2019 / 2020 Nissan Leaf | The Affordable EV

[@AAutoBuyersGuide]

Sadly we can't chance the end credits which are wrong without deleting and re-uploading :( Sorry everyone!

[@EVRevolution]

I've had my 2018 Leaf SL 40kWh for almost a year with absolutely no issues. $0 maintenance cost and $600 CAD to drive over 21,000 kms (includes several rapid charges at fixed pricing). It's absolutely quiet with not one squeak or rattle to be found ever. I get in and drive the car as much as I can for my daily use and plug it in to start with a full charge again the next day if needed. With regards to your polar vortex comments, this is my first winter experiencing my Leaf (and an EV at all) and I have to say the Leaf performed fantastic. Plowed thru anything mother nature could throw at me including a massive freezing rainstorm I encountered coming back home one afternoon for a 400km trip. The heat pump works very well with the cabin heating up very hot, in fact even with -25 Degrees C temps, I did not need to increase the cabin temp control to past 20 degrees C. It actually can get to hot. With heated sets and steering wheel, these make up most of the heat. I even took my Leaf out to country back roads to try out snow driving when we got our first good snow and it performs fantastic. I just could not get it sideways even after trying to. Sticks to the road extremely well and that is in much part to the set Michelin XICE3's I put on. Someone mentioned depreciation which I agree with another commenter all cars depreciate especially EVs. This is only important if you plan on selling it within a shorter time. If you lease you are guaranteed a residual value and if you are like me that purchase and keep cars till they die, then depreciation is meaningless and should NOT be factored into any ROI numbers. With the incentive I was fortunate to get on my Leaf last year, I basically paid the same for it as a comparable ICEV car meaning that I was already ahead of the curve financially with the Leaf. The extremely low operating cost and ease of use makes this a very strong value-prop BEV. It's 150 mile/270 km daily range in nice temps is more than adequate for my daily needs as well as 2-3 out of town trips per quarter. In the very cold of winter, I have seen my range drop 30-40% which is typical with all EVs. So good summary Alex, you go thru all the nitty gritty stuff. However beyond all that, I can state that I am extremely pleased with my first ever EV purchase and I just get in a go, never worrying about it and I plan to keep it for the 8-year warranty period. Love love love my Leaf.

[@shahaan400]

Dude stop justifying this shitty car. This car is not good for winters. People who park outside. It's better to get a clarity plug in instead

[@KTPurdy]

@@shahaan400 I drove a 2015 Leaf for three years. All EVs suffer reduced range in the winters, including Teslas. Unless you're on a road trip, the Leaf+ will last a days worth of driving, even in the winder. Just like all EVs, the low center of gravity and girth makes it great driver in winter. The Leaf is the 9th best selling car in Norway.

[@markscally8525]

This review is spot on. I too am a 1 year veteran of a 2020 Leaf.

[@packfan1946]

I just purchased a 2022 SL Plus for quite a discounted price and got rid of my gas-powered auto. So far, so good. It's actually a nice hatchback which I loved about my former Mazda 3 5 door hatchback which I owned for over ten years.

[@craigslistseller9354]

Thanks Alex!!! You always provide such thorough and detailed reviews. Much better than other popular channels -- especially when it comes to the LEAF. I've found there's a prevalence of misinformation disseminated about the LEAF out there -- as well as omissions of important tech information (overt or otherwise). Keep up the great work! The LEAF was the brave first affordable pure EV of this current generation to take the immense and costly gamble to directly challenge the global geopolitical, petroleum-loving establishment. Other car brands watched to see if the LEAF gained market traction before they decided to invest in their own EVs. I have no doubt hundreds of LEAFs have been torn apart in other manufacturers' facilities (Tesla, BMW, GM, VW, Toyota, Hyundai/Kia, Honda, BYD, etc.) in their efforts to learn, reverse engineer and improve upon Nissan's pioneering 1st gen LEAF. I absolutely love my 2011 LEAF, which I still own. She has been a faithful, extremely reliable and ultra-comfortable companion. An easy and smooth car to drive and own. No oil changes, no transmission fluid flushes, no brake servicing, no radiator flushes and not a drop of gas combusted for the past 8 years!!! I've definitely Enjoyed this Ride.

[@alphabalde9824]

After 2 months of thorough research of the LEAF, I'm a proud owner now of a 2018 LEAF SV with the Technology Pckage and I love it so far. This car is perfect for my 65 miles daily driving without any range anxiety.

[@zooplanton]

This is the most reliable Nissan model because it has no transmission.

[@TKevinBlanc]

It's probably a CVT reduction gear. Staying with a tradition of failure.

