Nissan Leaf hatchback (2011-2017) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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I cannot emphasise how great these cars are. I use mine as a main car and wouldn't swap it for the world. Great safe family car that costs vertually nothing to run! You even get free charging at any nissan dealer! Charging locations everywhere which only take 30 mins to fill up and its as quick as a 2ltr whilst smoother than a bentley.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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86 miles max is not enough for a car to travel outside my town. Battery burns quickly on motorway and forget using ac or heating eats the battery. Most charging post don't normally work or not enough or non existent. This car is OK as a second car and one town only. A very expensive car I have to rely on otehr means of transportation if need to travel outside town. The stress and restriction Is just too great. A nice car works on paper but not practical for my needs.

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No Red thumbs down

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Do not buy this car. The air conditioning and heat don't work. Very hard to charge phone. Eco feature the regulates electricity worked intermittently and no one would believe me. Light went in showing no air bag for aside her. Three dealers refused to fix it. Nissan Leaf corporate made excuses for 11 months why these problems could not be fixed. They blamed me. I had to take a loss and sell back car to ensure passenger safety. Nissan is covering up the fact it doesn't have enough technicians to service car, take a bus before buying this car.

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not a fault

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Electric Engine. Nothing much to go wrong

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Yes Green thumbs up

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zero direct tailpipe emissions

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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No Red thumbs down

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No Red thumbs down

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LEAF is a quiet and comfortable car with very low running costs. The car is great for our daily commute, shopping and 95% of what we need a car for. Our diesel car sits at home most of the time. Long trips are possible but not always practical with the spotty public charging infrastructure. I do not have range anxiety, I have charging anxiety. Handing is mediocre. The car is fine but it has no feel or any level of excitement. The car rewards a relaxed driving style and responds poorly when pushed hard. The brakes can occasionally be grabby. It can be annoying as sometimes it is almost impossible to get the car to stop smoothly.

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It hasn't broken down

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Brilliant car! Although, I wish it could do more miles/charge (winter is dreadful for its economy).

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Do your homework before you buy a Leaf! If you commute or have a high volume of regular low mileage journeys (upto 50 miles) then you should look at this car as fuel costs are 20% of a normal car and servicing cost 10% in my experience. These savings help pay for the higher purchase price of the car. Longer journeys are adventures and need to be planned as the charging infrastructure is often patchy. Simple to drive, eerily quiet, great handling and acceleration, big enough for 4 adults (5 at a pinch), and you just plug it in to charge up before going to bed at night. Charging times for me are 2 x 2 hours a day at home (for 100 - 120 miles per day) or 2 x half hour at a rapid charger. One problem to date - 12v battery run out and I needed a jump start. Greatest joy - passing a petrol station and saving £80 a go on a fill up!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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The best car we own. Costs next to nothing to run . For the cost of one gallon of petrol - £6.30 ...............3 X£2 charges go 300 miles. Low centre of gravity, nippy, 100% torque at all speeds. Zero car tax, zero congestion charge etc etc

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JUST WORKS

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No Red thumbs down

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This car has rebooted my love for driving. The Eco mode suits my wife's more sedate style and the zippy Normal mode suits me. Stop-start queues are no longer a bother. The ride is comfortable and quiet. After a long drive I still feel relaxed and fresh at the end. I have a few niggles about the dash and steering layout but they are minor. No, the big, big problem with this car is the away from home charging network. Even the best ones have no shelter from rain or sun. Most are hidden away with poor signage. And they are still too few and far apart. Most of my trips are local so it doesn't bother me. If the government want more people to drive electric someone needs to get their finger out.

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The cost saving is significant. My commutes can give me daily mileage over 200 miles. With a tiny amount of planning this is effortless. There is a lack of internal auxiliary power, but otherwise it has proven ideal, flawless in use.

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An amazing car simple to drive very comfortable with the Tekna a quite luxurious interior . However though I have the Leaf 30 version of the battery I cannot get more than 113 miles on a 4 hour charge at home on a dedicated charger point certainly not the 155 claimed. As we use it for town commuting it is an amazing drive so smooth but put your foot down even just a little and watch the mileage range deplete dramatically. We though live on a hill out of town and it is downhill all the way so we actually arrive at the town centre with more miles range than when we started. Coming up to winter will be a good test to see how the cold affects the range. If Nissan bought out a 300 mile range car like Tesla I would put my name down immediately. Electric is the future but have to say the Leaf shortage of mileage range will only see this car in a niche market not mainstream until the range is up to 400 miles.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Vehicle that is super-fun and easy to drive. Build quality is below-average German. Many finish problems can be solved by dealer readjusting stuff. Missing rear plastic wheelarches is one of the worst design flaws. Carwings system is really a must but the designer was literally a clown. Absolutely every Leaf owner has problems with that system, it is a total failure. Still it is one of the best cheap EVs. When rapid charging infrastructure for CCS vehicles will be better e-Golf could win the fight.

