Why Top Gear is wrong about the Nissan Leaf

Top Gear recently gave a less than favourable review of the Nissan Leaf. Jeremy Clarkson took the mick out of the Leaf, all for entertainment value of course. I think he's missed a trick or two in his assessment. In this video you'll hear about the reality of driving a leaf 500 miles a week, how little it costs, and why this is one hell of a car. And all this from someone who is shelling out his own hard earned cash to drive one. I'm no tree hugger, but I can spot a bargain when I see one.

[@StaceKarussos]

Thanks for sharing. I bought a Leaf as soon as they were available in the US. I've had mine for 3.5 years and love it. We do 95% of our driving with it. How is that not practical. It's my daily driver. I can't stand when my wife is using it and I have to drive her ICE vehicle. Gas cars feel and seem so archaic to me now. They are loud, lurching, vibrating, stinky and polluting. I'm spoiled now and can't see ever buying anything but an EV going forward. BTW, Top Gear is either in the pocket of big oil or doesn't want to admit that the writing is on the wall. ICE cars won't be manufactured 50 years. Bunch of geezers.

[@amir52221]

[@NAY2GAS]

Agree with you 100%, Right now there are 372K EVs on the Planet. That # is just going to get bigger and bigger!

[@lepaul26]

Still getting the same amout of miles out of a fully charged battery ? :-)

[@mrjaffar]

Sadly Top Gear ceased to be a serious car review program many years ago. Though I feel Jeremy is not long off retirement given the regular screw ups he makes with offending various groups and more recently whole countries. Only a matter of time before the BBC producers loose their bottle and can the show because of something that escaped the editing suite and found its way into the media. March 10th 2015 The BBC suspend Mr C...

[@mrjaffar]

You can always add an MP3 file with V8 engine sound linked to the speed of the car. Admittedly you can't sit at the lights revving it though.

[@pol1250]

Great car!! I have exactly the same one even the colour is the same... I owned big and powerful cars before ( Saab 95 aero, bmw 125i, citroen C6, Volvo S80 etc..) but none excited me like this one!!! This was one of my best decisions I ever made!! It is a pitty that so many people are soo ignorant and dumb..but that is the world we have to live in.....it is a shame and so disappointing! Nice to see that some people out there do care. Enjoy your new car !!

[@theshakeschannel]

pol1250 Tom and jerry

[@old8088]

is there an electric car that ever got a favourable review from Clarkson ? He is against electric cars.

[@TransAtlanticEV]

Inside, under the hood, the first thing you touch is the battery charger, the next level down is the inverter (DC/AC) and then the motor. I have one as well and love it! Top Gear is not fair to EVs at all. I drive 58 miles each way to work and with a 240v charge in the middle while I'm at work and I can do my commute easily! Its pathetic all the bad press that EVs get! I love not having to stop for gas. Its full EVery morning!

[@MrStukid]

Thanks for the review. I have a 2012 Leaf in Tampa FL. I drive approximately 50 miles a day to and from my job. I absolutely love the car. Acceleration is the least of my concerns. I joke with my colleagues that "I own the first 10 feet!" Because of instant torque. Once you're past the stigma of total distance, you become very comfortable with range. The Leaf isn't a long distance cruiser. It's a day to day, bopping around town, get all your stuff done type of vehicle. The savings in fuel cost is tremendous, as our power bill only went up about $5-8 a month. I look at it like this, how far do you drive one way? Double that (to get home) add about 10-15 miles (routine errands, trips to store etc) if this is less than 75 miles a day, the Leaf will get you there and back in luxury with all the amenities of a modern car. It's not slow, it handles like a dram, parks easily. My only criticism is the view out the front window when cornering. The A pillar is obstructive, but hey, it is what it is.

[@m1aws]

"A" pillar: Damned safety nazis. making them dangerous by hiding things in front of you. ;-)

[@NAY2GAS]

Yeah that A Pillar is a little too thick. Wish I was in FL or GA. In NJ with last years winter @ 4 degrees I got around 65 miles range max.

[@SeattleRingHunter]

I have a 2013 Nissan LEAF SL in Seattle, WA and love it to bits! Extremely practical even in rainy weather as a daily commuter to work round trip is 50 miles plus all sorts of running about with the family. I do 98% of my charging from my own home garage! My fuel cost went from driving an SUV at $300 a month down to an average of $40 a month! How much more practical is that. We are a two car family so the other is a gasser for long haul trips.

[@fishhead1227]

I bought an '11 Leaf in '13 with 20K miles bargained for 50% of the original price. I drive 10.5K miles a year and it costs roughly $240 to do so, an average equivalent of 125 miles per gallon. It's quick, comfy, nice to start AC with the cell phone and last week I put an 8 foot ladder in it, seriously. The only downfall is the range. At 50K miles I have a maximum range of 65 miles with an average of 4.4 miles per KwH. I just hope Nissan will honor their warranty.

[@AdventureSwede]

l have a Nissan Leaf as well, a 2013 Acenta, mid spec model. It is absolutely excellent.

[@johnbenton4488]

***** That's the model I'm hoping for, but not until 2018 when the motability lease on this car expires.

[@hannesbeukes345]

All i can say is that im so happy that G Clarkson is gone !!! I never liked the man and now he has shown what a buffoon he really is for all to see. I dont like arrogant people, and im glad hes gone.

[@hussguy1990]

Lol nobody agrees.

[@Lee-70ish]

G Clarkson has not gone he never existed

[@johnbenton4488]

A car that refuels itself? While I sleep? Bring it on.

[@SecurityPro2704]

I agree with you the cars are fun to drive and we own 2 2013 LEAF's. in just the past 8 months we have saved more than $4000 USD in petrol for just commuting to and from work and home. Anyone who says the cars have no pickup need to sit in one and just press the pedal. 0-60 in 7.7 sec in D-Mode and I can easily drive everywhere I need to go. Just wish there were more DCQC units here in the states for longer range driving.

