Should I buy a 2020 LEAF S

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MaineEV

Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2020
Messages
12
Hello everyone.

I've been test driving every EV to be found under 40K. Niro EV, Bolt, EGolf, Kona EV, and the LEAF. Almost bought the Niro until learning about their motor problems. The LEAF seems to check all the boxes. This would be first EV. Can charge at home and office.

I will be driving it 75 miles per day round trip with 80% highway driving. I drive like a gramps on the turnpike and usually don't go above 68/70 MPH.

Will the S work? How much does the 150 range dip given my type of commute? I will probably drive my Jeep whenever the weather gets extreme: snow, cold, hot or windy.

Thanks for any/all feedback. I'd hate to waste my money.

Eric
 
Even milder Winter weather will take a big range hit on an S, because of the lack of a a heat pump. (This also applies to an SV without the All Weather Package.) The All Weather Package for the S adds the seat and steering wheel heaters, and a rear seat duct, but no heat pump. I strongly suggest the cheapest SV you can find with that package.
 
Not sure of the OPs location but a downside to the Leaf in very warm climates is the battery doesn't really have any thermal management, unlike some other brands. People that really drive their Leaf hard or use the QC more than once on a continuous trip can experience premature battery degradation. I'm pretty Chevy uses liquid cooling on the Bolt and Volt, not positive who else does. In a cooler climate Nissan's lack of cooling hasn't proven as detrimental. I personally wouldn't shy away from an S model but for maximum range the heat pump is probably nice to get more range. To me where a heat pump would be really nice would be on a PHEV with a rather small battery, say a Prius Prime or hopefully the new RAV4 Prime, unfortunately heat pumps on PHEVs are very rare, again I'm not sure who other than Toyota does it.
 
I'll check out the prices on SVs. Suspect there is a good sized difference from what I can recall.

Yes, posting where we live would help: Southern Maine. :)

I also just came across the Consumer Reports test during below 10F weather. They said the S went 64 miles and had only 10 miles left. That wouldn't cover my commute.
 
Look for SVs in the least popular color where you live. That is white here, and may be in Maine as well, as it really shows the road slush. A white SV without the Tech package, but with the All Weather package may go for the same price as a nice looking S with both available packages.
 
A pre-owned (or new) Bolt could be a good match for extra capacity.

A Tesla (my favorite automaker) Model 3 would probably be ideal for your use.

I drive a previous generation LEAF S, and the highway driving may be more of an energy-suck than the heater use.

Although there's an old 4wd here, I use the LEAF for practically everything: snow (unless real deep), mud, rain, wind, heat, and cold.
 
I would look for a discounted 2019 Leaf S or SV. If you can manage running just heated seats and steering wheel down to 20F, than the heat pump doesn't help too much. The smaller wheels on the S help the range a bit. Its more whether you want/like the nicer infotainment and heat/ac controls.

My 2 cents are to go for a 2019 Leaf S Plus. with Fed discount and dealer discounts, you could get close to 23K plus tax. (36 - 7,500 - 5K)
 
I appreciate the comments.

So is it correct to assume that the S can’t cover the 75 mile commute whenever it dips below 30?
 
A 40kwh S should be able to do the commute with the heater run only intermittently, at modest speeds. It isn't so much a question of "Is it possible?" as "Would I enjoy the drive?" After a few years it would be even more difficult.
 
With your commute I wouldn’t consider anything less than an SV plus, and only if it has the heat pump.

That is unless you genuinely enjoy the challenge of eeking out every last couple of feet of range in the winter.

You’ll be recharging a few times a week in winter. That’s a lot of cycles on the battery and time. How hard do you want to work at this?

We’re seeing real world in town range in winter running snow tires and heat as needed around 150 miles on ~85% charge. No highway miles (would be much worse - no regen on highway). My commute is super short, so with errands and such we charge 1x per week. AVG 3.4 mi/kWh.

You might consider a Prius instead. Or a long range Tesla, but they’re pricey.
 
MaineEV said:
I will be driving it 75 miles per day round trip with 80% highway driving. I drive like a gramps on the turnpike and usually don't go above 68/70 MPH.

