The main reason I bought an "i" instead of a Leaf was the price. I had originally put down a deposit on the Leaf, but then we bought a house and after that I decided I didn't want to spend quite so much on a new car.
Further, Leaf didn't have any significant advantages FOR ME, so I went with the less expensive vehicle. I'll expand on this below, but first there are two, admittedly small, things that I prefer with the i: 1. The i doesn't have the battery bump behind the rear seat. For me this seems to make the cargo space more usable. 2. I like things that do their job as efficiently as possible. Thus, the somewhat greater efficiency of the i appeals to me.
If you care
-- Here are some of the potential advantages of the Leaf, and a short explanation of why they weren't important to me:
- Longer range - All I want an electric vehicle for is to commute to work. Since either of the cars has the range to easily do my commute, the difference wasn't important to me. I already have a personal fleet of (way too many) other vehicles. If I need to travel longer distances, I will drive a different vehicle.
- Better looking - My teenage daughter was rather disappointed that I switched from the Leaf to the i (she still has a poster of the Leaf on her bedroom wall). To her, and many others, the Leaf is much more stylish. While I can understand why some people don't like the looks of the i, I am strongly a form-follows-function type of person. Thus, I find the i attractive - it "wastes" a minimum of space (and money) on cosmetic items.
- Better IT systems - I'm a bit of a Luddite (if I can still claim this after just buying an electric car). I don't even normally carry my cell phone, thus I don't think I would use many of the features in the Leaf.
- Safer - The Leaf likely is a little safer than the i. But the i is undoubtedly safer than the 10 year old car I am replacing. The safety advantage of the Leaf is going to be mainly due to it's larger size/weight. Thus, there are most likely even larger cars that are safer then the Leaf. Everyone must balance the safety of the vehicle they drive with the other features they want in a vehicle. The Mitsubishi i is a good balance for me.
In short, if the Leaf and the Mitsubishi i had the same price, I think the Leaf would be better for most people. But, for me, it would be a very close call, but I probably still would have bought the i.