[@kathyfann]

Thanks I purchased a 2013 I simply loved however the next day I found out it needed a battery. It had no charging cord. It would have cost me another 12,000. Plus to get the use out of it. And so I traded it in and now have the 2019 Leaf Plus. I had 243 mile range when I fully charged it 2 nights ago. Simply love ❤️ This car. It runs quite you can use the Heat and Air because it has plenty of power with it 62k battery. I love the savings of not only gas, but oil changes with the synthetic oil my other car used. No smog certificate needed to renew my license. So so much less maintenance and my insurance went down as well. Government rebates as well there are tax savings. I feel so blessed to have it to drive. Thank the Lord regularly for sure. Mine is truly the most practical car I have ever had hands down.

[@philiphogg8610]

those who say they are slow have obviously never driven one because the acceleration is better than most cars on the road to about 50 mph and will easily go 90 mph i have one and also have a ford focus witch is parked up and has been used about three times in the last four months for long journeys i love the car its saved me loads of money and its more fun to drive than any car i have owned before there not for every one if you drive more than 80 miles a day then this car is not for you but if you don't then your the dumb one who likes giving his money to the oil company's and the government

[@toyotaprius79]

Now the 80 miles bit isn't exactly true. While it's not recommended by some, many drivers in LEAFs rack up around 20,000 to 30,000 miles per year by taking advantage of Rapid Chargers that are placed between their destinations. A good chunk of LEAF drivers in Ireland as they can tell you travel daily between Dublin and the likes of Mullingar, Tullamore and Portlaoise. A whole days worth of driving can easily be done by charging up at work or quick charging on the way home, but most people in Ireland drive back and forth, in and out around the town for messages and work and so on, racking up an average of 40 miles per day. Anyway, congradulations. Hope you drive your LEAF for many more years!

[@NAY2GAS]

I beat every car I met at the light. Well this one time it was a Tesla Model S and he Whooped me. Oh well.

[@lengthmuldoon]

"Top Gear" is about cars as much as "X Factor" is about talent. Both shows are frauds

[@shakespeare5555]

Thanks for taking the time to share! Great review!

[@TheophilusPWildbeest]

I've got one on 7 day test drive right now and love it. All the guys in our warehouse laughed when I drove up in it, so I told them to have a drive round the block in it. Without exception they all said "wow that's great" and that their cars are all last century oil-burners by comparison. And they were shocked at it's speed, very decent, not at all slow. It suits my lifestyle because I live and work in an urban environment, I average just 15 miles/day but through heavy traffic. If I need to go on a long journey I'll take my wife's car. The cars are now very cheap on PCP lease because Nissan have discounted the price AND give a strong guaranteed future value, which means they are taking the depreciation risk - suits me fine. Also you can rent the battery instead of buying it so no more worries about it failing and costing thousands to replace. I'm going to save a useful amount of money every month and get a very special car, decently fast and very futuristic, plus I get to keep the cash off selling my old car!

[@bailephib]

Thanks to everyone who's watched and commented on the video, even the haters! I've just figured out how to adjust my settings so I can comment on my own video. I've been watching the comments coming in and have been enjoying the conversations, but when I wanted to comment it wouldn't allow me. Today I finally removed the finger and figured it out. :-)

[@katakisLives]

My main concerns regarding the Leaf are how many charge stations are there in the locality and how long will the car battery hold its charge! also I noticed you had a charge point on the side of your house! I have to wonder, what kind of practical solution is there for people who live in a town terraced house! you cannot park anywhere near that close to the house unless you have a detached house or have a garage where you can install a charge point! you can't have charge wires trailing over the pavement.

[@johnbenton4488]

katakisLives This is a major concern for anyone living without off-street parking. Such a person would be limited to the public charging stations. The good news I suppose, is that there are more and more of these every day. (By way of comparison, petrol stations in this neck of the woods is about 1 per 3-4 miles of A road.

[@katakisLives]

John Benton I've seen two or three charge points in my area, they're hard to miss because they have this futuristic neon blue light emitting from them! but due tote charge times I'd be concerned of going to one of these charge points only to discover that its going to be occupied for a good few hours! hopefully they will come up with a better charging solution! I like the idea of running an electric car but there are quite few unknowns still at the moment.

[@johnbenton4488]

Like most good things, the further this goes the faster it goes. Compare ordinary filling stations and cars of 25 years ago with what we see now. Before too long there will not be a shop, pub, or restaurant anywhere that doesn't have a car-charging point next to it. And if, like me, charging once a week will be the norm, there will be nothing to worry about except where to spend all your spare cash! All it takes is for a few more people to keep the faith, buy the cars, and create the demand.

[@bailephib]

You're so right. I've noticed a huge increase in the number of EVs in Ireland in the last six months, and all of the drivers are looking pretty happy with themselves. The charging network will improve too as demand increases.

[@eternitynaut]

Jay Leno's garage is a far better collection of video reviews for cars and other types of vehicles. People from Top Gear care nothing about the environment or future generations.

[@michaelrmonk]

Nice review.. very informative. I can see you are aware that BBC Top Gear is more about entertainment! I find it very funny too. They're sponsored by Royal Dutch Shell of course.. not a lot of people know that. They usually avoid saying anything nice about electric cars, when they can.. as you can imagine. It's about time the Shell logo appeared on their videos! The Leaf is a very practical car both here in GB and in Ireland. I lived there (Eire) in 2012 and wished I had a Leaf to take advantage of that excellent network of fast chargers you have there, amazing.

[@m1aws]

The thing with Clarkson is they whipped the car around the track for 40 miles. Left it overnight without plugging it in, then drove it 20 miles to Lincoln. It did not stop there so they drove around for another ten miles until it did. That was how the game was pre-written. Note, the other car with the shorter range did not fall short. Here's the ultimate irony. #2 Stig.. aka Ben Collins, youtube id: *tsport100*. After all he has driven is also a *huge* EV fan. This started the lad off ;) The Stig Test Drives the Nissan Leaf Electric Car

[@musk-eteer9898]

I still own 2011 Nissan Leaf, first gen, with 89k miles on it and only once in the dealer service for battery swap as courtesy of Nissan two years ago. battery still has full capacity and runs like the day I bought it. I love this car, I would buy another e-car but keep my Nissan Leaf forever.