[@mark_r49]

What experience do you have with CVT or did some other reviewer tell you that? Go drive it before commenting.

[@TKevinBlanc]

@@mark_r49 It was a joke Mark R.

[@mark_r49]

@@TKevinBlanc sorry Kevin

[@mark_r49]

@@TKevinBlanc I get so tired of people commenting on something without ever trying it. I drive a Rogue and love the economy of a CVT

[@mikehuntington4440]

I have now owned a 2018 for a year and have put 14,000km on it. I just had the annual battery inspection done(free but normally $30CAN) and everything seems very good so far. My battery capacity is still showing 100% on the menu...but I'm not sure the real amount exactly. No active cooling but, it hasn't affected me personally.

[@Quickicecarreviews123]

Mike Huntington get leafspy app and obd device

[@420031]

Almost 30,000 on my 2018 now and no appreciable degradation. Drive it and enjoy! Heat is an issue with multiple rapid charges or hot climate. Also in Canada, even the hottest day last summer only got the battery temp up to 3/4 on the gauge. -20 is a bit hard on range, but that is so with all EV's and ICE too. Maintenance so far has been tire rotations.

[@EVRevolution]

@@420031 Same here guys, My 2018 will be a year old in mid-May and I am currently at almost 21,000 kms. Absolutely zero issues and zero dollars spent on maintenance. Just tire swap from all-seasons to winters and now back again, which I would have to pay on any car, so does not count towards relative maintenance.

[@KTPurdy]

Look into LeafSpy mobile app. It give you nitty gritty detail and allow you to build statistics.

[@TheGerm24]

"Electric Avenue" - Well played sir.

[@_TbT_]

The passive cooling imho is a big NOGO. The durability will proably suffer a lot (range reduction). That will make its used price (and thus its longterm value) suffer as well. The Chademo Adapter is also a negative (CCS is the new standard in the EU). Imho, the Koreans are indeed a better “value proposition” considering they have active battery cooling, CCS (at least in the EU) and (with Kia) that nice 7 year warranty.

[@LostInIce4]

Passive cooling is sufficient according to hundreds of thousands of data points, you can't argue against data. I have driven over 150.000 kilometers in a Leaf without issues. Chademo, is not an issue here in the EU since most all service providers setup stations with Chademo and CCS. Yes, I would have preferred a standardized solution and would have chosen CCS over Chademo. Now over to the Korean cars. I feel that Kia and Hyundai are a class below the Japanese when it comes to cars. I have tried to Kona and Ioniq over a weekend and was not impressed after comparing them to the Leaf with regards to build quality and ride. I do not agree with you on the value proposition. What it boils down for me is the total cost of ownership. The service costs are much higher on the KIA versus my Nissan Leaf. Someone has to pay for that 7 year warranty. I have owned all versions of the Leaf. My first 24kWh was a nightmare due to the limited range. After 23.000 kilometers I had 2% battery degradation. On my 30kWh the degradation was a little less due to less cycling of the battery, My 40kWh has less than 5% degradation after 32.000 kilometers . I have driven over 600 kilometers in a day with temps over 33 Celsius and battery temperature reaching 54 Celsius. This caused no harm to the battery. Please note, that Lithium Ion batteries need excessive heat once in awhile to break down the Dendrite's . In July I will receive my 62kWh Leaf. I almost bought the Tesla Model 3, but since I am a Procurement professional, I could not justify such a purchase. It all comes down to the total cost of ownership and no car beats the Nissan Leaf in that regard. Even Kelly Blue Book confirms this. The technology that the Nissan Leaf offers is far ahead of the Koreans. Nissan's ProPilot is my favorite feature. The car drives me to work. One would not believe how much stress ProPilot takes from your daily commute or long distance trip. A must have in my opinion. Heres a fun fact: www.zap-map.com/electric-taxi-company-clocks-100000-miles-in-nissan-leaf/

[@jeffsynn]

@@LostInIce4 How important cooling is depends completely on how hot it is where you live. Heat is a battery killer, no debate about that.

[@mardenpace4874]

I thought they use fans to cool battery, not passive cooling.

