This and the Bolt were rare in that they're small and relatively inexpensive but have a range greater than a golf cart. It looks like a normal car. It's not futuristic for the sake of being futuristic. GM simply can't make comfortable seats any more but Nissan makes great seats. USB-A is fine because you can plug in anything without an adapter. iPhone, fan, soda cooler.
The fact it has no active battery cooling and the whole controversy with battery issues with the last gen because of that means it's a deal-breaker for many including myself
It means that it's only viable in temperate climates that don't rise above 30°C or below -10°C And only viable if you don't plan to rapid charge more than twice a day Adequate for Europe...
Love the size, design, and even the way it drives. But Chademo and no liquid cooled battery make it a non-starter for me and a lot of other people. If Nissan threw a NACS port on this and updated the battery to be thermally managed, I'd probably get one over the Bolt
I think the bolt is a much greater option overall. It is cheaper to start for more range and power but it also qualifies for the tax credit so it is WAY cheaper at the end of the day. The leaf also has an air cooled battery so it struggles in extreme temperatures. I wish the bolts seats were better but it's hard to deny the specs. This is not the best EV lol, sorry. I think Model 3 is the best but bolt if that's too much $.
@@PigglyWigglyDeluxe Yes, and they fixed them. It was/is a known defect with LG Chem battery modules they supplied to several manufacturers, not just GM. If anything, I'd argue the battery problems/recall is a good thing for the consumer, because it means every used bolt on the market regardless of age or mileage has a brand spanking new battery with more range than when it was new, and a fresh 8yr (or 10yr depending on state) warranty. It also forced them to drop the price of new ones, meaning a new base model Bolt w/ the tax credit comes in at the same price as a Nissan Versa pretty much
Have a 2020 SV Plus. Use it as a city car. It definitely gets the job done. I can plug it into an outlet in my driveway so I have no concerns about how many miles it gets to the charge. My only gripes are: The camera is not the greatest (possibly due to all the recycled materials used for the interior and the slant of the the windshield) it gets pretty hot inside Infotainment unit is laggy
Nobody talks about it, because they don't thermally manage the batteries. The batteries don't last, and it's 2/3 the cost of a brand new leaf, to replace it.
Nissan tech here. We’ve replaced ONE leaf battery. Ever. In fact, the special tabletop style lift we use to lower it from the car was being used far more frequently at our Ford location so we had to go take it from them the one and only time we ever needed it.
I was trying to reply to you but I think you deleted your comment. if they are replaced under warranty it’s safe to assume they died prematurely since warranty coverage only lasts so long. We have never seen a warranty replacement at our shop. The one we replaced was paid by insurance and it had over 100k miles on it. Oh, also one of my coworkers owns one and he is the lead tech at our store and he hasn’t had any issues with it and doesn’t think an EV like this needs active battery cooling. It’s not a performance EV and should not be treated as such. He suspects the battery failures are mostly due to abusing them and driving them as if it were a fast EV. People need to drive these like an appliance. Basic transport. It’s not a Plaid with a zillion horsepower. These buyers need to better manage their expectations. That’s perhaps the only real downfall to this car, people aren’t honest with themselves and they buy them thinking it’ll be a viable alternative to a Model 3 and it’s not and never has been. That’s not the point.
they have a terrible resale value, I'm sure for a reason. looking in the comments I see there's a problem with thermal management of the battery. also just as a Nissan, Carlos Gohn ruined their reputation with their bad CVT cars, its gonna take some time before I can trust Nissan again if ever. Also, the range is just not enough.
Nissan ruined their reputation for CVTs not because they built a bad CVT, but because they were not honest about it’s maintenance needs. They told everyone it’s a lifetime fluid with no maintenance required. That’s a load of bull and dealers pushed that crap too. They are strong and reliable if you do a fluid service twice a year. NS2/NS3 is expensive though and that sucks but every Nissan CVT has a easily accessible drain plug and fill tube with an external filter that is removed with 4 easily accessible bolts. DIY types can easily do it. Setting the level is tricky because Nissan didn’t put dipsticks in them, that’s the only real downside.
Don’t floor it everywhere. Problem solved. My ICE car overheats a bunch when I floor it everywhere. Redlining every gear, sometimes I even jump it. WHY IS MY CAR BREAKING??? Same idea here. Batteries don’t overheat if you don’t drive it like you stole it. It’s not a high power high speed EV because it’s not built like one. It’s a commuter. Drive it accordingly.
@@PigglyWigglyDeluxeI don't think most people drive their EVs like that... I have somewhat of a lead foot and I've never had an ICE car overheat excluding when they had something mechanically wrong with them. I'm not sure these would hold up well if you live in a hot area and do long commutes and thus have to charge it more.