[@HarmLessSolutionsNZ]

Nice presentation Ian. We also have a LEAF here in New Zealand which is charged from our PV solar so even cheaper than from the grid. It's a nice feeling essentially having our own 'gas station' ! The other real saving with the LEAF in terms of both economically and environmentally is its lack of maintenance compared to an ICE car. No engine and gearbox full of moving parts so tyres, brake pads, wiper blades and suspension joints are the only things that require occasional attention. EVs are the future and it only takes a quick drive in one to convince most people of this. And the look on the face of the ICE driver that you leave standing at traffic lights is too good to resist now and then ;-) Enjoy!

[@danhamakua9757]

I have saved a small fortune in gas with my Leaf. This car has been very economical and surprisingly powerful and quick. I am installing solar panels at my home so will be charging from the sun soon.

[@johncrosbarry]

I watched this video in 2015 before I bought my leaf and I still have that leaf in 2022 going strong not a blip apart from needing a new 12V battery this year finally. 130k Km done and in use every day, what are people waiting for?

[@sonofpiran5786]

Have demo driven the leaf and loved it. Unfortunately I do around 200-250 miles a day with no more than a 30 min break in between lessons (driving instructor). The other problem is it would only qualify a passed driver to drive an automatic vehicle. 250 mile range and geared and I'd have one tomorrow.

[@bailephib]

Me too, Wayne. I'll need a few more views on this video before I can afford a Tesla, unless Mr Monk wanted to have me road test one for a year or two.....

[@meowingmono]

what's with your camera quality? its bad

[@beebeequail]

Got a Leaf. Got a Tesla Roadster. Got a Tesla S60. Got a Tesla P85D. Leaf is the most practical.

[@DickotheClown]

My mom loves hers, she got a 2012 Nissan Leaf. The low maintenance is just crazy. 19,000 miles, $10,000!!! The prices just shot down b/c Nissan fcked up and said the new+better model is coming out.

[@petergallagher3595]

Would like to own an electric car. But with the prices being about 10,000 EUR or £7.500 dearer than the petrol equiv, means you would have to drive for about 5-8 years to see any saving on an eg 40 mile round trip.

[@S0NOSMANLl]

People who think Leaf is a slow car; I encourage them to get behind their BMW 520i or Audi A6 wheel and try to beat Leaf. Because they are going to fail big time. Another point; probably most people seen Ferrari 458 or Porsche 911 on a street. Do you see those going 150 mph all the time? Here is the rule! When you have a fast car; you actually drive slowly!! It just comes naturally. I know I drive a fast car at least faster than 95% cars/SUV/Trucks on the road. So, I go slow. I do respect others. However, I know I have the power and torque and speed when I need it. It is an honour to drive a Leaf for every aspect. (Pollution, zero emission, no maintenance, no gas). Leaf owners don’t consider Volt as an EV car. Volt is a gas car. List goes on and on. If you drive gas car please continue to drive that. Because you think your Honda Civic is very fast or BMW 520. Go get your car maintain and change the oil every so often. By the way, you gotta buy the gas too. I was forgetting- People who has EV cars don't pay the charging cost for their car until they receive their electricity bill. Not like you pay your cost of gas at the pump unless you have own a gas station and live in there. Please drive your gas car and don't buy Leaf or any other 100% EV car. Because I still love my parking spots for "EV cars only".

[@S0NOSMANLl]

***** Right on mate!

[@jwetzel3141]

Very nice review. Thanks for taking the time to do it. I've had a Leaf now for a year and I agree that it is a very practical car. I love Top Gear, but agree with you 100%.

[@ToumalRakesh]

Don't listen to Top Gear. They've been proven wrong so many times. They're like 13-year-olds in their opinions, and that's just fitting - after all, Top Gear itself is aimed at 13-year-olds.

[@Digital_Dragon]

Top Gear is Dead anyway xP it's going to be whatever Netflix calls it

[@BalooUriza]

The Peel P60 would be the best car ever made, if only it had reverse.

[@carguy466]

+Toumal Rakesh wow

[@benfarmer-webb1016]

I'm 13. I find Top Gear funny but not when EVs are involved. They can really annoy me when they want to

[@benfarmer-webb1016]

Just to clarify, I strongly believe that EVs are the future

[@dave1231100]

Slainte. The tax is horrendous in Ireland and so if the road tax is zero for the Leaf then this is clearly a benefit and the lower cost of electricity v diesel/petrol makes it a good buy. Hope you have a green energy tariff too.

[@fishyfishyfishguy]

the headights are a funny shape to reduce wind noise in the cabin because it's so quiet if it had normal headlights and wingmirrors the sound would be annoying

[@Dan-uo6vi]

Holy fuck was this recorded from a potato?

[@theTurbokat]

The haters here probably don't know about the instant torque you get from electric cars ;) I'm going to testdrive a Leaf tomorrow and can't wait

[@ericgeorge5483]

Firstly, GOOD VIDEO; Also I think the leaf is extremely useable as an everyday car as long as it is for short commutes. However, my main gripe is PRICE. A Nissan Note, for example is around £10-12K, yet the Leaf is WAAAY more expensive, yet has barely any moving parts. How can Manufacturers justify that? It makes no sense. Also, on a worrying note; all those electric extras like heated seats etc, will really drain the battery!!

[@bailephib]

Eric George Hi Eric. Thanks for your comment. Our Leaf does a 160km (100 mile) round trip most days. We have access to a charge point in my wife's work, so it's a dawdle. The heated seats do take from the battery but not as much as you'd think they might. The Note is cheaper, but if you were to compare the cost of fuel over say three years, I think you'd see the Leaf coming into its own. Also I just read today the new 2016 Leaf will have a 25% further range, and that progression is likely to continue into future years. My question is, will we be able to switch out our current batteries for the longer range ones, and if so, what will that access to extra range cost?

[@ericgeorge5483]

Good point well made! At the moment, I drive an Eco Ford model which is EXCELLENT and costs just £30 to tax and can do 70mpg (Diesel) and when it becomes unreliable (hopefully not for a few more years yet) I am looking at either the Leaf (built just up the A19 from me in Sunderland), or the Focus EV (as I am by tradition, a Ford man, coss they are reliable, and I love em). Do you have to rent the battery for yours? I have heard horror stories of £70 per month (at the cheap end) for battery rental!!! AArrrggghh!! I spend less than £70 on Diesel per month on my 774 mile journey to work and back so that renders Electric Vehicles USELESS if I have to pay battery rental on top of purchase price. BTW, I will be looking to buy second hand.