[@McFlysGarage]

H Sig Do you live in Arizona or Florida? Our leaf battery in Florida is not doing well because of the passive cooling. I was interested in the new longer range leaf. But since it lacks any thermal management I will pass on ot

[@_TbT_]

@@LostInIce4 I have based my words on many reports that show a quite drastic degradation curve of earlier Leafs, e.g. www.carswithcords.net/2016/05/5-years-of-nissan-leaf-driving.html , www.preprints.org/manuscript/201803.0122/v1 (this shows a higher state of health decrease over time of the 30 kWh model than the 24 kWh model. Nissan themselves estimate a state of health decrease to 80% after 5 years. That state however was already reached by some of the sample cars after only 2 years (!) and found a mean of 9,9% (!!!!!!!)) PER YEAR!!! which is unacceptable. For sure temperature plays an important role, heat especially degrades battery health. Especially with the Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt batteries in the 30kWh Leafs (and other cars). I sadly have to admit, that also my favorite EV, the Kia eNiro has such a battery. But at least it has active liquid cooling / heating and a 7 year warranty. In contrast to this, Teslas (representing in this case a car with active cooling) have significantly less health decrease (or a bigger reserve of not reported capacity). Tesla Model 3 even has a warranty which guarantees at least 70% capacity when reaching 192.000km. That might be based on many factors, the Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminium-Oxide batteries being one, having bigger capacities, active cooling / heating, having more reserves all playing into this. That is why a Tesla is more expensive, I get that. If cheaper chemistries are taken, the car company however has to at least make sure that it covers the weakest points of that chemistry. In the Leaf's case, that seems to be heat. It might be that your future 62kWh Leaf has newer and therefore better chemistry and as it has more capacity, the recharge cycles can happen less often than with a smaller capacity. If you are a "procurement professional", you should however also have the (higher) capital loss over time on your Leaf in mind, due to a reduction in battery health and therefore range. Used Teslas sell for exceptional prices because they keep their range quite well. I would therefore never buy a used Leaf due to the mentioned problem. I couldn't care less about the built-in technology bells and whistles. If the car basics are not done right (and I count active battery cooling / heating as basic), all nice features of the world are not covering over that. I have researched a lot of EVs. There are not many EVs that don't have active battery cooling / heating anymore.

[@Theonestrongbusleader]

This will be my dream EV vehicle to buy along with Chevy Blot and even Tesla Model 3 Alex.

[@ohc1492]

OMG.. the three views of the driving test are synchronized!! Great job!! And the detail of the song playing in the radio being related to the review is delightful...

[@Nichen]

You are the best car-reviewer on KZbin.

[@rafaljankowski2807]

yes.He is

[@Thebuscommunityleader]

I'm thinking of buy the used 19' Nissan Leaf.

[@greenbox2149]

As usual, your EV reviews are stellar. It's a shame Nissan stuck to the passive cooling system and the ChatdeMo charging, I think the Kia and Hyundai products will be better in this regard (but unfortunately more expensive)

[@electrictroy2010]

What’s wrong with ChaDemo charging? .

[@barryw9473]

Thank you for one of the best informed review of a BEV. You clearly understands BEVs. I am looking forward to your future BEV reviews.

[@sigitpermadi6037]

Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family

[@rmr5740]

Best auto channel, thanks.

[@tonys9413]

I would not touch this car for ANY price. Nissan keeps saying their battery systems are OK now, they are lying to you. Air temp transfer coefficient is nowhere near that of liquid (used to build Math/computer models and test them for Nuclear reactor core). This car is made for fleet lease duty.

[@BigHeadClan]

There issues weren't from heating based on my reading but the chemical makeup of their older battery's, passively cooled video cards, CPU's and battery's are still very common on the technology side of things. So long as they are matched to a sufficiently sized cooler and direct air-flow in an effective manner you don't always need to go that extra mile. True the lack of a managed heating system will reduce the range in winter, but it's ultimately the heat that does the really damage to a battery.

[@Hogtown1986]

I have a 2018 but don’t have enough miles to comment on durability. But I know someone who put 40,000 miles on a 2018 (Uber driver) in the hellish heat of Phoenix, did lots of fast charging and the battery is at 97% state of health. I’m in Florida which is pretty darn hot too, but the passive cooling works. Haven’t been able to get it to the red yet.

[@BigHeadClan]

​@@Hogtown1986 Well keep us posted, older leafs ran into issues around 30K so it's only really anecdotal evidence but the more reports you get the more accurate it is. Just make sure you post your issues on car-complaints or another site if you have issues.

[@electrictroy2010]

The original Leaf had NO cooling so the batteries overheated & dropped to 70% capacity in hot states (Arizona, Southern California). It was permanent damage, so the owners demanded a buyback of their cars .

[@abbaby555]

I really like this car but feel Nissan missed the boat by not doing a better job of battery thermal dynamics and not going with CCS... To bad cause the rest of the car is very nice

[@kathyfann]

I really like and appreciate my 2019 Leaf Plus I do wish I had 350 miles in a range because you have to cut your Overall Milage in Half and reduce it by 20 percent for your trip out then must return. So I come back at 90 miles out just because of unknown things like Traffic or slower going and road construction 🚧 or anything that cause you to run your Air Conditioning even while not driving miles. It uses Batteries

[@skepticalmechanic]

Ever hear of a public charging station????

