Comparison: Why I Chose a Nissan Leaf Plus over a Tesla Model 3

[Joeaverage]

Yup.simplify the drivetrain by a thousand parts or so. Turns out electric cars eat tires though. :/

Don't push the "go pedal" as hard.

 

[Bombastinator2]

Don't push the "go pedal" as hard.

I’m getting better at that but occasionally I still get a chirp I wasn’t looking for.

 

[Chad E. Mo]

I’m getting better at that but occasionally I still get a chirp I wasn’t looking for.

ECO mode may help with that.

 

[Bombastinator2]

ECO mode may help with that.

Epedal does weird things to my mileage though. One would think it improved or at least stayed the same but it seems to throw it in the toilet

 

[Bombastinator2]

Here’s one : I won’t fit in a model 3. It’s right out for me. I will fit in a Y but not a model 3. At that point the price difference is a bit bigger.

 

[Bombastinator2]

-deleted. Double post

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

Right now in CO and a couple other states a base Leaf on lease is basically free for 2 years. I have telling my family in CO to consider it. Little long term tech risk if you lease.

 

[Flyct]

Here’s one : I won’t fit in a model 3. It’s right out for me. I will fit in a Y but not a model 3. At that point the price difference is a bit bigger.

I know this is an old thread but let me add my experience.

I owned an 5 Leafs from 2015-2023. I had a reservation on a Model 3 and couldn’t fit in it. I’m 6’ 240 lbs and in my mid 70’s. Getting in a M3 was too difficult. I fit GREAT in a Leaf.

Fast forward, for the last 2 years we have 2 Tesla Long range Model Ys (2023). Last year we added a Ford Lariat Lightning after Ford announced Tesla Super Charger network would be open to the Lightning. After dealer discount, Ford Rebate, Tax Credit etc the $80k Lightning was $60k. The Ford Lightning is the best riding vehicle I’ve ever owned. The only downside is efficiency. We only do 2.1 Kw/mi. We do 3.6-4.0 with the Teslas Ys.

We bought the Teslas when they qualified for tax credit. We collected the $7,500 tax credit 8 times. Without the tax credit we would not be driving as many EVs. There is no negotiation with Tesla as there was with Nissan and Ford.

We considered keeping the 2023 SVplus for grocery getter and dr visits. We sold it back to a dealer 3 months after buying it for $7,000 less than I paid. So after factoring in tax credit we made $500 and wife bought a Tesla Y for herself.

There’s been zero battery degradation with the Teslas and the ford.

The Tesla Supercharger network is the Gold Standard.

 

[Procyon]

I continue to love both the Leaf and Model 3. I sold my old Model 3 to a family member and bought the new refreshed 2024 Model 3 Highland.

Got the $7,500 incentive on the new Model 3 so it was a steal. Best car I have ever owned. The self driving feature is mind-blowing and I feel much safer using it on long highway trips.

But I still love the Leaf and put a lot of miles on it for around town. Everything about the Leaf for maintenance costs less - insurance, new tires, and collision repair are my big ones.

 

[Bombastinator2]

I know this is an old thread but let me add my experience.

I owned an 5 Leafs from 2015-2023. I had a reservation on a Model 3 and couldn’t fit in it. I’m 6’ 240 lbs and in my mid 70’s. Getting in a M3 was too difficult. I fit GREAT in a Leaf.

Fast forward, for the last 2 years we have 2 Tesla Long range Model Ys (2023). Last year we added a Ford Lariat Lightning after Ford announced Tesla Super Charger network would be open to the Lightning. After dealer discount, Ford Rebate, Tax Credit etc the $80k Lightning was $60k. The Ford Lightning is the best riding vehicle I’ve ever owned. The only downside is efficiency. We only do 2.1 Kw/mi. We do 3.6-4.0 with the Teslas Ys.

We bought the Teslas when they qualified for tax credit. We collected the $7,500 tax credit 8 times. Without the tax credit we would not be driving as many EVs. There is no negotiation with Tesla as there was with Nissan and Ford.

We considered keeping the 2023 SVplus for grocery getter and dr visits. We sold it back to a dealer 3 months after buying it for $7,000 less than I paid. So after factoring in tax credit we made $500 and wife bought a Tesla Y for herself.

There’s been zero battery degradation with the Teslas and the ford.

The Tesla Supercharger network is the Gold Standard.

Believe it or not you’ll love the mini cooper. It’s become the sports car of choice for people that don’t fit in Ferraris. When they did the modern mini they made it a foot longer so there’s acres of space. The only serious issue is this also made the doors gigantically long. It’s got a huge “wingspan”. It’s the biggest one of any sedan except some 50’s Cadillac. I would have bought an electric one but they seem to have their thimb in for electric stuff. Everything I’ve seen so far is awful. I didn’t have the money for a conversion, but they actually seem better than the purpose built stuff atm.

 

[jc2024Leaf]

My wife's 2008 Forester needed replacing. I wanted to go electric for our next vehicle but was hoping to wait for better battery tech. There's a ton of Teslas on the roads around DC, but the boss said NO to Tesla because of Musk and his politics and I dislike subscription features. We looked at the Soltera, wasn't thrilled and didn't think the range was really copasetic with going off pavement for backpacking trips. Plus, sticker shock. We looked at the small Korean EVs and was about to go down that path but stumbled across a 2024 Leaf and fell head over heels. After discussing our current needs, it is precisely what I wanted for my 50-mile R/T work commute. I thought the older Leafs looked dorky but the later models seem less dorky and has grown on me. The newer Leaf is nowhere as slick as a Tesla, but its dashboard is "normal" unlike Tesla's laptop screen dash.

