I have a 2016 leaf and I love it. Formally was a mechanic in college and have owned, rebuilt, and self maintained MG, Mercedes, Mazda RX, Subaru and VW. I’ve had my Leaf for 5 years and it the only maintenance it has required was 12V battery and wipers. Solid as a rock. Fun to drive as it has a VERY low center of gravity, all the weight is in the battery which is at axle level. At 67 I’m not sad to never need to crawl under another car. Battery is 9 years old, has lost less than 5% of its range. I fully expect it to be working fine in 2034.
I think the great thing about your reviews is the breadth of vehicles you look at. And you always seem to keep in mind what the particular vehicle has been designed to do. No inappropriate vehicle comparisons, just inappropriate penguins.
I watch your channel for both builds _and_ reviews. Your reviews are SO much more valuable than the usual stuff. When watching car reviews everyone seems to just say the same things, drone on about interiors or pointless tech; you talk about the technical specs and details that _matter_ , and it's so much more interesting and useful. Also, wow - that is one of the lowest Cookie-scores I think I've seen on your reviews!
Sarah I must say you do a very fair review on every vehicle you review. And sometimes it looks like you must be extremely agile to get in the back seat too. The best car channel on RU-vid!! 👍👍
We have a 2013 Nissan Leaf in our family and had no trouble with it in the 6 years we have owned it. The only thing it does not go as far on a charge as it did new. Enjoy the beautiful Sunday.
While that is somewhat true of any EV, with one that is using air to cool the battery it is more pronounced. You also notice more when the range is smaller to begin with.
That little car that could. Unfortunately, 15 years later, a Chademo connector and such a high price point doesn’t cut it. Unfortunate Nissan didn’t take care more of their little car by upgrading it properly, because it drives so well.
Key thing with these is the actual cost vs. list price. They have nice niche but it is not huge. Under $30k and it can be a super efficient commuter if you can plug it in at home.
Yep. My commute is 36mi round trip. If you get a kill-a-watt, charge at night, and keep track of your $/distance for about a month, you'll feel like a financial genius. 😂 Driving 100 miles every daaayum! Did you see what that squirrel just did?
Carpet-ception …. 🤣 As always, great review. Even if I don’t particularly care for a vehicle, I always learn something and enjoy the driving impressions.
Fun Fact for bonus wrench points: Almost all of the LEAF’s High Voltage components are cross compatible with its previous generation, including the battery. Why would you want to put a 28 kWh, decade old, air-cooled battery into your new car that comes with minimum 40 kWh is beyond me… but it does mean (in a pinch) HV spare parts are probably easier to come by in this car than any other EV. (This also explains why you sometimes find used first Gen LEAFs with 220+ miles of range: They’ve had their batteries swapped for a newer, salvage-title 62 kWh one.)
Hi Sarah, Here are some questions EV buyers have, since there are no pistons. What is the maximum DC charge rate kw, optional battery sizes in kwh, along with the battery size estimated range and the charge port information should include what the manufacturer is doing for the US NACS conversion ie: adapter suggestion and estimated date of conversion for new models. WEB search: What you need to know about the US EV charging switch to Tesla's NACS . Thanks for the great show, technology with a touch of cuteness is always a thumbs up!
Just a guess here, but the Leaf will probably charge at the same rate on Tesla Superchargers as it does on other ones. The plus is Chademo chargers are not as common, but this one does get the CCS plug as well. But, for all things holy, I wish they'd stop fighting with the Bolt to charge at the 350kW fast chargers. Nobody is using that 50kW charger besides those two unless they have to.
Let's be honest, very few people have any interest in owning an EV. Maybe some hippies along the west coast and a scattered few in bigger cities elsewhere. I have an 1100+ mile road trip coming up and I don't have the extra two days required for charge time....provided one could find a place to charge along the rural roads of course.
@joelmurphy7980 Just because you're butthurt doesn't mean that people looking for Leaf reviews won't find this one. Thing is, those particular details can be found on the manufacturer page, unlike details about pistons, exhaust diameter, sway bar diameter etc. Nothing to stop including geek-out details about the motor construction, battery chemistry etc.
@@DAReeseDroidFrom what I've seen, there's no ChaDemo to NACS adapter either built or in development. As for charging speeds, the leaf charges at the same rate as the Chevy Bolt, 55kW.
There’s always at least one nugget in every vehicle review video that demonstrates your quirky and humorous imagination… “steak-shaped” center console made me laugh. 😆 Thank you, Sarah. 👍👍👍
Watching your channel is like an adventure into the world of funny characters and hilarious situations. Keep making us happy with your funny videos!🥍😽💫
@@joekagererIf you have,not if you install for this purpose. Solar will cut all you electricity costs, and pay for itself over time. I wouldn't buy a new Leaf, maybe rent, but they're very cheap used.