[@randycox2755]

You can tilt the seat forward or backward in place of a telescoping steering wheel.

[@mr88cet]

Excellent review as always! Thanks, Alex. For me, out here in Austin TX, the LEAF is simply a non-starter because it (effectively) has no battery-cooling system. Our Prius Prime at least has forced-air cooling and (more or less) sits in the cabin. That’s barely sufficient for it’s tiny, 8.8KWh battery, so clearly having no cooling on a 62KWh battery in a hot climate is simply not an option. I say “barely sufficient” above, because our Prius Prime has, in less than a year’s use, lost some range. The fact that I charge it 2-3 times per day probably has a lot to do with that!

[@mr88cet]

@@Plisken65, sorry, I don’t follow what you’re asking…?

[@eb1888.]

No liquid cooling affects resale significantly too. That needs to be considered.

[@naarealy]

The Nissan is cheaper to buy, but not cheaper to own due to it's depreciation. It's inexpensive for a reason. Passive battery conditioning will limit charge speeds, range and longevity. Hard pass.

[@joa8593]

I agree that Nissan is cutting stupid corners, but any EV loses 7.5-10k as soon as you drive off the lot so I think resale value isn't a factor right now.

[@parasitelivesmatter5878]

That makes it great for us second owners!

[@igranderojo]

Battery cooling only applies when using fast charging in extremely hot weather. So you are being extreme yourself.

[@derekl9702]

The depreciation is deceptive. You have to subtract whatever incentive/credit you got on it. No one wants to pay for your incentive twice, they would just buy new, so it has to be lopped off. Once you do that these cars do fine with depreciation. In fact in some places like Europe they typically hold value better that gas cars.

[@naarealy]

@@derekl9702 True, but many of the same incentives are available to all EV buyers. Sometimes Nissan has blowout sales and chops nearly $10,000 off. It really depends on ones particular needs and financial situation. In my opinion, the Tesla is much more desirable, and the actual price premium is not as large as it may first appear.

[@michaelhatfield5808]

This is a good car to lease as it can be very affordable and you won’t have to worry about the degradation problem. Wouldn’t buy, only lease.

[@jonathanbaker2147]

You're right, it would be worth a lease if it was cheap enough

[@BoopSnoot]

What are they leasing for? Usually cars with crappy resale value have high lease rates, and nothing has worse resale value than a Nissan Leaf.

[@michaelhatfield5808]

@@BoopSnoot Anywhere from $249 for the S to $375 for the SL on www.choosenissan.com. I wasn't able to find any for the Niro/Soul/Kona/Leaf Plus to compare. It is cheaper than the Bolt which is $429. Interestingly, an i3 can be had for $339, which is a substantially more expensive vehicle than the LEAF.

[@BoopSnoot]

@@michaelhatfield5808 Eh, I can get a Jaguar XE or Kia Stinger or Lexus ES for $299 a month. That's a hard sell on an econobox, which is why electric vehicles aren't nearly as economical as they seem.

[@_TbT_]

@@BoopSnoot 1. Apples vs oranges. 2. Take fuel, service, taxation and other things into account.

[@johnnyViDeO]

Nah. Bolt goes farther and costs less. The 2022 Bolt can cost as little as $21k with all the proposed tax credits applied and go 259 MPC. It will have fewer features than the Leaf. I'm really waiting for the Ariya that will obsolete this vehicle.

[@MattRoll]

Haha, I've owned and driven a 2023 Leaf for weeks. I watched this video and learned how to do several things I didn't know previously.

[@navaronefrank458]

In the space Nissan used to make a funky shifter with a funky diagram, they could have used a traditional shifter.

[@adventuresinmopeding3970]

Pricing is out for the plus model it’s $36,550 for the S $38,510 for the SV and $42,550 for the SL

[@tlf361]

Ouch...

[@swanblake]

Geez 29 degrees would be a summer day here in Wisconsin. Had negative 27 the other day. No active cooling is an instant deal breaker. Nissan just cuts too many corners nowadays to trust them. Would never buy

[@STohme]

Very complete overview of the Leaf with its comparison with other EV of the same segment. I think that the Leaf e+ is even more competitive and I agree with your analysis : the battery cooling system of the Leaf is its weak point. Excellent video with very useful information included. Congratulations and Many thanks.

