The new Nissan Leaf is a better car than the Tesla Model 3?

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lilly

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2017
Messages
48
The new Nissan Leaf is designed to compete with the Tesla Model 3. It has Propilot to compete with Tesla's Autopilot. It also has a 226 mile range. Plus, it has features that the Tesla Model 3 doesn't have such as better fit & finish, ePedal driving, a buttery smooth ride and many more positive features unique to the Nissan Leaf. The new Nissan Leaf is a better car than the Tesla Model 3?

The following is my video comparison review of the Tesla Model 3 vs the Tesla Model 3. I own both vehicles.
https://youtu.be/vjO3sSIksFc
 
lilly said:
The new Nissan Leaf is designed to compete with the Tesla Model 3. It has Propilot to compete with Tesla's Autopilot. It also has a 226 mile range. Plus, it has features that the Tesla Model 3 doesn't have such as better fit & finish, ePedal driving, a buttery smooth ride and many more positive features unique to the Nissan Leaf.

Seductive wording used to present the actual sales pitch!
 
Drove the top-of-the-line Leaf and a Model 3 LR multiple times... The decision was easy for me. My tagline tells it all. One big decider for me was no TMS in the Leaf, but my decision would have been the same regardless!

By the way, Tesla's range estimates using max regen seem to be very conservative... I've be averaging 350 miles of range.
 
Very nice long form review, my editorial notes is to recommend you create a short form video of about 5 to 8 minutes that is more balanced between the two vehicles. I timed 3 minutes on the LEAF, and the rest of the 20 minutes on the Tesla which is clear that you are leading the viewer instead of presenting an unbiased review.
 
Agree

Video is good, but it’s very Tesla focused va a back and forth between the cars.

Costs I still feel like favor the leaf. An SV plus with tech for 37k - 7,500 (so about 30k + tax). Vs a base standard range plus 3 for 40k - 3,750 is still about a 7k difference in price. More so if you add autopilot or any color choice.

Rear storage still better in the leaf. 3 kids preferred the leaf seating (we are mean parents) to the Tesla.

Tesla is cool no doubt. Not bashing anything.
 
We are on the fence between the Leaf SL Eplus and the model 3. If we go model 3 it will be LR RWD so no sense comparing price. But without a Chademo or CCS adapter the model 3 is outa there. There are 10 times as many CCS/Chademo locations in our province. Without an adapter we would be restricted to level 2 charging at least half the places we travel. We are not in a hurry. Hoping they come out with an adapter in the next 6 to 9 months. Otherwise it’s the leaf.
 
There is no way to decide which of two cars is "better" compared to the other when they are different kinds of cars, targeted to two different markets. Despite the overlap in functions (which often results in families driving one of each, it seems) the two cars have two very different "personalities." The Leaf is affordable and comfortable, while the Model 3 has great performance and range. The Leaf offers a softer ride and more creature comforts, while the Model 3 is more like what sports cars of the mid twentieth century used to be: fun to drive and spartan on the inside.

What you CAN do is determine - or at least opine - how well each of the cars fulfills its "mission." The Leaf "Too" succeeds in being comfortable and affordable, but the battery longevity has yet to be determined. The Model 3 succeeds at being fast and fun while being more affordable than any previous Tesla, but the long term reliability of the car has yet to be established. I have no interest, at my age and state of physical health, in driving a Model 3 (except as a test drive, for fun). Others have no interest in driving the Buick-like Leaf. As one of the relatively few people here who isn't a fan of either Tesla OR Nissan, I'd like to see more comparisons, and fewer arguments...
 
The Tesla Model 3 IS getting a CCS plug for the European market. Where are you at? You said "province" so I assume you're in Canada? You may want to call Tesla and ask if you're going to get a CCS plug in Canada. Following is the article.
https://electrek.co/2018/11/14/tesla-model-3-ccs-2-plug-europe-adapter-model-s-model-x/

LeftyBiker & DougWantsALeaf, Yeah, I'm keeping my Leaf. The Tesla Model Y is not out yet and a hatchback is more practical for hunting and fishing. I wish there were an electric pickup truck, though. I like both cars and I'm not selling either one. Oh, and I forgot to mention in my review that the Tesla has some minor fit and finish issues; the charge port won't close, the paint was scratched, and the side underbody trim was falling off. However, they did fix these items within 2 weeks with no fuss. Be careful to examine your vehicle thoroughly on delivery day because if you did not spot the defect and document it with the delivery agent on your account, they may not fix it, depending on the issue. Not all issues are covered under warranty. For example, the tires are not covered under Tesla's warranty. That would be classified as "wear and tear" even though the delivery process inflicted the damage, you'd have to document it to be classified as such.

