Should You Buy a NISSAN LEAF? (Test Drive & Review 2021 59KWh)

[@davidk7262]

My wife had a first gen with the smallest battery for around 5 years. It was a second car and we charged it on the driveway overnight on economy 7. It very quickly became routine, pull on the drive plug in the car. She went to work and back (40 mile round trip) and to the local town and back a few times a week. It cost around 2-3p a mile. Did 50k miles, in that time we had a set of new tires and that was it. If that sort of usage pattern works for you they are a no brainer imo.

[@Brian-om2hh]

And that David, is precisely the scenario in which these cars make total sense......

[@martinhunt6004]

@@Brian-om2hh Exactly. Most splendid David.

[@tigerroz123]

I love how pragmatic you are Matt! Many petrol heads would tear EVs to pieces but you give it a level headed review and say it isn't for everyone but there is definitely a market for them

[@peterowen4456]

Took the words out of my mouth Rory - a genuinely objective view.

[@reececollison5101]

The depreciation of that Leaf is astonishing!!😱 it was always bound to happen, most people wouldn’t touch an EV with a degraded battery with a barge pole

[@nigel.w]

IMO, it's still overpriced.

[@Matticitt]

Yeah but a 2-yo cars battery isn't degraded. I wouldn't buy a 10-year-old one though.

[@neilbirch8431]

I have a 2016 model and the battery is still as new, I haven't lost any distance.

[@TL-xw6fh]

@@neilbirch8431 Same here. I have a 24kWh Leaf, still doing 90 miles on a full charge. The degradation of the batteries are over blown. The lithium batteries in all car brands degrade with time, but so long as the batteries are not kept charged at 100% everyday, they will last for the lifetime of the vehicle (10 - 15 years minimum).

[@peteyoung2711]

​@@neilbirch8431 😅😅😅😅😊😅😊😮😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😮😅😅😅😅😅😊😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😮😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😮😅😅😅😅😅😮😅😮😅😊😮😅😮😅😮😅😮😅😅😮😮l😮😅😮😢😮😮 😅😅😮😮😅😮

[@patrickwalsh2086]

Driving my Nissan Leaf since January 2022, and enjoying every minute behind the wheel. The entertainment unit is spiffing, the Bluetooth connection is consistent, pulls like a sure-footed billy goat and is super reliable as a car 🚙

[@MyHolidayArchive]

Regarding 7:48, for anyone with a second gen Leaf that doesn't know, you can set it in the menu to remember your last e-pedal setting. I've had my 40kWh model since 2020, and it went in for service and software recall update last week, and when I got it back, the e-pedal was switched off. I turned it back on, but next time I came to use the car, it was off again. I'd simply forgotten that when the e-pedal is switched on, you have to go into the menu of the car and tell it to remember the setting for e-pedal and it will stay on permanently until you turn it off. I didn't think I'd like e-pedal at first, but I couldn't be without it now. Another thing to point out, which doesn't affect me personally as I mostly charge on 7kWh chargers and the longest journey I do is 40 miles, but non of the Leaf models have liquid battery cooling, even the largest 59kWh/62kWh one, so if you are going on a long journey of say 200 miles plus, and rapid charging as you go, that battery is building heat all the time and will eventually get very hot, especially in summer, and especially if you consistently do 70mph or more. At 60mph it is generally fine and is recommended over long distances. Travelling at 70mph would just mean having to use a charger in a shorter amount of time in any case so it's a false economy. If however like me, your longest journey is 40 to 60 miles, and you'll stop for a while before using the car again, then 70mph constant speed is fine.

[@kiteless1]

I have exactly one of these (71 plate e+ Tekna). Tried all the cheaper EVs, wasn't expecting to like it but better ride, spec, space, range and performance than all of them. Cheaper too (was £28k new after discounts, grant, etc). It's not exciting but just super easy to live with, it's become the car we use 95% of the time as we can get enough luggage in for family trips and propilot makes motorway driving very relaxed. Enough range that for the vast majority of journeys you just don't need to care about eco driving, or being miserly with the heating. e+ can charge a bit quicker (70kW-ish) at many rapids than the smaller battery ones. Did 310 miles yesterday and just did 3 very brief stops when I felt like a comfort break or to grab a sandwich, put it on charge for 10-15 mins each time. No broken chargers, no waiting, all very easy. Still got home with 10% left.

[@ouethojlkjn]

Have you got yourself a chademo to CCS adaptor? They are just over £100 and greatly expand your public charging options.

[@kiteless1]

@@ouethojlkjn they don't exist - Tesla did one the other way (Chademo to their standard). Muxsan will replace the type 2 socket with a CCS one but at £3k. Dala is working on a cheaper solution based on BMW i3 bits (also often used in aftermarket conversions). No issues with chademo public charging at the moment, but if it is a big problem in a few years I might get a conversion done.