[@taylortauger]

I payed $29800 + tax for my plus model. Also will be receiving the $7500 tax credit brining the down to low $20s. About half the price of a basic model 3. It’s the Honda Civic of the EV world.

[@Mgoblagulkablong]

Passive cooling = bad durability Hyundai / Kia Evs seem to be the much better choice.

[@rkalla]

Was that why the 1st gen lead saw so much more battery degradation than other EVs?

[@Mgoblagulkablong]

@@rkalla Yes.

[@LostInIce4]

@@Mgoblagulkablong No! It was the battery chemistry. The Lizard pack in 2014 solved this. No need for TMS, with hundreds of thousands of data point proves that.

[@mardenpace4874]

I think it uses fans to cool battery, not passive. Maybe I’m wrong.

[@BigHeadClan]

A well sorted cooling system can do just fine without compromising durability, so long as the over-all design is well thought out, the right materials and there is enough air passing through the system. Poor durability is usually attributed to other issues like chemical composition or poorly controlled charge cycles.

[@Jaymac720]

The Leaf is very competent but I’d worry about reliability and servicing. I haven’t heard good things about battery life and replacement. The lack of full LED head and tail lights is pretty disappointing too

[@dandebbieminert5712]

What, Benchmark for battery degradation and range loss?

[@randycox2755]

You can Only get a Nissan Leaf in GA & AL due to Hyundai and Kia dealership do not have them beside I have heard they mark them up $10,000.00 Dollars.I grew tired of dealing with local Hyundai and Kia dealerships all out to put it to the buyer.

[@elizabethvanvliet2380]

What’s in the back seat center console, are there any rear air vents or USB chargers?

[@skepticalmechanic]

Awesome review

[@Adrayven]

Hmm.. $37k for Tesla Model 3 (220 mile range w/super charger network) w/partial premium interior, or $36.2k for a Nissan Leaf SL (150 mile range and CHaDaMO) Hmmmmm... if Model 3 were only a hatchback.. ARRRRG! I tend to ignore the Fed rebate since I wouldn't qualify for full amount.. :(

[@MarkBraggs]

Adrayven 240 mile range actually. The partial premium goes 20 miles further than the base model.

[@sonicbhoc]

The model Y is getting revealed tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe that'll be more up your alley

[@markfitzpatrick6692]

Stop comparing a luxury class tesla with the leaf and posting negativity on a leaf review. Bashing other evs does nothing to help promote ev adoption . The leaf is a hatchback and it has nissan dealers all over the country. I have only one tesla service center in my city of 759,000 people but we have 5 nissan deaalers that can take care of the leaf witch is more reliable and cheaper to repair than a tesla if you need parts. Tesla cant keep up with there service.

[@ceylontea5877]

Model 3 is Rwd is kind of negative.

[@TrubaMoya]

I was one of the first ones to own 2011 Leaf and it was impressive for first gen despite short range, but 8 years later this newer Leaf is just not as exciting with a few incremental changes. I would get Kona or Soul today if I wanted electric, but decided that 2019 Rav4 Hybird would be more versatile until electric evolution will give us more for less.

[@g.5692]

This was a good review. Thank you.

[@fadhilahdieyla52]

Very expensive here in Malaysia. Around RM180,000($40,000).

[@nomadchad8243]

I love the leaf and it's easy to take apart battery. At end of life I would rather handle 90 cells instead of 10,000 water cooled cells. I hope this hurts their resale in five years because that's when I'll be buying one.

[@pepstein]

I don't think you give battery longevity enough weight in your analysis. It reduces the effective lifetime of the vehicle.

[@_TbT_]

And its used value (if bought and not leased). An "inexpensive" car can get expensive very quickly.

[@mrspeigle1]

After sitting inside of a Hyundai ioniq and given that it has active thermal management as opposed to Nissan's passive thermal management I have to say the only reason why the leaf Remains The Benchmark is because it's 50 state availability. If Hyundai can increase its production to service all of the states then the ioniq is going to be the gold standard for cheap electric car.

[@sinhnguyen4815]

The e-pedal is like a gear, or gear mode.

[@sinhnguyen4815]

The DC fast charge is going to take a large external charger. The AC charging port has maybe 20% of the DC port's capacity max.

[@webcomment8895]

Tesla seems better at first, however people don't realize the Tesla will cost more to own after purchase. Tesla maintenance is super expensive. Even though an electric car should require less maintenance than an ICE car, the maintenance it does require is super expensive. Tesla maintenance will cost more than most mainstream ICE cars including the costs of ICE-only maintenance costs like oil changes. Tesla also has expensive tire replacement costs. You can expect very high costs for repairs after the Tesla warranty expires.