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No problems at all to date

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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We are very impressed by the Nissan Leaf - it is very smooth, quiet and comfortable but still fun to drive thanks to its powerful acceleration. The boot is a good size and we have had no problems with the car and would definitely have another. The only downside is the iPhone app to turn the heater on before you drive is very slow to connect at times, although this is not an essential feature.

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I had a Honda Civic Hybrid for over 6 years and was very pleased with it. It has always been my ambition to own a full electric car and when I experience the Leaf, I had to have one. Buying second-hand knocked a lot off the cost and as the car had only recorded 2,000 miles, it was virtually new. And how do I find it? It is smooth, quiet and very comfortable car to both ride in and drive. In 'normal drive' mode it takes off like a rocket. In 'eco' mode it is far less responsive - needed to improve the range. And the range? I find the 'estimator', the display that estimates the range left to the car on current charge, varies down and up as you drive about. This is a bit confusing when you always have at the back of your mind how far can I go. The estimator works with data from the total charge, driving style, temperature and lots more to determine what's left. That aside, as long as you allow a bit of slack and that distance is how far you want to go there's no problem. For return journeys of about 80 miles, the car is close to ideal. Costing a couple of pounds to charge (less for me as I have solar panels generating during the day, hence charge my car when the sun shines if I can) and having no road tax, it is obviously a lot cheaper to drive than a petrol car. Charging is from a home charger that cost me (subsidised) £190 in my garage takes a few hours (they state 8 hours from flat but who's battery is completely flat when they start to charge?). You can also set timers as to when the charger actually turns on - so with me and my solar, during the day is set. I can override this times from my bed (or anywhere else for that matter - even abroad!) from an app on my smartphone and using Nissan's Carwings. So, any problems? Well yes. As with all electric cars it has to be range. For 99% of my journeys it's great, but for the 1%? Whilst there are hundreds of places you can recharge your car, and the on-board navigation system will guide you to them (and give you info so you can contact them in advance to check whether you can charge there), it can be in a 'strange' place you have not been to before, and having to recharge every say 80 miles - even if it does take only 30 minutes with their fast-chargers, it's still a pain and can cause anxiety. Would I recommend the car? Yes. Even with it's limitations the equipment on-board is second to none, the ride is great and it's a fun car to drive. If ALL your journeys are a round trip of up to 80 miles, I would recommend the car 100%. If you make frequent longer journeys, unless you can regularise your journey by stopping for a top-up at known points (or can plug into someone's mains), this car is unfortunately not for you. As I fit into the first category and can use my wife's car for my 1% longer journeys, I'm more than pleased!

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This is the only time that I have purchased the same car twice in a row, it is that good, I didn't even wait the six days to the new number plate! My first foray into the LEAF was via a retread, which I drove for nine months without incident before trading in for a new Mk 2 LEAF. The limited straight line range has not proven to be a problem, with a recent day trip of 200 miles, at a cost of £5.60p, carried out without incident. The needed top up charges fitted in with comfort breaks. My daily useage is just to hop in the car as a family hack, for shopping trips friends visits, etc. My neighbour commutes 35 miles each way, this car would suit her. I have not had the problems claimed by others with Carwings, but then I did read the very comprehensive handbook first. Driving is a joy, I have been caught out a couple of times in 30 limits by my speed. On slip roads, etc. there is always a space for me to slot in to, plenty of acceleration, seamless to 80+. Handling is good, remember this is a family saloon car not a sports car, It will though leave most similar cars standing at the traffic lights! The air source heat pump heating on the Mk 2 reduces drain on the battery such that I leave the system on always. Very good levels of Entertainment options, with Radio, CD, Bluetooth and MP3. Telephone control panel and Information screens all within the Navigator touch screen. Cruise and Max speed control on the steering wheel, together with entertainment buttons. The time taken to charge is 15 seconds, the time taken to plug it in at the end of a trip. WIth a home charge point I simply plug in each time I park up, giving me a 'full tank' each time I start a new trip. If I have run the battery down I timer charge overnight as I sleep., and at off peak prices. Not yet a car for long distance driving every day, the LEAF has suited 99% of my journeys without compromise.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It's a perfect second car for us. Ideal for my 28 mile commute. If your usage fits (traveling no more than 35 miles from home) then it's a no brainer. Plenty of new car bargains if you look hard enough.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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More than good enough to be an electric car! The Tesla Model S is only faster, you do not actually need all that speed. The seats are the most comfortable in cars history!! You just sink into them (NOT leather seats). The seats in the Tesla are not that soft. Nice equipped. Rear view camera is very useful. CARWINGS tells your smartphone about your car's conditions. For instance battery level (also very useful).

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Yes Green thumbs up