[@ouethojlkjn]

@@kiteless1 Ah yes I did indeed find a tin of tartan paint on the Internet - It was just a CCS plug I spotted. Apologies. I little more digging and as you say - the plugs are incompatible on various levels. :-( I guess that is another reason to not get one in the UK

[@antoniopalmero4063]

Yeah , I got a 68 plate Tekna 40kwh in dark metallic grey which looks pretty good actually . Mine is an ex taxi which had 72k miles on the clock when I bought it 2 years ago for £12,450 . I have taken it up to 92k miles as of April 2023 and had no problems at all . It’s such an easy car to live with and with heated seats front and rear , heated steering wheel , and auto climate control , all of which can be set using the phone app so you get into a nice warm car on a winters morning 👍. I would like to think it’s worth pretty much what’s I paid after 2 years of ownership . I also charge it entirely from solar panels on my garage roof .

[@lonelyp1]

Heated rear seats are a waste of money. If you don't rate the front seat, you don't rate a warm bum. 🙂

[@martiruda]

It's saving me 350 bucks monthly. with the price I paid for it I will recover the investment in less than 4.5 years. from 2018 models onwards the battery does not degrade as people feared. for a city commute is perfect.

[@DB-me7gm]

I just bought my first EV, a Leaf with 13,406 miles for $24,500. So far, I love it. It is the SL-Plus and the specs claim 226 miles per full charge. It is a 62-kWh battery pack. Thanks for your update !

[@johnkoops8541]

That’s a bargain for that low mileage and SL spec… nice deal!

[@stevie007]

Hi Matt, I test-drove a Jaguar i-pace the other day, it was a 2018 plate with 39,000 miles on the clock. I loved the car but then I did a little more research work. I discovered that the car had depreciated over half of its list price in less than five years ( approx £29,000 ) more than a similarly priced petrol/diesel equivalent. The battery is only covered for 8 years of manufacturer warranty !!!!!! so in three years if the battery died I would have to pay approximately £8000 - £ 10000 for a new one. The tax incentives that the government initially gave to get everybody into an EV are slowly being taken away and are now saying that from 2025 all-electric cars will have to pay VED at the standard road tax rate furthermore the little government help to have home wall chargers installed is no longer available. With the current price of electricity/availability of suitable charging stations at present, I think I will stick to my trusty 3-year-old diesel car.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Yes that’s right. You have to do your homework on them

[@stevie007]

@@HighPeakAutos Defo mate 👌👌

[@OnzeManInKazakhstan]

So what happens if your petrol engine blows a valve outside of its warranty? And how many horses are left in your engine after 8 years? Batteries degrade. So do ICE’s

[@davidchester5476]

But what happens if you buy an ICE Jag and the engine blows after 4 years? Just as much as the battery to replace but out of warranty.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@davidchester5476 If it's anything like the BMW Warrantywise coughed up to replace the engine, then it could make a big hole in £10k The replacement BMW engine was around £8k

[@isaachunt5799]

YES YES YES. we have a 40kw 2020 model and it's an amazing car to own and drive. we love ours and it saves us a fortune on petrol. i have been driving since 1980. dont hesitate just go buy one. damn what an amazing car.

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

Got one of those too - a 40kwh late 2020. It's a great car, smooth, fast, easy to drive, overtakes with ease, burns BMWs off at the lights :) what's there to hate lol

[@harrygibson1883]

Had one of these on lease for 2 years. Once I got used to the E-pedal it became my favourite driving aid of all time. My new EV’s (MG) re-gen just doesn’t cut the mustard now and I wish every car had an E-pedal. It’s seriously brilliant. For around town runaround’s this is the perfect car, the boot is huge. For motorway it’s …. Not. The batteries are air cooled not water cooled like pretty much all ev’s, so if you have to charge more than once on a long trip, the batteries will get too hot and will seriously degrade your ‘fast’ charging speed. But with a home wallbox and under 100mile per day journeys: perfect car 👍🏼 Great video Matt, as always!

[@douglasmorris8364]

Just bought a 2021 one. Very impressed. Shouldn't cost me anything as I have so much surplus solar. Ideal for these cars.

[@2e0bgb]

I actually prefer the early model for looks inside and out, but I'm a bit weird when it comes to design...Very good and honest review as always...Andre..

[@paulchilds8884]

These car videos are getting better and better keep up the good work

[@cobrasvenom1954]

2015 accenta 24 kwh done 60.000 miles paid 10.000 pounds for it in 2018 at 4000 miles .84 miles per charge only had new tyres plus one wishbone caused by potholes speed ramps.never failed mot never had a service same brake pads.11 bars same as when we got it .range much lower in winter due to heater burning up range headlights not very bright .satellite terrible.only ever put in washer fluid and check tyre pressures.very happy with the low repair costs .very good car for local trips up to 50 miles.i love it for its reliability and its smooth near silent running

[@54mgtf22]

The old Datsun Twig. All the range of a toddler’s tricycle. Love your work 👍

[@jc4778]

Only High Peak could convince me to watch a video on a Nissan Leaf.

[@Mhlikescars]

I've had the use of second gen Leaf for the day once, it was alright, I liked the one pedal driving (once got used to it), I liked the instant power. In a days use I didn't need to charge it. It was also the first car I've driven with adaptive cruise, and I still miss that feature now. I did have to google where the handbrake was, I assumed it had an electronic handbrake and would turn off when I started driving, but it didn't, it had a Mercedes style foot operated handbrake, that took me about a good few minutes to work out why I wasn't going anywhere, before I resorted to Google. The thing I remember most about my Leaf experience, was every time I put my foot down the volume knob flew off the radio, very high quality fit and finish, in all honesty it seemed to be mostly built ok, but that volume knob I did find amusing.

