2024 Nissan Leaf | The Result of Shortcuts

[@onefastr6]

Feel like Nissan has been doing the bare minimum pretty much across the board for about 20 years now.

[@ADUSN]

Honda is getting there themselves, just complete appliances.

[@truantray]

Might have something to do with a CEO that has to travel in a cargo box.

[@truantray]

​@@ADUSNappliances are useful. Not everyone wants a wood fried artisanal toaster.

[@TheBreakfastLover]

@@ADUSN (the Civic Type R is the fastest production FWD vehicle ever on the Nurburgring, even beating non-FWD vehicles like the Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Audi R8 V10) ADSUN: "appliance"

[@Affalterbach1967]

Welcome to municipal fleet car specification. "It says here on the funding grant we have to buy an electric car."

[@silv3rArrow]

Using a NISMO cap inside a Leaf...true dedication

[@WarriorsPhoto]

😂 😅😂

[@bruddahmanmatt]

He's actually sitting in a Honda. 😅

[@KealeyOnCars]

I love it. Doing the bare minimum. Just like me in my day job. I love driving a philosophy I can relate to.

[@Jimster481]

They didn't do the bare minimum. They set a goal and achieved it. Not every product is for every person.

[@1q3er5]

lmfao haha can relate

[@1148bucknasty]

​@@Jimster481does that include catching on fire

[@Jimster481]

@@1148bucknasty LEAF doesn't catch on fire. Other cars have that problem but not the LEAF. They aren't using the same high density cells or the same crazy fast charging mechanisms. The batteries are also not liquid cooled and as such it is very conservative on temps so thermal runaway isn't an issue.

[@wbb2799]

😂😂😂

[@zygmuntc]

I have over 63,000 miles on my 2018 leaf standard range. Only cost so far. Tires, wipers and PA inspection each year. Cost me $20 a month to charge at home. Super easy to operate.

[@bobbbobb4663]

2015 Leaf owner here. Swap out the gear reduction fluid for synthetic and you can gain 0.5 mi/kWh.

[@anydaynow01]

@@bobbbobb4663 Yep, the reason certain fluids cost so much (like your Red Line and Schaeffer's) is because they are worth it! Saw some measurable gains with my Volt when I swapped everything out for Red Line fluids.

[@marcg1686]

Greetings from Germany. The COO of NextMove, Germany's leading EV rental company stated on his YT channel that his Nissan fleet had the least number of unscheduled shop visits by a large margin. My daily is a 2018 40kWh with the Tekna spec. Pleather interior, LED headlights and a heat pump. Picked it up at my Toyota dealership for 21K. The dealer offered me 6K for my Gen 3 Prius. 15K was a fair deal.

[@marcg1686]

@@MrOscar5690 No need. A Japanese YTer has gone just over 180K miles on his 2018 ZE1. Tyres, a 12Volt battery and a front wheel bearing. All good.

[@MrOscar5690]

@@marcg1686 1 KZbinr? ONE? lol 1 means nothing

[@ThinkfreeorDie]

The GR Corolla was totaled and reincarnated as a Nissan Leaf.

[@markm0000]

It wakes up every day in complete pain and agony.

[@jdwbcr]

All tomorrows activities

[@briansmithwins]

Not having active thermal management for the battery is the real original sin. But that would have cost more and taken time to develop.

[@truantray]

It been over a decade and the Leaf is the best selling EV in the world.

[@joel89039]

Tesla has sold more than 800k model 3s.

[@pistonburner6448]

@@truantray So what? It's also the worst EV in the world. No batter thermal management really is a total failure and unacceptable.

[@UpgradeUrWinRARTrial]

@@truantray that's like saying "the Altima and the Sentra sell well, proving that Nissan CVTs are reliable" lmao

[@UpgradeUrWinRARTrial]

They should've taken that extra time and cost, but I guess hindsight is 20/20 & you could say the same thing for a lot of their other cars

[@rogerhenry3481]

My used Leaf was purchased to be a cheap daily 60 mile commute car. It accomplishes its mission perfectly. Count me a satisfied owner.

[@lavidawithjoey]

Savagegeese is a quality establishment pushing out consistently great content with humor. The only recommendation I can think of after many videos is a guest appearance from Bill Burr to rant on points like the brake pedal. I have no idea why this came to mind despite the great execution by Mark

[@diydrivenGA]

Bring back the Big Turbowski!

[@joseeduardo4327]

@@diydrivenGAI’d love to have him back for one episode just to hear him rip on it

[@JETZcorp]

​@@diydrivenGAHonestly, getting rid of Turbowski was the best thing that ever happened to this channel. Up there with adding Jack as co-host. I never enjoyed the paper-thin character that guy played on camera.

[@akdcx]

AMEN@@JETZcorp

[@letsgobrandon5800]

Had a 12 Leaf. Best I could ever do was 60 miles. After a year, was lucky to do 50 and progressively worse from there. Got rid of it to Carvana. Good luck to new owner.

[@singular9]

Hilarious how carvana has just become the jankyard for cars no one wants but they will always give you a quote.

[@letsgobrandon5800]

@@singular9 they didn’t even test battery. They bought during their buying spree .

[@clifftaylor3295]

can I ask what they paid you for it? It was a pretty crazy season there for a time. @@letsgobrandon5800

[@dbradley65]

I had a '15. Wasn't any better. After 5 years I was lucky to get 40 highway miles. Didn't realize how much impact the lack of thermal management would be. I only charged using Level 2 or 1, didn't have the DC plug. I went with a Model Y after that.

[@markm0000]

@@letsgobrandon5800 Carvana is completely screwed. I strongly suspect they'll run out of money within the next year.

[@kelalamusic9258]

I purchased a 2022 Leaf, and love it. It serves me perfectly. It might not be the best EV out there, but I wasn’t looking for the best. Sure, I could have bought a Tesla for twice the money and pray every day the bloody thing doesn’t burst into flames. In the 2 1/2 years I’ve owned my Leaf I have no battery deprivation whatsoever. It’s still at 100%. I only charge it at home using stage 2 charging. I got the car for just driving around town, only. The trick is to keep the battery between 20 - 80% charge, and I’ve never charged it after it’s been driven. Usually the next day if needed. Bottom line is, I should get many, many years of trouble free, inexpensive driving. Stop being so critical about the car. It’s a damn good ride.