Couple of things on the Leaf to all of the EV naysayers out there. Despite having only air cooled battery, many leafs have done over 200,000 miles, people seem to love them, and the battery recycling program set up by Nissan to re use the batteries in other static ways like powerbanks never really took off because the batteries (which are still fully recyclable) lasted way longer than imagined. The reason I feel EVs seem unexciting is that many are either huge cars (even the leaf isn't small) or made to be super practical. Smaller lower range light EVs would be absolutely wild in terms of fun. Having break away torque for days and wild acceleration.
Chademo is exclusive to Japan and is the second oldest EV charge port, but was not adapted for use in other countries, so you'll only find it on EV's from Japan makers.
I swear Sarah you make us watch some cars that nobody and I mean nobody would had even think to watch but we love ya so much that here we are watching a freaking Nissan Leaf lol.
Your review of the entry level Nissan EV is excellent. As a lifelong Petrolhead, I identify with your love of fun cars. After years of internal combustion cars, I recently bought a Kia EV6 pure electric car and I will NEVER go back to lame petrol or diesel. The driving experience all by itself completely embarrasses any combustion engine.
17:12 was that bollstering assessment while drving or dancing and driving? Love your reviews. Highly entertaining and full of valuable, well researched content.
Thank you for another well thought out review, Sarah. At my shop we briefly tried reman batteries for Prius vehicles and the like but when they remanufacture a battery they replace the worn cells with new ones and leave the others which eventually fail in the next 6-12 months. We went to replacing the batteries with all new ones from the dealer.
The cover on the floor in the back seat area is what the fire department punches through to let the non-exstinquishable napalm-like fire burn quicker when the battery self destruct mode engulfs the interior Instead of sending after-burner like flames out the sides under the rocker panel. Considerate.
I agree with your 'will not last 20 years' comment. Aside from battery lifespan, a weak point with made in USA is that surface corrosion starts on day one.
12:30 that's linked to the flap vent that all cars have in their lower rear quarter panel, which is hidden by the bumper. It's there to expel air when you close a door, or when you're at speed and closing the windows. Without it, modern cars are sealed to the point that there's nowhere for air pressure to be released, and thus you'll have a lot of trouble to close the doors when all of the windows are up, or you'll essentially pressurize the car's interior if you're at highway speed and close an open window. You ears will start to pop.
the earlier years came in an almost milenium Jade color which is cool. Red ones were the cheapest when i got mine . Build quality inside is just like a 1993 Pulsar.
I find it funny. With more choices, ICE, EV, Hybrid, Plug in Hybrid, people seem to be more polarized than ever. I disagree with setting mandates. The funny part is the disappearing manual transmissions, fun, affordable cars, that are enjoyable to drive. I think there's room for all. Heck its hard to find a cheap, reliable small truck now.
@@leftcoaster67 I think people like to just find reasons to argue with one another, it’s a piece of machinery with pros and cons just like anything. I don’t care personally what something is powered by, I’ll still review it and appreciate what is appealing about it and point out what isn’t.
My 2015 Honda has a torsion beam rear and I put a sway bar back there...made a huge difference in making the car more neutral in hard cornering no more understeer.
CHadMO is actually the DC fast charging port. Most EVs have the CCS (Common Charging Standard) which has the DC pins on the bottom of the connector array and requires a plug to be removed when DC fast charging. The Tesla NACS (North American Charging Standard) has it all in a smaller handle.
These aren't for everyone, but the Leaf was a decent pioneer. And if you don't need to go real far, very cheap to run. And late model used Leafs can be a real bargain. And if they're at least 2 years old with only one previous owner, you can qualify for up to a $4,000 used EV rebate.
I agree with you Sarah, this toaster won't last 20 years! But I'd like to say my daughter have a Versa 2007 with CVT and in 2 years it will have 20 years with a normal maintenance and no major problem. And even with the CVT , it's a fun car to drive, compare to my Pathfinder... Realy love your review Sarah.
@Lukeywoodsey do you have a feel for how long the batteries last in your part of the UK? I'm Midwest USA with wide, but not awful temperature variations. I've been pleasantly surprised by how well my Leaf's batteries have held up.
A bunch of people I know have these, and I think they are better than most of the others out there, because they are just simpler and not all fluffed up with stuff only iphone nerds want. Simpler mechanically as well doesn't put you in the poor house for long term maintenance and is much easier to buy them second hand like my friends did (let the first owners eat all the depreciation) Didn't really show the gauges much but my only real gripe was dash visibility sucked on the earlier ones which this one seems better.
I spent 8 months in Europe. The big complaint about this car is that it is not intended to use a fast charger. The battery does not have liquid cooling, which makes the battery overheat, so you should expect a shorter battery life if you start to use a fast charger every time.
