Test Drive; LEAF goes from Vague Concept to Reality

[Rokeby]

Just test drove a 2011 LEAF at Bob Bell Nissan just off I695 at the
Eastern Ave exit.

I drive a GenII Prius w/ScanGuage, so am no stranger to lots of data
on display, still found the amount and style of data on display
daunting… I guess you get acclimated in time.

Nice car. Easy to see why it has engendered the excitement here.
Got to drive for about 20 min; surface roads and beltway, up to 55
MPH. Ride was nice, tight… but then, aren't all new cars?
Quiet, much more so than the Prius -- has 65K miles, no noticeable
squeaks or rattles. Very little motor whine on acceleration, less regen
whine than Prius.

FWIW, there was only this one test car on the lot. Salesman pleasant,
not at all pushy, no attempt to bait and switch. Very familiar with
control/display layout, but pretty much clueless of operating details
idiosyncrasies… he said, "This is the car of the future, I really like it, but
I wouldn't drive one… it doesn't make enough noise." !!?? He said he
had seen a LEAF in the wild, but was evasive about how many he/they
had sold.

Found seats comfortable. Interesting raised rear seating, due battery
beneath I guess. Clear view forward, a backseat driver's dream.
Sufficient, but not as much rear leg room as Prius.
Smallish, vertically oriented rear storage area. Was thinking where all
the luggage would go on our next trip to Maine… well, duh, that's not
what it will be used for.

There was a double headed charger in front of the showroom. I asked
if it was Level 2 or 3. Was told 3, but when I withdrew the jack, it was
a 2. Apparently other than charging the single test car, they don't
anticipate much/any public use as it is behind two rows of cars parked
head in. The test car was next to the charger, and 2 cars had to be
moved to get it out.

FWIW, on the 20 min drive home, each time the Prius' -- our much
coddled and beloved Amapola -- ICE kicked in, I was mildly irritated…
What's up with that?

Don't need to buy a LEAF yet, or perhaps ever… just wanting to
know/experiece more. Am waiting for an iMiEV, i, to compare to.
Local Mitsu dealer says mid-February.

Hold on, I know the two EVs are miles apart as to sophistication, etc,
etc. Either car would meet our worst case daily commuting/weekend
errand range needs. I need to know if I can accept the step down to
the i, to get a lower initial cost EV... it'll be an around town car, not a
hiway cruiser.

[Note: cross posted at priuschat.com]

 

[Randy3]

Good review. Points out a couple of things we see all the time but need to be said. Salespeople don't know this car and give out false information (like L2/L3 chargers). Several alternative cars coming out in the next year or two (good for all of us). Really don't like driving my ICE (Honda Insight) after driving my LEAF.

 

[GeekEV]

FWIW, on the 20 min drive home, each time the Prius' -- our much
coddled and beloved Amapola -- ICE kicked in, I was mildly irritated…
What's up with that?

Well that was fast! Yeah, that happens... I just wouldn't have expected for it to happen to you so quickly. I remember getting in my Prius after about a month with the LEAF and having this puzzled look on my face when I started it up - my wife asked what was wrong so I turned to her and said "Is it broken?" It just felt so -- wrong...

 

[Rokeby]

Well that was fast! Yeah, that happens... I just wouldn't have expected
for it to happen to you so quickly..

I was surprised too, and it happened on the very first time the ICE fired up!

I had rolled into the dealership, just off the beltway, with SOC at 68%. Air
temps were near 50 degF and the ICE had little chance to cool off -- grill
blocks and ICE radiant heat reflector in place. So when we left, the car was
going EV on its own through the lot, for a short stop, and then a gentle
acceleration into light traffic. When I had to spped up to clear the lane for
a faster moving vehicle, the ICE came on...

What the hey!

Oh yeah, I remembered, I wasn't in the LEAF anymore.

FWIW, I found the difference between D and ECO interesting.The D setting
had me silently creeping up past the PSL repeatedly. When I shifted to ECO
the throttle response was much closer to that of the Prius.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Great write up and yeah, it didnt take me long to really notice how loud my Prius was as well. up until i had driven the Leaf for nearly 2 weeks straight back in January, i never realized how irritated i was by the slight vibration caused by the motor running.

it never used to bother me that much until i experienced what it was like to drive without it. When i drive the Prius now, my overwhelming conviction that the Prius was the best car for my needs was still there but now the Prius is "just a car."

 

[mwalsh]

FWIW, on the 20 min drive home, each time the Prius' -- our much
coddled and beloved Amapola -- ICE kicked in, I was mildly irritated…
What's up with that?

LOL! I now know the feeling...I borrowed an Infinti M35 Hybrid for the annual Walsh drive to Las Vegas, and found it quite perplexing that I couldn't figure out how to keep it in EV mode more. :lol:

I'll tell you what though...the Infiniti EV coming in a few years...if it's built as well as the current models, it is going to be spectacular!

 

[Deleted member 3147]

FWIW, I found the difference between D and ECO interesting.The D setting
had me silently creeping up past the PSL repeatedly. When I shifted to ECO
the throttle response was much closer to that of the Prius.

Actually, ECO mode reminds me of my GenII Prius when the traction battery is nearly empty and that tiny ICE has to provide all of the push! I drive "D" all of the time but once in a while, I'll accidentally start out in ECO. "What the hell?" is my first thought! :lol:

 

[cwerdna]

Great write up and yeah, it didnt take me long to really notice how loud my Prius was as well. up until i had driven the Leaf for nearly 2 weeks straight back in January, i never realized how irritated i was by the slight vibration caused by the motor running.

it never used to bother me that much until i experienced what it was like to drive without it. When i drive the Prius now, my overwhelming conviction that the Prius was the best car for my needs was still there but now the Prius is "just a car."

I know what you mean about the 1st point. I still have no Leaf but first test one 2x in November 2010 at one of Nissan's events. They encouraged us to punch at one spot. So I did floor it there.

I later took the same loop in my Prius for kicks and floored it. I heard a lot of noise.

Yeah, maybe once I finally have a Leaf (you know my situation), I might feel the same way.