was very good, the delivery experience was "meh" - no tour of the controls, no inspection of the vehicle, no tips, tricks, and pointers. Salesman (from Kelly Nissan in Oak Lawn, Illinois) was great, and I had done my research. That probably cost me at delivery - they assumed I knew more than I did and I failed to speak up. TIP: Speak up and go through the checklist in the manual!
*Love my car - Zero emissions, Significant savings per month (between $300-$550 based on per gallon gas prices) - including savings on car payment (leased 3 years) and toll charges (more on that below), little bit of a cool factor, and endless ridicule from friends...in a fun and engaging way.
*This changed my driving habits, from the typical lead-foot tailgating moron to a conservative, safe, but not obnoxious driver. Wonder if anyone else has had that transformative experience. Changed my chosen route as well - no more tollways when possible, which has saved me $100 in tolls per month alone! Time difference in commute? 10 minutes at the old location, 20 in the new.
*Speed kills...the battery...especially in cold. Picked up the car at the outset of some of the coldest weather this winter - I live just outside of Chicago and commute into the city. TIP: Heat the car up (up to 40-60 minutes based on outside temperature) while connected to the power source to both create the warmer environment, but also warm the battery to decrease battery drain, all while using the power source instead of battery power. And use the Nissan LEAF app to turn on the heater before leaving work (which I only do if plugged in at work).
*Installed a Level 2 charger from Aerovironment I purchased from Amazon ($900) and had an electrician friend install (cable and breaker $150). Did this four weeks in and wished I did it earlier. Also purchased a less expensive unit from Blink, but felt the component and cable casing was inferior (my friend felt the same way) and sent it back.
*I am getting anywhere from 85 miles to a high of 105 miles when fully charged...and wonder why such a large difference. Evidently, cold weather will even impact this aspect of the car operation. I keep the car in a non-heated garage. As I type, it's 27 degrees outside, probably 35 in the garage, and I have a full charge of 98 miles.
*The exterior design is cool - but the kick back of sleet, moisture, dirt, salt etc. onto the hatch and back window is significant. Ridiculously so!
*Love the information provided on energy efficiency - which has had a big part in making me a more conservative driver. Only issue I have is that I do not get any History on the Energy screen. I do get updates on last five trips and previous month regional ratings, but nothing on the "History" screen. Does anyone else have this issue - any fix??
*Braking from higher speeds to a full stop are smooth. Braking from slow speeds can result in some sticky situations and lurching. Checking with the dealer on this one as I've read about this issue within this forum.
*Chargepoint is a new best friend - I highly recommend their website, app, and membership!
*I have a quick charge port - but the only service in my area (NRG eVgo) is $14.95 per month with additional charges per minute. Most of the Chargepoint locations near me a free.
*I use Eco mode and "B" driving mode all the time. Makes a difference in battery consumption and regenerative ability.
*Still researching, but I don't have hands free text messaging assistant capability on the car (iPhone 6). However, the bluetooth capabilities seem much faster in my Leaf than previous cars...and dictation works seamlessly (have my phone mounted on the center air vent).
Would like to get any feedback from the veterans on this forum...would appreciate any insight your experience may offer. The "newbies" section has really helped as well!
Some Observations (some may be old news to those with experience...sorry to be "master of the obvious"):
*Based on what I've read, my leasing experience was very good, the delivery experience was "meh" - no tour of the controls, no inspection of the vehicle, no tips, tricks, and pointers. Salesman (from Kelly Nissan in Oak Lawn, Illinois) was great, and I had done my research. That probably cost me at delivery - they assumed I knew more than I did and I failed to speak up. TIP: Speak up and go through the checklist in the manual!
*Love my car - Zero emissions, Significant savings per month (between $300-$550 based on per gallon gas prices) - including savings on car payment (leased 3 years) and toll charges (more on that below), little bit of a cool factor, and endless ridicule from friends...in a fun and engaging way.
*This changed my driving habits, from the typical lead-foot tailgating moron to a conservative, safe, but not obnoxious driver. Wonder if anyone else has had that transformative experience. Changed my chosen route as well - no more tollways when possible, which has saved me $100 in tolls per month alone! Time difference in commute? 10 minutes at the old location, 20 in the new.
*Speed kills...the battery...especially in cold. Picked up the car at the outset of some of the coldest weather this winter - I live just outside of Chicago and commute into the city. TIP: Heat the car up (up to 40-60 minutes based on outside temperature) while connected to the power source to both create the warmer environment, but also warm the battery to decrease battery drain, all while using the power source instead of battery power. And use the Nissan LEAF app to turn on the heater before leaving work (which I only do if plugged in at work).
*Installed a Level 2 charger from Aerovironment I purchased from Amazon ($900) and had an electrician friend install (cable and breaker $150). Did this four weeks in and wished I did it earlier. Also purchased a less expensive unit from Blink, but felt the component and cable casing was inferior (my friend felt the same way) and sent it back.
*I am getting anywhere from 85 miles to a high of 105 miles when fully charged...and wonder why such a large difference. Evidently, cold weather will even impact this aspect of the car operation. I keep the car in a non-heated garage. As I type, it's 27 degrees outside, probably 35 in the garage, and I have a full charge of 98 miles.
*The exterior design is cool - but the kick back of sleet, moisture, dirt, salt etc. onto the hatch and back window is significant. Ridiculously so!
*Love the information provided on energy efficiency - which has had a big part in making me a more conservative driver. Only issue I have is that I do not get any History on the Energy screen. I do get updates on last five trips and previous month regional ratings, but nothing on the "History" screen. Does anyone else have this issue - any fix??
*Braking from higher speeds to a full stop are smooth. Braking from slow speeds can result in some sticky situations and lurching. Checking with the dealer on this one as I've read about this issue within this forum.
*Chargepoint is a new best friend - I highly recommend their website, app, and membership!
*I have a quick charge port - but the only service in my area (NRG eVgo) is $14.95 per month with additional charges per minute. Most of the Chargepoint locations near me a free.
*I use Eco mode and "B" driving mode all the time. Makes a difference in battery consumption and regenerative ability.
*Still researching, but I don't have hands free text messaging assistant capability on the car (iPhone 6). However, the bluetooth capabilities seem much faster in my Leaf than previous cars...and dictation works seamlessly (have my phone mounted on the center air vent).
Would like to get any feedback from the veterans on this forum...would appreciate any insight your experience may offer. The "newbies" section has really helped as well!
