Nissan Leaf

[st4]

I've been reading about these in various magazines. Bar range and recharge times the car really is praised for not only its innovation, but quick acceleration and refinement plus comfort.

Say for example you have a small additional car to go to the supermarket, and say 15 miles to work and back again and had a second car for longer trips (say a C350cdi), would you consider replacing the small run around with the Leaf.

I am thinking about Mocas and his Skoda, I could be wrong but the wee skoda would make a lot of sense for a chap living in London and the SLK for longer drives and pleasure use.

Would a Nissan leaf making a compelling replacement. Say all you did was drive to work (30-50 miles round trip) and went to the Supermarket and never needed the car to do long trips, would you consider it.

Given the range and time to recharge it do not make it practical for long distance driving, but lets assume you have another large car for that and you just wanted an additional run around. You'd ideally need to reside in a detached property or one with a garage with mains leccy to recharge it at night but lets say you had that too. Would you consider it and if not why not?

 

[BigSilverEstate]

Since it is exempt from the London congestion charge I'd consider this if I had somewhere reliable to park and it didn't significantly increase my commuting time. Would much prefer to drive myself into work than stand on the train.

 

[st4]

Even excluding a congestion charge quite a lot of two car families have a small car and a big car. The small car tends not go very far at one time before returning to home. If it can be recharged (extremely cheaply) and its a reliable car, so long as you can practically charge it, I can see these being very good.

Obviously, being congestion charge exempt is a bonus and its quite a spacious car so 4 up for a drive into the city (say 50mins to go 10 miles) shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Dieselman]

I'm surprised how many posters on here say they only do a few thousand miles a year.

I would have thought an electric car was ideal for them, even Mrs Dm days which are often sub 20 miles, sometimes has 200 mile days at short notice.

 

[st4]

I'm surprised how many posters on here say they only do a few thousand miles a year.

I would have thought an electric car was ideal for them, even Mrs Dm days which are often sub 20 miles, sometimes has 200 mile days at short notice.

The problem is how those few thousand miles are made up. If its lots of small sub 5miles drives to work, to the shops then I would agree, but some only do a few thousand miles a year and do a few long runs for an annual holiday.

My late grandfather did maybe 7k miles per year. He went out for a drive up the west coast once a week (maybe 150 miles) and on the way back he went to the supermarket. For him, a car like a leaf would be rubbish, but a diesel would be ideal.

Mrs DM sounds a prime candidate for a leaf, but the 200 miles bit would mean she would need to drive your car as a leaf just ain't gonna do it.

 

[Dieselman]

Mrs DM sounds a prime candidate for a leaf, but the 200 miles bit would mean she would need to drive your car as a leaf just ain't gonna do it.

She can't take my car as I'm already in it, doing mileage.

 

[BigSilverEstate]

Many people in London do only a few thousand miles a year because commuting to work is not a realistic option and public transport is good. This is why the leaf as a commuter car might be a proposition for someone like me. I get the train into work because It makes no sense to try and drive.
Most of the miles I do are for the weekend motorway runs to see parents and elderly relatives further north, and for family holidays etc. it doesn't add up to that much - I might do 9k this year, and that is above average. However I think these miles are important to me and my family. People who rack up 30k or so a year are probably doing so because of work.

 

[st4]

She can't take my car as I'm already in it, doing mileage.

She can take one of them, you got loads

 

[BTB 500]

I quite like the Leaf. Problem is that not many of us would risk a car that we know could *never* be used for a longer trip if required. So a conventional small hatchback is a safer option.

 

[bigmacplease]

One issue would be the cost of a leaf compared to a normal little second car. If you have solar panels though it would be a good idea.

 

[st4]

One issue would be the cost of a leaf compared to a normal little second car. If you have solar panels though it would be a good idea.

You can lease them and you don't need to worry about fuel costs. It works out more expensive probably, but you get a very quiet, comfortable and spacious car.

Providing you have another car for long trips, and have space to charge up (i.e. you don't live in a 3rd floor flat with street parking as dangling wires out the window through the night is not practical). I cannot see the issue.

 

[markjay]

We have indeed considered at the time for my wife either an electric car (G-Wiz) or small conventional one (e.g. Panda), as both are London CC exempt.

Other exempt vehicles at the time were 9-seaters, Prius, and dual-fuel cars.

But each one meant different compromised and we soon realised the most practical solution was simply to buy the car the best suits our motoring needs and just pay the CC - so we bought her a 2.0L Scenic.

At this point I would say that the Leaf finally looks like a car that minimises the compromises we would have to make. However we won't be considering it just yet as the price (after government subsidy) is still in new C-Class territory, and 2nd hand ones are not yet available.

This is a very important issue regarding the OP - most people's idea of a 'small second-car runabout' is of something that does not cost very much, which is why the Leaf does not fit this particular bill.

 

[st4]

Mark, good post. What if you could lease the leaf cheaply? Would you be more inclined to bite.

 

[markjay]

Just to add that for us the saving on fuel costs would have been insignificant - the Scenic only does 1,000 miles a year anyway.

 

[st4]

1000 miles a year. LOL thats what 3 tanks of fuel if that!!!!

 

[Dieselman]

it would be cheaper to rent a car when required for 1,000 p.a.

 

[BTB 500]

Providing you have another car for long trips, and have space to charge up (i.e. you don't live in a 3rd floor flat with street parking as dangling wires out the window through the night is not practical). I cannot see the issue.

The issue is that if your other car is in use by a family member or off the road for some reason then you're left with one that can't go further than 30-40 miles and back.

 

[st4]

The issue is that if your other car is in use by a family member or off the road for some reason then you're left with one that can't go further than 30-40 miles and back.

I get what you are saying, but a bit of forward planning or a day of using public transport etc would get round that. Or hire a car off enterprise for the day. These are all valid concerns, but the cheapness of charging it, refinement, relative simplicity (does it even need much servicing) all seem postives about the car.

 

[markjay]

Mark, good post. What if you could lease the leaf cheaply? Would you be more inclined to bite.

I don't use finance so don't know how this might influence the decision of people who do.

Not suggesting there's anything wrong with taking Finance, just that we always paid for our cars upfront, and will probably continue doing so. This is why the Leaf won't do for us at this stage.

It might make a reasonable second car proposition in few years' time though.

 

[bigmacplease]

I think when the technology gets cheaper and the leaf drops to £15k not £25k they will become a real contender. If the twizy had windows on the doors so you don't get wet then I would have bought one!