Overview & Reviews

Forget about Who Killed the Electric Car? How about who brought it back to life? While there have been $100,000 electric sports cars and funny garage-built oddities in recent years, the Nissan Leaf made its mark by being the first fully electric car priced and designed for the everyday car shopper.

When fully charged, the Leaf has an effective maximum range of about 80 miles. That's sufficient to schlep most people from home to work and back, but longer trips will, of course, pose a challenge. As such, the Leaf is best for multicar households or those with shorter commutes. Another must is having a garage, ideally with a 240-volt charger. If you can check these boxes, though, the Nissan Leaf could really revolutionize your driving experience. It's an electric car for the real world, and that's an idea that everyone can get behind.

Current Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is an all-electric, five-seat compact hatchback. It's powered by an 80-kilowatt electric motor that's fed by a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Output is 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, but we advise taking these numbers with a grain of salt, since the "instant-on" power delivery of an electric motor is vastly different from gasoline- or diesel-fueled acceleration.

The Leaf is available in three trim levels: S, SV and SL. Despite being the base model, the S still features keyless ignition/entry, automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, Bluetooth, a rearview camera and an iPod interface. However, the S model's entry-level onboard charger needs a lengthy 8 hours to fully charge the battery pack.

Stepping up to the SV and SL adds a more robust onboard charger that cuts the charging time to 4 hours with a 240-volt charging dock. You also get a "B-mode" function that allows for more aggressive regenerative braking in certain situations. Standard and available features include 17-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree parking camera system, a navigation system with 7-inch display and a Bose audio system. The SL boasts standard leather upholstery and a quick-charge port (enabling 80 percent charges in 30 minutes at high-voltage commercial charging stations).

In reviews, our editors have remarked on how relaxing the Leaf is to drive. Anyone who has driven or at least stood next to a gas/electric hybrid will know how eerily quiet it is when operating in electric mode. Well, such serenity never ceases in the Nissan Leaf, as there is only a high-pitched whine from the electric motor under heavy acceleration. Don't confuse serenity with slowness, though, because there's an abundance of torque available as soon as you step on it, giving the Leaf an alert, energetic feel around town. This fairly heavy car also handles surprisingly well, in part because its batteries lie beneath the floor, delivering a low center of gravity that enhances agility.

With the Nissan Leaf, driving an electric car doesn't mean you have to leave people or stuff behind. This is a mainstream passenger car, not a science experiment with a cramped cabin. The rear seat is comfortable for adults, and the hatchback cargo area can be expanded to accommodate larger items (though its load floor isn't flat with the rear seatbacks folded). Like many other alternative-energy vehicles, the Leaf features a futuristic cabin design, with split-level instruments and a center touchscreen that operates the stereo, standard navigation system and special electric system displays.

Used Nissan Leaf Models
The Nissan Leaf debuted for the 2011 model year with two trim levels: SV and SL. Both came standard with the less powerful (3.3 kWh) onboard charger. The high-powered charger (6.6 kWh) didn't appear until 2013, so expect longer charge times to be a downside of buying any used Leaf from 2011 or '12.

A quick-charge port -- the one that yields an 80 percent charge in 30 minutes when using commercial charging stations -- was optional on all 2011 Leafs. For 2012, this port became standard on the Leaf SL. Also for 2012, every Leaf gained standard heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, heated exterior mirrors and a battery heater.

The SV and SL upgraded to a standard high-powered onboard charger for 2013 -- the one that cuts normal charging times from 8 hours to 4 hours with a 240-volt power source. The base S model was also introduced, albeit with the less powerful charger.

A rearview camera was made standard on all models for 2014.

User Reviews:

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  100 percent satisfied - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By sampsr - April 30 - 8:16 pm

  We leased the 2013 SL in June and completely satisfied with the car at this point. They did a great job making it as much like driving a conventional car, which my wife likes. We spent ab out a year thinking about how it would fit our lifestyle and could not think of a single instance were we would be "stuck" without a gasoline motor. I charges quickly with the 240 volt charger. The dashboard technology is great and easy to interpret.

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  Makes me enjoy driving! - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By twoolz - April 11 - 8:54 am

  This is the best car Ive ever owned. Front seats are very comfortable. It is whisper quiet even at high speeds, has adequate storage area, seats 4 comfortably. We decided to lease the 2014 because technology is changing and - like a laptop - it could be hard to resell a few years from now. We got the $7500 rebate, a great trade-in on the 2006 Prius and the payments are incredibly low - $183 a month. The quick charger works great and recharges the car in a few hours and the city paid for half of the cost! Its a no-brainer: its the perfect second car for running errands around town and 90 miles will cover a lot of errands! Love it!!

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  Two Years -- No Gas - 2014 Nissan Leaf
  By hizonr - January 7 - 11:46 pm

  I have had my 2014 Leaf SV for two years and have put 11,780 miles on it. My wife is the primary driver and "loves it." We easily beat EPA ratings spring to fall; mileage drops off in the winter. We usually drive in the "ECO" mode, which provides adequate acceleration for local driving. The car is roomy and comfortable with good visibility all around. It handles well and has a very short turning radius. We charge it overnight on 110 voltage. We didnt get leather, because we didnt want a black interior in South Carolina. I wish it had memory seats and light leather. The physical finish and quality of the car are more like a $22,000 car than a $32,000 car. That is its only drawback. I recently took it in for its two-year battery check. While there, the intelligent brake control was reprogrammed under a recall. Now the car doesnt always decelerate when I take my foot off the accelerator, even when in the "B" setting. I will be contacting the dealer about this issue.

