Overview & Reviews

For 2015, the Nissan Leaf adds a more aggressive regenerative braking mode to the base model, and voice-to-text messaging and navigation voice command to SV and SL models. The SV also now gets 17-inch wheels.

• Spacious, quiet cabin
• Reliable and available
• Useful cruising range
• Ample features
• Affordable base price.

• Slow acceleration.

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 20.00

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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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  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.

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  Zippy, fun car! - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Kelly - January 10 - 1:23 am

  The Leaf is a really fun car to drive. It handles well, feels very solid and well made. I think its zippy- I dont understand the slow acceleration comment from Edmunds. I loved my previous car but sold it to friends in order to go with new technology. I leased rather than purchased- you want to be able to move on to a higher range vehicle in a few years. Hope Nissan comes out with a 150-200 range version in 2018 - Ill be waiting in line... If you dont like the odd look of the Leaf (many dont) its all the more reason to be driving it - you wont have to look at it! Inside, it is a nicely appointed, spacious car. As far as charging it - I plug it in to a standard outlet in my garage and it charges overnight. Just like my iPhone and iPad.... A regular, nightly procedure. 100 percent charged by 7 a.m. Love it. Leased January 2016. Adding a comment here.....LEASING is a better deal than purchasing.

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

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  Surprised its So Nice - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Jerry Roussos - August 31 - 10:45 pm

  We bought our 2015 Leaf SL for an around town car. Its perfect for any trip of 35 miles radius from home (70 miles round trip). When traveling further there are loads of Free charging stations to be found. Home charging cost is about 2 cents per mile driven based on the local FP&L 10.6 cents/kwh electric cost. Im a big guy with a bad back. I looked hard at the Chevy Volt but due to the lower roof line it was hard for me to get into it without contorting my neck to duck under the roof. The Leaf roof is tall and actually is easier to get into than my Lexus RX450h. Acceleration is ample and very quiet. It just pulls. In ECO mode the accelerator is remapped to make response pretty dull but acceptable. Turn off the ECO mode and the accelerator is very responsive. ECO doesnt reduce acceleration it just takes more pedal movement to get the same response. We installed a 240 volt charging station at the house which cost about $500 for the box and $150 for electric installation. It is well worth it. It fully charges the Leaf in about 3 hours vs the 15 hours it takes using the supplied trickle charger. Without the offered rebates the car would not be one we would have considered. We negotiated a $5,000 dealer discount, A $6,000 Nissan rebate and a $7,500 Federal tax credit so that reduced our real cost to $20,000 for a $38.500 MSRP Loaded SL. Or SL has Bose Stereo, Navigation, Leather etc. We estimate the car will be worth only $10,000 after 5 years but that is not bad considering depreciation after rebates are factored in is only $2,000 per year. Maintenance cost should be minimal since no oil changes etc. The only issue may be battery degradation over time Fuel (Electric) is costing us about $20 extra a month on our electric bill for 1,000 miles driven. NOT BAD. The car has a free iPhone or Android APP that allows you to view charging status, battery status and even start the Air Conditioner remotely. In Hot Florida we use the AC remote start up all the time before leaving a restaurant to make sure he the car is cool by the time we get to it. Update: 20 month of ownership update. Its still our go to car for local trips within a 30 mile radius of home. Range has reduced very slightly due to exoected battery degradation. In 20 months battery and range has degraded 6%, and this is in Florida heat. The only problems so far is the 67 cents CR2025 coin battery in our key fobs needed replaced and a recall on the passenger seat pressure sensor.

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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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  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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  Excellent! - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Tuan - January 3 - 1:57 am

  How many miles you drive the car for a day!