Nissan LEAF 2011-2015Change

See older review I posted from Sep. 2015.
So, now , after 38 months, this car is still great.
Still cost about 2 cents/km. to drive. Less if you find some free charging.
Also, since this model has the fast DC charging and more fast chargers everyday, you can travel farther with only a little time lost stopping to charge.
I am in London, On and travel to Stratford on a regular basis.
I also got to Toronto, which is out of the cars normal range.
I have the 24 KW/hr battery. the 2016 got a 30 KW/hr battery increasing the range 27%. The 2018 will be much better.
Even with this range, I can go to Toronto (about 200 kms.). I simply stop for 10-12 minutes to get my charge up to about 80%+. I stop where the charger is at a Starbucks, use the washroom, get a coffee and off I go. The fast charger in Milton charges 28 cents a minute.
Repairs are next to nothing. In the 38 months I have had the car, I have replaced the cabin air filter and all wiper blades. One brake fluid flush and yearly brake cleaning and lube.
My wife loves this car and does not want to see it go back to the dealer. With the new 2018 coming next year, Nissan has let me plus other extend the lease period up to a year with 3 months free.
This has been perfect for us. We got to keep this car longer until the newer, longer range cars get here, besides the Chevy Bolt EV and the Tesla 3.
For most folks, any of these will work as the second car, as most now have 200 kms + range.
The Bolt EV is almost 400 kms and the Tesla3 is 500 kms with the larger battery.
2018 should be the year we have been waiting for. More longer range models and more cars coming available that year or soon after.
While the nay-sayers will balk at the charging on longer trips, most trips fit within in the range of the cars that are out there now. Forget standing in the rain filling a gas car or waiting for an open pump. I pull into the garage at home, plug in and go inside.

The car is great, It drives well and is very good for the environment 100% Electric No Pollution and is great for City driving, especially because of the Free Charging.

I bought my leaf as a three year old lease return. The former owner took good care of the vehicle, but it started life in a warm climate, and thus its battery is slightly degraded. With that said, missing two "capacity bars" this vehicle has never left me at the side of the road. It is my daily driver, and I love everything about the experience of driving a car that makes little noise, has plenty of get up and go, and looks modern and decent. I enjoy driving my car as much now (over a year later) as I did the first time out. I did have a shock absorber fail, but that is the only problem I've had to date with it. I give it a high recommendation IF you drive less than 50km a day.

Just finished one year of ownership
This is our go to car.
Now it is the only car she wants to drive. Easy to get around, small footprint, quiet.
Mostly charge at home, but more public chargers popping up.

When you drive an EV you see how much you drive. You end up seeing how little you drive each day, most of the time. We usually plug in at home every third day and that is just in case we want to have that little extra, if needed.
We are in London, On. and there are a few public chargers in town. if needed.
What happens is you just plan your travels better and think them out.
I go to Startford once in a while and I can get a bit of a top up downtown.
My wife drives to Woodstock each weekend and car is fine for the round trip of under 100 kms.
In the winter the car does use more energy but just like a gas car mileage is less.
In Woodstock, this would mean a quick short charge before her return trip at the hydro office and a coffee at the shop across from their office.
When the fast chargers come on line, things will be better.
None around us here but they would allow a 80% charge in 20-30 minutes.
So, what does it cost to run this car? Well other than the purchase price, not much.
6 month service was rotate the tires and the one year was tire rotation and had the brakes cleaned and lubed.
We charge at night after 7 for lowest rate or when out.
We averaged 6.6 kms/KW in the first year of 12,000 kms.
So, with electricity costing 8 cents under the new rate plus taxes, etc., less than 2 cents a km. Wish my gas car did that!
As to the models, I think the SV might be the best buy, price wise.
If looking at buying a used Leaf , earlier models and lower models have a 3.3kw inverter, not the 6.6kw. Also, some early models don't have the port for the 408V fast charger.
6.6kw will charge must faster and when the fast chargers start to pop up you will want the 408V ability.