[@smoothoperator1663]

My 2012 is only charged with 120v n is still at full battery level

[@kelalamusic9258]

@@smoothoperator1663 that's great. How one charges the car is the key. The beauty of an EV is that it has fewer parts to wear out. Gas cars are a nightmare in that regards.

[@tylersrubar6451]

Jack “Is there a sport mode in this thing?” Mark “I’ll turn eco mode off” 😂😂😂

[@monkeymansean2]

It's weird but I reeeeeeally love my 2013 Nissan Leaf. In the garage I have a DC2 Integra and a GT Starlet Turbo for occasional fun drives, but as you rightly pointed out, Leaf owners love their Leafs. I've put an insane amount on miles on mine for no money and being a small car, the driving experience is actually quite fun.

[@bandombeviews6035]

I love the old leafs, but there’s just so many better options these days. I’d much rather have a bolt

[@louiearmstrong]

@@bandombeviews6035 I'm starting to see 2022 Polestar 2s selling for the same price as a new Bolt.

[@velodjk2975]

We also have a 2013 for just driving around town. We got it used for about $5000. It says a range of about 70 miles. We might drive half of that and plug into a regular 120. Next morning it's ready to go. We still have 2 gas vehicles for longer trips, but those are now fill up once a month instead of two ore three times a month. They also have a lot less stop-and-go mileage on them. We do acknowledge it would be a terrible road trip car.

[@Gekkoid]

totally, my parents have a 2015 leaf and it's a really great car. it's super fun to drive and still gets ~75 miles of range at almost 100k miles. it's really a shame that the new leafs just haven't gotten much better.

[@1HeatWalk]

Chevy bolt

[@rosgoncharuk2403]

Nissan allows you to either embrace the EV future or stick with CVT classics!

[@jwazftw4200]

😂 'CVT classics' - lol classic

[@oi32df]

Does Jatco have a battery division?

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

🤣

[@pinballdan]

I just got a 2020 SV PLUS and totaly love it !! I just want a nice car to save on gas and this is perfect for my use...!

[@Parker53151]

Shout-out for using the video made by Professor Kelly at Weber State University. His videos are akin to yours in that both of you do a deep dive rather than just a three minute drive that is little more than a commercial for the automaker. Kudos!

[@Plisken65]

Kelly never addressed the Bolt fires....

[@CruiseControl1]

I saw the leaf at the San Diego auto show when it was first announced. I believe the first model year only had about 99 miles of range and they used a lot of recycled materials and eco friendly interior materials. I know the leaf is a cost cutting ev but it was one of the first affordable ev’s to the market and for that I appreciate it. I own another cost cutting competitor with my 22 Bolt EUV. I get about 280-290 miles of range in the summer and about 200 miles of range in the winter . I have enjoyed not paying for gas over the last 36,000 miles. I do wish it had an independent rear suspension and an option for a dual motor awd as I live in Colorado and even with snow tires I still have traction issues in snow. For any auto manufacturers out there reading comments. I want a compact ev truck, 250 miles of range minimum, awd and price under $45k please. Make that and I will trade in my Bolt EUV.

[@justinjones6810]

The sad thing about the bolt is the horrendous charging time as it can only take 55kw max that should have been addressed and bumped up to 125kw minimum especially when you can Get a vw for the same price that has a faster charging speed

[@UpgradeUrWinRARTrial]

Mitsubishi Delica Mini looks hot but it's not coming to the US 😭

[@CruiseControl1]

@@justinjones6810 I charge it at home and it charges just fine by morning and I drive about 150-200 miles a day. My biggest expense has been tires as I have already gone through one set of Michelin, cross climate2’s. My biggest complaints after driving through snow storms is not having AWD and an independent rear suspension.

[@anydaynow01]

@@CruiseControl1 Yeah, same with my Volt, if it snows more than 5 cm I'm driving my old pickup to work! But the other 98% of the year it's perfect, especially with charging at work I barely ever have to plug in at home and only buy dino juice for it when on the rare road trip!

[@RatBürgerSk8]

Imagine something like an EV El Camino, you'd get way better range than something like a Lightning due to it being lower. Could call it the El-ectric Camino because every EV needs a corny name.

[@rmp5s]

Had a 2016 for 6-ish years...was the best little city car EVER. Only things that I ever had to do was replace the 12V battery once and I put 2 tires on it. In 6 years!! No brake pads, no fluids, no nothing. Was honestly a great little car. I traded it in on my GT-R. 🤣

[@rmp5s]

Oh, and the charging port had something go wrong with it shortly after I got it...dealer fixed it for free. Apparently you're not supposed to run the charger on an extension cord. Lesson learned. lol

[@MrOscar5690]

@@rmp5s “No brake pads, no fluids, no nothing” No nothing indeed, not even a mention of how many miles you put on it …

[@rmp5s]

@@MrOscar5690 You couldn't just ask "how many miles", could you... I'm actually not sure. 45k? 50k? Something like that.

[@ultimatist]

So which is better for track days?

[@rmp5s]

@@ultimatist The Leaf may or may not top out in the low 90mph range...leaves a bit to be desired. 🤣

[@Simon-oq6ds]

I think there is a pent up market for more affordable EVs (ICE cars too). I am hoping that the EV market is going that direction. Manufacturers were putting in a lot of unnecessary extras to justify the increased pricing to cover the high cost of batteries. But as battery prices come down, I am hoping that lower cost alternatives like this Leaf and Chevy Bolt will become more commonplace.

[@thatoneotherotherguy]

The Bolt is having a VERY good sales year. People want affordable EVs. Every time I see another $60k EV crossover get announced, I shake my head. The $25-40k range is where we need a LOT more choice.

[@MumrikDK]

There is absolutely no doubt that there's an underfed market for no-nonsense budget EVs.

[@RatBürgerSk8]

If the masses are going to be expected to adopt EVs they absolutely need to become more financially accessible. Many people nowadays have trouble affording even a $20k new car.

[@oi32df]

Am I the only one who dreams of a EV car without electric door lock & AC and with crank window?