I see a few Leafs around but .. Nissan isn't reknowned for their EV technology, or their modern CVTs for that matter.. It's like someone went up to the CEO and said, "We should do an EV." and they replied, "Yeah, sure. Do it." The Nissan Leaf is a Nissan Leaf. It's unique.. and it was okay. But it wasn't okay enough to be good. Hey, some of them came with those cool metallic blue Nissan badges though.
Nissan tech here. I’m tired of pretending their CVTs suck. They don’t. The problem with the CVTs started when dealers stopped recommending regular fluid services. Don’t get me wrong, we replace a CVT like 3 times a week. Every single one of them never had fluid services. However, we’ll see a bunch of CVTs come in for regular maintenance with 200k+ miles with several dozen fluid service jobs in their service history. The distinction is clear. They are reliable when they are serviced, the dealers just don’t recommend it. We as techs certainly do but no one ever listens to us for some dumb reason.
@@PigglyWigglyDeluxe wait, so they *want* people to break them? and charge them for replacements? :/ this almost fits with my theory that Toyota/Honda drivers are more mindful about servicing and having a life-long daily, whereas people used to domestic American cars will buy cheap Nissans and treat them like shit - or the dealers intend to milk the customers..
@@kiraleafPrius is a hybrid. It’s a halfway point between full ICE and EV. It’s what you get if you want a EV experience without a place to charge it. You get an EV if it fits your needs and capabilities. I won’t buy an EV because I have nowhere to charge it. That’s not the fault of mine or the EV. I’m also not going to buy a pickup truck because I have no need for it. I have nothing to haul around. You get what you need based on what the car can do for you and what you can do for the car. Simple as that.
No one took the Leaf seriously for a few reasons, none of which pertain to the car itself on its own merits. 1: people are NEVER honest with themselves. You don’t need 300+ miles of range for a daily. You just don’t. The people who genuinely need the range were never looking for ANY electric car in the first place. It’s like saying you hated the omelet you ordered for breakfast but you’re allergic to eggs. 2: people are way too uptight and way too serious. Not every car needs traditional styling. The older I get the more I appreciate automakers making bold design choices. I very much enjoy the quirky designs. I also genuinely love the Cube for the same reasons. Lighten up, everyone. 3: I believe it came too soon. People didn’t really start paying attention to EVs until the Model S came out. Drama turns heads and Tesla has always been good at getting people talking, for better or for worse. The Leaf was just an oddball electric car from an automaker that just kinda blended in among everyone else. If you’re truly genuinely honest with yourself and your needs, and need just a cheap mindless daily EV that you can charge at home, Leaf. It’s always been the Leaf. And I want one.
When it came out, it just didn't turn heads. Nobody heard about a Leaf until they actually saw one on the street and it was like, 'oh it's a Nissan EV.' Before Teslas, if you said 'EV' you would think about a wimpy Prius, because they were already out there populating taxi fleets.
2 issues. 1 Chademo charging. It’s nearly dead and makes road trips nearly impossible. 2 the non cooled battery. That’s why the bolt has prospered and this is not.
Boring is beautiful when it just works mile after mile and gets the job done at a reasonable price. This model of Leaf does look a lot better (yes, more conventional too) than the original. The downward pressure on sales prices of Teslas may push Nissan to lower their prices to complete as well, so consumers of both brands can get a break.
Give it 300 (preferably 350 since all EV batteries degrade some) miles of range with a liquid cooled battery and keep it under $30,000 and I might consider it.
Honestly, an EV with modern architecture has a lot fewer " frailties" than an ICE vehicle. Fewer moving parts, and a lot cheaper to maintain. The leaf is just an outdated design.
@@txjebIncorrect. There are definitely EV specific frailties. Baked in. Especially for me. I love taking long b-road roadtrips without infrastructure holding my hand. Can't do that in any EV. Can with an ICE (Extra Jerry can and away we go.) Can't charge one at my apartment. It won't cope well with our extreme winters either. There are frailties. Just not to bug men commuters whose entire life is inside a charging corridor.
@@POVwithRCyou’re not the target demo for an EV. You can’t expect an EV to be a viable replacement to a ICE vehicle in every single way. Not yet. Genuine EV buyers know that. If you don’t need the range, an EV could be suitable. You obviously have different needs that would have never been met with any EV. Different cars serve different purposes. Are you going to buy a Miata when you need to haul wood around? Of course not. Nobody buying a Miata is complaining about storage space, and why would they? EVs are no different.
@@POVwithRC That's a temporary issue, but one that's quickly going away. Between the new NACS standards, and truck stops starting to put in chargers, it won't be long till it's caught up. And gas cars catch fire way more frequently on percentage.