[@robinjones6999]

Another down to earth honest review. As you say, its a great little runabout or just for a short commute

[@md-detailing]

Not really into electric cars, but ive been Driven in a MK1 Leaf Taxi and the driver said that it has a range of 100km on a full charge, its 11 years old. The other day a MK2 Leaf picked me up and its more roomy and much nicer, thex have really comfortable cloth/velur/leather seats. Great video as always Matt :D

[@zachtravers]

I bought a 2018 Model 3 LR AWD with 65k miles in 1/23 for $30k, I charge solely off 110v because I work from home so it works fine for me. 300ish miles on a charge in good conditions, very little if any degradation, and I'm very happy with my purchase. Since I rent I can't install a level 2 charger, but once I buy a house I will just for peace of mind if I need the faster charging.

[@HighPeakAutos]

I need to try one of those

[@andysalter4473]

I know someone who bought a 2nd hand Leaf just before Christmas. He says it's very good, it's all he needs.

[@carlosguzman-md2mt]

I drove 120 miles yesterday without supercharging the leaf

[@cucurezenita]

I just bought a Hyundai Kona(2020, 70 plate) 10 days ago and the range even now when it's a bit colder here in Scotland is 250-270miles per charge. I expect in the summer to get about 300 miles out of it... it's a great car

[@adarshaaryal3527]

How is it holding on so far?

[@cucurezenita]

@@adarshaaryal3527 got it at 29k miles, now I'm at 63k and it's pretty much the same. Had no issues with it, honestly.

[@AMSillje]

My dad has one of these and it is simply brilliant. His leaf was 2 years old with 16000 miles when he bought it for a very reasonable price. It is mainly charged by the solar panels he has on his house which makes it incredibly cheap to run (no road tax as mentioned). The e-pedal and pro pilot features work great and I can honestly say that it is the easiest car i've ever driven.

[@phil_nicholls]

...and LED headlamps

[@AMSillje]

@@phil_nicholls You are right!

[@ln5747]

The solar installation, upfront cost of more expensive EV vehicle and opportunity cost make it cheaper than diesel? I'd be surprised if that's the case.

[@AMSillje]

@@ln5747 I live in The Netherlands so that has to be taken into consideration. A similar size diesel car costs over 2000 euros per year in roadtax and the current price per liter diesel is 1.76. When purchasing this second hand EV my father got 2000 euros subsidized by the government (car was only 24k which seems reasonable for a 2 yo car). Solar panels are more an investment in your house than a cost. Personally i'd much rather have an electric car over a diesel.

[@ln5747]

@@AMSillje 2000 euros a year in tax is insane and outrageous. But yes that makes a difference.

[@boyasaka]

Lots of people worry about range anxiety YET MOST people in the uk hardly do many miles The UK average miles per day is 20 I’m even less than this 5 miles to work and 5 back That’s 50 miles per week commute and maybe 30 over weekend visiting family and shopping etc 80 miles per week I could get a electric car and only have to charge it once a fortnight For “ Most “people that range would be far more than enough

[@sharp_medicine9858]

A couple of my friends have these, they seem to like them. More than adequate for city driving. Not really an option for me though as I dont have a driveway.

[@damian-795]

I only really do long journeys, these sort of cars make me nervous . I am same , no driveway so cant have it anyway 😁

[@SirReginaldBlomfield1234]

Same here, no driveway in my life before and it's a bit late in the day for me to do anything about it so it's a definite no from me to acquire an EV.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@SirReginaldBlomfield1234 Plenty of people without driveways have an EV John. Think about it. You don't have a petrol pump outside your house, but you have a petrol car!

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@damian-795 Two guys drove a Nissan Leaf from John O Groats to Lands End - and back again - in 48 hours in 2016. A distance of 1653 miles. Is that the sort of long journey you had in mind Damien?

[@Brian-om2hh]

You don't have a petrol pump outside your home either, but you still have a car that needs petrol. There are people who have EV's who don't have a driveway, or chargers at home.

[@paulrichards109]

Nice balanced review. I own the MG5 EV and I find it a really nice car. The only downside of EV ownership to me is the poor state of the charging network. The amount of chargers is not the main issue, it is the reliability of the chargers. You can plan your route, get to your chosen charger and it is out of order and that can happen more often than people like to admit. Hopefully in the future things will improve. I do not have a home charger so I do charge using the 3 pin plug (granny charger) this suits my needs as I only need a full battery once a week. As far as range goes mine is supposed to do 214 miles and in summer it will easily surpass that but in winter I can be looking at between 160 to 180 depending on the weather.

[@Rabscuttle3]

Apart from being dark and gloomy inside, it's really not a bad car, especially that lovely quietness which, for me, could be very addictive. As you say, Matt, 200 miles range seems pretty acceptable... 'Good review, ta!

[@Gritto1445]

I own one, bloody love it, epedal is marvellous. Home charger essential though.