[@adventtrooper]

The modern designers probably put more engineers on animated light clusters than Nissan put on the brake system. So much unnecessary complexity to try and justify high prices.

[@MechayaAlta]

We have a 2022 Leaf SV plus as our second about town car. Our road trip car is a 2023 Subaru Outback. We garage charge, and live in the cool Pac NW. For us it has been perfect as a great street legal golf cart. In addition, battery fires have been nearly nonexistent. I’ve read after the Fukushima earthquake several flooded Nissan Leafs battery packs were disassembled and were intact.

[@Jimster481]

Yep the car is perfect how it was designed in its price point.

[@billyng7107]

I second to that. My 2019 SL plus has zero issue and drama.

[@matthale7848]

The Nissan Leaf is quieter than a Tesla 3 and at 200 miles range is for our families needs. We own one and love it. We don’t road trip our leaf and our battery is doing great. It’s surprisingly fun to drive and for the record, I floor it all the time because there isn’t a cost penalty for jack rabbit starts unlike driving an ICE powered vehicle.

[@danhall3450]

😂

[@m.necatisepetcioglu4391]

It is the first time i arrived your channel. I have to say that it is a great summary. I have been owning Leaf since august 2010. it is 2011 first gen. Great car, but we had to make the decision last year: either we change the battery or buy a new car. I don't know what happened to the car market, but when we bought it, it cost us 28.000 CAD after the tax rebate. we checked not Nissan only, Hyundai kona, kia niro, tesla model 3 , there is nothing under 50K. it just unbelievable. what is going on with that prices. Aft Dr intensive search, found one 62KW battery ($4,200), shipped to Canada, installed in Vancouver and now our old boy has a new life of 385 km. Leaf is the best car we ever owned. it saved tons of money for our family.

[@LambdaWave84]

It could be a great EV if : -it has a watercooled battery -it has CCS charging (not Chademo) Because otherwise the Leaf is pretty well built, had enough power and torque, and it's quite efficient.

[@tylerbetthauser7647]

Wow, no battery conditioning is pretty unacceptable.

[@briansmithwins]

No active thermal management is the real problem. You can get the battery cold enough that it can't charge or discharge at certain charge levels

[@Jimster481]

What company offers this? Basically nobody. Nissan will actually repair your battery pack if there is a bad cell... there are also aftermarket options now too. The car was built for cities and shorter trips. If you understand what its built for then you understand that it fits what it was built for 100%. It isn't built to replace all gas cars like the failures known as Tesla.

[@Plisken65]

Also: no fires.

[@Jimster481]

@@Plisken65True, no fires

[@povertyspec9651]

This is a great car for the money.

[@aaronbritt2025]

I had a '15 Leaf and it was a great car because I used it as it was intended to be used... As a city runabout and NOT for road trips. I worked at Nissan and drove it 40 miles each way to work and back. I never paid for gas or electricity. I charged it at work for free. I had the SL with the premium pkg, so I had the DC fast charger, but never used it. After a year, my battery was still at 100% capacity. This car was always intended to be an economical comfortable city commuter, not a sporty car and not a road tripper.

[@HandsomeAlex25]

Thank you for the explainer on how the thermal cycling caused the huge range loss. You're really on point in that these heavily contributed to today's EV aversion.

[@pyromcr]

And now purchase price and resale value are still causing EV aversion. It’s almost like the tech just isn’t viable.

[@programmingwithbaker-codin953]

I love my 2019 leaf… nothing ever breaks. No battery degradation so far.

[@billthomas8994]

Have a 2014 SL that I bought used last year. Had a two year lease on a 2013 SV so understood the car. 10 bars at 57K and suits me fine for local daily driving at $20 a month for electricity. Still get between 60 and even up to 80 miles in stop and go traffic. In hot Florida, so I always crack the garage door at night while charging and use a L1 EVSE to keep the heat down on the battery. So far, just tire rotations, a refresh of the computer to solve the 12 V battery drain issue and a brake system flush

[@1973Hog]

We purchased a 2022 Leaf with less than 9,000 miles on it back in August for $20,000. We use it as a second car and drive locally usually not more than 15-20 miles from the house. We also charge at home using electricity from solar. It meets our needs perfectly but only as a shorter range second car.

[@toyotaprius79]

Hopefully that use case will keep its battery in good Nik.

[@penske1]

I'm one of those people that desperately wants an affordable (sub - $30K) small EV, and the Leaf seems to be the only one out there in the USA. I will be in the market if my '07 Focus (175K miles) ever dies, but hopefully that won't happen until a worthy competitor is released. Thank you for this video! Some of us are frugal car enthusiasts!

[@ThiHexCrew]

Try checking out the Chevy Bolt. More range and around the same price as the leaf.

[@jawharris]

I feel like they are too negative. I've been in a Tesla Model 3, it isn't as comfortable as a Nissan Leaf, and with the plus, close to as much range. If you have more than one car and use the other vehicle for trips, the Leaf is probably okay. With the eco stuff off, the Leaf is faster than perhaps all gas cars that aren't designed to be sporty or have big engines. I suspect a small investment in battery technology and a different fast charger connection in 2018 would've increased sales and the car's resale, but the Nissan Leaf made very little money for Nissan. I paid 18k for a 2021 with 9k miles. I then saved 2k in licensing, and get a 4k rebate, we are down to 12k, and I don't have to pay for gas, there is a free charger near my house that I could use if I was even cheaper than I am.

[@wusup9988]

I love my 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus. Other than swapping out the 4 worn tires it required almost no maintenance in 4.5 years. So far it has about 25k miles on it and I still have full battery capacity. Home charging costs around $25/mo, I rarely fast charge. It's great for commuting, driving the kids around and occasional short trips. None of the complaints about the brake pedal or steering feel ever bothered me one bit. The Bose speakers have deep bass and sound great. When I bought it I was concerned about the lack of thermo management but 4 years in it's been a non-issue. I also love the full one-pedal driving (e-pedal) and I can’t believe the new Ariya took that away! I was surprised that the charging type (chademo) was not mentioned here. Its obsolescence is probably the main reason not to buy one, unless you plan to charge only at home.

