This topic was a less than stellar idea as a blog-topic for one person, but as a place to post first impressions it may do better.
I drove my Scarlet Ember SL home last night, hating the new plastics smell but liking the power and range a lot. The rest falls in between. This evening (still less than 24 hours into driving it) I took a spirited drive along a rural highway. I enjoyed it.
THE GOOD:
Compared to my 2013 this car is a rocketship, and the kind I like, with a smooth, quiet ride, good but not twitchy handling, and plenty of power at any speed up to at least 80MPH. It feels a little more substantial than the 2013, albeit also just a little more ponderous, but I like the overall driving experience. Not having to worry constantly about the remaining range is also very liberating. I may just raise the tire pressures to only 38psi, and I may even wait a few days before doing it!
THE BAD:
Aside from the nasty smell of out-gassing plastics, which I expect from experience to last the better (?) part of a year, I'm already missing the high-mounted digital speedometer. I'm definitely missing the cloth seats, even after installing cheap seat covers while I wait for the better ones to become available for the car. Having to get leather seats in order to get Around View cameras is just one of several things that Nissan is doing with this car that are really crass. I'm also having no luck in getting Pro Pilot to actually steer the car, even though I'm engaging it, turning the steer assist on, lightly holding the wheel, and trying it on roads with painted lines. So far I just get a vibrating steering wheel as the car slowly drifts out of the lane. Back to the manual on that one...finally, the Cruise Control buttons force the driver, because of their nondescript appearance, size and feel, to look down at them to use them, taking his or her eyes off the road. Given how well the previous control was on the Leaf, this is a giant, unsafe step backwards. I'll probably mount tiny joystick-type nubs on two of them. I really shouldn't have to do that myself.
THE ANNOYING:
* The cargo cover is designed to bash, slash, and possibly completely remove the nose of whoever is unfortunate enough to try to unload the cargo compartment - especially at night. Terrible design. I owned two Mercury Tracers with very similar covers, and neither one ever tried to maim me.
* The rear camera is located right next to the hatch open button on the hatch. Grab for the button directly, and you grab or press on the tiny little camera, instead. I have to place my finger on the right side of the handle, slide it left until I feel the side of the camera housing, and then press the hatch open button. Unacceptable.
* I don't know if it's my unfamiliarity or if Nissan is trying to hide it, but it took a LOT of effort to bring up the battery temp display. If it defaults away again when the car is turned off, I'll know which it is.