[@badrinair]

Good man! I have been a big fan of big beemers and big diesel engines myself, but the past few weeks, i have been fascinated by the EV technology. This is definitely going to be my next one. Did Nissan or Electric Ireland install the outdoor charger for you ?

[@bailephib]

badri nair Hey. Electric Ireland installed it. The first 2000 EVs in Ireland get the charger free of charge.

[@DickotheClown]

+Ian Noctor :O lucky

[@SISU889]

I agree with Clarkson, but when battery technology gets better ( lithium silicon ) and there is a better national charging grid that covers the WHOLE of the country then , I think they'll be taken more seriously .

[@paragliderpete]

Love our leaf it has been great super quiet and fun to drive if you have a garage it's great but to leave it out in the cold winter for a week at a time maybe not so practical. I'm a pilot,so leaving it at the airport all week in the winter is not an option. For the wife,it is great and saves us a lot on gas for the other car and SUV

[@mrjaffar]

Ian... Really... Jeremy has a thing about EV's. I would not call his reviews of Electrics objective. He had problems with the BMW i8. The man is an old time entertainer. Luckily for him he has not yet alianated a large enough audience to be retired. For the record I've been driving a Leaf 88 miles a day 5 days a week, since Nov 2011. My Audi A3 spends a lot of time on the drive and gets used for the short trips that the Leaf is not at home for and the 5-6 times a year for those 100mile + trips. And as to the noise... Personal taste. I don't miss it. And I'm sure somewhere in the future you'll be able to select an engine noise of your choice, just as you do for your phone.

[@rexjaru]

Nissan aren't selling any more new Leafs in NZ currently (2016), but I'm looking to buy a used one imported from Japan for about NZ$20K. It could save me up to NZ$70 per week in fuel costs. Honestly screw the fears over driving range, a savings of $70 per week is as good as a pay raise of the same. If I want or need to drive somewhere of great range then I'll use said savings to rent a vehicle that can do that extra range. Otherwise I'll save that $70 per week to go towards my hobby of collecting elephants foot umbrella stands and modern whale bone scrimshaw.

[@bailephib]

You've given up on the Rhino Horn collecting, then?

[@rexjaru]

+Ian Noctor Ay, temporarily; but I know that Nissan will bring out another update with even longer driving range within a few very short years, or I'll get solar with battery back- up for my house. And then I'll well on my way to restart my collection with those monthly savings! One collection I won't be starting is Russian Bear Paws, people who start poking Russian bears tend to lose everything - and then the fruits of victory end up as ashes in their mouths.

[@mcmahoj]

id been fasinated with the nissan leaf, even though it can get pricey with the models, the savings that you make with them are incredible. I live in a UK city where there are plenty of charging points in and around the county. To be fair, Clarkson would rather give a awesome review if it has more than 250mph on it, rather than somthing that sticks to the speed limit in the country. though from what i remember, James May loved it and to be honest, james loves the cars that are interesting rather than just putting your foot down.im glad you showed some passion in the car you bought as i know a few ppl who also have one and are trying to get me to get one as they love them, when i can afford it ill get one. thats really good to know about the ecard in ireland as i do travel to ireland but not driven to ireland just of yet but will soon in a leaf =)

[@GeorgeStar]

Thanks for the clear info. Waiting for the used price to drop a bit more before jumping in.

[@petrparizek6575]

Many greetings to ROI! Thank you for this review. Lovely seats and alloys on this version, makes the car look a lot more up market! I am thinking of buing Leaf as well, however its looks in general are a bit quirky. There is noreal competiotion in its price range. Renault leases the batteries which takes the saving away. Small micro cars are not enough for a family.

[@alanfinn9718]

Well done Ian, top gear probably only had the Nissan Leaf, for 1 day, while you have it for 4 or so months so therefore Mr. Clarkson input on this car doesn't really count. I would love one but I am not working just yet, If I ever get a windfall etc A Red, or Blue Nissan Leaf will be the very 1st treat I would buy. I love the Nissan cars, I have a Nissan Mirca its 15 years old and its still going, it even still has all its original interior including Rev, Brake, clutch, Steering Wheels etc You just Can't beat a Nissan can you? Its a pity they are so dear, but it will save you in the long run.....

[@Doctortomsvideos]

When I saw this top gear episode I wondered if Mr. Clarkson was some how paid by the car companies the further dampen electric cars.... I own 2 leafs now..

[@KlunkerRider]

Leafs are a joke, we have these at work for company business use. These are SHORT RANGE cars PERIOD. I had to go for a meeting that was 30 miles away, it had 100 miles range when I left, it FLATLINED at 38 miles, 38 lousy %^&%$ miles! At the time no one here understood that the "range" isn't reality, its a "if everything is perfect' estimate. If you live in a hot climate like me, and dont want to roast while driving down the freeway and use the AC, the range drops rapidly. Drive it at say, reasonable freeway speeds of 60-65mph so you don't get rammed off the road from behind by everything else on the freeway, the range drops rapidly, do both at the same time and the range falls OFF A CLIFF. It was RIDICULOUS! It was like for every mile I drove, I lost two miles of range, normal driving in reasonable conditions. So...left with 100 miles range, got to jobsite 30 miles away, had 12 miles range left!!!! Tried to reach the only charging station in a 20 mile radius which was 8 miles away, barely made it, only to find that the SINGLE charger had a Tesla sitting there. So I had to call our motorpool, who had to come get the pig of a car with a towtruck. Now I tell the motorpool guys, if its farther than 10 miles away, keep the Leaf, give me an ugly Dodge, for all intents and purposes, a Leaf has only a realistic round trip range of between 20 and 30 miles total range as you cannot guarantee that A; where you are going will have an available charger, or B: that any charger there will not be already in use, or broken/vandalized. I was told to get the most out of the car it had to be driven between 50-55mph without the AC (or heater) on, you try that when its 95 outside....30 miles for $30K... useless bloody car. BTW While the towtruck was loading the pig of a car, the Tesla owner showed up. then came over, very upset and said according to his on board computer, that single lousy charger was providing for every eight minutes of charging, only a SINGLE mile of range! that meant for the 2 hours he was there he only got 14 miles of range, and he was PISSED OFF royally because he didn't think he would now be able to get home. Electric cars SUCK ..........PERIOD!