[@rjmosko]

We have a 2019 Leaf Plus as well. I agree that the CHADEMO plug is a serious issue for the Leaf since those plugs will disappear like Beta video tapes did. The other issue with CHADEMO is that the actual plug has a lock on it- God help you if you encounter a defective plug. We did last year at Thanksgiving and it cost us a night staying in a town because the car was teathered to the EVGO charge station. Hopefully somebody will design an aftermarket plug!

[@zacharyariail134]

Did you keep the low resistance tires or go to regular tires?

[@wusup9988]

No I replaced them with Yokohama Avid Ascend GT's. They have much higher treadwear rating. I was surprised how soon I had to replace the original low resistance tires. @@zacharyariail134

[@gabrieliacoboni6951]

Mark said it best, the Leaf explains why people are gunshy about EVs.

[@petercollingwood522]

Not everybody wants a 60K luxury experience? How about most people can't afford a 60K luxury experience.

[@tenwatts2378]

I can and I still bought a Leaf. I hate burning money for the sake of status. Not like I am going to be street racing anytime soon hahah.

[@int53185]

Great little car. Can be had for cheap in the used market. Good grocery getter and hauling kids to school and soccer practice. Perhaps the lowest maintenance car you can buy.

[@povertyspec9651]

If this car had a Honda badge but otherwise identical this review would have been much less harsh.

[@Axter6]

I really like the way you described this car, taking the average person’s perspective. I’d be absolutely fine with owning this car. The love surrounding this car is really showing what people actually expect from a car. Great review.

[@BorgHunter]

I bought a 40 kWh 2023 new, in a brief period where it was eligible for the full $7500 tax credit (after the IRA was passed but before the battery sourcing requirements went into effect). Including that, price was under $20k. It's a second car for my wife and me. We wanted something cheap and reliable for around town use if someone else was using the main car we share (we both work from home, so no commutes). In all likelihood, the car will never leave our metro area, so the 150 mi range is much more than we need. We considered the Bolt, but all the Chevy dealers wanted above MSRP for one. It has significant flaws, but for our use case they don't matter. We expect this car to last a decade plus with minimal maintenance and repairs and do everything we need it to.

[@TonyGuitarVideos]

9:52 I had no idea Mark was a drummer! We need some drum vids.

[@RockMiach]

I hope that a new Leaf generation comes with a Nissan that is willing to invest enough in their vehicles to see them all the way through. a vehicle letting you down because of cut costs can make the relationship between car and driver one of betrayal, when it should be a friendship. Great video guys

[@limitedreach4446]

Next generation Leaf will be a small CUV that rides the CMF-EV platform that the Ariya does. It’s going to be VASTLY improved.

[@TermlessHGW]

@Rock I sense a true petrolhead in you...

[@thegreatcanadianlumberjack5307]

@@TermlessHGW When it comes to Nissans he is not wrong they are not exactly the Greatest cars and there Trucks lost the Cummins Engine But the Generation after this one for Leafs will Probably have Solid state Batteries to match there Competitors. Toyota and Honda are looking into them and planning on Releasing EVs in the next few years.

[@zacharyariail134]

They already announced its dead so they would have to be a new generation of leadership, the “leaf” is going to be the new base eco trim

[@JH-jp9sv]

So you're saying they need to turn over a new Leaf?

[@VS666]

Great timing with RCR doing a Sentra review too haha 😂

[@Eldaino999]

Honestly this is way better than I expected it to be? I feel like this is what EVs actually should be?

[@KubuśpuchatekTVN]

Useless junk after few years ;)

[@anydaynow01]

Yep, the numbers work for a few years and by the time the range degrades with the new chemistries most folks lease has ended and the are shopping for another vehicle anyway.

[@Jimster481]

IT is like actually what EV's were supposed to be. Nissan is the only one making the EV as it was originally designed and Savagegeese spent 13 minutes TRASHING it for not trying to replace all other cars.

[@Tokamak3.1415]

@@Jimster481 If the batteries are being degraded heavily then having to swap them out at roughly 1/4th of their routine longevity is not sustainable. It does not fit into the Reduce Reuse Recycle unless the owner is afraid to drive the car and thus reduces using it. Low cost is good. Low cost that makes something exponentially worse it bad. Put a cheap power supply in a computer and find out what happens.

[@Jimster481]

@@Tokamak3.1415 I've ran a $10 PSU in a computer for 5 years before with no issues... I have servers that are critical using $20 PSUs for years... Cheap isn't always bad as long as you understand how to use it. Fools have to spend alot because their knowledge is limited. My gaming pc uses a 650W cheap PSU (sub $50) and runs a 7900xtx + 5800x3D. No issues at all for 1 year already.... Before this it had a 3900x + 6700xt OC. In the case of a LEAF; it depends on how much you drive it and where.. I've seen leaf with over 100k miles that have 90%+ battery health...

[@michaelcavalier8750]

My 2017 Leaf dropped about 40% of its range in the cold due to heavy heat use on about a 50 mile commute. It dropped about 13% of its range from new after 18 months (dealer verified).

[@Jimster481]

Sounds like you were using it in a way it wasn't actually designed to be used. considering the number of 2017 LEAFs on the market with 90%+ SOH after 6 years and 50-80k miles shows its mostly a buyer problem and not a car problem.

[@ThomisticAmerican13FOX]

With electric cars its all about the use case and the ambient environment.

[@GenericRespondent]

​@@Jimster481it sounds like the Leaf just wasnt really designed to be used much at all based on all these comments defending it... Lol. The advice seems to be as long as you don't drive over 50 miles a day, press the gas pedal more than a quarter of the way down or live in a cold climate, the battery will be totally fine! 🤣

[@Jimster481]

@@GenericRespondent press the petal totally down? That doesn't break the car.... Most people don't drive over 50 miles anyway every day and with the newer Leaf you can drive nearly 100 miles a day without a problem.

[@doodlebug1820]

If all apartments had level 2 charging this thing would be the next vw beetle

[@jnrivers]

I had a 2013 S. Bought it used as an alternative to my $200 a month in gas commuting to work. Not sorry, only thing I ever did was replace the 12v and a set of tires. Ended up moving from Oregon to Minnesota, and had the LEAF brought over on a trailer. Commuting back on forth to work in sub-zero weather 40mi was an adventure, car was only rated for 86mi. My co-workers thought I was suicidal... maybe I was. Eventually I traded it for a used Model S which I still have to this day, and brought back to Oregon with me with me full circle. Early adoption of a burgeoning technology in a automotive renaissance, good times. Lifes an adventure. The LEAF? I still think back on it fondly, and wonder if she's still on the road out there somewhere.

