shrink
Well-known member
I bought an orphan LEAF in 8/2011 and added a 2012 Volt to the garage this weekend.
We love the LEAF. My girlfriend mostly drives it and it serves her well for a 20 mile RT work commute and HOV lane access in AZ. I mostly bike to work, but we found ourselves both trying to drive the LEAF more and more. I would want the LEAF for after work errands and to get to the gym on weeknights. We also used the LEAF for just about all our errands on weekends. We live in central Phoenix so even though the Phoenix area is large, being at the center (well, north central to be more specific) the whole valley is accessible. I'd estimate the LEAF was taking care of about 90% of our driving needs.
But our other ICE car was showing its age. My 2003 Acura RSX has over 200K on the odometer and we had sold a 2003 Honda Civic with only 70,000 miles - knowing the latter would have better resale value and because it simple wasn't getting used much anyway.
We test drove a Lexus CT200h and Plug-In Prius. I was not impressed with the former. Luxury features were nice, but at only 40 mpg for a LEAF owner, that wasn't going to happen. The Prius was a disappointment. If you read the fine print, the electric range is only 6 miles. The advertised 11 miles is "combined gas electric." The price point with only a $2500 tax credit killed that option as well.
Chevy was (and still is) offering 0% on the Volt. We researched, test drove, and I was very impressed. Needless to say, we bought one and this past weekend was our first with the car.
Initial impressions are very positive. I really love the Volt so far. I personally like the more aggressive styling. The handling is very responsive and sporty. The sport mode is a blast. I love the leather interior, although I still appreciate the message of the recycled plastic in the LEAF.
The EV range on the Volt is flat out impressive. Yesterday, on mostly highway driving and in the Phoenix 100 degree heat, we got 41 or 42 miles of EV range on a 62-mile RT commute. We have taken the same route in the LEAF 3-4 times previously. We made it at 100%, but one day at about a 90% charge and cold weather (yes, sometimes Phoenix is cold) we tried it and had to stop for a charge. Although I was annoyed when the gas engine started on the way home in the Volt, I also starting having a little fun. The Volt is much sportier, so I kicked it up to about 85 mph (something I'd never do in the LEAF on that commute) and starting enjoying the tight handling when changing lanes. I have to admit, it was a blast!
A few other thoughts - the Carwings app is an embarrassment as compared to the Onstar app. The latter is much more refined and functional. It includes tire pressure, door lock/unlock, panic button, and you can even set or change the charge schedule. The angle of the back-up camera on the LEAF is better and the Volt has no predictive lines without the Nav system.
The Volt range estimator is actually pretty accurate, especially as compared
to the GOM. That was nice to see. How Chevy got that right but not Nissan is baffling.
It will be interesting to see how we use these cars. On Saturday this past weekend, we had about a 50 mile RT commute and decided to take the LEAF because we did not want to use gas.
The shorter EV range of the Volt is frustrating and comforting all at once. Although you can't go as far as a LEAF in EV mode, you also can keep going when the battery uses its power, and you can also do some spirited driving. That's exactly the flexibility we were seeking.
I'm looking forward to more experience with both cars.
Regardless, I'm happy to have both and think they are an excellent combination!
Oh final thought: I'm using the upgraded EVSE for L2 on the Volt and our existing Blink on the LEAF. I'm in the process of getting a 2nd free Blink for the Volt (and yes, I do qualify for a 2nd EVSE through the EV Project).
We love the LEAF. My girlfriend mostly drives it and it serves her well for a 20 mile RT work commute and HOV lane access in AZ. I mostly bike to work, but we found ourselves both trying to drive the LEAF more and more. I would want the LEAF for after work errands and to get to the gym on weeknights. We also used the LEAF for just about all our errands on weekends. We live in central Phoenix so even though the Phoenix area is large, being at the center (well, north central to be more specific) the whole valley is accessible. I'd estimate the LEAF was taking care of about 90% of our driving needs.
But our other ICE car was showing its age. My 2003 Acura RSX has over 200K on the odometer and we had sold a 2003 Honda Civic with only 70,000 miles - knowing the latter would have better resale value and because it simple wasn't getting used much anyway.
We test drove a Lexus CT200h and Plug-In Prius. I was not impressed with the former. Luxury features were nice, but at only 40 mpg for a LEAF owner, that wasn't going to happen. The Prius was a disappointment. If you read the fine print, the electric range is only 6 miles. The advertised 11 miles is "combined gas electric." The price point with only a $2500 tax credit killed that option as well.
Chevy was (and still is) offering 0% on the Volt. We researched, test drove, and I was very impressed. Needless to say, we bought one and this past weekend was our first with the car.
Initial impressions are very positive. I really love the Volt so far. I personally like the more aggressive styling. The handling is very responsive and sporty. The sport mode is a blast. I love the leather interior, although I still appreciate the message of the recycled plastic in the LEAF.
The EV range on the Volt is flat out impressive. Yesterday, on mostly highway driving and in the Phoenix 100 degree heat, we got 41 or 42 miles of EV range on a 62-mile RT commute. We have taken the same route in the LEAF 3-4 times previously. We made it at 100%, but one day at about a 90% charge and cold weather (yes, sometimes Phoenix is cold) we tried it and had to stop for a charge. Although I was annoyed when the gas engine started on the way home in the Volt, I also starting having a little fun. The Volt is much sportier, so I kicked it up to about 85 mph (something I'd never do in the LEAF on that commute) and starting enjoying the tight handling when changing lanes. I have to admit, it was a blast!
A few other thoughts - the Carwings app is an embarrassment as compared to the Onstar app. The latter is much more refined and functional. It includes tire pressure, door lock/unlock, panic button, and you can even set or change the charge schedule. The angle of the back-up camera on the LEAF is better and the Volt has no predictive lines without the Nav system.
The Volt range estimator is actually pretty accurate, especially as compared
to the GOM. That was nice to see. How Chevy got that right but not Nissan is baffling.
It will be interesting to see how we use these cars. On Saturday this past weekend, we had about a 50 mile RT commute and decided to take the LEAF because we did not want to use gas.
The shorter EV range of the Volt is frustrating and comforting all at once. Although you can't go as far as a LEAF in EV mode, you also can keep going when the battery uses its power, and you can also do some spirited driving. That's exactly the flexibility we were seeking.
I'm looking forward to more experience with both cars.
Regardless, I'm happy to have both and think they are an excellent combination!
Oh final thought: I'm using the upgraded EVSE for L2 on the Volt and our existing Blink on the LEAF. I'm in the process of getting a 2nd free Blink for the Volt (and yes, I do qualify for a 2nd EVSE through the EV Project).