[@EezeeListen]

Nice video. Even though this car is excellent for what you want to use it for, I am annoyed with the DTTS that there is a 120 road tax charge - the car has zero emissions for goodness sake! Why should you have to pay 120 when in the UK there would be no charge at all - zero emission car exempt, and I think low emission cars are just around 30 - 40 pounds. Anyway, I hope you are still enjoying this wonderful car. Mike from West Cork

[@benfarmer-webb1016]

That's not good. With the current government grant electric cars are meant to be exempt from road tax and the London congestion charger

[@AW-xv7dq]

Thinking of taking the plunge on this. I have done the prerequisite research. Tons of review videos... watched who Killed the electric car AND revenge of the electric car LOL. We already have a Dodge Caravan and we plan on using the Leaf for commuting for the wife. She has a commute of about 45km plus driving the kids to classes- another 20 km. Not much more than that is required daily. 65 km or 35 miles just to err on the side of caution. Planning on getting a used Leaf as some are being returned at the end of their lease. Dealers are letting 2011's and 2012's for about $16,000 canadian to $22,000. These have a range of 50,000 km to about 72,000 kms. The only concern I have is the battery life. Is the savings worth buying used as the battery life may have depleted? The Dodge of course will be used for long range road trips. Any thoughts? Have I missed anything? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[@chriscross84]

I believe that the trend is going towards the electric cars and I'm sure that new technologies and maybe in the future some kind of "charged liquid" will be developed so that it will be uneccessary to charge at all.

[@SonicHawk90]

It might be nice for small countries where you do small distances, but here in Africa where you can easily drive 600km to 1000km on December road trips the leaf isnt practical, especially considering that it takes minimum of 30mins to charge. Now charging for 30mins every 120km is going to be very inconvienient as opposed to a my petrol pickup that does 600km and takes about 10mins max to fill up from empty. That said, if you are fine with the lifestyle that comes with a car like this and you enjoy it then whats wrong with it?

[@55nonni]

The only drawback is that the car is "BUTT-UGLY". Hope Nissan redesigns the next version in a serious way - so normal people would like to be seen in it.! I WOULD BUY IT THEN !!

[@NAY2GAS]

Thank you so Much for taking the time and posting this Video!!! - Great Job! - I LOVE my LEAF.

[@Coolbiker1000]

Ian, many thanks for an interesting review - I am seriously starting to think about purchasing one of these in the near future. However, what is your experience of battery life during the winter months with the likes of headlights,wipers and heater running full chat. Does range rapidly head south? Cheer Mike.Adds UK

[@bailephib]

Michael Addison Hi Michael. Sorry for taking so long to reply. I missed your comment somehow. Winter wasn't a problem, but that being said our winters in Ireland are pretty mild, comparitavely speaking. Running the heater, wipers, headlights and even the heated electric seats will of course put an extra demand on the battery, but compared to the power required to propel the car along at 100km/h the drain is pretty insignificant. To be honest I haven't noticed much of a difference in range at all whether it's winter or summer driving.

[@andyholdmybeer]

im pretty sure jeremy said it was practical and comfortable,, but a diesel would be better for longer journeys .. thats what i took from it anyway .. anyhoo good car .

[@elgransr]

For that price you could get a honda fit that gets you around 40 mpg city and 44 highway. A lot or space in the interior and letter and top pick safety car. And still have the money to buy another one with all the gasoline for 5 years at least. I don't see why this is a logical buy.

[@user-cn5dr4qx2g]

Fantastic though it is at the moment what im really looking forward to is the cars in 10 years time.

[@loungelizard836]

Yours is defective! They put the steering on the wrong side! (@3:30) ;)

[@johnbenton4488]

It must be your eyesight. It looks OK to me.

[@willgeorge5644]

+J Bishop right side is RIGHT! right and wrong, not left and wrong....

[@aceytoja]

It's seems like a nice little car. But when I drive a car I want to feel how many trees my engine is killing, otherwise it's plain boring.

[@bailephib]

I hear you. Maybe we need to get you a car where you can feed the trees directly into the engine, like in a sawmill, to make sure you get the full effect. And maybe we could add a little scream as it gets consumed by the saw's teeth. Now that would stave off the boredom, wouldn't it? ;-)

[@aceytoja]

Ian Noctor That would be quite appealing actually, if you know anyone who makes car like this let me know, I'll definitely consider it.

[@johnbenton4488]

aceytoja Mercedes Benz! Driving one is like burning tenners, five at a time!

[@bailephib]

:-D

[@adrianhetmanski1832]

Ian Noctor Hey Ian, I got an idea that satisfies even all the tight bottom clinchers. Lets forget gas, oil, electricity, bicycles, appliances and any kind of tools, and lets just get a nice comfy cave and sit around a bonn fire singing Koombaya. If we can find caves for everyone, hmm? (eyes roll ;)

[@dicessdontbenosey438]

Mr Clarkson can cook my 4 eggs and 4 bacon now because he's a big bit## boy on top gear and that's 100% practical

[@oddarneroll]

