Nissan Leaf 30kW 2017

Name: Nissan Leaf 30kW 2017
Item: Nissan Leaf 30kW
Rating: 5
Author: Owner Review: Community Contributor

Owner Review: Community Contributor

01 Jun 2023

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Kilometres travelled

25,000 - 50,000 km

Did you buy this car new or used?

Used

If used, what year did you buy it used?

2020

How much did you pay? (including all on-road costs)

27000

What were your needs when you bought this car? Has it fulfilled those needs?

I wanted a run around car for commuting and family trips around Auckland and to cut my carbon footprint. It has easily fulfilled those.

What were your initial thoughts about the car? Tell us why it appealed to you.

On test drive two things hit me - how soothing the quiet was and how fast the car was, especially on acceleration. The temptation to drag off other cars from the lights was quite irresistible. And price-wise it wasn't much different to buying an ICE car second hand.

What have you discovered since owning the car?

Firstly - it is fast. It is like driving a race car. Instant acceleration at your fingertips and seriously good cornering due to the low centre of mass. A number of friends have asked "aren't electric cars slow" and wonder why I laugh in their face. Secondly - it is calming. Its not just the lack of engine noise, but also the vibration through steering wheel and seat in an ICE car that you don't really notice until its gone. I feel serene when I finish my trip. Also you just have to love love love never having to go to a petrol station. For the first time in my driving life I have no idea of the price of petrol.

What do you like/dislike about the car?

I only have two bugbears. Firstly the turning circle isn't great for a small car. Secondly it is very hard to see the nose, so combined it takes a while to be able to judge your parking. And it still irritates me. Otherwise I am starting to get range envy compared to newer EVs, but I have yet to use up my 180km on a single trip so I really don't need a pricier longer range car for what I do.

Any other comments on the car?

Range anxiety is real when you first get an electric car but you do get over it, especially now there are fast chargers everywhere. Dive in - you'll love it and never want to go back.

Reliability

Features/technology

Performance/economy

Value for money

Overall rating

Lastly, would you buy this vehicle again?

Yes

Why would/wouldn't you buy it again?

It is exactly the right car for around town driving. Its nippy, smooth, responsive and has more than enough range for anywhere around town. A joy for commuting.

Owner Reviews

Nissan Leaf G - 30kWh 2016

Kilometres travelled 10,000 - 25,000 km Did you buy this car new or used? Used If used, what year did you buy it used? 2021 How much did you pay? (including all on-road costs) 23000 What were your needs when you bought this car? Has it fulfilled those needs? We were looking for an electric run about to see if we could live with an electric car. The Leaf was an obvious choice, as it fit the budget and seemed relatively easy to use and maintain. The car is well put together and performs amicably. Charging is quick from the normal wall socket. We charge overnight twice a week and get a range of 193km in summer and around 170km in winter. What were your initial thoughts about the car? Tell us why it appealed to you. I don't like Nissan. Grew up with Datsun/Nissan - remember the old 120Y, Stanza and Laurel? They were rattle traps. Finish and fit was poor and they were in general horrible cars. Took the Leaf for a test drive and I was very impressed by the high standard of fit and finish. No rattles anywhere and it was super quiet. The colour (Silver) was also appealing to us. Not to fond of the light (cream) interior. That was rectified with black seat covers to protect the seats. This model is very well equipped. It has heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel and other little things like excellent storage. What have you discovered since owning the car? Service costs are very low. We paid $150 for a service at a local EV dealer. The cost of charging is also quite low at around $5/week. The car handles well and is easy to live with. It won't break any records but it is a great runabout. Owning an electric car is very easy. It has far fewer things that can go wrong. The Leaf is very reliable and I only ever replaced the front two tyres. What do you like/dislike about the car? I love the ease of use. It is also easy to get in and out of the car. Having a bit higher seat also helps with us getting older. Luggage space is good for the normal kind of things you do like grocery shopping. The shape of the boot is however a bit awkward and makes it difficult for carrying larger items. What I disliked most was all the chimes. Put it in reverse, and there is a chime, dare to cross over the line on the side of the road, and it chimes. I know this is for safety, but can it please be less irritating? The car is now 7 years old and the SOH of the battery is still 82%. It has only ever had 3 fast charges since new. The rest of the time we charge at home. Any other comments on the car? I can highly recommend the Leaf as an entry level electric car. It is easy to live with, does not cost the earth to maintain or charge. It is spacious enough for a family. It is starting to show its age. There are newer offerings that has better battery technology, but as a starter, nothing comes close. Reliability 5 Features/technology 3 Performance/economy 3 Value for money 5 Overall rating 4 Lastly, would you buy this vehicle again? Yes Why would/wouldn't you buy it again? We have now traded up. It was a tough decision. Should we buy a 62kWh Nissan Leaf again or should we rather opt for an SUV style vehicle? Our needs have changed slightly as we need to carry a bike rack as well. So the SUV won out. I would definitely buy another Leaf should I need something to run around town with.
Nissan Leaf 2017