[@davyhoogy]

I lease an E+leaf, I pay £300 a month, I save £180 pm on diesel compared to my wife (4.5p overnight charge) + £46 tax + cheaper yearly servicing and no need for new brakes. I’m a petrol head, but for a daily there’s nothing better than something like this. And the Lease means you’ll never worry about repair costs! The comments on the plastics are true though, but that’s a Nissan problem not an EV problem, go into a showroom and almost all their current new cars use the same.

[@HighPeakAutos]

That’s the best way to look at it

[@carl-magnusconsitt7389]

Happy owner here! I laugh at people that pay for gas now days... what a waste of money

[@Wreck-Gar]

Matt, I've never searched for or mentioned the National Trust. I've started to get adverts for the National Trust on my other devices so they must have heard you when I've watched your other videos. Proves that they are listening........ 😯

[@brendanheading2776]

I think it's important to be clear that the Leaf's battery technology, even on these newer models, is quite old. It doesn't include active cooling of the battery, and that can be a major problem on a longer journey as it prevents you from rapidly recharging it.

[@ashleypritchardevans]

Great video, only thing I would say is your estimate for charging time is massively out. It takes 8.5 hours to fully charge the 59kwh with a standard 7kwh home charger or 19 using a three pin.

[@TheJon2442]

The modern version of the Reliant Robin!

[@tigerroz123]

I agree the 2nd gen leaf is much of an improvement over the original one. It just looks like a normal car. It doesn't scream to people that you're a do gooder unlike other EVs

[@markvincent5241]

Another great review Matt but I'd doubt there will be many scouring auto trader immediately afterwards like many of the reviews you post.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Haha no I bet not

[@davek7256]

Completely agree with the choice of styling of the early EV’s, they’d have been much more popular if they’d made them look more “normal”. A lot of people claim to miss the sound of an engine but I much more appreciate the ease of driving and the silence whilst driving. Makes life that just bit less stressful ….. range anxiety aside of course 😉

[@erniefoster7116]

Hi Matt we live in Western Australia and (from home to Perth is 226 miles ) 200 miles would not even get us to Perth and we are so far behind a lot of countries that our charging infrastructure is really just started to grow. It also appears to me after watching your videos that we are also way behind because we are really only starting to see EVs coming into the country in any sort of volume. Tesla of course and now a lot of Chinese cars and some main stream brands. This country it's so big that at the moment it is not viable option for a lot of people to go that path yet. Anyway another great video again. Cheers.

[@davidb7466]

I have a 2020 59kw leaf which is used for local and the occasional long journey, it’s a joy to drive, it’s cheap to run even on the coldest winter day I get on average 217 mile range .

[@timhancock6626]

My neighbour has a very early Leaf and it is perfect for her 14 miles run to the school where she teaches, and back again. She doesn't need any more range. Her husband has a hybrid Mitsubishi 4x4 for when they do longer journeys.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Very balanced and sensible review! 👍

[@philipsmith6127]

Well done Matt for keeping another 11 1/2 year car on the road 👍

[@red9zero]

Having seen the queues for chargers at the motorway services this weekend, I think I will wait for the infrastructure to get a lot better before I go electric.

[@Adam-sp4mm]

You only tend to get the big queues on the big national holidays, if ive ever had to wait it was only for a few mins while one person finished charging and you can normally have a nice chat if its not raining.

[@red9zero]

@@Brian-om2hh I do motorway journeys 3-4 times a month. I can see me getting an EV as a 2nd car for commuting and local travel, but I will be keeping an ICE / hybrid for a while yet.

[@roelvanes1711]

This has filled the column inches below up faster than the 0-30 of an electric jalopy. Entertaining read, thanks Matt 😂

[@PerHeld]

Exactly on point with the second car thing, but you end up using it 70-80% which is how we ended up.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Just as I thought

[@slugboy123d]

Problem I have with the leaf is the charger at the front. Good practice is to reverse into a parking spot/ driveway.

[@James1980-]

I'm relieved you like it Matt. I watch most of your videos and respect your opinion. I put a deposit on a 2021 e+ Tekna today. 13k miles for £19,800 with a optional bike rack included. It's almost a purely financial decision for me because 1. It's dropped most of it's value from new and I intend to run it for 8+ years 2. I can get 10p per KWH on OVO which makes it 2-3p per mile 3. Servicing costs are v low 4. There is very little to go wrong with it so I hope it will be more reliable. 5. It's ready for vehicle to grid when the UK starts allowing that. Hopefully in 2025. Those who have done that already through trials can make c£800 a year by selling energy back to the grid when it is more expensive. My wife and I will share it and whoever is driving most that day will take it as long as they're not driving 200 miles+ in a day which seems highly unlikely. I personally think that EV used prices are relatively low at the moment due to the perception of high energy costs. I think that will settle down in the long run. Keep up the good work on the channel!

[@timfagan816]

"I'm going to sting it" is quickly becoming my new favorite thing you say, rapidly replacing "them headlights could do with a buff🙄"

[@yerags]

Thanks Matt. About time you did a review of a BEV. Would love to see you review a used Tesla, taking into account the ease of use of the Tesla supercharger network. I love my Model X, and even tow my caravan with it all over the country

[@HighPeakAutos]

I’ve never driven a Tesla. I’ll have to get one for a video

[@itsbilln2178]

@@HighPeakAutosUsed Model 3s are the bargain of the century right now. Even high mileage examples will just basically go on and on requiring minimal maintenance. Significant battery degradation is basically a thing of the past and was only really an issue on Leafs and far other early EVs which didn’t have proper, effective battery cooling and battery management systems.