[@curbozerboomer1773]

You keep saying that a 2024 model is not a good idea...In my state of Washington...a person can get HUGE discount money from the state government--like $9 grand on a new model...and this is in addition to the $7 grand discount from the Feds!...So, there is no way that it makes sense in my area, to be happy spending $20 grand for a 4 year old model! For that money, with the discounts, a new 2024 can be had for $20 grand, out-the-door! I do agree, that the old maxim-you get what you pay for-does apply to the Leaf...but this car was never intended to be a long-distance touring vehicle. It is perfect for more local usage, and the now 200+ range makes it tolerable for infrequent longer trips. I will be buying a 2024 Leaf, when these generous "go Green" bonuses go into effect in my state, in August of 2024. The overall reliability of this admittedly rather bland vehicle is excellent..I can live with not spending twice as much money for a more "upscale" EV. For most buyers, it really is all about the money...not super-handling, etc. I am impressing my wallet-NOT the neighbors, who actually do own a Tesla!

[@Zwikster]

This EV isn't thaaaat bad, come on! Brutal review.

[@janeelp]

I would really like Savagegeese's opinion on the Bolt EUV as a comparator and competitor to the leaf

[@cods41]

As a leaf owner, I think you nailed it. There are way better options out there and you'd be silly to buy it new.

[@upshifter5316]

Mark and Jack always Leaf me wanting more! Truly the Titans of car content. You guys aren’t Ghosn away anytime soon, Ariya?

[@MercSLRFan]

On that Note, I'm going to Patrol for more Sunny content.

[@WalterA-b3d]

I bought a CPO, 2021 LEAF SL Plus, three weeks ago. Paid market value, 22k miles, one owner. Main reason for this purchase is to provide additional battery backup for our home. We have Enphase solar panels and the latest Enphase batteries. But the two batteries only provide 24 hrs of backup for our homes needs. The Nissan LEAF is one of only three vehicles that can provide vehicle to home input. The Ford Lighting and some suv from Mitsubishi can do the same. After getting a federal tax credit of 4k on the LEAF, I paid 20k for the car. Enphase will have a Bidirectional charger on the market in 2024. With this I can charge the car from our solar panels or draw power from the LEAF's battery pack. We increased our battery backup by five days with the LEAF. To buy the same capacity in remote battery storage would cost 45k just for the batteries, plus installation. Yes. The LEAF is dated, but you get a lot of car for the money. This car will never see DC fast charging as it is for local use within the range limits. I really bought inexpensive additional backup battery pack that also provides the ability to drive locally. For me the LEAF is a mobile JuiceBox.

[@ramadjones]

I said in another video: The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf are great inexpensive town driving EVs. I got a 2022 Leaf SV for 25k. It drives VERY smoothly and is almost luxury car quiet. My biggest knock on it is the outdated charging port, and the weird trunk that has no room for a spare tire. I know I sound like a fanboy, but as long as you have another vehicle for long trips, the Leaf is damn near perfect as a city driver.

[@HNRichard]

I got the Japanese version, it has room for a spare tire. It's located under the car and it has a drop down mechanism like an old 4Runner to access the tire itself.

[@ramadjones]

@@HNRichard Jealous!

[@Nutsofamily]

So here’s the thing. We have a model 3, and needed another commuter car. 10 k in Canada for 65k km for a 2013… never needing gas to commute 40 km each day was a no brainer. Heated seats, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and great for shopping. We will keep it and probably get a new battery when it’s time from a wrecker. It really is a great commuter car.

[@verdict17]

I bought a used 2014 bmw i3 Rex for around 20k and I love the car. It’s a well engineered car and it’s fun to drive. Since it’s got a backup generator, I don’t have to worry about getting range anxiety. I just have to fill it up with gas for it to maintain the battery charge.

[@Jimster481]

How well does that work? I've seen a few of those around... BMW is just such a dangerous company to buy from with all the electrical issues...

[@verdict17]

@@Jimster481 the car drives great especially with the Rex system, I don’t get range anxiety. It’s a fun car to run errands in. Just don’t buy one with high mileage on it.

[@Jimster481]

@@verdict17 thanks for the info! How is the insurance on it? Expensive compared to a normal car or no?

[@verdict17]

@@Jimster481 A little bit more, but it’s worth it. The car new was 55k new, I got it for around 25k.

[@Jimster481]

@@verdict17 I see, because I just checked into the insurance on a leaf and it's really expensive compared to everything else...

[@klyded8523]

We've had one in the family for 12 years now, lowest running cost of any vehicle any of us has ever owned.

[@RigiLiquid945]

Love the idea of an affordable FWD EV that works. The base model could have manual roll-down windows, as long as there is good range, battery temp management, a heat pump, AC, cruise control, and a heated steering wheel.

[@Ramerez11]

I leased a 2021 Leaf as my first ever EV, it was dirt cheap during COVID and while I thought it was the worst designed car I'd ever had (everything Mark said about the controls was accurate), it was my "training wheels EV" that confirmed I could have only an EV. I returned it to the dealer after 18 months, sold my ICE car, bought a Tesla and never looked back. Other details he left out: due to the lack of battery thermal management, this car got ATROCIOUS efficiency in the winter, and overall my Tesla is about 30-60% more efficient in all driving conditions. Also, the Leaf has the seating position of an SUV, but the most compromised trunk and interior space design I've ever seen which made it have similar cargo capacity to a Miata.

[@pistonburner6448]

"I could only have an EV" = Cult alert...

[@avery4528]

I love those Weber State videos. Only way I could comprehend how Honda’s ECvt works

[@clivehoward8861]

In the UK lease one and drive it 45000 miles over 3 years and the car will cost you less than £5000 for those 36 months whilst under full warranty. Remove the snobby part and it's a no brainer as a bargain.

