Any regrets owning your leaf?

[cgaydos]

No regrets with our two LEAFs.

A couple things:

1) I also think you won't regret having the 50A line for level 2 charging at home. Yes, you can get by with level 1, but with level 2 and the 6.6 kwh charger (if you don't get the S model without the charging package) you can recharge in under 4 hours. Most first time LEAFers find that they use the LEAF for a lot more than they thought they would, so having the car charged up faster really helps.

2) The LEAF was significantly improved starting in 2013 with a lot of small but important feature changes and a revised battery chemistry and more range. A lot of the issues you'll read about on this board from the first two years (2011-2012) are either resolved now or have significantly less impact.

 

[RonDawg]

Very few people who lease get regrets, most are actually pretty happy since they can get a sense of technology and just send it back and don't sweat the battery crapping out on them.

As long as the reduced range still works for them. But I suspect that purchasers with modest range needs would not necessarily be unhappy either, especially if they were not an early adopter and were already aware of the premature degradation issue before they signed that sales contract.

I'm very happy with mine. It's been the most reliable vehicle I've owned since my '89 Toyota 4x4. Still have all 12 bars, though after this latest heat wave I will not be surprised if I lose one soon. But I still might even extend the lease until the 2nd gen model comes out.

 

[marcomendoza]

Yeah, this heat wave has me concerned. My battery temp gauge has not had a chance to cool down, since it is hot at night too.

 

[Kipp]

I've only had my LEAF for about 6 weeks now. I commute about 40 miles per day (20 to work, 20 to home). Absolutely no regrets!

Let me add one more thing. I'm not sure where you're coming from to try electric, but in my case, I was a skeptic just 6 months ago. I bought (leased) the LEAF to replace an older pickup I used to drive. I used to belittle the EV crowd as impractical and unrealistic.

With the LEAF, (and with TESLA), the industry reached a tipping point, I believe. Once you suspect the tipping point, it has already happened. I now have to admit, that I was wrong about the EV crowd: it is absolutely real, and practical, and economical!

After 6 weeks, I will tell you I've turned into a rabid fan of EVs. I have to ask myself, "Why didn't I do this earlier?".

I now feel that I will never again be happy with an oil/grease stinker (ICE) vehicle. Something happens to your brain after driving an EV for awhile. I backed my wife's Suburban out of the driveway the other day. It was like going back to the stone age. Honestly, I felt like lighting a fire in the Sub, and painting cave paintings on its interior.

My family was skeptical at first: "Did dad blow a gasket?". After the first six weeks, they now love the LEAF almost as much as I do. It just trumpets coolness. We love it. And yes, just like the prior post I read, my wife too asks me to turn on the AC with my phone while we're checking out from shopping. In fact, she asked me to setup her Carwings so she could manage it herself when she takes out the LEAF.

My next vehicle may be a LEAF with greater range, or it may be a TESLA model 3, but it definitely won't be an ICE vehicle again. Those days are over.

NO REGRETS!

 

[jelloslug]

I've only had my LEAF for about 6 weeks now. I commute about 40 miles per day (20 to work, 20 to home). Absolutely no regrets!

...snip...

NO REGRETS!

I would say that 80% of the people that ride or drive either of my EVs come to the same conclusions also.

 

[Valdemar]

Yeah, this heat wave has me concerned. My battery temp gauge has not had a chance to cool down, since it is hot at night too.

It is a relatively short anomaly, it will do some damage but when amortized over 2-3 years it will not be significant. There were a couple of waves like this during the course of my Leaf ownership, and I'm still more or less on track with the battery degradation model.

 

[billg]

After 6 weeks, I will tell you I've turned into a rabid fan of EVs.

I'm also now 6 weeks into the EV experience, and my friends and family call me a LEAFangelist. :lol:

 

[Weatherman]

Yes. But that's mostly because I paid way too much as an early adopter.

The car is not bad. In many ways I like it better than my Volt. The battery, however, is a complete disaster (both in the rapid degradation rate and how Nissan handled the issue).

I don't think I'll go back to a pure EV again, until there's something available which has something like Tesla's range and charging infrastructure at a more modest price. I always saw it as a risk to go the pure EV route as a one-car household. As I learned, the risk is not worth the reward.