Great video. Just so you know. What you thought was the motor is the electronics that charge, converts and control the DC power from the battery to the AC motor underneath this unit. I own two Nissan Leaf now, best non-tesla EV for your buck. There is stuff that im disepointed about and deserves critic, but only if compaired against Tesla Model S. I really wish they packed the electronics, motor and batteries in a scateboard under the chassi, wich would have made room for a sicable frunk (front trunk) and lowered the center of mass even further. Also i think they chould accept Tesla invitation to share charging standard, this would not be expensive and would help standarizing on the best charging solution for the future. Also they should offer free long-range driving for the life of the car as an option when you pay for the car. Also they should really do a total rebuild of their telematics infotainment system, it really really sucks, big time. Its fucking useless. Its 100times easier to use google maps on my phone than use the built in maps application. Please dont get me started on the annoing startup warning message you have to acnollage every fucing time i start the car. And you really cannot disable it, you cant even make it shut up for the rest of the day. Also the Nissan Carwings smartphone app is not only extreamly non responsive (you have to whait for about 30-120 seconds everytime you open the app to see your current charge status, (i think the app talkes to slow servers in the us over internet witch in turn send fucking sms to the car, wich sends sms back to the usa servers, witch finally sends the information to your carwings app) Also Carwings stop working if you drive outside whatever region you bought your nissan leaf, its designed to do this, and there is nothing you can do about it. Also they should have a more realistic estimated range meter in the car. Its always overestimating your remaining range, by a lot also. You learn to ignore this guessometer, it should be the other way around, it should underrastimate the expected range so you would trust it instead of ignoring it. My sissters Tesla never guesses wrong more than 1% if she drives the car in a consistent manner, and if she drives it harder, the car ajusts. Finally Nissan should inform that the supercharging in 30minutes from 0-80% only applies in 20c, at -5 your looking at more like 1 hour to charge from 0-80%. All this said, i love my nissan leafs, because their the second best car in the world, and i cant yet afford the best car, Tesla Model S. Nissan Leaf suckes, but only if compaired against a Tesla, if you dont, it beats everything out there hands down in my opinion.

[@Tore_Lund]

6 times the area of glass on the headlamps = 6 the cost and 6 times the chance of getting them cracked by stone strikes!

[@cv03luka53]

20 mins vs 2 at a petrol pump, yeah "practical", and planning my journey around places with charging points is not fun I want to fill up and drive not worrying that the next place might not have what I need

[@georgiepeorgie3315]

I think nanotechnology will play a part in the battery range increasing department.

[@methanial73]

+The Time Traveller Well, since he never answered the idea is the more surface area you have the more dense or powerful the battery is. So if you increase the surface area making nano sized lattices you can greatly increase the density of the battery.

[@minimolitovman]

It'll be so expensive! But soon enough the infrastructure will be built and everybody will be able to afford electric cars until they heavily tax them like conventional cars. Or maybe they won't since there's not a lot to tax them on since their CO2 emissions are nonexistent. Bet they'll find a way to link lithium ion batteries and pollution

[@BHARATCHAUHAN-cr9zm]

Thanks for the clip was so lovely ..enjoyed the Irish accent as different from here in Africa ..love this car even more now and will be my dream come true when i own one ,,,thanks again

[@OculusQuestFun]

Thank you for doing this video. I'd like to get you a better camera though.

[@zoebettina]

I work n live in the same city. For that my leaf is perfect. 3 years old n my battery is still 100 percent cause I am not driving like senna. But for long trips it is not good. Anyone tells u different has an agenta. I love my leaf because it reflects also my style of living

[@peterforint2663]

Thanks for the video. It's nice to see such a detailed show-and-tell from a genuine owner.

[@marvincool3744]

As much as I like to make fun of electric cars, there's a certain charm about this one.

[@flanree]

At what rate does the battery's charge capacity decrease over years? I'm wondering after how many years will you have to pay 6,000 or whatever it is for a replacement battery.

[@rkl08551]

it was Jeremys personal view not the general publics..don't forget it is (was) a tv show with a script..to entertain

[@rolandsj8880]

I think it is a nice car. I want one also. Or maybe BMW i3. I am not going for gas car that is for shore.

[@georgiepeorgie3315]

Rolands Jjj SURE

[@ian9037]

Did Jeremy Clarkson not say that is wasn't practical due to it's range and charging times rather than the boot etc?

[@bailephib]

Hi Ian, and thanks for taking the time to comment. The reason I mentioned the boot in my review is because a decent boot is a practical element in any car. Herr Clarkson was dismissive of its range and the amount of time it took to charge, but here again he was off the mark. He made out that you needed 13 hours to charge it and then it would only get you a few miles down the road before needing another half a day's charge. Total tosh! I drove mine a 100+ kms today in outside temps of 2 degrees celcius, pulled into a fast charge station and 20 minutes later was on the road home with another 80km in the battery. And off course that was free of charge.

[@ian9037]

I just typed a comment and then the window shut on me.. for goodness sake! basically it is more impractical in comparison to a petrol or diesel car. I am looking at both sides of the argument here but a car where you can fill it in minutes is much more practical. say for example you have a journey to make, it's 60km each way and there are no public chargers on the way there and your car konks out on the way back because say you drove it a little more recklessly, or you had to use the air conditioning or heater, maybe the wipers.. little bit impractical.. it purely depends on your life and journeys you have to make, for example I travel 8 miles every day to work.. that's fine I could maybe go between half a week and a full week on one charge considering I don't use it at weekends. but what if I forgot to charge it? I can't use a public charger.. there's almost none in Belfast near me, the closest is 3 miles further up the road than my house is. that's just crap.. it just depends on your location and location of chargers and your length of journey. I'd like an electric car. I will not lie, however they are a little practical for me if the range on a single charge was better I'd get one but 60-80 miles isn't good enough when you consider everything you do such as use the heater or carry extra weight could eat into battery life so badly that you'd end up stranded at the side of the road. and what would I do then?

[@flitsies]

I like electric vehicles, but I don't believe they are as cheap as people claim they are to run. For sure they don't cost a lot in fuel because they run on electricity, but what of the batteries. These batteries are not cheap, and anything that goes wrong with them will need specialist care to fix. A normal car almost everyone can fix them so repairs are relatively cheap discounting the cost of the parts of course. But let's assume you will need to replace the batteries every 5 years . Would you really spend 5 grand on petrol every 5 years? That is the warranty on them 5 years, and the price today is almost 5 grand, when you add the cost of the battery plus the cost of the electricity you are probably looking at around 5 and a half grand or close to it without labour charges. And that is every 5 years or close to it, I can't see where the saving is other than the reduced pollution levels. I once did a costing of an electric scooter compared to a gasoline scooter and the gasoline scooter worked out cheaper in the long run, based on 3 thousand miles a year. Now you won't pay road tax, but then some gasoline cars don't pay road tax, so let's forget that as a saving. You can claim money back off the govt for using an electric car. But if you take all this into account you have to recharge more than you would a gasoline vehicle and there are a lot of other things you have to take into account. So I really don't consider todays electric cars any cheaper to run than a gasoline car of equal size and cost, in fact they cost more to run overall when it comes to disposal time. Because you won't make your money back, you might get a decent part exchange, but anyone wanting to buy a leaf would probably prefer to buy a new one rather than take the risk of all the potential problems with a second hand one so you lose money on the disposal of the vehicle, and if you bought it new first you lose money for taking it out the show room, then depreciation then the cost of the battery then the cost of the electricity, then the increased cost of the servicing due to it being a specialist servicing needed due to the batteries.But I do like electric vehicles I have two, but not for cheapness of use but for fun and the silence, they are so quiet it's nice.