[@mikehenkes]

I own one and it's the best "city car" or "2nd run around car". It's not a 1st car replacement by any means.

[@langjie7281]

lol, I have one for my daily driver. it's a pretty good car, I put the pedal to the ground plenty of times. the leaf would almost be great it if had an updated charge plug + thermal battery management.

[@shayallday5935]

Best EV I EVER owned

[@byrnc927]

I remember in 2017 wanting to purchase an EV. Tesla's were too expensive, and the only other choices was the Volt PHEV, Bolt EV, Honda Clarity PHEV, and the Leaf. I Researched and drove every EV available on the market. When reviewing the owner's manual on the Leaf there were 6 pages of instructions and cautions on how to charge the battery. The Bolt and Volt had one paragraph. "Plug it in and unplug it when charged". I'm glad we avoided the Bolt fiasco's and selected the Volt. Now we have two of them. They have been solid reliable cars for now 7 years with excellent battery thermal management and performance. Not pure EVs, but on a daily basis 95% electric. Lifetime gas mileage on both of our 2017 Volts is >165 MPG. If we had purchased a Leaf at that time, we could farther in a golf cart on a charge today than in that 2017 Leaf.

[@toyotaprius79]

GM was so dumb in axing the volt because it was a sedan. The Voltec PHEV drivetrain could've survived

[@nodak81]

The EV world is obsessed with expensive luxury crap. We need many more EV cars like the Leaf. Simple A to B transportation. If they'd just fix the damn battery issues it would be a great little car.

[@Windows98R]

Because luxury cars have a big and healthy margin associated with it. To get the same margin, Nissan would need to sell a lot load of Leafs while Tesla or Lucid can get away with selling a handful of Model Ss and Lucid Airs. The manufacturers aren’t willing to take that dive or risk.

[@BowlerActuary]

Mark hoping the cop doesn’t pull him over after the roundabout is the most exciting experience you’ll ever have in that car

[@MichaelJohnson-kw2mx]

I've got a 2017... works great as an extra/city/kids car. But the battery will need to be replaced someday but at 100,000km, it still goes about 120K on a charge at about 75% SOH. We got this to try electric cars and figured if we can like a Leaf, we can like any e-car. It worked and we used it a lot and now we also have a MY LR. WRX is only for fun drives now.

[@floodo1]

I learned a lot from the intro and those Weber Auto clips thx

[@JacanaProductions]

Come on compare to a Tesla. This thing is not that bad you could lease the bloody thing for $169 per month in Colorado. This is not a bad car specially if you use it to commute you obviously have another car to do the long road trips.

[@mikegreco7718]

I like that you guys reviewed this. I have a 2019 Leaf that we purchased in November 2019. My wife and I live on the Nothside and she was commuting to work in Deerfield. We looked at the Model 3, but my wife was not comfortable driving a car that size in the city. It's been pretty reliable for the most part. Back in 2019, it was either this, a Tesla, or a Bolt. The Kona, Mini Cooper, etc. had not arrived yet in the Midwest, which is unfortunate, because now there are so many better options available than back in 2019 when we had to choose.

[@LouAntonioGiordano]

I worked at a Nissan dealership parts department for about seven years. Here are people’s reactions when I tell them how much the new battery pack is without labour: “What the fuck?!” “That’s ridiculous! You guys are a bunch of crooks” “I just bought the car and now you are telling me I need to buy two more to keep this one running?” “Holy shit that’s heavy.” “Guess I’m never getting another Nissan again. This is bullshit”

[@Jimster481]

My friend has worked there for 12 years now... he runs a major dealership now. He said that they barely ever service LEAFs because they don't really break.

[@LouAntonioGiordano]

@@Jimster481What is there to break? It does not have an engine or transmission, only brakes and suspension. It rarely breaks, it just goes to the junkyard because of the bad battery pack

[@Jimster481]

@@LouAntonioGiordano They do have other parts.... like brakes and AC systems, radios, windows, door locks, etc It does also have axles and a speed reducer gear system.

[@LouAntonioGiordano]

@@Jimster481These parts rarely break on any other car. If Nissan can’t build parts like proper door locks then they shouldn’t be building cars. Did you watch the video and listen to Mark talk about the battery problems? How it destroys itself if you do roadtrips. If your friend worked at service or sales department then they wouldn’t know. Customers rarely get the battery packs replaced outside of warranty at Nissan. You are talking about your friend, your information is second hand, mine is personal experience. I used to take 20-30 calls a day working the retail counter. I don’t mean to be disrespectful but you don’t really have evidences from hands-on experiences to back up your claims. And it’s not called a “Speed Reducer”, it’s called a “Reduction Gear”

[@Jimster481]

@@LouAntonioGiordano The parts I mentioned fail all the time on Hyundai and Kia vehicles... There are always recalls and then additional service bulletins for these parts. Literally door locks, door handles, ac compressor, gauge cluster, factory radio (these fail all the time on Chevy, especially more modern ones), headlight switches, window motors... Etc

[@xlschn4200]

I love my 2017 Leaf, I do most charging overnight at home, so have lost only about 10 miles range (< 10 %) over 7 years in upstate NY, driving major elevation changes every day rural/suburban all seasons. Very quick, smooth driving, even in Eco mode instant acceleration easily beating gas-powered & way more than needed. only spend on brakes & tires affordable, no surprises. Ages well!

[@novola1972]

Thank you for another great video guys. You are the best !!

[@David_P132]

Very helpful, thank you. Great channel.

[@verdict17]

I hope you guys do an episode on the bmw I3 with the REX.

[@Juan-gt7ro]

Hope Renault and Nissan doing well with the future R5/Micra, because it could be one of the few interesting EVs on the market

[@Wasssup3232]

The ev mixes will be on the CMFEV platform the Ariya is on.

[@anydaynow01]

@@Wasssup3232 Wish they would do a small bare bones 2+2 coupe Ariya (instead of infotainment just let me use AA and have a phone holder) with a 250 km range for a few grand less with the 510 concept like body on it for a commuting appliance, take my money!

[@user-ko9te4jj4u]

Renault and Nissan pretty much fell apart after the Carlos Ghosn incident at Nissan.