[@joa8593]

Hard plastics are softer than soft plastics? We've been had!

[@mustafanajeeb7859]

Good review & great Nissan.

[@apn42]

I really like the Nissan Leaf design and electric drive system, but it is lead down by the passively cooled battery pack. Especially when the price is so high compared with a Tesla model 3. The Kia e-Soul and e-Niro are better alternatives, but unfortunately not produced in sufficient volume to match demand. The lack of steering wheel adjustment would prevent me from buying the car.

[@mikebagwell8229]

With some Super Swampers and a 5-inch lift, this could do some wicked stunt jumps on a dirt track. Would love to see a Leaf offroad rally destroyer.

[@tonyperone3242]

What about people who are stuck with the three pin connection at home? I know its a lot slower in charging but its best to know all of the possibilities.

[@4N2IN0JA]

My fiat has the same size on board charger and it’s design is at least 6 years old! I want a 40kwh battery pack so bad but Fiat wants to forget about the 500e.

[@BanBiofuels]

It's a beautiful vehicle that reminds me of a Citron.

[@brianpetersen3429]

Excellent comprehensive review!

[@newscoulomb3705]

I find your size chart to be ridiculous. Why put the Bolt EV at the far left of the "Teeny Tiny" marker when it has more seat-down cargo capacity than the Kia Niro EV that you classify as "Small"?

[@retrodog63]

That solid cargo cover has an edge on it that can cut your forehead. I got nailed by the one in my 2015 a couple of times before fixing it. The problem is that it gets pulled up to the same plane as your eyesight and becomes a one dimensional entity, making it easy to miss (optically) and then hit with the head when leaning in to the hatch area to retrieve something. They still haven't fixed it.

[@danielmorris5916]

Hi, Alex. I was hoping to see a review of the 2023 Nissan Leaf SV Plus. It seems that there have been quite a few changes to the Leaf since the introduction of the second generation product that you reviewed three years ago. I'm drawn to this model primarily because of its reliability as reported to Consumers Union by owners. Thanks for your consideration. Best Regards Dan Morris

[@Billbobaker]

It is a very good EV and affordable.

[@kipperwhite2976]

2 questions fm Wife unit ! All the EV's U mention which is most reliable & which batteries last longest TY So far We R leaning 2 Leaf due 2 R Meager Budget TY 4 info

[@Pikminiman]

Great review, Alex. The numbers in the credits are correct, so it's no big deal, but you've credited Ford with providing the vehicle, insurance, and "gas" for this review.

[@mcopanzan]

In the range of 36-38K usd, the Hyundai KonaEV & Tesla's model-3 Plus are the new benchmarks. Leaf is neither a Benchmark or affordable anymore, it's a tired old dog with 1st-gen chassis from 2010 underneath, poor bat management (rapidgate) with excessive bat degradation & really cheap interior for 37.5K(w dest) & compared to the loaded Kona w better everything.

[@shankhadeepshome3982]

Model 3 comes with a robust charging network.

[@markfitzpatrick6692]

Shankhadeep Shome look at electrifyamerica.com. Tesla only had 6 to start out . In 2012.ea has 450 locations in just over a year not to mention all the ev go and chargepoint locations.

[@goldengopher72]

If you think the Leaf's interior is cheap have a look at the Chevy Bolt...or try and sit comfortably in one!

[@Quickicecarreviews123]

Amazing when mentioning acceleration you didn’t mention Tesla model 3 at all. Also no mention that even base model 3 at same price has active cooling, faster charging, better charging network, faster acceleration, longer range.... for same price.

[@3107karan]

timmyunderscore777 becoz no body in the right sate of mind would buy this junk over Tesla M3, this video may be sponsored by Nissan, and y would they compare it with Tesla, u know the result..

[@UTUBESUCK666]

This imbecile is totally clueless and seems to be anti Tesla.

[@webcomment8895]

It's not anywhere near the same price after federal tax credits, dealer discounts, cost of options, cost of maintenance and repairs etc.. There is more to price than just MSRP.

[@AAutoBuyersGuide]

@@UTUBESUCK666 Not at all, in fact we have a Model 3 on order. It's just that at an effective base price of $19990 this is not in the same category.

[@tonycole1540]

Is a “NEESAN” the same as a NISSAN?

[@shankhadeepshome3982]

glaring omission but FYI , a Tesla Model 3 rwd long range gets 44 miles/hour at maximum onboard charger capacity.

[@markfitzpatrick6692]

Shankhadeep Shome i dont care what the model 3 has or can do. Stop comparing it to the leaf , bolt kona. Eniro. It is a luxury car. You should be able to understand that. Just like a corolla is not in the same class as a toyota Avalon. If you want a tesla get it and leave everyone else alone.