Kilometres travelled 25,000 - 50,000 km Did you buy this car new or used? Used If used, what year did you buy it used? 2020 How much did you pay? (including all on-road costs) 43000 What were your needs when you bought this car? Has it fulfilled those needs? We had two older petrol cars and had moved from the suburbs into Central Auckland so wanted one car to share that also was environmentally good, but had all the modern tech and a good safety rating. We only had a small carport in the hew house. We love this car as it is medium sized and fits in the carport. We bought the luxury model so it has amazing cameras and tech, and doesn't pump pollution into the air. What were your initial thoughts about the car? Tell us why it appealed to you. We liked the quietness, the lovely gold colour, the blue leather upholstery, the newish EV technology, the acceleration and especially the amazing bird's-eye camera, and backing camera. We like the modern look of the outer design. What have you discovered since owning the car? Very comfortable heated seats, very cheap to charge, good sized boot to cart my shopping from the plant store. We get half price power from 10pm to 7am so charge it within those hours which makes it incredibly cheap to run. We bought a wallcharger from the dealer that allows us to charge it at double the rate of a three pin plug. What do you like/dislike about the car? Only came with a six month warranty on the battery and after 9 months we had a fault with one cell in the battery that we got easily replaced and cost $3000 to fix. Luckily the dealer agreed to pay half and we haven't had any more problems. It would still be cheaper to fix than buy a new car, if we got another fault. We're told that it was a manufacturing fault and very unlikely to happen again. Any other comments on the car? We still love it and would highly recommend one. Reliability 4 Features/technology 5 Performance/economy 5 Value for money 5 Overall rating 5 Lastly, would you buy this vehicle again? Yes Why would/wouldn't you buy it again? We would definitely buy one again as it is environmentally friendly, cheap to run, quiet, roomy, great design with good tech and a gorgeous Bose stereo.
Nissan Leaf 2019

Kilometres travelled 0-10,000 km Did you buy this car new or used? Used How much did you pay? (including all on-road costs) 39000 What were your needs when you bought this car? Has it fulfilled those needs? Everyday run around and can carry bike, must have style and practical. Quite cavernous, not so high tech now but I do marvel the tech around the car, to aluminium panels. What were your initial thoughts about the car? Tell us why it appealed to you. Was mid range EV and good starting point. Was scared with range, still yet to do long trip but I well equipped should that come . What have you discovered since owning the car? People do judge your car whether EV owners or people unsure which model if is. Or people make nasty statement. Like ok whatever, I want a car to reflect me, make a statement and know Im paying more for green credentials. What do you like/dislike about the car? Like it's common car but wish it was CCS or active cooling management built in. But it's so ahead of its time. I've told most people at work about my car. Any other comments on the car? There is issue with front struts you need to ask dealer for strut covers. Reliability 4 Features/technology 4 Performance/economy 5 Value for money 4 Overall rating 4 Lastly, would you buy this vehicle again? Yes