[@dawgmanfat]

You should record a cover of bleed by meshuggah using nissan leaf brake pedals

[@diydrivenGA]

It had a good shape and could have filled a void many EV manufacturers just aren't making. Nissan fumbled big on this and other cars in their lineup and as a result have earned their rep. on the used market, this is a great DIY refurb project. However the BMW i3 exisits and is a much better platform that was thought out and well designed (except for the wheels). Maybe you can review one as a follow up to this. On the used market they are going for $12-$20k.

[@pistonburner6448]

The i3 is not very well designed, they cut many many corners which wouldn't have been allowed for other BMW products. They went below that company's usual standards. But yes, I get what you're saying about the i3 being better designed *than the Leaf* in many ways. The i3 has horrendous comfort compared to even a far cheaper basic grocery-getter car.

[@diydrivenGA]

@@pistonburner6448 Interesting since it runs counter to what I've seen online and in person.

[@Jimster481]

How did they fumble? The car works perfectly exactly for what it was designed for...

[@pistonburner6448]

@@diydrivenGA What runs counter to what you've seen? Text written by others? What have you seen in person? Do you have any knowledge or experience whatsoever of automotive engineering, the auto industry?

[@pistonburner6448]

@@Jimster481 Wrong: normal use, which Nissan advertises the car being good for, destroys the car.

[@ljpr360]

I didn't even test drive one when I was in the market. The lack of thermal management in the battery pack is a huge deal breaker.

[@lesjohn2]

Did someone say "developed the car for no money" er...no unless you think 3 Billion dollars is no money. For the money Great car I had mine 9 years super reliable

[@tenwatts2378]

The most reliable and frankly loveable electric you can own. I choose my 2022Tekna E+ over our ID4 on most days...

[@buffalop32acdm23]

80k Miles on my 2019 LEAF Plus. I’ve put tires and wipers on it! 😂

[@Phasterphaster]

You make an excellent assessment of the Nissan Leaf paradox: it is simultaneously a very solid and reliable electric car (cheap, reliable, accomplishes 95% of what people need) and a horrible ambassador for electric cars in general (range anxiety, temperature induced calamity)! I owned a 2004 330i ZHP for ten years, I work from home, I spent $60k keeping that POS running. Then it blew a head gasket and I threw it away. I needed a reliable, cheap "DD" that would mostly sit in my garage, so, much to my wife's horror, in 2017 I bought a 2015 Nissan Leaf for $10k with just under 10k miles on it. Seven+ years and 42k miles later, and I haven't spent $1,000 operating it or a full hour maintaining it. I've never owned and loved a more hateful car. In fact, if it could go even just a little farther on a charge, it would get a lot more local errand use and would have 30% more miles on it by now. But I figure if I drive it for 400 years, I'll save back what I lost on just my most recent BMW. It makes a m excellent 7th car! :)

[@jamestompkins8617]

I bought one new in 2023 base model for my 9-5 commute for the exact reasons he just listed. I have put 28,000 miles on it and so far the only maintenance I've done to it is a new set of tires. The leaf was the only electric compact that was family sized and not an suv that didn't cost 40,000. I don't care that it doesn't fast charge well...so far I've only fast charged it 4 times and I have home charging. I save 350 a month on maintenance and gas vs my 2020 versa that I traded in for it. That's why I bought it and it aggravates me that instead of slapping a updated bms and modernized battery pack in it they're replacing it with a mini nissan aryia

[@tylermelton2467]

My 2011 would lift off oversteer almost as good as my Fiesta ST, it was useless fun with at most 55 miles of range

[@billthomas8994]

One plus of the Leaf is that there are no documented battery fires

[@CJ-rk5eg]

Spot on analysis The counter example in 2010/2011 was the Chevy Volt. It had thermal management and has reasonable resale still.

[@Jimster481]

Chevy Volt doesn't have great resale value and a battery replacement actually costs more than a LEAF. It also has only around 40 total miles range on battery and otherwise it doesn't get much mpg after vs just a gas car...

[@CJ-rk5eg]

@@Jimster481 That all may be true, but because its a hybrid it will still run even if the battery degrades, with many examples out there with over 100k miles or more. In other word, it doesn’t turn into a brick automatically because the battery was properly designed with thermal management and a conservative buffer of using the the middle two thirds of the battery’s capacity, permitting a long life of recharging. Those design decisions were shared with me by a GM Volt engineer at the time.

[@Jimster481]

@@CJ-rk5eg actually if the battery wears out beyond a certain amount then it doesn't work and needs replacement.

[@CJ-rk5eg]

@@Jimster481 true and at some point every battery will

[@Jimster481]

@@CJ-rk5eg yea, it's kind of a different car though. My dad wanted one for a while but without running on battery it barely gets more mileage than a Malibu... So he just bought another Malibu. The price of the volt was much higher than a Malibu as well so he figured he would never offset the price.

[@toddm6999]

I got a 2024 SV plus it is affordable and for around town it is fantastic ...as well with govt subsidies you can get 9k and more discounts on list price...to me it is the ultimate city and and highway travelling if your going 70 km ...as well the ride is very comfortable.I just trickle charge it at home.Leasing is the way to go..

[@letsgoOs1002]

We had a leaf. Easily the best car I have ever owned. Like nothing to go wrong with it and could do 250 miles. It was super quiet and everything just worked. It even had enough room when seats folded down it had a ton of storage. I just wish they would change the quick charging port and some better thermal management. We did 20k miles and it was great. But than again when the lease expired we gave it up for some ebikes.

[@patty109109]

250 miles come on that isn’t true. I’ve owned two leafs btw.

[@SiamHossain7]

​@@patty109109"your anecdote is wrong because it contradicts my anecdote!!" Please for the love of god never touch a keyboard again

[@letsgoOs1002]

@@patty109109 the screen would show 252 during the summer with eco button. Idk what to tell you but that what the screen said

[@maltpatriot4919]

Back in high school a buddy of mine saved up $1500 and bought a 1992 Nissan Altima with 150,000 miles on it. He drove it all the way up until just after college and then it sat in his parent’s garage for almost a decade. Later he fell on hard times while starting a family and that car got another go at life of which he drove it for another 100,000 miles. Fast forward to 2018 and he gave it to his daughter and it just passed 300,000 miles this year. Can’t say for sure the newer models would last as long…..