I have the 2023 SV+ and I've been pretty happy with it. I don't love the lack of a spare, but it hasn't been an issue so far. I have run into the issue of finding neutral before at the worst time - when next in line at an automated car wash. And the strong torque is nice, though I have had it slip if I'm stopped at an intersection too far forward on the thick white line. Also, if you have your phone plugged in, you lose about 25% of that reported range to charging that little device somehow. That said, still love the lack of maintenance and no need for emissions tests.
After looking for a first car for my youngest daughter I have been considering a hybrid car to potentially buy and do a swap. Shopping, nearly buying a 19 Audi A3 hatchback hybrid. Since we didn't get the RS3 in hatchback form here in the US I feel like the A3 Hatchback Hybrid is a perfect car to swap the RS3/TTRS drivetrain suspension, dash, interior interior. Making it the RS3 Hatchback here in the US that we never got.
13:13 Lucky penguin! 🤣😅😂 Love the "car" car reviews, Sarah... All the SUV's seem to be clones of each other. Even if a car leaves something to be desired, at least it is interesting to follow your assessment.
It seems that EV batteries are lasting longer than was first thought. Here in NZ, ten year old Leafs still get some kind of a price, despite having small batteries to start with. And they don't fall off a cliff, but get reduced capacity--which means they have enough capacity for a classic use case for an EV, daily commuting and pottering around the suburbs. There's always someone who says "Nobody wants EVs. I commute from Butte to Butte once a week." But there aren't too many people doing that, while there's loads of people banging round the burbs in mighty trucks. All that said, the Leaf has always been a car for people who aren't into cars, but want a transport appliance. Which is really quick away from the traffic lights. If you're daily driving doesn't include traffic lights, it's probably not the car for you.
Fairly ridiculous price too. We just got a brand new RAV4 XLE Hybrid with nearly 600 miles range for barely $1k more than this car. And of course a ton more practicality. I only have to put gas in it every 3-4 weeks most of the time.
The #1 cause of battery failure in older generations of electric cars has been identified as being caused from the batteries overheating. Modern electric cars should not only have cooling vents for the batteries, but also filters to keep those vents from clogging up, with the filter replacement being part of the maintenance schedule.
$7500 federal rebate, plus no gas or maintenance costs over the life of ownership makes for a compelling argument. Mostly you are gambling upon the total lifespan (in years) of these batteries, which has yet to be proven, but i suspect is longer than the general market currently expects ~
@@georgehofgren6123 so far those Leafs has proven that lifespan of those batteries are 3-4 years and after that time it depletes 20-30%. Leafs only gives you 140 - 150 miles of range in the cold. With it's 5th generation hybrid in Toyota, it will lasts you over 200k miles easier than those Leafs.
@16:00 Sarah brings up a very important point about EV's in general. An ICE car with proper maintenance can last for hundreds of thousands of miles and decades. An EV once the battery goes to battery Florida, is just pending e-waste due to the fact that a new battery is proly half the msrp of the car when new. When reasonable costing battery replacements become available then EV's can really be an ICE replacement. Until then used EV's are going to become an issue.
Tesla batteries last up to 500,000 miles. Current replacement cost is between $5 and $20k. Factor in the cost of proper maintenance and fuel for an ICE engine over 20 years, and this becomes a non-issue. Having said that, I still own an ICE car because it's more fun. 😊
You know I really hate when manufacturers try to fix something that ain't broke. The shifter is stupid, why not leave that as everyone who has driven an automatic in the last 70 years as it is. It's like Tesla being so futuristic to use an app to operate the simplest things on a car that have worked since Henry Ford's model T. All I can think is it's a way to avoid paying patent fees or earn patent fees for everything. Oh and also why the lights on everything? In vehicles that create range anxiety every watt of power counts. They need to stop wasting power on unnecessary bling to try and sell us all on an inferior product.
Range anxiety is real. You’re right, batteries won’t last and their replacements are crazy expensive. I’d much rather look for a gas station and just GO! Not an EV fan here. Thank you Sarah 🙏 ❤
EVs are fairly predictable about range. Anxiety is sited as a reason more often than it really happens Batteries last about 20 years and cost $5000 with labor to replace.
@craigparker4108 No it's not. Range anxiety is just not a thing. There are plenty of public charging stations where you can charge to 80% quickly. And with liquid cooling, batteries last 20 years now.
I would not want to commute in a leaf. I have a long drive over a mountain. However I could make a case for a leaf. We normally spend Saturdays running errands and shopping. All short trips only a few miles at a time.
Battery repair stations do now exist, where they can take out battery and replace any faulty cells. Battery swap garages also exist, certainly in England and Holland. The older, 14 year old Leaf model can be fitted with a much bigger, almost double, capacity battery.
Yes, and in the US, there is an "open source" battery effort than means that any mechanic can learn what is needed and do the work. It is specific to the Leaf.
I have an old Nissan Leaf, and it has the same size tyres. The annoying thing is that since they’re 17” and not as much meat on the sidewall, the tyre companies consider them sporty tyres, so are more expensive than 15 or 16s.
