HIOJim said:
Dave, I think you just proved Googler's point. This thread asked a question, he answered it. You don't like his answer so you attack him with way more heat than necessary, IMHO. That is one definition of the syndrome mentioned.
yep - but it's completely expected at this point since I have observed it repeatedly. Newcomers to the forum may have a hard time recognizing the lack of objectivity among some members.
There was no range estimate given that matched my typical driving habits (65mph, flat, no climate control). I was expecting to get about 85 miles based on extrapolation from the given estimates. In reality it's closer to 70-75 miles in eco mode. I regularly get 50mpg on my commute in my Prius, so my driving habits are pretty moderate. The primary culprit for the range problem is probably poor aerodynamics. Obviously they could have longer range with a bigger battery, but that's an economic decision. There is little excuse for poor aerodynamics these days.
The fit and finish on the Leaf are only average. The charging door fits poorly and the color doesn't match. The dash has already developed a rattle in the plastic. The solar panel is a gimmick. The level 3 charging port was speculative and there are none in the bay area yet. The Level 1 EVSE that is supplied has too short a cord between the heavy box and the plug. The charging timer is poorly designed. The carpets are pathetic. There shouldn't be fabric on the armrests. The navigation is inferior to my six-year old Prius. Buttons (touch regions) on the touch screen UI are too small. The stereo controls on the steering wheel are too easily tripped accidentally while driving in a parking lot. There are no phone controls on the steering wheel, but a useless range button is there. The range indicator is highly unpredictable, and the bar indicator for remaining battery level should have been a numeric digital display instead to make it easier to read. The lever to open the charging port door should have been more conveniently located. You can turn on the climate control from the web, but there is no ability to set the temperature so it defaults to 77 degrees. The side mirrors are small. The front license plate mount was an afterthought. The glovebox is an inconvenient shape. The gearshift is in an inconvenient location and interferes with the design of the center console. The visors are too small. The car is fairly heavy. Given the inefficiency of the heater, it should have been planned from the beginning with heated seats. There seems to be substantial wind noise (probably caused by inefficient aerodynamics). The acceleration in Eco mode is very sluggish compared to my Prius. None of these features are killers, and every car has some minor annoyances. It's the first model of its kind and I expect the second model will improve on some of these things.
I've owned lots of cars (including some very expensive ones), and the one that I am most impressed with is my 2005 Prius. It strikes just the right balance of technical sophistication, practicality, comfort, and economy. At $5/gallon it works out to be about the same operating cost as the $0.30/kwh that I'm paying for electricity. If you live in an area with low electricity costs or you rearrange your house, then the Leaf has low operating costs. On the other hand, after ten years and 125,000 miles the Prius will still be going strong and the Leaf batteries will be ... well nobody knows for sure but the predictions are that the batteries will be severely degraded long before that. The replacement cost for Prius batteries will be minor compared to the Leaf.
Your original question was whether we are sorry that we bought a Leaf. For people who are EV fanboys the answer would obviously be no and that is to be expected. For them the only thing that matters is that it's electric. I'm not really sorry I bought it, but I'm also not overwhelmed by it. The Prius seems like a much better car overall. On the other hand, the Leaf seems better than the Volt or the MiEV.
I had no real complaints about the ordering experience. I ordered very early and got mine six weeks ago.