 

[GaleHawkins]

My wife's 2008 Forester needed replacing. I wanted to go electric for our next vehicle but was hoping to wait for better battery tech. There's a ton of Teslas on the roads around DC, but the boss said NO to Tesla because of Musk and his politics and I dislike subscription features. We looked at the Soltera, wasn't thrilled and didn't think the range was really copasetic with going off pavement for backpacking trips. Plus, sticker shock. We looked at the small Korean EVs and was about to go down that path but stumbled across a 2024 Leaf and fell head over heels. After discussing our current needs, it is precisely what I wanted for my 50-mile R/T work commute. I thought the older Leafs looked dorky but the later models seem less dorky and has grown on me. The newer Leaf is nowhere as slick as a Tesla, but its dashboard is "normal" unlike Tesla's laptop screen dash.

That sounds like a awesome choice for your first EV.

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

Enjoy the car. For most needs and purposes the Leaf is perfect utilitarian vehicle with good boot space.

 

[Bombastinator2]

My wife's 2008 Forester needed replacing. I wanted to go electric for our next vehicle but was hoping to wait for better battery tech. There's a ton of Teslas on the roads around DC, but the boss said NO to Tesla because of Musk and his politics and I dislike subscription features. We looked at the Soltera, wasn't thrilled and didn't think the range was really copasetic with going off pavement for backpacking trips. Plus, sticker shock. We looked at the small Korean EVs and was about to go down that path but stumbled across a 2024 Leaf and fell head over heels. After discussing our current needs, it is precisely what I wanted for my 50-mile R/T work commute. I thought the older Leafs looked dorky but the later models seem less dorky and has grown on me. The newer Leaf is nowhere as slick as a Tesla, but its dashboard is "normal" unlike Tesla's laptop screen dash.

You likely picked right I think. With the bolt dead the #2 ev behind Tesla is the leaf

 

[DunanyDon]

Elon Musk has done every other EV manufacturer a huge favor. In spite of being highly intelligent, his public statements and support of Trump will keep many people from buying Teslas.

 

[Procyon]

The Leaf is not #2 behind Tesla. Nissan no longer even makes the top 20 in sales for EVs. I love my Leaf and wish they were selling better, but they are not.

https://cleantechnica.com/2024/11/09/world-ev-sales-report-top-selling-auto-brands-groups/

 

[Bombastinator2]

The Leaf is not #2 behind Tesla. Nissan no longer even makes the top 20 in sales for EVs. I love my Leaf and wish they were selling better, but they are not.

https://cleantechnica.com/2024/11/09/world-ev-sales-report-top-selling-auto-brands-groups/

I’m not describing sales I’m describing general technology. Tesla has the batteries and the motors. No one Can touch them. The batteries may not stay, but the motors will. That whole “glue together magnets” thing that makes Tesla motors work 30% better than everyone else’s is patented. Leaf, as the other long term electric car marque, has most everything else. Other cars may outsell them, but that doesn’t mean they’re more fit, it’s just an indicator of it.

 

[jc2024Leaf]

That sounds like a awesome choice for your first EV.

Well, it was even better than I originally shared. I've been wanting to go electric for a very long time. I had a 1994 Nissan Pickup I was looking to convert to a lead sled. Never happened and fast forward to now and we went to look at a Kona EV. Not a single salesperson left the showroom to greet us when we were wandering the parking lot. We strolled over to the Nissan dealer next door, and a salesman came out with a key to the Leaf we were reading the sticker of, which we test drove and liked. I then started researching the Leaf. In looking for what was available, I stumbled across a 2024 with 600 miles on it. To make a long story short, it sat on a dealer's lot for 8-9 months, then got converted to a rental, then a few months later got reinspected for sale and I bought it 2 days after inspection/listing. Sticker was $38.8K, the dealer had it listed as Certified Used for $22.9K. I got it for $22.6K, $25.4K out the door! It didn't have a mark on it, the charger and accessories were still unwrapped. All it was missing was the new car smell and the boot cover (which never last very long in my hatchbacks anyway.)

 

[Bombastinator2]

That’s about what I paid for a 2019sv during Covid. Sounds like a good deal.

 

[Bombastinator2]

Well, it was even better than I originally shared. I've been wanting to go electric for a very long time. I had a 1994 Nissan Pickup I was looking to convert to a lead sled. Never happened and fast forward to now and we went to look at a Kona EV. Not a single salesperson left the showroom to greet us when we were wandering the parking lot. We strolled over to the Nissan dealer next door, and a salesman came out with a key to the Leaf we were reading the sticker of, which we test drove and liked. I then started researching the Leaf. In looking for what was available, I stumbled across a 2024 with 600 miles on it. To make a long story short, it sat on a dealer's lot for 8-9 months, then got converted to a rental, then a few months later got reinspected for sale and I bought it 2 days after inspection/listing. Sticker was $38.8K, the dealer had it listed as Certified Used for $22.9K. I got it for $22.6K, $25.4K out the door! It didn't have a mark on it, the charger and accessories were still unwrapped. All it was missing was the new car smell and the boot cover (which never last very long in my hatchbacks anyway.)

They have a spray for that now. Some people apparently just miss the odor of still outgassing plastics