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  best car ever - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By guerry bethell - September 12 - 10:36 am

  plan ahead for longer trips

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  Still great after 11 months - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By early74b - July 6 - 1:29 pm

  We were on the original resv list from 04/2010, picked up the car at the end of Dec 11. We have about 8K miles now and have been quite happy with it. Were in IL so in addition to the $7.5K fed tax credit they offer 10% IL EPA MSRP rebate and 50% rebate on charger + install. Weve averaged about 4.3 miles per kWh (which we pay 6.6 cents per kWh) so very cheap to run. Only maintenance so far is to rotate tires. Car is very, very quiet and smooth ride; so far holding up quite well, no problems at all. We use it on 30 mile daily commutes and 50 to 80 on each weekend day. Heated seats front & back and steering wheel are welcome on cold days!

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  5,000 miles and loving it - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By jberolo - June 9 - 8:08 pm

  I was lucky to find a dealer car with only 3000 miles and still new even though I bought it as used vehicle. There is little I cannot do with my LEAF. I have a pickup truck when I need to drive farther than my LEAF can take me, but honestly I hardly ever need to drive it. The range of the LEAF works for 90% of my daily and weekly driving needs.

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  Falling for the Leaf - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By David G - April 5 - 8:42 pm

  Before I purchased my used Leaf I spent months handwringing over range, battery life, and resale value. I should not have wasted any of that time worry and should have purchased this long ago. The Leaf rocks! Once you drive an electric car for a few days, it is hard to go back to the noise, pollution, and rumble of an internal combustion engine. The Leaf has required very little change from our normal driving habits in order to have a nearly pollution and carbon free vehicle (our electricity is wind- and solar-generated). We typically charge the Leaf at night every two or three days so charging issue is not the inconvenience that I was anticipating. We have used just a 110-120 volt outlet and real charge times are usually way less than forecasted because we seldom charge from empty to 100 percent (more typically we are going from something like 30 percent up to 80 percent). One great feature with the 2013 Leaf is the long-life setting for charging--it shuts down the charge at 80 percent to preserve battery life. Using that 80 percent cap, our real world range typically runs between 55 to 80 miles (again, that is at 80 percent battery). The reason for the range has to do with temperature and destination, for example. The coldest part of winter will reduce your range and battery power noticeably (just like your cell phone when it is really cold). During the height of summer, battery life also diminishes some, as a result of the heat and AC use (at least, that is my understanding). We drive ours in Salt Lake City to give you and idea of temperature fluctuations. Also, you can expect changes in range based on whether you are driving at highway speeds, up mountain canyons, or in the rain. With just a little bit of experience, it becomes fairly easy to anticipate these fluctuations on the Leaf. I highly recommend this vehicle for those that understand the range limitations. Nissan has used great materials and put together an excellent car.

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  Never Going Back to Gas - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Brian Roach - March 20 - 12:28 pm

  Im extremely happy with the Leaf. While I appreciate the cars low environmental impact, I mainly bought it because it was a financial no-brainer. While the MSRP was around $33k (for the SL), I negotiated a price of $25k. Deduct the federal tax credit and a $2,500 rebate in MA, and the final cost was only $15k. So its just about the cheapest new car you can buy. Im fortunate enough to have access to free charging, so all my driving is now free. And theres virtually no regular maintenance or repairs to worry about. Of course the main limitation of the car is its relatively short range. I find I can get 100 miles in warmer weather, more like 70-75 in colder weather, with mostly suburban driving. For commuting, errands, and other short trips, the Leaf is just about perfect. We have a gas car as well, but hardly ever use it. I would say the Leaf makes a perfect second car, but you may find that it quickly becomes your first car. Driving the Leaf you really do feel like you are driving the future, and all gas cars seem both rather primitive and overly complex. EVs are simply better vehicles - quiet, smooth and quick acceleration, low maintenance, reliable, and better for the environment. I hope to never own another vehicle that uses gas. Im also smitten with the heated steering wheel, making winter driving much more pleasant. Whats the downside, besides the limited range? Well, the exterior design might not suit everyone. The steering wheel doesnt telescope - a strange omission. The armrest could be larger and adjustable. It could include a spare tire. But really thats about it. The Leaf is easily my best vehicle purchase, and I highly recommend it.

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  Nissan Leaf & Blink Charging Station - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By rickrick - February 26 - 10:11 pm

  The Leaf is a fun car and its always great passing buy the gas stations and not having to pay the ridiculous prices.

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  Love it so far - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By hpver - January 12 - 12:38 pm

  We almost bought a 2012 but waited and leased a 2013. We opted for the charger and rearview camera package and are glad we did. State (CA) and local air district rebates cut the already low three-year lease cost in half, making this an unbeatable bargain. We havent driven our ICE car once in the 10 days since we got our Leaf S. This car does everything we need and is comfortable, easy to drive and costs less than 5 cents a mile for fuel. No problem keeping up with traffic, especially if we take it out of Eco mode. It also appears to have more range than the previous models. We only charge to 80% to save battery and can drive almost 70 miles in urban and suburban traffic.