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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  Had 36,000 miles so battery only good for about 72 - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By Rich Schiller - February 16 - 3:42 pm

  Low mileage on battery

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  LEAF exceeds our expectations! - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By doeskin - February 10 - 2:12 pm

  Took delivery about a week ago; the car is wonderful, very well engineered, fun to drive; range exceeds their promises; Blink charging station is very user friendly and fun to use; comfortable seats ... we sold our Lexus RX350 since taking delivery because it would probably just sit in the garage. You will not be disappointed!

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  2013 Nissan Leaf SV - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By Keith W - January 3 - 12:24 am

  Purchased used in 2017. Car has 36K miles but still has full bars or 84 miles fully charged. My commute is 55 miles daily which fits into Leafs range well. Using Eco mode I usually return with >25 miles left. My commute is through two lane highway at speed limit of 50, which also fits Leaf well. Worst part of the commute is a big uphill about two miles, after which my range will be reduced by 10 miles, then the downhill will recover about 5 miles through regen. In NoCal heater is rarely needed that also helps my decision to buy Leaf. This car has adequate acceleration and good ride, I like the seats (firmer as I need). Im happy driving past gas stations. Charging hasnt been problem and the trickle charger works just fine during night time. Overall very satisfied.

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  7,000 miles in, I would buy another - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By skoorbmax - November 20 - 8:48 pm

  Prior to this vehicle I had a 3rd gen Prius. I much prefer the drive of this. The power train is more responsive, and at low speeds the car is much quicker (though no quicker at higher speeds). I am in NY state and have taken this through a winter now. Including winter my average miles/kWh are in the low 3s. 3.9 miles/kWh that EPA claims are quite optimistic. The heat destroys range, as does highway driving. Nonetheless, at 3.2 miles/kWh and at 75% charge efficiency (120V charging) and $.11 kWh I am still about 87 miles per $4.00 in electricity.

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  Its a jewel for its price! - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Pedram - October 13 - 11:46 am

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  Car of the Future - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By jackie_gt - September 17 - 5:56 am

  Just LOVE the new car. It exceeds my expectations in all areas. I highly recommend buying an SPX Level 2 EVSE portable charger that can auto detect voltage. This also charges the Chevy Volt. I use it to charge my Nissa Leaf. Plugs into an outlet similar to a electric dryer outlet at home and similar ones at my businesses. As of 9-22-11, price $749 + S+H.

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  Bought used 2015 for $9300 and love it - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Mike - September 7 - 12:04 am

  I have been looking at the Leaf for several months. We just wanted one for our local driver (4-6K miles a year) to replace our 15 year-old Camry. I first considered buying new for $20,000 off MSRP ($10,000 Fed/State tax credit and $10,000 dealer discount) bringing an SV or SL model down to $16 - $18K, but that was really more than I wanted to pay for a light local driver. I never found a $33K S model listed for $10,000 off MSRP, otherwise I may have bought a 2017 for $13K. In the end, I opted for a one owner, off lease, 2015, with 27,000 miles, 12 bars, and certified by the dealer. The car is indistinguishable from new and cost $9300. I bought it for my wife, but find I have been driving it a lot more than her, even though I am a big guy (6 4", 235) and love my 2013 Toyota Highlander Limited. I love the value, the power, and mostly that it doesnt have a tailpipe. We have seen the future.

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  A Connecticut Leaf Owner Speaks - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By ctleafowner - August 22 - 1:16 am

  I am not your prototypical Leaf owner. For one, I live in Connecticut...one of two Leaf owners in the state...I have a long commute (45 miles one way) and, at the moment, I dont have a Level 2 charger where I work (Im working on that, but the Chevy Volt has made convincing my company to get one very difficult). After a few rookie mistakes (driving 70 mph to work in the cold w/o a full charge), one of which found me driving into my garage with 4 miles of charge left, I have learned to drive back and forth to work with no range issues. The Leaf definitely makes you think about the way you drive and makes you think about your trips before you go anywhere. That being said, I love my Leaf.

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  Reliable and low ownership costs - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Andy - June 25 - 5:31 am

  We bought this car in Dec of 2015 and now have 23K on it. During this time all weve had to do is take it in once to the dealer to have them do system check to comply with the warranty. All the car occasionally needs is a tire rotation. My wife drives the car 46 miles rt each day and usually has from 22 miles left in cold weather to 35 in warm. The car has been completely reliable. Its great not having to go in for oil and filter changes. We park it in the garage and use a home charger. Plugging in takes about 6 seconds. If the car is at 35 range, one hour of charging will put it up to 75. Even with low gas prices over the last two years and the higher cost of electricity in NY the Leaf is still cheaper to operate. We spend about $60 extra in electricity each month to travel about 950 miles a month. That works out to .06 cents a mile. Gas at $2.25 and 25mpg would come to $.09 per mile. Not a lot of difference but were pleased with the lower cost from not having many systems to check and maintain. We like that there arent any exhaust fumes. No belts, exhaust system, 2/3 less parts. No transmission or steering fluids to clean/replace. One thing some people dont realize is how fast the car is. We operate it in ecomode but if in regular driving mode the car is very peppy and able to keep up with almost anything on the road.

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  A Fun car to drive and you save money too! - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Jim Mol - June 3 - 12:04 am

  If you are looking for a LEAF, do your homework. Figure out how many miles you drive a day to help you decide if this car will work for you. Batteries seem to be a biggest problem after a number of years of use and there are forums for the LEAF that will tell you what to look for and how to check them. It is such a different car, from your internal combustion engine car, that you need to think different. If you want to follow manufacturer recommended service, you take it in every 7500 miles and they check a few things. Every 14,500 miles they change the break fluid. Thats it. On my 2015 I figure we have 85 miles to use even though it says we have 110 miles available. That is more than enough to get to work 10 miles away and run errands along the way. We are now charging every other day. The day after we bought it, we had gone 75 miles and still had 20% of the battery left. As it gets cold, expect the milage to go down - part in heating the car and part due to how cold can effect a battery. For us, even if it is cut by half, it would still serve our needs. As with every electric vehicle, this one has a sweet spot: 38 mph. If you could drive that on a nearly level road I have read you can get 134 miles out of it. Meanwhile in the real world, be conservative and decide if the milage it will normally achieve based on the number of bars left on the battery are right for you. If so, get it. If not...your choice. Oh, I didnt rate the safety cause we have not had it over a winter and I do not know what they mean by active safety.