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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  The problem is NISSAN, not the car! - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By patsiefe - March 8 - 1:17 pm

  Things to know: You will NOT get the EPA rated distances, especially at freeway speeds, or with the heater on! I am sure this is also true for the Volt. Besides this, the car did well until I got a flat. Remember that the leaf has no spare, and Nissan has not figured out what to do about that. They include a little electric pump and sealant. DO NOT USE THEM!!! It will cost you a fortune! Worst, the car now fails to start, and the dealership has not been able to get an answer in OVER A WEEK AS TO WHY! No car for me! More disturbing is the fact that it is related to the BRAKING SYSTEM , and the computer does not understand that the brakes have been touched!

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  Nissan leaf built on a Friday - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By richardriver - December 23 - 10:24 am

  Bought the lowest price for 28K. After 3 weeks the car left me stranded, the dealer did not know what to do, it took them 8 days to figure it out. Now, after 3 months, the AC failed completely. But other than that is an excellent car for commuting. I do recommend the quick charging package Chademo with 6.6kw 240 charger. If you dont get it you would regret it, Like I did. This gives you more functionality.

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  Magic Carpet ride - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By 1nissanzealot - December 5 - 10:11 pm

  Its everything i knew it would be and more! Not over-done and nothing neglected. Its equipped with the latest usable technologies and easy to use it just keeps the "WoW-factor" needle pinned at 10! No more gas fill-ups or oil-changes. feels awesome to start that inevitable break from the "old" to the "whats new and whats-coming". The future is now, be a part of it.n me?

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  Very Pleased - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By austinbeartux - September 15 - 1:49 pm

  While I care about the environment, I didnt buy my Leaf for environmental reasons. I bought it for financial reasons. When you add up all the financial and efficiency aspects of this car, its really quite amazing. Local Nissan Dealership rebate: $3,500. Federal tax rebate: $7,500. Texas rebate: $2,500. Austin rebate on home charging station: up to $1,500. Nissan finance % over 72 months: 0%. Austin Energy has a deal where for $25, you get unlimited charging at over 200 stations scattered all over the city for 6 months. With average mixed hwy/city driving, it gets the equivalent of 115 mpg. All in all, Im very pleased with almost everything about the car.

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  Experience after 2 months - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By ph_ - August 14 - 9:09 am

  Ok, Ive had a leaf for about 2 months now. Admittedly, I also have a gas car, which I use when I need to go out of town. That said, the Leaf is the primary vehicle being driven about twice the miles as the gas car. Overall, Nissan did an excellent job. I could complain about a number of things but Ill focus on the essentials instead. 1. Plugging in at night is no problem. It takes about 15 seconds - and another 15 in the morning. 2. Acceleration is great. The specs are above. But, from observing the Leafs kilowatt meter, it appears Nissan restricted the acceleartion (probably for safety). Instead of immediately pegging at 80kw (the top of the meter), it... (see forum)

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  Like riding on a silent magic carpet - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By chuck allen - July 7 - 4:49 pm

  The Leaf is a terrific nearly silent comfortable pleasure to drive. Over 45 years Ive owned a lot of different models and brands and the Leaf is hands down the least expensive to operate. There is virtually no routine maintenance beyond tire rotations. No oil changes. No worry about changing spark plugs or exhaust parts. No engine noise. Driving carefully I could go half again as far as the rated 82 miles to over 125 miles before needing a charge. The downside side is trips beyond 80 miles requires careful planning. Charge points are expanding in availability. Update after nearly two years of ownership: I still love the Leaf. The nearly silent ride allows me to relax and listen to music as if Im at home even though Im driving down the highway in traffic. Maintenance costs are minimal. There are no oil changes. There is no internal combustion engine, exhaust, radiator to check and service. There is no transmission to go wrong. There is simply the pleasure of a quiet ride.

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  Apotheosis of perfection! - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By woodyas - July 4 - 8:25 pm

  Put off going electric for a plethora of reasons. And hemmed and vacillated on getting the Leaf for about a year. But wow: THIS CAR IS TRULY AWESOME. Hands down...this is the best car I have ever had. And to be able to never put gas in a car again. NEVER! A feeling like no other.

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  commuter car - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By EddieInUtah - June 21 - 11:35 pm

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  Not a cold weather car!! - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By budreaux1 - June 4 - 4:29 am

  If you live where it rains or snows dont buy this car. The car body designers never drove this car in rain or snow. The spray from the tires creates a truly ugly car within miles. The snow build-up in wheel wells and the 6-12 inches of crud on the running boards is beyond annoying. Try to buy a splash guard post-factory? Not available without a special order and a 4 to 5 week wait. The actual driving range in winter is lowered by several factors: 1. less charge in cold temps (10-12 miles less) 2. if you use the climate control 15 to 20 miles are subtracted from your range estimate. So if you want a car that can go 50 to 60 miles and turn your garage into an ice rink...this is the one.

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  Smooth As Silk - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By billsea - May 12 - 9:38 am

  Ive really enjoyed owning and driving this car, which is now up to 10,000 miles. It is incredibly smooth, quiet and generally effortless to drive. The interior feels large, with plenty of room in the back for adults. The storage area is ample for the around-town usage dictated by the range. The range is occasionally a nuisance, but thats increasingly mitigated by charge stations. When my trips are well within the range, I have fun with the torque and the low center of gravity. So far its getting about 30 miles per dollar, a fascinating new metric that really puts the sucking sound in the front of our minivan in perspective. (Its five times more expensive to drive that one a mile.)