The money you save on gas monthly can cover the monthly cost of borrowing money to buy this car. The Nissan Leaf is quiet, accelerates rapidly. Love leaving stop light and looking in rear view mirror to see all the gasoline cars still leaving the intersection. Accelerates like a sports car, quiet like a spaceship, smooth like a Bentley and cheaper than a toyota.

For me the Nissan leaf is best value on the market. Clearly many others agree and that is why Nissan Leaf is the #1 selling electric car in the market (yes ahead of the super expensive and highly hyped Tesla model S).

Only problem with the Nissan Leaf is it is not good if you must drive over 170km per day without access to fast charger along the way. Most people don't drive anywhere near this much in one day, so for majority that is a non-issue.

The features and comfort this car offers are typically found only in gasoline vehicles that cost 2-5 times the price. Buy it if you drive under 150km per day...otherwise get a good hybrid or wait for Tesla prices to drop.

How can i describe the best car in the world? I have been an environmentalist for years, and here at long last is a well-designed car that allows me to walk the talk.! At an average of 3c per mile how could you refuse? Just hook up an inexpensive solar panel, and pretty soon you’re traveling free.When I tell friends about this car, they can’t believe that anything can be so good. But it’s true. A bit pricey admittedly, but as I like to say: what price the environment? I have been a fan of Nissan for decades. Along with Toyota, they build some of the best vehicles in the world. Best of all, they are built for people. I like the fact that Nissan has put a lot of thought into this vehicle. Sure there are hybrids like the Prius, which is a great car, but you still have to go to the gas station.The usual gripe about electric cars is its limited range before it needs plugging in. Maybe you drive cross-country a lot, then probably this is not the car for you. However the average trip distance in North America is 25km. The EPA estimate the Leaf’s range to be 117 km, which drivers have found can be up to 160 km, depending on how you drive it etc. And it can perform at a snappy 150 km/hr - more than my diesel engine Nissan pickup can achieve. Acceleration from 0- 150 km/h in the 10-second range is not too shabby, and it’s a long time since I had the testosterone or desire to burn rubber at the lights. Recharging takes 5 hours using a 240-Volt charging station. Your local electrician can probably set you up with one of these for $500 or so. If not, it takes 20 hours to recharge on 110-Volt household current. Come home; plug it in, go to sleep, and its ready to rock next morning. If all else fails, most Leafs can "quick-charge" up to 80 percent of their battery capacity within 30 minutes. This may sound like an unabashed plug for the Leaf, and I don’t apologize for that. I think I just might buy all my friends one for Christmas.

It may be a little early to be a LEAF owner as there are very few charging stations available as of 2012, but for the day-to-day use of a professional couple who share a car and rive less than 75km round trip on any given day, this car is perfect.

Far more technology is included than any other at the same price point.

I love this car.

The look of a compact with the interior and comfort of an high-end vehicle. This car is perfect for in-city travels. The one I drive comes full equipped with all the high-end gadgets such as intelligent key, onboard computer (with GPS), side sensors, backup camera, etc. The only downside I find is the low recharge rate from standard electric outlet (close to 24 hours), the limited range (140KM at most). But a recharge at an high powered electric station takes about 8 hours. And the acceleration is a bit to desired when running in economy mode. It's a great car for technology lovers who live close to the work place and only need a car once in a while. I would recommend renting more than buyying until the electric car support network is better developed in your region.

It's a futuristic car with the look of an economy car and the comfort and technology of a luxury one without the price tag. The version I drive come full equipped with on-board computer, rear camera view, side and front proximity sensors. Speed warning, etc, blue tooth connection for phone call and MP3 playing. The vehicule is totally silent. The only downside is the autonomy which is very limited (140KM) at most. Therefore, it's not a car useful for out-of-city outings. It's acceleration, in economy mode, is also to be desired. Maybe not a car to buy but certainlty a car to rent for city travel.