After a week of research, I bought a new 2022 Leaf instead of a Tesla Model 3. Tesla Model 3 is a beautiful car, and I'm sure I would have been happy to get it, but here are the reasons why I chose to get a Leaf instead in December of 2021. If you found this forum because you are pondering the same question, I hope this will be useful as you decide which car is better for you. (Apologies in advance if any of my facts are wrong, e.g., vertical trunk space, warranty details, etc.)
LEAF BENEFITS:
Reasonable sticker price despite the pandemic supply chain inflation.
Immediate availability at many dealerships.
$7500 tax rebate, unlike Tesla.
8-year/100k-mile battery warranty, same as Tesla's.
5-year/60k-mile EV system and powertrain warranty, better than Tesla's.
Less in-cabin road and wind noise than the Tesla 3 (search YouTube).
Nissan build quality versus Tesla, e.g., Tesla door handles.
Vertical trunk space better than Tesla's, possibly total volume too.
charger plug at the front is more convenient than at the back.
Nissan dealerships are very common nationwide in the USA for any repairs or parts.
Regenerative braking might be more efficient than Tesla's, but this is uncertain.
Comes with floormats (saves $100, less annoying).
Comes with NEMA 14-50 electrical adapter (saves $35, less annoying).
LeafSpy Pro phone app is useful and fun (costs $15, plus $30 for the OBDII module).
LEAF NEGATIVES:
Batteries are not liquid-cooled like on the Tesla.
Obsolete CHAdeMO charger, not CCS or Tesla charger.
Dashboard is not as advanced or stylish as Tesla's.
Forward driving pedestrian warning noise is REALLY annoying; don't know about Tesla's.
Back seat leg room is OK for children, but cramped for adults; Tesla looks better.
Back seat headroom is not good for tall people; Tesla looks better.
Nissan Connect app works OK, but is not fast; cannot change charge scheduling.
No over-the-air software updates like on the Tesla, must go to dealer.
Back seats don't fold completely flat like on Tesla, only flat-ish.
No spare tire, like on Tesla (both have repair kits).
Storage space for small sundries around driver is OK, not great; Tesla looks better.
No option to limit max charge to 80% anymore, must adjust via charger scheduling.
CHAdeMO:
Rapid charging slightly damages batteries on any EV today, especially in hot weather. If you will charge 99% of the time at home at night, then 240V charging is better for battery life on both the Leaf and the Tesla. If you need to drive cross-country, then the Tesla is better for its fast-charging stations. The Leaf's CHAdeMO is obsolete and CHAdeMO charging stations will be very difficult to find in five years.
If your electric utility offers a reduced rate for evenings, then 240V charging at home is cheaper than using commercial rapid charging stations. My utility company has a "Free Nights and Weekends" plan that makes scheduled nighttime charging free (the higher weekday rate is offset by the free weekend days, then free EV charging at night). Your utility company may have a similar plan. You don't need to purchase a third-party EVSE to schedule your charging, it is built into the Leaf dashboard already.
BATTERY:
2014 and later Leaf batteries use a different internal design and chemistry (Nickel + Cobalt + Manganese) than the older batteries. Beware of old YouTube videos that warn about "the" Leaf battery.
Lack of liquid cooling is a big issue in hot climates. If you commute at highway speeds in hot climates, park in the sun all day at work, want to use rapid charging, and habitually use maximum acceleration, then a Tesla will be better for battery life because of its thermal management system.
With the 8-year/100k-mile battery warranty on the Leaf, I personally am betting that the cost of a replacement battery in 8 years, if necessary, will be much lower than today. Battery technology is rapidly advancing and prices are falling (I don't know what the future will bring, of course). Hopefully this will be true for Teslas too. There are aftermarket options to replace the battery on a Leaf from non-Nissan companies. Does Tesla allow third-party battery replacement or repair? I don't know.
For the Nissan battery warranty, remember than the Leaf records its operational details to local storage that a Nissan technician can retrieve. The battery warranty is voided if you 1) expose the Lear to ambient temperatures above 120F/49C for over 24 hours, 2) store the Leaf in temperatures below -13F/-25C for over seven days, 3) leave your vehicle for over 14 days where the battery reaches a zero or near zero state of charge, or 4) do not get a battery quality report every year by a Nissan-approved technician. It seems that Nissan has not been a stickler for the annual quality reports for battery warranty repairs, but this verbiage comes straight from the Nissan warranty booklet. If the LeafSpy app on your phone shows battery problems, then take the Leaf to a dealership for an official battery diagnostic report, or, if your favorite auto shop is capable, have the battery check done at the same time as your annual state inspection.
