Nissan Leaf - anyone driven or own one?

cruisermark · August 24, 2021

I recently had the chance to drive a 21 plate hyundai Iconiq - The drive was great when its on electric - but driving 30mph+ and the engine/road noise is very intrusive.

But I really like the (somewhat brief) acceleration which LED me to ask the question here - whats the leaf like to drive on local runs and how intrusive is road noise.

Thank You

steve2006 · August 24, 2021

A Nissan Leaf and it’s driver were recently arrested by the police, the driver was let off with a caution but the car was charged. 😀

dublet · August 24, 2021

6 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

A Nissan Leaf and it’s driver were recently arrested by the police, the driver was let off with a caution but the car was charged. 😀

He wasn't done for Battery?

LenT · August 24, 2021

5 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

A Nissan Leaf and it’s driver were recently arrested by the police, the driver was let off with a caution but the car was charged. 😀

Boom! Boom! :yes:

talaipwros · August 24, 2021

8 hours ago, cruisermark said:

I recently had the chance to drive a 21 plate hyundai Iconiq - The drive was great when its on electric - but driving 30mph+ and the engine/road noise is very intrusive.

But I really like the (somewhat brief) acceleration which led me to ask the question here - whats the leaf like to drive on local runs and how intrusive is road noise.

Thank You

Got one , I am pretty happy so far considering the price. It is nice and quite, only things I miss are electric seats and head up display. Everything else is standard . Would definitely recomend it on a 3 years 0% PCP ( and return it as it will be in negative equity by then)

m4rkw · August 24, 2021

Isn't PCP basically a scam? Pay a ton of money to not own a car, why would you do that?

dublet · August 24, 2021

It's more like long term rental. You don't own the car, for better and worse. If it breaks - it's not your car. If it becomes worthless - it's not your car. You pay your monthly money, and that's it.

talaipwros · August 24, 2021

30 minutes ago, m4rkw said:

Isn't PCP basically a scam? Pay a ton of money to not own a car, why would you do that?

You are just paying for the depreciation. If it's 0% it makes perfect sense.

In any case, you can buy the Leaf cash if so you wish ( or even better the UX300e )

m4rkw · August 25, 2021

Well I wouldn't buy a brand new car anyway but this doesn't seem like a great deal. One way or another for a 6000-mile limit over 3 years you're paying £12,800 which is 45% of the retail price of the car and at the end of that 3 years you own 0% of it. £355/month seems like a lot of money just to drive a car. Presumably they ding you if you exceed the mileage allowance too.

cruisermark · August 25, 2021

Thanks for all the replies guys - These Lexus cars are terrible cars - once driven - anything else is ust not good enough!

I will have to drive one and see how it feels - the smooth, quite linear acceleration is really nice and I do around 3k miles a year mainly in town so will be ideal IF it will pass the noise and comfort test lol.

I will be probably be looking at a tekna model 2017 and above.

Malc · August 25, 2021

1 hour ago, m4rkw said:

Presumably they ding you if you exceed the mileage allowance too.

and I'm assuming they ding £££ you some more if you dare so much as get a " ding " or a dent or a scratch or anything resembling normal wear and tear too that you would be ok accepting on your own owned car ....... or is it that everyone with one of these non-owned cars, when it goes back, uses one of these valeting / fix-a-dent guys to get the car to " perfection " to save being dinged ££££ lots more for the inevitable penalty charges upon return to the real real owner, the finance company ...... who would just pop the car into the auction anyway maybe ... dents, warts, dings and all :unsure:

Malc

m4rkw · August 25, 2021

Yeah I quite like having a car where I don't really care about the paintwork at all as long as it isn't rusting. Whenever there's a scratch I just blob a bit of paint on it and leave it to dry, don't care what it looks like.

I can't imagine driving a brand new car, would be so stressful worrying about it all the time.

LenT · August 25, 2021

3 hours ago, m4rkw said:

I can't imagine driving a brand new car, would be so stressful worrying about it all the time.

I don’t think it has to be a brand new car.

I recall joining a company in Knightsbridge and a week into the job being asked, by the PA of the Director who’d hired me, if I’d mind picking up a used car that he’d bought as a run-around while he was in London. He was an American - and an Anglophile.

I said I’d be happy to. And then I discovered the run-around was a secondhand, very large and expensive Bentley he’d bought as a special and very personal luxury treat.

I declined the opportunity.

Spacewagon52 · August 25, 2021

I consider PCP's to be a very expensive way of owning a car. Just my view. Also, new cars depreciate so much in the first couple of years. I have done the new car thing once, so I am not really that bothered about buying used to be honest.

Porterhouse · August 25, 2021

7 hours ago, cruisermark said:

Thanks for all the replies guys - These Lexus cars are terrible cars - once driven - anything else is ust not good enough!

I will have to drive one and see how it feels - the smooth, quite linear acceleration is really nice and I do around 3k miles a year mainly in town so will be ideal IF it will pass the noise and comfort test lol.

I will be probably be looking at a tekna model 2017 and above.