 

[bbrowncods]

After 6 weeks, I will tell you I've turned into a rabid fan of EVs.

I'm also now 6 weeks into the EV experience, and my friends and family call me a LEAFangelist. :lol:

I'm trying to not be a LEAFangelist. It is hard.

No regrets!

 

[Moof]

No regrets about the car. I bought it knowing the limitations, and it is a very nice third car that has been taking the lion's share of the household miles (it is our go-to car, more so than I expected). We bought it as a beater commuter car to be cheaper than my driving my 15 mpg truck to work, and it has been fantastic for that.

I did make the mistake when buying it to not check the tires too carefully. I bought it used and was looking at 2 different Leafs. I had looked over the first one very carefully, but ended up liking the deal price I could haggle them down to more on the second one (they wanted $500 more because it was "Certified", and I didn't give a crap). It wasn't until I got home that I realized the tires are just about shot. Once it got down to that car I should have asked to go for a second quick test drive on the second Leaf.

I'm sure I could have gotten another couple hundred out of them if I pitched a fit about unsafe tires. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[LeftieBiker]

If they were Ecopias, you may have been luckier than you think.

 

[WetEV]

No regrets for both of the Leafs I've bought.

 

[kaikara]

no regrets about the car. It is perfect for our needs. The only thing I don't like about it is the washer nozzles which are really bad. In Canada they are important and I have had the dealership mess with them twice but they are really are no better.

 

[Bazooka]

My only regret re:my Leaf is that I got only a 2-year lease. It was our first EV, and even though I'd done very extensive research, my wife and I were still a little nervous about "life with a Leaf".

As it turns out, I got a call this morning from NMAC asking if I was happy with the car and telling me that about 60 days before the lease end they'll be in touch again, etc. I asked about the option to extend the lease, a topic that draws very mixed responses in online discussions, I've found (some say it's not possible, others say it's routine). He told me that they definitely do that all the time, and that I should contact NMAC or my dealer about 60 days before my lease is set to end.

Given that I want to bridge to the Leaf 2.0, this sounds like a good alternative.

When I mentioned the bridging thing, the gentleman from NMAC said that the Leaf 2.0 would be out in 2016, even though I hadn't asked or prompted him in any way.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Yes, extending the lease can make for a very good deal for those of us who put a substantial amount down and now pay a small monthly payment. I plan to extend my lease for at least a year. I pay $149 a month for my 2013 SV.

 

[TickTock]

My only regret is not buying a SOCmeter the day I purchased the car. Really wished I had that "new" baseline for later comparison.

 

[Andolyn]

No.

Please stop by the Orange County group's (The Gidlings) DIY table at Huntington Beach for answers to your questions from experienced EVers.

thanks I'm planning on arriving about noon
warmest regards
Robert

 

[KJD]

I'm about to drop the hammer on a leaf lease. But like any one new to a different technology I'm nervous about making the jump.
Is their any folks ( already have gone through this) that might have down anything different when moving to this source or transportation? I'm in southern Ca. The Ev infrastructure is good and getting better. I'm a consultant in the field and drive 40 or less miles a day. It appears that their are plenty charge stations and nissan dealers to charge up. I'm in the process of getting a 50amp line installed in my house for the car. I'm am also looking into to solar for my house.
I have not sold my wife on it yet but she is asking questions. Im going to the Ev meeting this saturday in HB to talk to other folks that have been in my shoes. Any Words would be greatly appreciated
Warmest Regards
Robert

The LEAF is by far the best car that I have ever owned. My only real complaint is with the lack of quick chargers in this area. We only have a few and the ones that we do have are broken most of the time. Nissan needs to step up their game when it comes to public charge stations.

You are lucky to be in CA where you have lots of charging options, so that should not be a problem for you, those of us in other states it can be an issue.

 

[Andolyn]

No.

Please stop by the Orange County group's (The Gidlings) DIY table at Huntington Beach for answers to your questions from experienced EVers.

Hey i stopped by this booth. Talked to someone about the EVSE program to get a free Evse.