A LEAF-love thread

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PrairieLEAF

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
200
Location
Weld County, Colorado
"I love you maaaaan!". :ugeek:

*ahem* Our human tendencies lead many of us to only post with problems or complaints. This can make auto forums pretty bleak places, and not very representative of the entire lot of drivers, many of whom are just out enjoying their cars and living life.

How about a place for some LEAF-love to help move the balance the other way?

I cannot get enough of this LEAF! I believe it is the perfect car for me and my use. It takes me everywhere, I can't imagine being more satisfied with a car, and am thrilled with the entire experience. It is so versatile, easy, fun, and comfortable. I wouldn't switch back, even if gasoline was free!

I don't use LEAFspy and don't worry much about degradation or warranties. I don't even mind that the battery isn't temp-managed.

Regardless of where I am, from the dusty county roads of home, to the mountain campsite, to the city, I think "this is the perfect car for this...and for me!"
 
Yeah they're pretty nice.
No stinky gasoline to refill, oil changes about every 50k miles or so with no filter, no complicated and expensive automatic transmission to break.
I live out in the country in the 6th least population dense state a 24kwh leaf shouldn't even work for me.
 
We like our Leaf. Drives nice, rides nice, big enough but not too big, 5-doors, plenty of power, plenty of range (big battery, stronger motor help). Looks nice too. Costs next to nothing to operate. Should be highly reliable. State of the art tech package. Great sound system. Two-tone leather. Dead quiet on the road. What's not to like?

Is it perfect? Heck no. No car is. Every vehicle is a compromise. But the latest generation Leaf with the bigger battery is a clear winner for many applications, including 98% of our trips around town. I'm cool with that. No, I wouldn't recommend a smaller battery to anyone, and don't.

Is the interior/exterior finish as nice as our Audi? Does it handle as well as our BMW roadster? Heck no. We didn't pay Audi/BMW money either. It's quite nice for what we paid for it after incentives. Fantastic value any way you cut it.

Do we expect to drive it 200 miles on a charge at highway speeds in the bitter cold of winter? Um, no. Would we take it cross-country? Only if we had to. No. That's not what it's good for, if you're honest about it. There are better tools for those jobs. I also don't expect to take it 4-wheeling either.

The one thing I will change - after buying after market wheels last year and putting snow tires on the factory 17s - is to upgrade the horn. The factory horn is pathetic. Laughable. You've got to be kidding me. Why did you even bother? Otherwise it performs as expected. Great little second car. Not a primary vehicle for all of our needs, but highly versatile for the majority of them. Really fun too. Two thumbs up!
 
I'm seriously considering finding a used Leaf for my folks since they like mine so much. I love mine too and while I've thought about getting a Plus model, there are not many trips that I would use it for and I still have ICE cars that need to be periodically driven (yet another down-side to ICE vehicles). So far, I've gone just shy of 18k miles for about $10 as I almost always charge for free. I've put in wiper fluid, bought some new tires, a self-dimming mirror and illuminated window switches, plus a donut spare and a jack. For me, it's been reliable, comfortable and just plain fun to drive.
 
Our 24kwh does leave something to be desired in the very cold when using heat with it's very limited range but it is nice how quickly it heats, quicker than an ICE vehicle, it doesn't get as hot as an ICE vehicle but it sufficient. I make many short trips and I love that the engine isn't starting and stopping like an ICE vehicle, makes short trips much nicer. We still keep our Prius for 500+ mile trips or even 70-mile jaunts but for the most part we use the Leaf and the Prius can sit weeks without starting.
At some point, we'll probably end up with a Prius Prime and kill 2 birds with one stone, gas-free local trips(under about 25 miles) and ability to easily travel hundreds if not thousands of miles on gas, a PHEV would also save us the current $70 "EV" tax we pay on our yearly tabs :x We might also end up with PHEV SUV instead of the Prius, which would have a higher and therefore easier enter/exit than the somewhat low Leaf but going the SUV route would mean <50mpg, more like <40mpg on ICE, making our long trips more costly and less efficient.
The Leaf has similar passenger room as our '07 Prius, maybe a tad bit less in the back seat but IMO where the Leaf really falls is cargo room. Many a time I've cussed the Leaf on not being able to hold what our Prius does, the Leaf doesn't allow anything tall in the back without hitting the glass :x
Is it perfect, no, is it very handy for what is, yes, would I still purchase it with what I know now, yes. It probably didn't make financial sense but back in '14 when I purchased our new '13 Leaf it was really our only option for a EV(not living in a CAFE state) and I kind of wanted to help support a fledgling vehicle, I was also impressed even the base model S came with heated seats, all around! and the icing on the cake was a heated steering wheel, which I sad has for the most part been removed on base model Leafs and AFAIK none have rear heated seats :( We have lost a health bar but I'm thinking most of that damage was done when the vehicle sat on the lot for almost a year before we purchased it but we can still do our local trips, even in the cold with no real issues. I'm not really sold on Nissan quality, coming from several Toyotas but everything was covered under warranty and the Leaf hasn't really cost us anything out of warranty other than the crap OEM tires Nissan used :(
 
What can I say. Its both quirky and iconic. Best car we have ever owned. It will continue to be my daily driver till I retire. The wife has a model 3 on the way and when we go down to one vehicle it will be the model 3. But I think I'll always be a fan of my leaf. Just feels like home.

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^ a very nice example.

I'm amused by the horn discussion. I find that the LEAF horn makes quite a statement. I've only used it by accident though, when trying to press the hangup button after Bluetooth calling. One time made me seem really impatient, as I was in a turn lane and the light had just turned green. I'm one of the last people on Earth who would intentionally blast someone at a light. It made me feel like a tool!

I'm used to the horn on the '85 4Runner, which I'm pretty sure they borrowed from early VWs.

I like the LEAF's middle ground; it's comfortable, reliable, and well-equipped, yet non-pretentious (especially in S-trim with missing wheel covers and a perennial coating of grime). Although Tesla is my favorite automaker, I don't think I would feel comfortable with any of their products. They're not as easy to grunge down. And for me, there's nothing quite like a front-wheel-drive hatchback.

I came from an '07 Prius as well, and although the LEAF doesn't quite have the cargo length, it seems to have more height. With the back seat down, it can fit a tall mountain bike frame vertically against the side. It had to be lying down in the Prius.
 
24kwh definitely does leave something to be desired when it's like 10 degrees Fahrenheit out. But at least in 2011, 2012 and 2013S you can put in a diesel fired hydronic heater.
 
Oilpan4 said:
24kwh definitely does leave something to be desired when it's like 10 degrees Fahrenheit out. But at least in 2011, 2012 and 2013S you can put in a diesel fired hydronic heater.
'13S has an air heater like all S model Leafs :)
 
I bought a 2015 Leaf about a month ago & I LOVE the whole experience. I even like the time hanging out at a charging station with my journal. This car has helped me slow down. I love driving by gas stations. AND I LOVE this forum. Thanks for the link to a brake fluid tester... I was trying to decide about getting my mechanic to change it. Thanks y'all for making a leafy tree with lots of branches.
 
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