Here is a reliable and impartial source of information about batteries:
https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-808-how-to-prolong-lithium-based-batteries
BUILD QUALITY:
A major reason I chose the Leaf was build quality. Nissan has decades of experience building millions of cars worldwide and a decade of experience with prior Leaf models. (I have a 1998 Nissan Altima and it just keeps on running and running and running...) Tesla is the new kid on the block with a small fraction of that manufacturing record. The Nissan reputation for reliability and build quality is solid, even if it's not the best. Pre-2014 Leaf models certainly had battery problems, but what about the rest of the car?
Here are the Consumer Reports and JD Powers articles that influenced my decision in favor of the Leaf:
"Consumer Reports Still Ranks Tesla Reliability 27th Out Of 28" (19.Nov.2021)
https://insideevs.com/news/549130/consumerreports-tesla-reliability-poor-2021/
"Unlike other manufacturers, Tesla doesn’t grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners..." (18.Feb.2021)
Tesla was fourth from the bottom for dependability; only Jaguar, Alpha and Land Rover were worse.
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2021-us-vehicle-dependability-study-vds
"Nissan LEAF Awarded In 2020 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study" in the compact car category (15.Feb.2020)
https://insideevs.com/news/398848/nissan-leaf-award-vehicle-dependability-study/
DISTANCE TO DEALERSHIP:
While the Tesla is more sporty and stylish, those considerations kind of fade after a year, especially if you have to drive to a distant Tesla Service Center to fix a problem and wait in the lobby or at a hotel. My Nissan dealership is only 6 miles away if I need a repair, so I could take a Lyft/Uber back home if necessary. There are 49 Nissan dealerships in Pennsylvania, for example, but only 3 in the state for Tesla; there are 78 Nissan dealerships in Texas, but only 12 for Tesla.
Here is where you can check your state to see how far the drive will be when something inevitably needs fixing:
https://www.nissanusa.com/nissandealers/location/
https://www.tesla.com/findus/list/services/United%20States
There is also the cost of replacement parts and service work. Tesla owners complain about these things online. It seems that parts and labor for Nissans are less expensive than for Teslas, but I don't have any proof of this, I'm just going on what some Tesla owners say in YouTube videos. As a test, call a Nissan dealership and ask how much it would cost to, say, replace a door window, then call a Tesla service center and ask the same. In large cities, Nissan dealerships compete with each other, not just with other manufacturers. If there is only one Tesla center within a 100 miles of your home, you are more at their mercy.
ROAD NOISE:
Another big issue for me was road noise (I have tinnitus) and there are too many negative YouTube videos by the Tesla owners themselves about Model 3 road noise:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tesla+road+noise+wind+noise
IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY AND ZERO INTEREST FINANCING:
I don't know what kind of financing Tesla offers, but I got zero percent interest from Nissan for 6 years and drove the Leaf off the lot that afternoon, no waiting 4-9 months. Taking into account the $7500 tax rebate, rising inflation (versus my fixed payments), the lower sticker price of the Leaf, the lower expected maintenance costs/hassles versus the Tesla, and my plan to invest the $10,000+ I'm not paying extra for the Tesla, then the Leaf was just too good overall. (I'm a fanboy of financial independence, not cars.)
PRICE NEGOTIATIONS:
If car price is not a major concern, then this whole discussion is probably irrelevant to you. You can simply trade up every few years to whatever catches your fancy despite the trade-in losses.
When you negotiate the final price for a Leaf, talk about the "obsolete CHAdeMO charger" and "non-liquid cooled battery" with the sales manager to get a better price. Mention how the Nissan Ariya has abandoned CHAdeMO in favor of CCS and how the Ariya's dashboard looks much nicer. Once the pandemic inflation has subsided and the Nissan Ariya is widely available, you should be able to negotiate pretty aggressively.
Remember, no matter what you buy today, it won't be considered "cool" or "cutting edge" in a few years, there will always be something new and shiny to be jealous of, so maybe today it's better to not get suckered in or seduced. (Do you regret spending $1200 for a phone?) And if the streets are going to be packed with Tesla Model 3's with the same few paint colors in a couple years, perhaps you'll think about that missing $10,000 you could have spent on something else. The big question is whether you plan to drive cross-country and will need a Tesla (or CCS) rapid charging port, since CHAdeMO is obsolete.