[@domdrty]

Has anyone made an aftermarket battery pack cooling system?

[@salipander6570]

Best resumé of the Leaf in 12 years! This is it in a nutshell: Only buy it 2nd hand and *always* check battery condition!

[@JohnZhu1988]

problem with cheap cars is that the profit margin on them is so low that its almost not worth selling them. i wish there were more cheap cars on the market, especially electric ones which would make pollution go down, but no one is incentivized to build these when the profit margin on a 50k car is probably 4x the profit on a 30k car.

[@finnjohn7729]

I was kind of into this until the 5:45 point at which the driver said something about no leaf driver ever doing full throttle acceleration because they’re all a bunch of super green, hypermiling hippies and I’m like, check please. Life is too short to waste it, listening to performative rants by people who can’t be bothered to know what they’re ranting about.

[@drjustino]

Yes it is equating Leaf owners to original smug Prius owners and it's not the same

[@jevgeniardassov]

On the EV thing, had Lexus RZ450e for a week, one with the updated software that will be available soon, and I got 191 miles on a highway at speeds 60-75 mph, depending on four lane-two lane. Outside temperature was 0 Centigrade and dark and rainy, AC on, 23 degrees in an interior, 2 grown ups and 2 kids plus luggage. And 272 miles in city. I was pleasantly surprised to be honest, after all the bad reviews, especially in terms of range. My highway energy consumption was 23.1 kw/100 km and 17,6 kw/100 km in city. which is not Tesla model 3 to be honest, but model 3 is not a 2,6 tonn four wheel drive luxury cruiser. Also with optional 18” winter wheels with stud-less tyres tyres it was dead silent at even 80-85 mph. Which I cannot say about Audi e-tron…

[@JHONNYR98]

Today must be crap on Nissan day, first Regular Car Reviews and now Savagegeese

[@senseicorey9979]

Everyday

[@Josh-cw8by]

I love Nissan. Who else will sell me a car with my 300 credit score?

[@senseicorey9979]

At %27 interest for 84 months

[@oraclemiata845]

Everyday is….

[@higheroctave32]

Funny, I got my 2020 just a few weeks ago for just over 13k. Its ony got 22k on the odo. I love it. It does exactly what i need it to do and it does it quietly and comforably. The cargo area in back is worlds better than the Focus Electric i had before which is a huge plus.

[@kuma_score7536]

having driven a Nissan leaf I can confirm that how he described the torque steer is very accurate, gave me a real spook when I first went to use a little bit more throttle.

[@shawnp7597]

Talking about the Leaf while sitting in a civic is crazy!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Always great content SG

[@Jimster481]

Honestly this channel usually has some pretty good takes... this is a REALLY BAD take. The Nissan LEAF was designed as a City vehicle to remove SMOG from cities in Japan originally but also applied to bigger cities around the world. IT is built as a traveling "appliance" that has the best efficiency of any other vehicle and has plenty of range for normal city driving. It was never designed to replace all gas cars and it was designed to be affordable... To say that they "did the bare minimum" when they engineered a car with the best efficiency of every car, built it with recycled and recyclable materials and have the only vehicle with Bidirectional charging to help sustain the grid (or your solar GRID) is a complete slap in the face to the engineers who really did achieve something great. Even if you don't appreciate it. I've been watching this channel for years now and have seen you guys appreciate some of the worst most niche engineering crap that some car companies have offered over the years... but here Nissan did something that nobody else did... they made the worlds most efficient car for city driving. The "newer" model even looks like a normal car while still achieving the same incredible drag coefficients and such. Honestly I haven't seen you bash the Prius or any other eco vehicle in the same way you did with this car....

[@RatBürgerSk8]

Idk man I feel like their major gripes were pretty well founded; -poor battery longevity in cold/hot climates due to no thermal management -poor handling and TC/DSC tuning -brake pedal is criminally lethargic They literally said "This is a good car for what it is apart from the battery issues" and "it's quicker than any other I4 econobox". Like does that not succinctly summarize the Leaf? Their analysis seems pretty fair to me given vehicle's inherent flaws.

[@Jimster481]

@@RatBürgerSk8 Sure, they say those things, but not after bashing it for 10 straight minutes. I mean honestly, if you watched the first 5 minutes of the review, you would think that it's the worst car ever created. But the reality is that it's actually better than most every other economy car. Specifically if you don't want to use it to drive far. I live in FL; we have the hottest climate in the USA and the local leafs I see for sale Don't typically have much battery degradation, despite many years of service.

[@SrinidhiAithal]

“Is there a sport mode in this thing” “I’ll turn eco mode off” 😂

[@airbus7373]

The one thing about this feeling old is that it is the only EV still being sold with physical climate controls. Every single EV manufacturer feels the need to make theirs all futuristic to the detriment of the car's practicality, where you can't even adjust climate controls without taking your eyes off the road. Other stuff may be better in other ways but this still is an awesome, cheap, practical EV.

[@be-golf8374]

I was looking for a used 2018+ Leaf for the last few months and they are still way over-valued in my opinion. But that's simply because you nailed it, "people are hungry for an affordable, small, electric car." A lot of people are realizing that they can save some money with a cheap EV for mundane commuting purposes. Not to mention the convenience of very little maintenance and charging at home. I ended up leasing a new SV+ instead for not much more than the amount of money that could be saved on gas. So in that sense its damn near free. Maybe in two years when the lease is up the used market will be more sane on these. But I am seeing the trend where a lot of companies will be coming out or have come out with cheaper LFP commuter EVs (next gen Bolt, next gen Kona/Niro, base EX30, base Model 3, etc.) and I think they will start owning the commuter car space. Its not that people "don't want EVs" People don't want expensive EVs when the charging infrastructure sucks like it does for everything non-Tesla right now. The companies that figure that out will win in the next few years.

[@zacharyariail134]

Get one under 25k and there’s a 4k tax credit for a 21 and under

[@be-golf8374]

@@zacharyariail134 Nope, income is too high. This is part of what is inflating the used market right now. I think the buyers that qualify for that will dry up quickly since the limits are so low that a lot of people who qualify are apartment dwellers for whom an EV doesn't make sense.