[@preach_jk]

flitsies I do take issue with your numbers. The batteries last you 8 years. The warranty on the battery is 5 years 60K miles if it goes below 9 bars at which point the battery is warranteed and Nissan will give you a new battery pack. So you would save money going electric. Nice try but you should be saying the batteries last you 8 years/100000 miles. www.nissanusa.com/electric-cars/leaf/charging-range/battery/

[@flitsies]

Jeff Kelly I based the numbers on the warranty life, which is 5 years. Of course many things last longer than their warranty but 5 is all you get, past that and you are holding your breath. And then there is the resale price you are likely to get for it when it is time to get a different car. Then there is the restriction you have to place on yourself due to range and time it takes to recharge. Add up the true cost and they are more expensive than a liquid fuel vehicle, assuming c charge does not apply and ignoring r,tax. Just the vehicle works out more expensive in the long run, as I said if you take into account resale and battery costs plus servicing and specialists you need to take it to else warranty caput.

[@theultimatebean7544]

flitsies It makes sense that you have those concerns, but consider: in 2011 when the Leaf came out, the battery pack cost $18,000. Now in 2014, the battery pack costs $5,500 and gets more range, is more efficient, etc. Battery technology is advancing so quickly right now, they're getting much cheaper and much better every year. If the price follows the same trajectory (which it probably won't, the price will probably accelerate downwards instead of continuing at a constant speed), then in 2017 the price for the battery pack will be $1,650 and be even more efficient with greater range (and so on). Also, I was spending about $180 - $200 in fuel per month before, so that's $12,000 per 5 years. Yeesh. So even if I had to buy a $5,500 battery pack every 5 years (absolute worst case scenario) then I still come out ahead financially. Of course, if Elon Musk is right and the $30,000 Teslas actually do come out in 2017 and they get 300 miles per charge, then yea you won't even be able to give your Leafs away. C'est la vie!

[@flitsies]

+Richard Driskill I tend to agree with you on this though the batteries will get better.There are a few questions you need to ask before buying a battery car and one of those is, would you really spend 5 grand + on fuel in the time it takes to change the batteries over, also do you value a reduction of air pollution.I suppose if you can answer yes to both then an electric car would be of benefit, but if not then it becomes a very expensive risk.I think electric cars are the future if personal cars are to survive at all we will all eventually have to go over to something which will produce less pollution.

[@flitsies]

Richard Driskill I disagree with you on pollution because in the city you will find huge amounts of pollution due to motor vehicles.

[@TOKOLOSE]

It's electric. That's enough to say. Range 120 so can you now tell me how is that practical if I have to go say 250 miles? You have to charge this for 6h min.

[@makesaveinccomm]

Look like I saw a normal 12 volt lead acid battery in your Nissan leaf ? thank

[@katakisLives]

Is the leaf practical? I'd say it depends on what you intend to do with it! its still very expensive and there aren't that many charge stations compared to gas stations!

[@AA2RAYA]

very practical car .

[@wingn2a]

Well, bejammers! The forkin' steering wheel is on the WRONG SIDE laddie! ;) Beautiful auto, and I'm jealous!

[@damianomigani]

obviously top gear set the leaf up for failure straight away. we all know that you can't use a car like that for a cross country road trip. but that's just them, they are knowingly biased and it's a humorist way of doing television that many appreciate (me for starters). for what people do on a day to day base, it would be a perfect car. drive to work, come back home, recharge, repeat. My question is, what happens when you do want to do a road trip in it? even if it's just once a year, you will need a second car just for that. I think that's what JC intended when he said it is impractical. i think a future solution would be swappable batteries. you arrive at a charging point, and swap your battery for a full one, and pay a monthly fee.

[@Thomato80]

It's a great car for various reasons... I use mine daily for normal commuting, but... I'm also heading to visit my sister in Cardiff in February, 250 miles away. I've put a day aside each end of the trip for travel, as one normally would, and on top of my standard lunch and loo break I'd have on that journey I need an extra 45 minutes to one hour for rapid charging. I don't mind using that extra time, as firstly I wouldn't do much else with the day anyway and secondly the public charging points I'll use along the way are completely free of charge so I'm saving about £60 in fuel by choosing an electric car. I also know my nephews will want to have a ride in their uncle's new car! ;)

[@INFAS166]

Lost him on: "no exhaust pipe is always good"...

[@preytec]

that's ok, you can re-watch it to catch up with everyone else. you can start from where you got confused 1:30

[@iamjg]

Can you do a follow-up video? oh and how long have you had the vehicle?

[@carguy466]

you didn't tell why it wasn't impractical

[@Lifesabcom]

I have the exact same car, even the color is the same.....I love this car and recommend it to everyone.

[@roxanateodor7829]

I'm not too surprised that those TG fossils don't get modernity when it comes to EVs. Who cares (apart from like-minded fossils that do their best to "look cool" more than to use their brains)? I think EVs are the way of the future and I'm very much looking forward to a better infrastructure (although it's not too bad in the UK, it still has a long way to go, to be called fully sustainable). Nissan Leaf - I find it great looking and very practical.

[@darrentinman6994]

90 miles is not enough. If i want to see family from where i live is the best part of 300+ miles which in a diesel car takes 4 hours (without stopping) where as an electric car that gets me 90 miles on 1 charge means i have to stop and charge at least 3 times which takes more than 30 mins for am 80% charge (nissan est charge time) so now my journey is going to take nearly 6 hours. A diesel car can get me from scotland to london and back on a full tank (depending on car etc). Repairs on an ev cost more and more frequently need a battery replacement which will set you back £5000 to replace and nissan say you have to replace this every 5 to 10 years (depending on use) (you then have to add 3 hours labour to the garage to replace the battery) if you have a crash and the cell is damaged it is impossible to put the fire out and can burn for days/weeks even if the original fire is put out.

