Nissan Leaf 7 day test drive

[Andy665]

Picked up a Leaf yesterday courtesy of the Nissan 7 day test drive offer

I'm very experienced with hybrid but all electric is completely new to me and wanted to experience for myself to form an opinion rather than basing my views on journalists and people who have strong views but never driven one

The car itself - typically Nissan, not luxurious but very solidly put together - feels like it will be squeak / rattle free for many years. Very spacious and good sized boot, certainly no battery pack penalty, clearly due to being created as an all electric car rather than an adaptation.

The drive experience - very light steering, not much feel but very direct

Performance is very strong if left out of Eco mode which noticeably dulls throttle response but does not seem to increase the amount of regenerative braking

Initial step off its very easy to spin the wheels, it certainly surprised several people alongside me at the traffic lights

You do have to keep your eye on the speedo, being so quiet its very easy for the speed to creep up, can honestly say I have never been in so quiet a car at 70mph

Modes are really simple, Reverse, Drive and B, Drive has no regenerative braking when you come off the throttle, B has very strong regenerative braking, it actually decelerates when coasting downhill, found it useful to select this when you know you're going to come to a standstill. There is an Eco mode, selectable via the steering wheel, really dulls throttle response but does not appear o noticeably improve range, after 10 miles or so I turned it off

Normal braking is fine, I was expecting the brakes to be very grabby but felt absolutely like any normal car, very easy to modulate

The biggie is obviously range. I collected it with 98% charge and showing a range of 92 miles - without driving any slower than I normally would its showing 65 miles and 64% battery charge remaining, despite me doing 56 miles yesterday - if its correct then that would give me 121 miles on a charge

Would I buy one - I'd give serious consideration to one actually, strong performance for town driving, incredibly quiet and refined at motorway speeds, spacious, well built, some good finance offers - as a car to have alongside the Jag it makes a huge amount of sense

For those who say electric is a dead end or not for you but have not actually driven one I'd suggest you try it - it might just surprise you

Edited by Andy665 on Sunday 12th April 09:17

[Andy665]

gottans said:

All that aside, when you return the, car can you ask Nissan at what point does it become carbon neutral and actually green?

No car is ever going to be carbon neutral. Perhaps I'm wrong but I have not approached it on the basis of the environment and 'greenness' - its a car with an electric drivetrain as opposed to an internal combustion engine

[Andy665]

gottans said:

I don't think the comment is weird at all, the whole electric car thing is sold on being green but is there is solid info to back up the statements so I was hoping the OP might ask Nissan about its green credentials and how 'green' it really is. All I can see is it moves the point of pollution away from the point of consumption but nothing else.

Are electric cars any better that conventional cars in reducing overall carbon emissions? Funnily enough no one is answering that question.

Toyota ended up painting the prius factory in oxygen generating paint to try and improve the green credentials of the car. You buy one of these cars because it suits your needs not out of a misinformed attempt to be green.

Which I believe is a mistake - green is still seen as uncool / nerdy - if it was sold as a quiet, cost effective drivetrain I think there would be less resistance. I would not buy one because of the environmental credentials but for 'fitness of purpose' - as a second car for my family it makes a lot of sense, the fact it might be greener is pretty much irrelevant to me

[Andy665]

The Leaf was returned this morning and genuinely sorry to see it go - used it as I would normally use a car all week and it fitted in perfectly, cost me £1.40 in electricity

Getting back into an ICE car to come home made me realise just how much energy is wasted through braking, coating etc - also just how unrefined normal cars are

I have asked for figures, was told they could offer 22% discount plus £850 deposit contribution - to be honest that doesn't matter - its the monthly figure - if it stacks up then I'm going to seriously consider one

[Andy665]

Dealer eventually came back with £250 deposit and £209 per month over 24 months on a non-metallic Tekna - I told them I wanted the very best deal - one chance and I'd say either yes or no - I said no