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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  Poor electric car, dont buy any Nissan product. - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By Gats - January 12 - 5:52 am

  I was excited for my first electric car when I bought it last year. They say 110+ miles in sticker but dont expect more than 90 miles. If you drive highways/winter it would significantly low. The worst part for this car is the customer service and dealership. My from tire worn out in less than 10k, checked wheel alignment and its perfectly aligned but they wont even cover under any warranty, very poor quality stuff. I will certainly recommend buying electric car bit stay away from Nissan.

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  Leaf perfect most of the time; good storage, fun - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Pat crowley - October 16 - 10:50 am

  Great car for everyday. Cold in Michigan winter first 10 mile.

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  Dont lease a LEAF!!! - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By pangarkar - September 30 - 4:18 pm

  At first when I leased my 2012 Leaf it was the coolest car around. I told all of my friend and before I knew it 6 of my colleagues at work had also leased the Leaf. Man do I wish Id have waited!!! Now I cant even use the car because of range anxiety. I am getting about 40 miles per full charge for a car that only has about 9000 miles on it. Ridiculous!!! Not even close to the 106 miles on the New car sticker. And yes Range anxiety is REAL- believe me when the meter starts to get near the red mark and you still have about 10 miles to go you get real nervous very fast!! I would NEVER lease another LEAF again.!! Nissan says that this is normal for the car!! Really! 40 miles for a charge!!

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  High Price, all-electric - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By east_coast - September 3 - 3:14 pm

  I bought a Nissan Leaf SL and this review tells the pros and cons. The dealer, Koon’s Nissan in Virginia, would not disclose the costs. Here they are: Standard MSRP = $38,100. Processing fee = $499. Tax = $1,157.97. Filing Fee $10. Business License tax = $72.40. Plates = $105.50. Total Price = $39,944.88, not including floor mats. Honestly, you have to pay an extra $175 for floor mats. The Federal E.Car subsidy of up to $7,500 will come in April (tax return) if you buy or is taken off immediately if you lease. I regret waiting 16 months to pay way too much for all-electric. It seems worth about $20-22k. Other than the price, Nissan proprietary GPS, and no floor mats, it is fun to drive.

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  READ ME BEFORE YOU BUY THIS CAR!! - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Lora Williams - September 2 - 11:52 pm

  It depreciates QUICKER than any other vehicle, so dont buy it if you plan on selling it. However, the return on investment doesnt take into consideration the money you get from a state rebate, plus the money you save in not paying for gas or oil, or repairs associated with gas and oil. Dont be fooled by the federal tax credit. It is a credit, NOT a rebate OR refund. You cant roll it forward or backwards in tax years. You must actually owe that amount or more in taxes to get the full credit. The salesman will try to tell you that makes the car cheaper ( state tax rebate plus federal tax credit equals $10,000 off cost of car) NO IT DOESNT! You have to pay for the full amount of the car up front and interest accrues on the full amount. So if you go and try to lower your tax liability in the NEXT tax year, by buying this car for the federal tax credit, you are kind of actually paying for the tax ahead of time in the form of an interest accruing loan on a rapidly depreciating car to MAYBE get UP TO $7,500 off of your tax liability in the next tax year. My car cost $32,000 and 18.3 months later the private party resale value in really good condition with only 15,000 miles on it is only valued at $13,436 and I only got $2,500 for the tax credit, plus you get a 1099 from the state for the $2,500 rebate you got naturally adding to your income changing how much refund you qualify for. On the good side, my electricity bill only went up $10/month while my fuel cost of $1,972 / year (oil changes and repairs not included) went away completely! ;) ON THE VERY BAD SIDE. .. the fast charging stations are very limited so if I wanted to go to Frisco or Plano from Denton starting with a full charge (118-123 miles on my gauge-a 64 mile round trip to REI or whole foods-should easily make it) If I didnt stop to charge at 380 Walgreens on the way up, I would be white knuckling it on the way back because the only way there is freeway or 55+ speed... no 35-45mph roads so dashboard reports mileage lost 2-3 miles for every 1 mile driven :( The sweet spot for this car is 37 mph. I can drive for free (no miles lost even though Ive driven 10-20 actual miles! Sometimes Ill go that distance and sometimes I actually GAIN miles! !! Lol totally cool!

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  Great little car - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By carguy161 - July 8 - 10:14 pm

  We purchased this car so that we could park our van and only use it for long trips. We use the Leaf in all our around town running. I was pleasantly surprised upon driving the car. It is very quite and rides very good. It seats 5 has all the latest technology and many luxury features such as rear heated seats, heated steering wheel, and heated exterior mirrors. We get around 85 miles per charge. We do not use the 220v charge, but, instead using the 120v charger that came with the car. This isnt an issue for us as we plug it in around 7pm and leave it until 8am which is plenty of charge time.

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  3 year old Nissan Leafs are a bargain - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By Vermont Electric - June 7 - 9:40 am

  For about 30% of the cost when new I obtained a 3 year old Nissan Leaf SV. The big fear driving down the price is the lifetime of the batteries. But the 2013 and newer have improved batteries and I cant see any degradation. When 100% charged it tells me it can go 85 miles. The 6.6 kw embedded charger allows me to charge it from 10% to 80% (long life charging) in under two hours

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  Leaf saved my life - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By William Woodward - April 29 - 4:51 pm

  I loved the car. I had a 60-mile commute once a week, as well as local driving, and was proud that put 10K miles / year on the car. We have a Prius as a second car for longer trips. I totaled the car in a head-on collision during into oncoming traffic. The car saved me from serious injury (one broken rib), absorbed the shock, spun 150 degrees. Frame was unbent so that I was able to open drivers door and get out. Seatbelt worked fine, not sure about air bag. I am waiting to replace the car until I pay off the car. That will take 15 months or more. Meanwhile I am driving a 15 year old spare car. It is a station wagon and more practical that the Leaf for hauling. Depreciation is the major negative. Insurance company said it could only give me $13K for a car that I paid $36K for. They had never seen a depreciation rate that extreme. I guess I should have leased the car. But that seemed too expensive to me. I also bought warrantee; they have yet to reimburse me now that the car is dead.

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  We love it so far... - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By mojobrown - February 20 - 7:13 am

  Im writing this in January 2015. We bought our 2013 Leaf at the end of May 2014. We overcame the anxiety of buying an all electric car with the comfort that we got a great deal. 7.5 months after buying, were closing in on 10,000 miles and everything has been fantastic. The car is fun to drive. Its reliable. Its attractive. My kids love the heated back seats. We have a normal mini-van as our second vehicle and we drive it less and less frequently. The Leaf has always provided enough range to go where we want. On only two occasion did we decide NOT to take the Leaf and its only because we didnt want to pay to charge while we were in downtown Indianapolis. Its a great car.

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  Love my new LEAF - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By TJ - February 6 - 5:42 pm

  Im now in my first days with a red 2013 Nissan LEAF and really happy with it. What are most important to me in a car are practicality and comfort, including drive comfort. The Nissan LEAF excels for me in part because of the spacious design of the interior. Second, the handling and acceleration are snappy and efficient. The only sacrifice I have to make is to budget charging every day or two. On the other hand, my days of planning trips to the gas station are over!