[@davidwhiteman4649]

@@HighPeakAutos definitely try to get one. Very different to almost any other car to drive and mind blowingly fast.

[@decimal1815]

I like the look of the Leaf v1. More interesting than a car that just looks like everything else. Nice review though; the Leaf is really fun to drive, and encourages a more 'relaxed' approach to driving (in part, to conserve battery juice!).

[@chrissmart4984]

I read last week that of the 20 fastest depreciating cars in the Uk 19 were fully electric cars! Wow that just goes to show they are 1) overpriced to start with and 2) there is a lack of demand for nearly new second hand used cars. I think I’ll stick with my SC430 and NX thanks 😊

[@jonnya245]

Not really it was the used ones being priced the same as new ones, it had to crash at some point.. Then the tesla price cut, compare a 3 year 3 series with a model 3 and the 3 is still holding its value.

[@Brian-om2hh]

EV depreciation will begin to reverse once the glut of ULEZ charging zones kicks in big style......

[@FC-uc4uw]

Hi Matt, loved the honest review. Please can you review the Tesla Model 3? I have a suspicion we’re all interested in hearing what you think about it

[@phil_nicholls]

Nice mini review - but a few points worthy of note. The charge lead not fitting is not a thing, or at least, not as you glossed over. The charge leads you carry in the car are all Type-2 connectors for fast (not rapid) charging, and they will fit every Type 2 Fast charger out there - i.e. all of them. The Leaf does, however, use Chademo rapid charging, and that is rarer than the more common CCS rapid chargers, though most rapid charger locations will have at least one or two Chademo capable chargers - the leads on a rapid charger are permanently attached to the charger, and not carried in the car. Is it an issue? Yes, it does limit your options a little as to where to head for a rapid charge - it's worth using an App such as Zap Map to locate suitable chargers - but then that's like charging any other EV (other than Tesla with their own Supercharging network). Range on the 60kwh version: - we drive a 40kwh version, and our achievable range is around 130 miles in the winter, and just over 150 miles in the summer. Given that there is 50% more capacity in the 60kwh (59) version, 190 miles in the winter and around 225 in the summer seems like a reasonable assumption to make. Ours is on just a 2 year lease - this was us dipping our toe in the EV water to see how we got on - like others, we were concerned that the range wouldn't be enough, and we weren't prepared to fork out on an expensive lease (iPace, EQC etc.) as a taster. I can say though, that the experience has been great. Much of your review is spot on - it's not a car that feels particularly special. The level of trim is just OK, even in the 'top spec' Tekna - it's not somewhere I love to be - but it is acceptable as a day to day workhorse. My wife, a GP, uses it for the most part, and tends to do a daily commute, plus house visits of 60-70 miles - and for this, it's ideal. Also, as it doesn't scream 'pretentious' , no-one gives it a second glance. Cost to run? Well, the lease we have costs less than the diesel we were burning in a V60 as my wife's previous car per month. And charging overnight means our cost per mile is just over 2p! Compare that to our XC90, which costs 26p per mile in diesel alone! If I were to use a rapid charger however, the cost shoots up to nearer 20p a mile - comparable to a diesel estate. But no-one I know consistently charges their EV at a rapid charger - everyone either charges overnight on a cheap tariff, or, worst case, charges at the standard rate - which still equates to around half the price of running a diesel vehicle. Anyone that might not have access to their own electricity supply should look elsewhere until the charging infrastructure is there; at the moment, the operators of rapid chargers are price gouging because they can. Once charging points and rapid chargers become more prolific, the pricing should stabilise at a much lower level. I'm sure there will be a few (many?) petrol head luddites, who will say in the comments that they will never have an EV, as they're committed to driving their gas guzzling V8's (or more likely 4-pot Fiesta) and they can do 800 miles on a tank of dinosaurs. And these people have obviously never been in an EV, so are talking from a totally ignorant stand point. Anyone who has ever been in an EV would never make such blanket statements - they would at least acknowledge that the future is electric, whether we want it or not. Yes, it might not be for them just yet - but as sure as eggs are eggs EVs are here to stay, and ICE, certainly as far as personal transport goes, is heading the way of the steam locomotive. Back to the Leaf - a few things I love, and a few things I don't like. I love the fact that I've never had to deice this car - not once! It's set to pre-condition itself every morning, so you step into a perfectly warm car (or cool in the summer), with the heated seats and steering wheel up to temperature too. I love the fact that I've never had to visit a petrol station. I love the fact that my destination has been sent from my phone to the SatNav, so that's already to go too. I don't like the vague steering (though it's much better since we switched over to Goodyear All Seasons rather than the ECO tyres it comes with). I hate the 'Pro-Pilot' autosteer - which has tried to kill me a couple of times. Someone asked about heating hitting range - yes it does, but not as much as you might think. The V2 Tekna (not sure about other models) has a heat pump for heating, so is very efficient, and also has LED headlamps etc. So it's not so much the heating on these newer Leafs that hits the range, but just the battery temperature - colder batteries charge/discharge less efficiently, and this has the greatest bearing on range. And that's about it - its a very average car, that just happens to be electric - and it's the electric side of things that makes it. Is it perfect? Far from it - I wouldn't bother trying to do a long journey in it - though plenty of owners do - but when I have access to other (non EV) cars, for super long trips we take one of those - as I said earlier, rapid charging is a similar cost to running on diesel, so why would I take an average car on a long trip, when I can drive in comfort/style? It's not so much the 'hassle' of charging vs filling up with petrol/diesel - just the comfort/fun I'd rather have on a longer run. For anything less than 150 miles though, it's the Leaf every time, as it's just so cheap to run! Oh, and for avoidance of doubt, I'm not an EV evangelist, I simply state what I know, EV's are the future, whether we like, or want to admit it, or not. We run two other cars, an XC90 oil burner, and a Nissan 370Z - both at other extremes from the Leaf, and we use them for very different tasks. But as a day-to-day runabout, the Leaf is actually difficult to beat.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks for the insight