THIS FORUM
This forum helped me make a decision regarding Leaf vs. Tesla (thank you!) so that's why I'm posting the above, to help others who find this site as they consider their options too. At first I just assumed I'd get a Tesla, until I thought about it more. If you get a Tesla, great, enjoy it! I'm very happy with my Leaf. Hopefully others in this forum can add useful things to think about for making an informed choice, all the things I've overlooked or got wrong.
LEAF BENEFITS:
Reasonable sticker price despite the pandemic supply chain inflation.
Immediate availability at many dealerships.
$7500 tax rebate, unlike Tesla.
8-year/100k-mile battery warranty, same as Tesla's.
5-year/60k-mile EV system and powertrain warranty, better than Tesla's.
Less in-cabin road and wind noise than the Tesla 3 (search YouTube).
Nissan build quality versus Tesla, e.g., Tesla door handles.
Vertical trunk space better than Tesla's, possibly total volume too.
charger plug at the front is more convenient than at the back.
Nissan dealerships are very common nationwide in the USA for any repairs or parts.
Regenerative braking might be more efficient than Tesla's, but this is uncertain.
Comes with floormats (saves $100, less annoying).
Comes with NEMA 14-50 electrical adapter (saves $35, less annoying).
LeafSpy Pro phone app is useful and fun (costs $15, plus $30 for the OBDII module).
LEAF NEGATIVES:
Batteries are not liquid-cooled like on the Tesla.
Obsolete CHAdeMO charger, not CCS or Tesla charger.
Dashboard is not as advanced or stylish as Tesla's.
Forward driving pedestrian warning noise is REALLY annoying; don't know about Tesla's.
Back seat leg room is OK for children, but cramped for adults; Tesla looks better.
Back seat headroom is not good for tall people; Tesla looks better.
Nissan Connect app works OK, but is not fast; cannot change charge scheduling.
No over-the-air software updates like on the Tesla, must go to dealer.
Back seats don't fold completely flat like on Tesla, only flat-ish.
No spare tire, like on Tesla (both have repair kits).
Storage space for small sundries around driver is OK, not great; Tesla looks better.
No option to limit max charge to 80% anymore, must adjust via charger scheduling.
CHAdeMO:
Rapid charging slightly damages batteries on any EV today, especially in hot weather. If you will charge 99% of the time at home at night, then 240V charging is better for battery life on both the Leaf and the Tesla. If you need to drive cross-country, then the Tesla is better for its fast-charging stations. The Leaf's CHAdeMO is obsolete and CHAdeMO charging stations will be very difficult to find in five years.
If your electric utility offers a reduced rate for evenings, then 240V charging at home is cheaper than using commercial rapid charging stations. My utility company has a "Free Nights and Weekends" plan that makes scheduled nighttime charging free (the higher weekday rate is offset by the free weekend days, then free EV charging at night). Your utility company may have a similar plan. You don't need to purchase a third-party EVSE to schedule your charging, it is built into the Leaf dashboard already.
BATTERY:
2014 and later Leaf batteries use a different internal design and chemistry (Nickel + Cobalt + Manganese) than the older batteries. Beware of old YouTube videos that warn about "the" Leaf battery.
Lack of liquid cooling is a big issue in hot climates. If you commute at highway speeds in hot climates, park in the sun all day at work, want to use rapid charging, and habitually use maximum acceleration, then a Tesla will be better for battery life because of its thermal management system.
With the 8-year/100k-mile battery warranty on the Leaf, I personally am betting that the cost of a replacement battery in 8 years, if necessary, will be much lower than today. Battery technology is rapidly advancing and prices are falling (I don't know what the future will bring, of course). Hopefully this will be true for Teslas too. There are aftermarket options to replace the battery on a Leaf from non-Nissan companies. Does Tesla allow third-party battery replacement or repair? I don't know.
For the Nissan battery warranty, remember than the Leaf records its operational details to local storage that a Nissan technician can retrieve. The battery warranty is voided if you 1) expose the Lear to ambient temperatures above 120F/49C for over 24 hours, 2) store the Leaf in temperatures below -13F/-25C for over seven days, 3) leave your vehicle for over 14 days where the battery reaches a zero or near zero state of charge, or 4) do not get a battery quality report every year by a Nissan-approved technician. It seems that Nissan has not been a stickler for the annual quality reports for battery warranty repairs, but this verbiage comes straight from the Nissan warranty booklet. If the LeafSpy app on your phone shows battery problems, then take the Leaf to a dealership for an official battery diagnostic report, or, if your favorite auto shop is capable, have the battery check done at the same time as your annual state inspection.