webeleafowners said:
We are on the fence between the Leaf SL Eplus and the model 3. If we go model 3 it will be LR RWD so no sense comparing price. But without a Chademo or CCS adapter the model 3 is outa there. There are 10 times as many CCS/Chademo locations in our province. Without an adapter we would be restricted to level 2 charging at least half the places we travel. We are not in a hurry. Hoping they come out with an adapter in the next 6 to 9 months. Otherwise it’s the leaf.
 
I forgot to mention road trips. Nissan marketing aside, the 40kwh Leaf is NOT good for extended road trips. It's fine for "one QC" extended day trips, but for anything longer the Tesla is the car for the job. Although I personally would be pretty unhappy taking a winter road trip in a RWD car with no heated steering wheel...
 
LeftieBiker said:
I forgot to mention road trips. Nissan marketing aside, the Leaf is NOT good for extended road trips. It's fine for "one QC" extended day trips, but for anything longer the Tesla is the car for the job. Although I personally would be pretty unhappy taking a winter road trip in a RWD car with no heated steering wheel...

Hey Leftie. Angela and I typically limit our days to about 600 km per day on a 2350 km road trip four day trip. We typically stop three times per day. A 15 minute mid morning exercise/coffee/chihuahua break, a 30 minute lunch break and then one more mid afternoon break. We do this return trip about twice per year. Given our laid back pace how do you think the trip would go. I think we would plan our breaks and lunch around Chademo stops. Overnight charging at hotels.

Would be interested in your opinion as well as the OP’s of the thread.
 
This isn't my area of expertise. Given that, I'd say that the last 100km each day would be the tricky part. Slowing down a bit so you got there with just one full QC and one partial one sounds doable in mild weather. If it were hot and/or you wanted to drive at freeway speeds I think you'd want the 62kwh Leaf. I guess it comes down to whether or not your driving style and the route yield the necessary range. People seem to be able to get 320km from the 40kwh Leaf on leisurely secondary road trips. If it comes close, keep in mind capacity loss over the years - those two QC stops would likely become three...
 
LeftieBiker said:
This isn't my area of expertise. Given that, I'd say that the last 100km each day would be the tricky part. Slowing down a bit so you got there with just one full QC and one partial one sounds doable in mild weather. If it were hot and/or you wanted to drive at freeway speeds I think you'd want the 62kwh Leaf. I guess it comes down to whether or not your driving style and the route yield the necessary range. People seem to be able to get 320km from the 40kwh Leaf on leisurely secondary road trips. If it comes close, keep in mind capacity loss over the years - those two QC stops would likely become three...

It would definetly be the 62 KWh leaf plus. We actually do some fairly significant one day road trips in our existing 30 Kwh SV. We obviously stop more often and of course in BC the speed limits are slower. We travel about 500 km in a fairly normal travel day. The Chihuahua loves the breaks. Lol.
 
My one concern about the ePlus over the 40kwh Leaf is how it will handle on snow or ice covered roads. I'm sure you will put good snow tires on all wheels, though.
 
SageBrush said:
I watch the battery capacity of our LEAF drop by the month. End of comparison

I watched the battery capacity of my 2011 Canary pack drop 2% last year. End of comparison.

Such quotes are useful for Twitter and inciting flame wars, but don't lead to productive discussion.

The reality is that the Tesla batteries have historically held up better than the Leaf batteries, but overall non battery reliability has been far worse. It's unclear what the total repair cost over the lifespan of the vehicle will be for a Model 3 or 2019 Leaf. In fact, it appears that the non canary 24 kWh packs may last the life of the vehicle for many Leafs, up to 150k miles. With the lesser DoD for 30, 40, and 62 kWh packs, it may be a non issue for most owners.

The two absolutely true statements are:
1) The canary packs were defective. They only retain their life in the coldest climates
2) The battery reliability of a Leaf in a hot climate is not good and owners in such areas should look at other EVs
 
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