[@ln5747]

You sound boring. And self-righteous.

[@Shadow_Wraith]

Don't forget, synthetic fuel is already here. Yes it's expensive, yes it's not readily available... yet, but it will become cheaper and more readily available once production is increased. I think synthetic fuel will be the future, that or horses.

[@andrzejczakow8606]

Just one point in your response you quote the diesel consumption from a Volvo XC90, a very large and heavy luxury car verses the much smaller leaf. And then draw a big conclusion on economy. Not logical.

[@phil_nicholls]

@@andrzejczakow8606 the only point I was making is that it is roughly 13 times cheaper to run the Leaf than the XC90. Of course, they’re wildly different cars - but it means unless we have to use the XC90 (for load hauling say, or holidays), we’ll use the Leaf. I do say elsewhere that a diesel estate (such as the V60 that the Leaf replaced), would only cost around 20p a mile, so ‘just’ 10 times as much - though if one were to charge at a rapid charger, the difference in cost would be negligible - so much so, that if rapid charging is your only option, I’d suggest an EV isn’t for you. To make an EV work financially you must be able to charge at home, preferably on cheap rate electricity - paying public charging prices you’d be better of with an ICE vehicle. Our cheap tariff will end in September, and then our savings will be nowhere near as great - but still only around a fifth of running a diesel equivalent. So, for us, still a worthwhile saving. But having extolled the virtues of the Leaf, we’re still not about to relinquish our ICE vehicles anytime soon. There is nothing out there comparable to an XC90 - not at affordable levels anyway - and the 370Z is just too much fun!

[@TheAlien1974]

Excellent review I am on the fence about getting a top spec leaf next

[@Brian-om2hh]

Consider the Hyundai Ioniq (Mk1 version) too. Better tech than the Leaf, plus a heat pump. Way more efficient than the Leaf.

[@TheAlien1974]

@@Brian-om2hh too slow for an ev

[@londislagerhound]

A range of 40-50 miles is by no means "useless". If you only need to drive 20-30 miles per day, and can charge at home on Octopus Go, a first-gen Leaf represents almost free motoring. We've had ours for a decade.

[@andrewarends2962]

Just needed to mention the bi-directional battery, this is one of the few cars that you can use to sell back electric to the utility supplier.

[@richardwigley4942]

Thanks mat for your Advice love your channel

[@stephenhulbert3500]

Had a 2nd gen for three years and loved it. When they brought out this latest gen they fixed all the important things, i.e. more power, better looks, better range. But the basic car is almost identical, I think even the doors are the same. Clever how they took something ugly and made it acceptable. I remember with fondness the ride and quietness - but as you say Matt, the Chademo connector as a concern these days.

[@BoomChockolaca]

I think if it didn't have the Chademo, it didn't depreciate that much in cost. Because it's really impossible to find public charger with it, and if you can't charge at home or going for a long trip - good luck with that. No way you can recharge in, say, an hour, and drive further

[@isquish]

My parents got one through the mobility scheme in the UK. The larger battery version has a pronounced box in the boot which made it really difficult fitting in their wheelchair and other bits needed to move around. They went for the lesser range one because 90% of the time they just use it around the city where it's excellent. Holidays however, have become very stressful. So much so, they rarely drive away on holiday any more due to range anxiety and the plethora of apps required for charging stations in the UK. They find that once they're out of the city finding working charge points is difficult and managing the apps just isn't easy enough. I think the infrastructure just isn't there to support ev's as an only vehicle and that's disappointing given how much encouragement is being offered to move to them. My parent's give their car back in a year's time and have already said they wouldn't have another EV, they will probably look for some form of hybrid.

[@wolvoman1]

Only ever seen one in white, and must say that it looks more acceptable in black

[@thayalansuntharalingam]

One of best evs for commuters proven tech reliable and you see lot less issues for long trips less than 400 miles not a bad option.

[@davidbriggs4323]

My dad has one of these and it’s a joy to drive, as you said effortless, when you master the e pedal it’s great

[@isaachunt5799]

yep amazing cars. we love ours.

[@jamesrobinson9194]

I once rolled one of these straight out of the factory I turned over a new Leaf!

