Well…as that old saying goes, “What’s old is new again”.
And who am I to say that? I’m Uncle Bob. Daryl’s buddy. Giving you a little more “Senior” opinion on vehicles than Daryl is able to give…yet.
So let me start by saying that by calling the Leaf a terrific commuter car, I’m not slamming the Leaf’s ability to do road trips.
It’s just that the Leaf is so capable around town.
How so?
Let’s start with comfort.
The Leaf’s suspension will almost have you searching FOR potholes instead of trying to avoid them…just to see how well it soaks ‘em up.
Then there’s the parkable-size. While the Leaf seats five and has decent room in the rear hatch, it’s just an easy one-handed spin of the wheel to park.
And curvy two-lanes are fun, too. Yes. Actually fun.
And hey…let’s be real. Please don’t think that price isn’t important for anyone on Social Security. OK? You can get into a base model Leaf in the high $20’s…and the top-end SV-Plus for mid to high $30’s. If you haven’t been out checking window stickers lately, prices like that are a deal these days.
So what’ll those prices get you?
For one, the comfort of 13 years of constant improvement. Yes…the Leaf has been around since 2011. Leafs have logged over 8 million all-electric miles, in fact. That makes the Leaf pretty much the “OG” of electric cars…and like so many senior citizens, and fine wines, it’s just gotten better with age.
Now getting down to business, the base Leaf is good for 149 HP and around 150 miles of range…and the SV Plus has 214 HP and 212 miles of range. Neither is world-class, but if you’re not really driving more than 150 – 200 miles a day, why pay for more range if you don’t need it? Again, these are all reasons why I call the Leaf an outstanding commuter car. Your equivalent mileage for either trim level is right at 110 Miles Per Gallon. With the Summer gasoline blends coming…and the roughly 50-cent / gallon price increases that the “experts” are predicting, all-electric looks better every day..
And as for “filling it up”, more and more options are cropping up. Nissan has a partnership with one of the larger fast-charging networks in the country…EVgo…with free “juice”. How much depends upon which model you buy. But know that there are around 55,000 charging stations across the country, with thousands more being added literally every month.
And all it takes is a good internet search to find charging where you shop…eat…or work. And often times it’s free.
But Nissan still gives you a 120v home charging cord, too. This is something that a number of manufacturers have started omitting for cost-cutting reasons, but it allows you to “top-off” at home if you can park within 20 feet of an outlet. While slow, this’ll give you around 3 miles / hour of home charging, which’ll give you a good 30+ miles of “go” for tomorrow.
So…which Leaf to buy? As with all vehicles, you get more when you pay more.
In the Leaf’s case, ALL Leafs come with fast-charge ports, Sirius XM radios, and Nissan’s “EV Carefree” package which gets you 3-year / 36K roadside assistance including towing, if needed, to either your home or the nearest charging location, plus an 8-year / 100K battery warranty, and a 3-year / 36K free maintenance program which includes tire hazard protection.
Step it up to the SV Plus and get pretty much everything else...like heated seats and steering, 17” alloys, even quicker charging capability, the extended 212 mile range, and today’s expected auto braking / collision avoidance / cross-traffic alerts, auto high-beams, surround-vision, and a bit more attractive interior.
In fact, what does it say about a vehicle’s content when the only option on the SV Plus is a cargo cover?
Kinda’ sounds like they’ve got pretty much everything else covered…right?