I 100% recommend a Leaf Tekna as long as you know the range in the winter is circa 60 miles. The acceleration is superb. It is quieter at speeds lower than 50 than my LS600. The ability to defrost whilst you are having breakfast is really good. Drives like a prestige car. Servicing is just the brakes. Never broke down. Had it on a two year lease and sorry to see it go. Unfortunately I believe the build quality will drop as they get more competitive. Buy one & happy to answer any questions on it

cruisermark · August 25, 2021

10 minutes ago, Porterhouse said:

I 100% recommend a Leaf Tekna as long as you know the range in the winter is circa 60 miles. The acceleration is superb. It is quieter at speeds lower than 50 than my LS600. The ability to defrost whilst you are having breakfast is really good. Drives like a prestige car. Servicing is just the brakes. Never broke down. Had it on a two year lease and sorry to see it go. Unfortunately I believe the build quality will drop as they get more competitive. Buy one & happy to answer any questions on it

Thanks for that - sounds all very reassuring

DBIZO · August 25, 2021

I've regularly driven both first and second gen in 2019. The latter is a massive improvement all around, it's quite an agreeable car around town and for shorter journeys (I'd say 100 miles or under for the 40kWh model). Very responsive, intuitive to drive. Feels well built, but utilitarian. It's not noisy at all, although I don't think I've ever really wanted to go fast in it for obvious electrical reasons. Doesn't charge too fast, but then again, it's supposed to be used for commuting, shopping, errands. Having said all that, I think they are expensive for what they are. But then probably all electric cars are, unless it's in the luxury range where it doesn't really matter anymore.

ColinBarber · August 25, 2021

Leaf is quieter than the UX300e. The following is a test that Bjørn Nyland performed. It's quite an old test so you may want to look at a more recent one to see where it is now rated compared to other vehicles.

steve2006 · August 26, 2021

When your next door neighbour puts his Tesla on charge. 😀

Phil xxkr · August 26, 2021

18 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

I consider PCP's to be a very expensive way of owning a car. Just my view. Also, new cars depreciate so much in the first couple of years. I have done the new car thing once, so I am not really that bothered about buying used to be honest.

Over the years I have had no end of new cars, company and private and like you came to my senses a few years ago when I bought an XKR, 10 years old (some may disagree 😁. Right now I estimate I have been cost neutral over the period,so happy days. With my RX I currently estimate a loss of 3/4 k over the next 3 years which to me is an acceptable cost of ownership. But with PCP I don't see much said about the downsides. Firstly, it's a PERSONAL loan you are undertaking therefore any changes in your personal circumstances still means you are on the hook for the total contractual balance unlike say HP which allows you to sell the asset. Secondly, the expectation is you will return the vehicle in say 3 years in an almost perfect state otherwise you risk huge charges for restitution (and excess mileage) despite the fact most companies don't bother doing the work they just charge you. Thirdly, PCP has all the elements of becoming the next PPI mis selling scandal where accusations of mis leading claims around possible equity and interest rate charges abound. Conclusion, if you do high mileage PCP isn't for you, if you do minimum mileage and a vehicle is not critical to your lifestyle then PCP is a very expensive and risk laden way of being mobile. If however, you are addicted, as with crack cocaine, to the smells of a new car then why not, it's your money. 🤑

MartinH · August 26, 2021

Well-made points, Phil

Spacewagon52 · August 26, 2021

I have tried to work on a basis of £1,000 a year depreciation for quite a while now. My worst (for depreciation) car worked out at £1600 a year. As a few of you are on here, I am a little addicted to AutoTrader. The second-hand cost of Lexus cars seems to have shot up. A six year old RX450h with around 40,000 miles is nearly £24,000. That WOULD depreciate quite quickly me thinks! Supply and demand - take it or leave it.

Phil xxkr · August 26, 2021

19 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

I have tried to work on a basis of £1,000 a year depreciation for quite a while now. My worst (for depreciation) car worked out at £1600 a year. As a few of you are on here, I am a little addicted to AutoTrader. The second-hand cost of Lexus cars seems to have shot up. A six year old RX450h with around 40,000 miles is nearly £24,000. That WOULD depreciate quite quickly me thinks! Supply and demand - take it or leave it.

Couldn't agree more David. A friend of mine is just trading in his 3 Yr old Renault Kadjar for another new one in the Renault range, he has lost 10k in the process and is on the hook for another 3 years 😱.

jonthetourist · August 26, 2021

4 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

I have tried to work on a basis of £1,000 a year depreciation for quite a while now. My worst (for depreciation) car worked out at £1600 a year. As a few of you are on here, I am a little addicted to AutoTrader. The second-hand cost of Lexus cars seems to have shot up. A six year old RX450h with around 40,000 miles is nearly £24,000. That WOULD depreciate quite quickly me thinks! Supply and demand - take it or leave it.

I paid £2,300 for my first LS430 in 2015 and sold it 4 years later for £3k. I am not expecting depreciation to work quite that well in future. Ireland ramping up road tax for big engines caused a glut and drove down prices dramatically.

A few people thought I overpaid for my current 430 - £8.5k - but it's pretty close to perfect for me, and that's not a bad price for perfection. ☺️

Spacewagon52 · August 26, 2021

39 minutes ago, Phil xxkr said:

Couldn't agree more David. A friend of mine is just trading in his 3 Yr old Renault Kadjar for another new one in the Renault range, he has lost 10k in the process and is on the hook for another 3 years 😱.

A friend of mine bought a Peugeot estate, two years old (in 2016) and he considered changing it UNTIL he found out how little they would give him in part-exchange.