[@Dedhedted71]

How much does it cost each time you charge it? At a typical public charging station? And on your home electric bill?

[@jrwaters943]

No telescoping steering wheel, low-res and dated infotainment screen, intrusive lower console design, skimpy center armrest, no sunroof, no cooled seats, an oddly placed amp in the middle of the cargo area, and the big ones - slow level 3 charging on road trips and no thermal battery management. Nissan isn't even trying to be competitive with the Koreans and GM, let alone Tesla. I don't see any reason why you'd look beyond the the Kona or Niro if you are looking for a budget-minded EV with a $7500 tax credit. Sure, they are a bit more money, but you get a much more well-rounded vehicle to the point where I would even pick a base Kona over a fully-loaded Leaf (and I'm a stickler for feature content).

[@Hogtown1986]

Justin Waters Kona EV seems to be great, but you can’t get it unless you’re in California. The Leaf has compromises, but they are available everywhere, Nissan is willing to deal, and they’re solidly reliable.

[@kipperwhite2976]

TY R Dream vehicle heard the 2018 is similar 2 2019 model? True hope so cause proba bly not have $$ 4 a 2019 one! Great review's & info glad I sub;d long ago. As a DAV ev ery $$ counts alot. ;)

[@lukyplex]

my grandma got an older one... full charge is literally like 50 miles

[@don-cw1yz]

Wow, 50 miles! For a vehicle that costs over $40,000.00 what a bargain! So granny goes to Walmart, a close-by grocery store then home and time to plug in old reliable.

[@randycox2755]

If you tilt the seat back it will move you out from the steering wheel not sure what you are really complaining about.

[@RyuMoto]

Hope you can review the different semi-autonomous features from the different manufacturers like Active Cruise Control, Lane Keep, etc

[@pepstein]

The $35,000 Model 3 is already available, but you're right about the tax credit.

[@waynerussell6401]

Still half the credit available, plus regional incentives.

[@gadgetshq]

Might want to correct that ending credit, unless Ford really did provide the Leaf for testing 🤔

[@AAutoBuyersGuide]

Sadly we can't change it after the fact :(

[@ruudkraan7072]

Accu’s are notcooled! Cannot twotime tank with the strongest capabicity.

[@garrettreven5144]

Wait, they gave him a standard range/power review model? Why not the +?

[@ELP1125]

150 mile range is pretty low, guess you'll have to charge it frequently

[@Vlican]

Excellent review and comparison as usual!

[@kitagbekaba378]

Is it ok to be taxi ???

[@josephjohn907]

Thanks for covering the first EV by a legacy Automaker. Nissan leaf pushed legacy Automakers to EV.

[@REBUKED1]

No, I believe it was Tesla that did so.

[@tmnd878]

Now that the Tesla Model 3, 35k variant is out, with their $3,750 ITC along with any State and Local Incentives available, does this change your thoughts about the Leaf?

[@ralanham76]

The only way this makes sense if the trunk space is your thing and your never going to drive more than 50-100 in a day

[@sonicbhoc]

Funny, because that's my exact use case.

[@igeekone]

"Let's charge while we have tea." You'll have plenty of time with rapidgating. Nissan is truly silly to not have additional cooling. The 62 KW car is paired with a more powerful motor, that usually means potential for more heat.

[@joepro3562]

A top of the line Leaf cost more than $40K and the option of keeping this vehicle long term is squelched by the cost of a new battery pack that's currently priced at $8,500. That makes the actual cost of the car top $50K. That's without the cost of charging the vehicle over a 15 year period.. A new Nissan Versa costs approx. $15K. If you drive it 12k miles a year for 15 years averaging 35mpg at $2.57 per gallon(cost of gas at nearby station today) that comes to less than $13,300, which brings the total cost rounded off with taxes at around $30k. That's a difference of $20k, that's a lot of oil changes. The price has to be reduced substantially for a middle class working person to even think about being able to afford this vehicle or any other E-car.

[@josephmcclary9667]

Your math makes no sense. Do you factor in the cost of a new engine when figuring out the “actual cost” of an ICE vehicle? You neglected to do so with the Versa. I won’t get into the fuel costs seeing how it’s skyrocketed since “President” Brandon took office.

[@kyliefan7]

Wonder how Arizona Leaf Plus owners are doing with their Passive Cooling? Cause I always just open my windows when visiting for “cooling”.