[@reubenwinter6096]

When I had mine serviced at 18k miles, the mechanic said I’d worn the brakes 10%. So in theory I could have done 180k miles on one set of brakes and yes, I used the e-pedal all the time.

[@Brian-om2hh]

James from the James & Kate EV channel on KZbin recently did a video walk around of one of his company's MG5's. This particular one had covered 70k miles in just 18 months from new. The original front tyres lasted 41k miles, and even at 70k, the discs and pads were barely worn. James ( who does mobile EV servicing and repairs for Cleveleys in Gloucestershire) reckoned the pads would easily go past 100k miles. The battery pack SOH (state of health) at 70k was 96%. In the video, James said his own MG5 had covered around 10k fewer miles than this one, but had performed equally well.....

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

This car is comfortable, spacious, well built, great quality and cheap to run. Imsgine how good this would be of it charged at a decent speed!

[@ianrobinson9243]

I agree you on electric car styling , manufacturers seem to want to make most of them look like something out of a futuristic film where as if I wanted one I want one that just looks like a normal car.

[@davidquinn5906]

I like Leafs. Used to have an early 24kWh one. They're a bit dated now. Kind of like an electric Morris Minor.

[@andyedwards8215]

Exeter services M5 last Saturday. People queuing for charging bays. I'll stick with me derv burner for the mo.

[@newbeginnings8566]

Yet another great video - excellent

[@howardlake6178]

Matt. Sunbeam. You really have tried loyalty here. No brand, other than Smart, do I hate, more than Nissan. I found myself, before Dreamy Sleep, Prevented from any other video, than an Eeeeee Veeee, which I am guaranteed to hate. I will watch until the end, and click the like button. I am hoping for some of your humour here 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@garethsaunders1260]

We bought a 2015 Leaf 24 kWh in late 2015, it was an excellent car for what we needed, it was my wife's commuter, not one issue. Fast forward to early 2020 I decided to go full EV taking both our cars EV. We'd had such a good experience with the Leaf we had, the 40 kWh Leaf was an obvious choice. How wrong was I, it was an absolute pile of garbage. It couldn't cope with more than one rapid charge a day, it has endless issues Nissan couldn't be bothered to fix and in the 18 months I had the months I had it, it suffered 20% battery degradation. Thanks to the barmy UK used market I traded it on for a Tesla Model 3, now that's an amazing EV.

[@GabrielOlaruRay]

Kia eniro is so underrated Looks like a regular kia niro with is nothing wrong with that and is has good rage and 7 years warranty

[@Bubbaburp]

Another great review, honest, well reasoned and practical. Really hope non-ICE cars get a lot better than this!

[@chrisrichmond403]

I have got a 2015 Mk1 Leaf that i have owned for just over 2 years & i am the car’s second owner from new. It’s my only car and it’s perfect for range etc what i use it for. I have got home charging but for 6 months relied on the public charger network what worked ok in my life but i just needed the convenience of charging at night while asleep & the pre heating benefits.

[@adrianpilkington9839]

The problem with the Leaf which wasn't mentioned was the battery degradation of up to 3% per year.

[@GrooveTasticThang]

Not in my experience of a mk2 leaf. - 36000mls so far not a jot of degradation. I home charge 7.2 kw always to 100%

[@adrianpilkington9839]

@@GrooveTasticThang W How much is " not a lot of degradation"? .... can you put some numbers (or %) on that?

[@GrooveTasticThang]

@@adrianpilkington9839 not a jot- means none ( English expression- sorry)

[@mistifyme999]

Hi Matt, i was on the verge of buying an EV, i test drove the MG4 , and the Citroen Ce4, both lovely cars but as i commute from Leeds to Stockport 2-3 times per week, it just would not work for me, claimed ranges of 2018 miles respectively ,real world would be around 180, I'd get range anxiety by the time I reach Oldham.. so for now ill stick with my VW Passat 2.0 DSG .. keep up the good work!!

[@Oceans_Sail]

Great videos these. I was particularly impressed when my wife watched a review with me with great interest. I said to her, “it’s great that you are sharing my hobby interest” She replied, “yes, and he is eye candy too which rather helps the interest”. What? What did she just say?

[@stevie007]

Great upload Matt 👌👌

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks 👍

[@tomoreilly9932]

Think a lot of people do short journeys now, so cars like this will become more common. So if you had a round trip to work of 20 miles and the odd trip to supermarkets etc, then one nights charge at home would keep you going for a week.

[@Brian-om2hh]

Exactly Tom.......... And an overnight charge - while you slept - on the right tariff, would cost around £3 to £4 at most. Then you'd be good for another week.....

[@danielearley5062]

I bought a 2 year old teckna from a Nissan main dealer a couple of years ago. It had 15k on the clock. Despite it having a full charge, by the time I had made the 15 mile trip home it had almost run out of charge. Must just be me, I thought, so I charged it up and used it on the school run the next morning. We had just moved so the school run was 21 miles. At 20 miles I had to go to economy mode or we wouldn't have made it. I rang Nissan and returned the car less than 24 hours after picking it up, they hadn't even sent off the paperwork. That experience has really put me off EV's and I couldn't justify buying one as a main car. As Matt mentions, spending tens of thousands on a second car for what is essentially a local runaround, is too much for me.