That sounds like my work commute around the metro Boston area, when I head to the office a few times a week. With morning/evening traffic, that commute takes me about 45 minutes in the morning and 1 hour in the evening. Here is my experience over the years with my 2018 Leaf S, which I park at work in an outdoor lot, then store at home in the garage:
* Starting at 100% charge, if I do not use the A/C or heat (including heated seats/steering wheel) during my entire commute time -- this is typically during the Spring or Fall -- then after 2 days of driving, I end up with about 10% charge left.
* Starting at 100% charge, at temperatures 20 - 30 deg F, if I use the heat (including heated steering wheel, but not heated seats) during my entire commute time -- this is typically during the Winter -- then after 1 day of driving, I end up with about 50% charge left.
* Starting at 100% charge, if I use the A/C during my entire commute time -- this is typically during the Summer -- then after 1 day of driving, I end up with over 50% charge left.

However, sometimes I turn the heat or A/C OFF during my commute to save power, and because I feel comfortable enough w/o them. I find that the heated steering wheel is enough at times; I don't use the heated seats because they don't help me.

This recent winter has been mild around here, so I do not have more info for temperatures below 20 deg F.
 
I really have to speak up here.

Everybody is giving "ideal" situation advice, and I do not agree. And idealized recommendations are away just that. Idealized.

A 2020 Leaf has a 40kwh battery.

I have an "S" version Leaf with at 24 kwh battery on my car and EASILY drive 50 mile round trips daily, year round. A 40 kwh car can easily drive a 75 mile round trip. No, you do not NEED the SV, SL version just because it has a "heat pump".... Especially if getting the heat pump will add $3-$5000 on the increased trim level....

My short answer to the original poster is YES, you can get the 2020 S version Leaf, no problem. And save thousands... If you wanted to upgrade, the only choice I would consider is getting the "S" PLUS version with the bigger battery. THAT is a good upgrade. Don't worry about the fabled "heat pump".
 
Thermal management (Bolt) in Maine unlikely to make much difference. Summers are neither hot nor long.

Heat pump will make a difference until it gets bitter cold. Highway speeds and cold kill range.

For the OP, ultimately it depends on how hard you want to work at driving an EV in your area and for your purposes.

Right tool for the job means different things to different people. I would not be comfortable coming home with just 10% charge in the winter on a regular basis. Get stuck in traffic unexpectedly and you’re stranded potentially. No thank you.

Futz around with dongles and whatnot to track every last electron so I can get to the next charge point? Umm, OK if you’re into all that, but not my thing either. No thank you. Driving my car is not a video game to me.

I want a car that drives nice and rides nice, looks good and is fit for purpose. Up to date tech package, safety and reliability are all paramount. I guess I’m allergic to the hassle factor other folks seem to take in stride. We don’t “do” range anxiety. It’s just not a topic of conversation.

I also believe that buying a bigger battery now will help resale down the road. In another year, 150 mile range will seem archaic.

YMMV
 
Maine is similar to Chicago where both my 2013 and 2016 Leaf suffered about 15-20% degradation after 3yrs and around 35K miles. Whereas we purchased a used Bolt a few weeks ago , w about 50k miles from a warmer climate (Denver) and the battery is in tip top shape with no worries for the next 100,000 miles. We love that feeling.

Hoping the 40kw packs are better, but they're still air cooled and Nissan has lost a ton of credibility with prior "Lizard battery" and general durability improvement claims.
 
DougWantsALeaf said:
I would look for a discounted 2019 Leaf S or SV. If you can manage running just heated seats and steering wheel down to 20F, than the heat pump doesn't help too much. The smaller wheels on the S help the range a bit. Its more whether you want/like the nicer infotainment and heat/ac controls.

My 2 cents are to go for a 2019 Leaf S Plus. with Fed discount and dealer discounts, you could get close to 23K plus tax. (36 - 7,500 - 5K)

That's what I ended up doing. I found a discounted 2019 SV Plus with the Winter package for 23k. The dealer discounted it by 8k, Maine 2k, and the Feds will give back the final 7.5k. I'm happy.

I'm also thrilled with the car. With the extra range, it seems to be exactly what we wanted. Much fun to drive so far.

Thanks for all the info, everybody!
 
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