[@ronkemperful]

Your review is good as always! You mentioned that the Tesla Model 3 is a "luxury" car, and I agree with you for it is pricy, even at the 35,000 price point, when the full-self driving autopilot is thrown in, it can easily top 50,000. But, in a sense you get what you pay for, as with all non-Tesla electrics, there still is the wait for a comprehensive, nationwide fast-charging network to develop; but with a Tesla, there is already a charging network that allows an unplanned trip, virtually anywhere in the country, for a lower cost than gasoline, and without the inconvenience and delay of multi-hour charging times. While I am hesitant to spend 40,000 or more for any car, if I was looking at investing in an electric, I would be considering as to how I would charge it for a trip to my office, or to my sister's house in Montana. Thanks again for the review.

[@jeffzekas]

Talked to a guy with 4 yr old Leaf: "Cold kills the battery. My car came from Alaska. I barely get 50 miles". What about battery degradation, either from heat or cold? This is the "elephant in the room" that none of the auto commentators are talking about.

[@arijverkaik6473]

Cold kills range but absolutely not the battery when temperatures rise the original range wil be back only to much heat kills battery’s and normal degradation is much better than that from you’re IPhone....We drove one for 5 years 86000 km and the battery capacity is still 95% which is quite good if you ask me

[@be236]

I have Nissan LEAF 2017 and it is okay so far, but its paltry 107-mile range is giving me range anxiety, which I knew when I about when I got it... So my next EV will likely be Kona Electric for its 30km range over Kia Niro EV, but likely I can't get it since it's not sold in my state, but Kia Niro EV has just 'landed' here, so I guess that might be my only option...Alas..

[@brucekennedy5274]

Andrew Le hey man don’t be sad, that’s the the better car Imo, the kona is great but the e-Niro pips it with a better more practical size. Right at the minute I’d say it’s one of the best EV’s out there.

[@bhaskarparam9711]

Wow wow

[@bbbt8090]

Make this look sportier with a 0-60 under 6secs

[@Errhhk]

lmao you may as well just say Tesla

[@Jluislive]

Cool. You should have compared it with the new $35000 model 3. I hear it's pretty plain.

[@AAutoBuyersGuide]

Even at that price the Nissan is much cheaper as it still gets all the tax credits offered. When the 35k Tesla comes out it’ll battle the more expensive Leaf Plus very directly

[@pepstein]

@@AAutoBuyersGuide why do you say "when"? The $35000 Model 3 is already available.

[@xemtra]

@@pepstein I don't think they have shipped their first 35k model. yet but it could be a matter of weeks

[@pepstein]

@@xemtra right. They started taking orders recently and producing the car.

[@igranderojo]

You mention "value" several times. A simple value calculation is (MSRP - 7500) / miles of range. Now compare across all EVs. As the price goes down and the range goes up, this value ratio goes down. As of March 2019, my calculations show best at $160 per mile of range, or less.

[@tarassu]

AFAIK automotive heat pumps do not work at -15*C or below.

[@tarassu]

I can check and verify that at -15*C 2013-2017 Leaf does not activate heat pump. Though I do know that gen2 leaf has different heat pump system.

[@jondoe8889]

We will be selling our 2015 SL for a new Leaf. Maybe the Plus? But 150 miles is plenty for my wife. We want the Pro Drive. Otherwise, we'd get the Niro. As far as depreciation - with 38,000 miles, we still have all our capacity bars, in Atlanta. I've checked depreciation against a Carolla. It seemed about the same, so I'm not sure where these scary warnings are coming from. The biggest problem with an EV is that when the battery gets too weak - the car is worthless. I've read that takes 10 years? In that time, a Corolla is worth $1700 as a trade in. So if I lose $1700, I'm not too worried. I've saved a lot more. And to get a similar driver aid package on a Tesla will be $65k. Talk about a hard pass! I'm not spending big money on an EV until the advances slow down!

[@mark_r49]

I am surprised at the , mostly, thoughtful comments!

[@ahlamddj]

loved both car and review .. Alex thank you

[@lifeupnorth9385]

Leaf is not available in Alaska... So only 49 states

[@MarkBraggs]

Has Alex reviewed the Model 3? I can’t find it on his channel. I love my M3. Cant imagine picking up any other EV for several reasons: Performance, range, battery management, supercharging, etc etc

[@EM.1.]

Alex, any news of it offering AWD?

[@_TbT_]

It does not. I think it was even mentioned.

[@Richter.Belmont]

Best car channel !,,!

[@SWTrailsAndWheels]

Even though you haven't found a way to test drive the Model 3, I appreciate you being willing and able to make comparisons with the Model 3.

[@markfitzpatrick6692]

lessdeth69 model 3 is a luxury car leaf is not.