[@keponen331]

This is my fav EV. Well made AND affordable, unlike non car brand ones

[@Brian-om2hh]

I'd take a used Hyundai Ioniq over a Leaf around the same price secondhand. Far better tech, plus a heat pump and full battery management, which the Leaf misses out on.....

[@keponen331]

@@Brian-om2hh ioniq just came out. these are 5y old and ppl can actually afford them

[@paultasker7788]

When I first travelled in a friends leaf he floored it from 0-30 and I was in shock! Literally pinned back in my seat. 20 to 40 was similarly brisk. It did make me grin. Only time I've felt that acceleration from zero I'm looking at these cars Aston Martin Db9, aerial atom, Jaguar S Type R, and Mercedes SLK AMG 55. Most have at least 400bhp or weigh only half a tone. Serious motors. And yet this is a leaf. Like you the interior and seats left me underwhelmed for the price. It's a good deal for 25k

[@Brian-om2hh]

This is where the "milk float" perceptions often come in Paul. Even my Kia eNiro (sort of people carrier job) would easily see off something like an XR3 in the traffic lights Grand Prix. It's that 100% torque from a standstill that does it. No revving up until you reach the powerband, like all ICE's..... The KZbin video, with Jeremy Clarkson in a Tesla Model X people carrier, in a quarter mile drag race against an Audi R8 V10 600 bhp, was good to watch. Clarkson was utterly gobsmacked and speechless at crossing the line before the Audi did......

[@Mariazellerbahn]

There is a bit of a Citroen DS3 design going on over the rear side flanks. Saw one t'other day in white and that feature was more noticeable than on your black one.

[@piotrceglinski1555]

I would strongly recommend reviewing Polestar 2 as your next EV. I would happily let you have mine for the test drive. Few weeks ago there was one on the Auto Trader less than 30k extremely good value for money.

[@robsshedoftech6457]

But that's still £25K for a second hand hatch back! That's difficult to justify for a 2nd car/run-about? You might as well buy a brand new MG4 EV in SE trim which is around £27K which supports a range of charging options including 150kw for 39 mins 10% to 80%? Perhaps do a review on a S/H MG EV if the opportunity arises?

[@buonafortuna8928]

Good vid, again Matt. This would make a great road trip car.

[@georgecrooze]

Road trip? From charger till next charger? 🤣

[@Silver-st2zq]

A short road trip at that....😂

[@howardlake6178]

Wow! It’s got chrome door handles, that really excite me so much, I must buy one 😂😂I am exceedingly glad you didn’t mention the door handles 😂😂😂 It would have been like Mr Kipling trying to reinvent. The almond slice 😡

[@iankaye9801]

A great feature of the leaf is the flow through ventilation system so if it is 18° C for example outside you just opened the vents and fresh blows through, an important feature for an electric vehicle, imho.

[@def90cars]

Or open a window?

[@LeeBlackwellUK]

Picking up my (used, 14k, 2.5 yr old) Leaf tomorrow... Eliminating the commute diesel for the (much loved and will be kept) X5 easily pays for the Leaf, which is a bit of a result :)

[@salvadormacias1660]

Low range is not useless, I need 20 mile range to go to work, so 40 to 50 mile range is great for me

[@barrykeane8721]

Have 2 of them a 2016 30kw and a 2021 59kw great experience to date no reliability issues to date newer one has more jumpy rear sus set up

[@theolddog5129]

A Leaf would make a nice run-around car as a back-up to a large engined diesel or a V6/V8 pertrol. We use a Corsa 1.2 as a run around rather than the main car - a 3.0D XF-S.

[@simonelliott2945]

My mother in law has one and regretted it immediately the range is terrible. If you use anything like the heater in winter or the ac in summer. When she asked Nissan about it they told her you really shouldn’t charge your phone in the car.

[@Holdeenio]

It actually sounds pretty good for circa £25k. Ideal as you say for local journeys, shorter commutes etc with home charging.

[@iovakki]

That 2021 model is basically the same as the 2010 model under the skin. The main difference is the larger battery. Also the climate control, "gear lever" and other interior parts are also same in all Leafs.

[@kellenniles4581]

I don't really know all the differences between European and American Leafs, but my Leaf charges at a max rate of 100kw and it takes 30 minutes 20% to 80%. I rely completely on public infrastructure and I haven't found the charging time to be an issue, just 15-20 minutes at a fast charger and I'm good for the week. American Leafs claim a 62kwh battery size and from that I usually get 210 miles from the claimed 215 mile range (although I do live in an area where I have to take a highway to get anywhere). From my experience, range is great (well for me at least), charging times are good, and where I live it's really easy to find a charger it can use.

[@davocc2405]

When we start seeing EVs with the in-wheel-hub motors this will probably change the whole dynamic. So much complexity and componentry no longer required. Weight savings alone will add to the cost savings from being able to bolt major bits together more like we see in major electronics manufacturing. Not entirely there but the economies of scale could kick in if we can sort out the huge problems of materials and component shortages and shortfalls

[@kurttug]

We won't. In wheel motors increase unsprung mass like crazy and wreak havoc on ride comfort and handling.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@kurttug Exactly. A motor on each wheel would increase the cost and complexity.