leafydeafy
Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2018
- Messages
- 6
I'm a new Leaf owner (2018 SV) and am interested in hearing other takes on the Leaf vs. other EV's (BEV or PHEV). What other EV's did you test drive? What sold you on the Leaf? (Or what sold you on another EV?)
Here's my list:
Information-gathering test drives (before I was actively in the market for an EV):
1. Tesla Model S: a couple buddies and I went for a test drive, and this is what turned my interest in EV's from distant daydream to "I need to do this soon." I've never been big into performance vehicles, but the Tesla's acceleration and handling were intoxicating. The car felt like an extension of myself. The interior was fine. I wasn't a big fan of the huge touch-screen monitor on the dash. It seemed like overkill and a distraction. This may just be personal taste.
2. Prius Prime: for a while I thought this might be my first EV. I have usually steered toward Toyota or Honda vehicles in the past, and thought this would be the way to go. Driving the Prius Prime was great. Loved the feel. Loved the heads-up display on the windshield. Acceleration wasn't great from what I remember. What ultimately led me away from the Prime was the electric range. I felt like I'd constantly have reverse range anxiety...always trying to go all-electric and not have to use the ICE. Then it struck me that I really needed to get an all-electric car.
When I got serious about buying a new EV I narrowed my choices down to a Leaf and Bolt:
3. Chevy Bolt: it's a really nice car, but just didn't feel right to me. It was kind of boxy and cold-feeling on the inside. And kind of drove like a box on wheels. It had a lot of nice features, but most I felt I'd never really use. I've never been a big "bells-and-whistles" guy. Driving-wise, it was fine, but just not the same as the Leaf. It had an impressive turning radius (I don't know why this impressed me as much as it did...but it did). And of course, the range is great. Again, a lot of this just may be personal taste.
4. Nissan Leaf: it was kind of love at first drive. It felt kind of Tesla-light to me...that is, nice, peppy acceleration. Nice handle and feel to it. And unlike the Bolt, it felt more car-like. I was really comfortable in it. It had features I really wanted and appreciated: e-Pedal and Pro Pilot.
Deciding factors in favor of the Leaf: updated look and interior feel; e-Pedal; Pro Pilot; range vs. price...at this point I don't need the extra 80-90 miles of range the Bolt offers, and that extra $5k+ on the price would have inched it out of what I was willing to spend. I have a 28 mile commute (round trip), so I only need to charge it every 3 days or so (I tend to keep the battery between 40-80%).
So this is my journey to Leaf. I'm very interested to hear all of your stories...what did you test drive? What did you like / dislike about the EV's currently on the market?
Here's my list:
Information-gathering test drives (before I was actively in the market for an EV):
1. Tesla Model S: a couple buddies and I went for a test drive, and this is what turned my interest in EV's from distant daydream to "I need to do this soon." I've never been big into performance vehicles, but the Tesla's acceleration and handling were intoxicating. The car felt like an extension of myself. The interior was fine. I wasn't a big fan of the huge touch-screen monitor on the dash. It seemed like overkill and a distraction. This may just be personal taste.
2. Prius Prime: for a while I thought this might be my first EV. I have usually steered toward Toyota or Honda vehicles in the past, and thought this would be the way to go. Driving the Prius Prime was great. Loved the feel. Loved the heads-up display on the windshield. Acceleration wasn't great from what I remember. What ultimately led me away from the Prime was the electric range. I felt like I'd constantly have reverse range anxiety...always trying to go all-electric and not have to use the ICE. Then it struck me that I really needed to get an all-electric car.
When I got serious about buying a new EV I narrowed my choices down to a Leaf and Bolt:
3. Chevy Bolt: it's a really nice car, but just didn't feel right to me. It was kind of boxy and cold-feeling on the inside. And kind of drove like a box on wheels. It had a lot of nice features, but most I felt I'd never really use. I've never been a big "bells-and-whistles" guy. Driving-wise, it was fine, but just not the same as the Leaf. It had an impressive turning radius (I don't know why this impressed me as much as it did...but it did). And of course, the range is great. Again, a lot of this just may be personal taste.
4. Nissan Leaf: it was kind of love at first drive. It felt kind of Tesla-light to me...that is, nice, peppy acceleration. Nice handle and feel to it. And unlike the Bolt, it felt more car-like. I was really comfortable in it. It had features I really wanted and appreciated: e-Pedal and Pro Pilot.
Deciding factors in favor of the Leaf: updated look and interior feel; e-Pedal; Pro Pilot; range vs. price...at this point I don't need the extra 80-90 miles of range the Bolt offers, and that extra $5k+ on the price would have inched it out of what I was willing to spend. I have a 28 mile commute (round trip), so I only need to charge it every 3 days or so (I tend to keep the battery between 40-80%).
So this is my journey to Leaf. I'm very interested to hear all of your stories...what did you test drive? What did you like / dislike about the EV's currently on the market?