I have driven in Normal mode maybe twice- once to see what it felt like and the second time t o see if the car will go 100 MPH. It does. Otherwise ECO all the time.
2015 Leaf sold
2019 Leaf Plus S as of 9/30/19
Specialized Hardrock with Bafang midmount 750W
Liv Roam ebike
Stihl battery weedwacker and lawn mower
2023 Subaru Solterra Premium (the cheapest model)
I always drive with ECO D/range and ePedal on, except on the rare occasion when going up steep grades
at which time I turn off ECO drive for that area. Such an efficient driving experience.
I turn ECO off when on the highway; on when in town. For me, the issue is keeping my speed down in areas abounding in pedestrians, bikes and local traffic. I frequently use B mode as a sort of down shift for faster stopping and better control.
"ECO" has little to do with vehicle economy except perhaps as a psychological factor. Fortunately it is useful in another way.
Unlike some folks I much prefer the throttle mapping in ECO; it's much easier to drive smoothly in traffic. The increased "pedal resolution" allows finer speed control in normal driving. Contrary to some opinions I find I can always have as much power as I want, it's must a matter of moving the pedal. I.e., power is not restricted in ECO mode, it just comes later in the pedal arc. It doesn't make the car less powerful nor does it make it more "economical"; both of those things continue to be determined by your right foot.
The only time I switch out of ECO is if I want maximum heating/cooling when entering the car as ECO limits the power consumption of HVAC. Even this is a false economy, as you will ultimately add or reject the same amount of heat to/from the cabin; it will just take longer in ECO mode. HVAC economy is controlled by temperature selection, not by the rate of change used in achieving it.
Unfortunately, I have found that Tesla's "Chill Mode" does in fact de-tune the power across the entire throttle map, which I find quite stupid and while I'm not always a fan of Nissan engineering choices, they look brilliant here by comparison.
Unlike some folks I much prefer the throttle mapping in ECO; it's much easier to drive smoothly in traffic.
I always preferred it too, for the reasons given. The '21, though, is just too sluggish in Eco; sure I could mash the pedal a lot and get full power, but I prefer having very adequate power on tap instantly. D mode in the '21 also seems a bit de-tuned, so except in heavy traffic, D mode gives me the best combination of instant power and good pedal control.
Brilliant Silver 2021 Leaf SV40 W/ Pro Pilot & Protection
2009 Vectrix VX-1 W/18 Leaf modules, & 2 lithium E-bicycles.
BAFX OBDII Dongle
PLEASE don't PM me with Leaf questions. Just post in the topic that seems most appropriate.
2012 Nissan LEAF - almost always driven in ECO, for reasons stated well by @nubo. Well, that and its 30-mile total range.
2018 Tesla Model 3 - tried the ECO equivalent once early on, never used again and don’t intend to.
2023 Hyundai Ioniq5 - haven’t yet even tried ECO, and likely won’t.
2018 Tesla Model 3 LR RWD
2023 Hyundai Ioniq5 AWD Limited
ECO mode is pointless. You can achieve the same economy if you are just careful with the acceleration. I tried it many times but concluded not to use it at all.
The only time I find it useful is if it rains and I currently have bad tires, it's easier to control slipping of from wheels with less power so I engage ECO. I am shopping for new tires now and don't plan on using ECO once I get them...