[@TheLongonot62]

Cheapest car on the road to run. 'Repairs on an ev cost more'...........not! There is very 'if you have a crash and the cell is damaged it is impossible to put the fire out and can burn for days/weeks even if the original fire is put out.' This is just untrue. I don't think that there has been a single Leaf that has had a battery fire.

[@darrentinman6994]

@@TheLongonot62 An EV requires a battery change at a set mileage or set year which just for the leaf the battery alone is 5k and then you have to add 3 hours labour on for it to be replaced. My IC car doesn't require this at all and a change of engine can cost less than 1k including labour 🤔 Ah so there hasn't been a incident of a leaf catching fire that you know of.. funny you said that you know of seem as there has been plenty of EV catching fire and one notably was a tesla catching fire after a crash which killed the driver 🤔 there have been cases where an EV has caught fire due to debris on the road which punctured the battery cells which cause the car to burn.

[@dantaylor7344]

0:44 Or an even more practical solution would be to have the cheaper upholstery and buy £50 of seat covers. Just a thought that's still legal right?

[@03MARA01]

why was this recorded with a potato

[@kennedytorres9423]

But can you turbo charge it, supercharge or even nos it?

[@5610winston]

I imagine there might be a market for this thing, but my reality involves driving up to 500 miles a day. Until an electric can make that range and full recharge time is less than 15 minutes, internal combustion is the only way to go.

[@timaustin2000]

Blimey, that's a long commute. No disrespect, and genuinely curious, why don't you buy a house nearer to where you work, or are you a travelling salesman?

[@toyotaprius79]

Sounds like one too many refuels if you ask us! If there is absoloutely no alternative to a diesel, hybrid or petrol such as travelling by train or plane then you have a good reason to stick with driving ICEs. Such a demanding lifestyle would probably mean that you're rather well off. I'm more than confident that a Model S and Tesla's Supercharger network can fit well into your "commute". It would definately save you thousands in a matter months by not bothering with petrol. You have an incredibly extrodinary work life, but that doesn't mean the same applies for everyone, even those who do 100 miles a day with only one 20 minute stop per journey. Though I must say, it's rather ludicrous and unfair to drive almost "500 miles a day" with only one or two little 10 minute breaks. That's unhuman. That is if the whole statement of yours is true or not.

[@okabc]

how the hell do you drive 500 miles a day. thats more than from the most northern point in scotland to landsend in cornwall... 20 min charge is good enough for a coffee break in a service station... but i guess you don't use those! its only 5 mins from 15 min to 20 min, and if they brought it down to 10 you will say 5 mins max

[@timaustin2000]

A note RE the notes above; you SHOULD legally be taking 30 minute breaks for every 2 hours of driving. THAT'S THE LAW . At legal motorway speeds, the furthest you can travel in that time is 140 miles. Why can't you charge your car while you're taking your legally required 30 minutes? I don't get it. 

[@okabc]

Tim Austin its this weird thing when you give people a limited range of travel they all suddently become road worriors its amazing. Most likley they only make such journeys vary vary rarely. And if they needed it, why not rent a luxury car with the money you save on petrol a year?

[@autorings3443]

Jeremy is outdated, he thinks 007 Auston martin, Mercedes S500.... it looks he don't understand what average driving per day for recent city owner.

[@KrystekkCF]

I wanted to know if you are driving into a town to do your shopping or going to work and you have like 95% battery charge left can you recharge it to 100%? What i mean is will the battery not break if you recharge it always at a high % of battery left?

[@preytec]

No. It's better to charge at the higher %. Even when they are fully charged the car will balance the cells.

[@JodBronson]

Just an "Opinion". I LOVE my Leaf !!!

[@philpix5]

Good on you fella. Nice review :)

[@lordkovi]

Battery electric cars are by definition unpractical for most drivers. Good that you like your car, but to pay over 30keur for this car is pretty crazy when you compared it to ICE cars. Some nice features though( heating steering wheel and back seats) and obviously the instant torque available on EV. But other than the obvious practibility problems EV cause, there are other inconvenience that most passionate would not like. For instance the 1 gear transmission and the horrible sound ( of lack of) EV make. I'd rather hear a 4 cyl petrol engine than that. Although you are right about TG, I think you miss Clarkson's points. Most people wrongly assest that EV cars are the future of cars and that its good for the planet and bla bla. When its clearly not the future, at least for the next decades

[@johnbenton4488]

KM25 But we have to start somewhere. Henry Ford did.

[@johnbenton4488]

If our beloved Government doesn't change the rules, I'll be ordering a new Nissan Leaf next December.

[@streaky2011]

Great video, thanks for posting! Am thinking about an electric car and this looks nice! Great review and well done to the kids also for helping out!

[@rolandomarinhdez8262]

we already plug our phones to charge every night; why not our cars.

[@garhuli1]

does extra weight in the car take much more charge away? i find it funny, the cars are nearly all a bulit to be like city cars with a bit of a girlish look (sleek, hatchback,) to compare them with petrol/diesel of today your looking at all the small city hatchbacks, like the fiat500, mini aygo, yaris.... which may work and is fine, but i can't understand how they haven't targeted the people doing big miles on motorways everyday. that should be an obvious target market, maybe a bigger saloon would be more appealing like along the lines of the passat, a4, 3series, corolla etc. definately something i will look at on my next car purchase.

[@johnbenton4488]

garhuli1 For the less financially embarrassed there is the Tesla P58D. It has lots of room inside, is big on the outside and as fast as you dare. And yes, you can b uy one anywhere, just talk to Tesla.

[@boyuchuadaniel]

Do you know that a fast car is actually safer than a shit slow car like a Nissan Leaf?

[@craigsheahan6718]

I'm sure you have very knowledgable sources for that claim. Thos eslow cars are probably hit by idiots who try to pass them, and fail to do so safely because they were "fast".

[@m1aws]

boyuchuadaniel The Leaf has a 5* crash safety pass and blows all in real road traffic through no gear changing/clutch and an instantaneous drive. Kids like you must never have EV's until they can truly handle those rattly things.