Here is a reliable and impartial source of information about batteries:
https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-808-how-to-prolong-lithium-based-batteries
BUILD QUALITY:
A major reason I chose the Leaf was build quality. Nissan has decades of experience building millions of cars worldwide and a decade of experience with prior Leaf models. (I have a 1998 Nissan Altima and it just keeps on running and running and running...) Tesla is the new kid on the block with a small fraction of that manufacturing record. The Nissan reputation for reliability and build quality is solid, even if it's not the best. Pre-2014 Leaf models certainly had battery problems, but what about the rest of the car?
Here are the Consumer Reports and JD Powers articles that influenced my decision in favor of the Leaf:
"Consumer Reports Still Ranks Tesla Reliability 27th Out Of 28" (19.Nov.2021)
https://insideevs.com/news/549130/consumerreports-tesla-reliability-poor-2021/
"Unlike other manufacturers, Tesla doesn’t grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners..." (18.Feb.2021)
Tesla was fourth from the bottom for dependability; only Jaguar, Alpha and Land Rover were worse.
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2021-us-vehicle-dependability-study-vds
"Nissan LEAF Awarded In 2020 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study" in the compact car category (15.Feb.2020)
https://insideevs.com/news/398848/nissan-leaf-award-vehicle-dependability-study/
DISTANCE TO DEALERSHIP:
While the Tesla is more sporty and stylish, those considerations kind of fade after a year, especially if you have to drive to a distant Tesla Service Center to fix a problem and wait in the lobby or at a hotel. My Nissan dealership is only 6 miles away if I need a repair, so I could take a Lyft/Uber back home if necessary. There are 49 Nissan dealerships in Pennsylvania, for example, but only 3 in the state for Tesla; there are 78 Nissan dealerships in Texas, but only 12 for Tesla.
Here is where you can check your state to see how far the drive will be when something inevitably needs fixing:
https://www.nissanusa.com/nissandealers/location/
https://www.tesla.com/findus/list/services/United%20States
There is also the cost of replacement parts and service work. Tesla owners complain about these things online. It seems that parts and labor for Nissans are less expensive than for Teslas, but I don't have any proof of this, I'm just going on what some Tesla owners say in YouTube videos. As a test, call a Nissan dealership and ask how much it would cost to, say, replace a door window, then call a Tesla service center and ask the same. In large cities, Nissan dealerships compete with each other, not just with other manufacturers. If there is only one Tesla center within a 100 miles of your home, you are more at their mercy.
ROAD NOISE:
Another big issue for me was road noise (I have tinnitus) and there are too many negative YouTube videos by the Tesla owners themselves about Model 3 road noise:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tesla+road+noise+wind+noise
IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY AND ZERO INTEREST FINANCING:
I don't know what kind of financing Tesla offers, but I got zero percent interest from Nissan for 6 years and drove the Leaf off the lot that afternoon, no waiting 4-9 months. Taking into account the $7500 tax rebate, rising inflation (versus my fixed payments), the lower sticker price of the Leaf, the lower expected maintenance costs/hassles versus the Tesla, and my plan to invest the $10,000+ I'm not paying extra for the Tesla, then the Leaf was just too good overall. (I'm a fanboy of financial independence, not cars.)
PRICE NEGOTIATIONS:
If car price is not a major concern, then this whole discussion is probably irrelevant to you. You can simply trade up every few years to whatever catches your fancy despite the trade-in losses.
When you negotiate the final price for a Leaf, talk about the "obsolete CHAdeMO charger" and "non-liquid cooled battery" with the sales manager to get a better price. Mention how the Nissan Ariya has abandoned CHAdeMO in favor of CCS and how the Ariya's dashboard looks much nicer. Once the pandemic inflation has subsided and the Nissan Ariya is widely available, you should be able to negotiate pretty aggressively.
Remember, no matter what you buy today, it won't be considered "cool" or "cutting edge" in a few years, there will always be something new and shiny to be jealous of, so maybe today it's better to not get suckered in or seduced. (Do you regret spending $1200 for a phone?) And if the streets are going to be packed with Tesla Model 3's with the same few paint colors in a couple years, perhaps you'll think about that missing $10,000 you could have spent on something else. The big question is whether you plan to drive cross-country and will need a Tesla (or CCS) rapid charging port, since CHAdeMO is obsolete.
THIS FORUM
This forum helped me make a decision regarding Leaf vs. Tesla (thank you!) so that's why I'm posting the above, to help others who find this site as they consider their options too. At first I just assumed I'd get a Tesla, until I thought about it more. If you get a Tesla, great, enjoy it! I'm very happy with my Leaf. Hopefully others in this forum can add useful things to think about for making an informed choice, all the things I've overlooked or got wrong.