2012 Nissan LEAF Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by mrdcmills

Fuel economy

At my present rate of .088 per kilowat this car has cost 2.2 cents per mile.

Discounts & incentives

It's an expensive car for my income, but with the money the Feds and Nissan kicked in the lease is worth a try. I've never had a new car. This is a big deal to us.

Powertrain performance

This is a "real" car not a toy. It took a while to get used to total silence when you stop at a light. It is suprisingly fast up to about 45 mph. Cold a/c. Being electric, the first maintenance is 17500 miles. I'm doing fine with the level 1 charger that came with the car.

Interior styling

I really like the interior and instrumentation. Navigation is overkill on a car with 70-100 mile range. There are many ways to monitor your power use to enhance range. I'm still having too much fun driving it like I stole it.

Materials & workmanship

The fit and finish is almost flawless. All the upholstery and interior panels fit. No rattles or squeaks.

Exterior styling

Kind of odd. My wife says it's growing on her.

Powertrain performance

Was worried about "range anxiety". After a month, we don't even think about it. Except to try it out, we have never plugged in away from home.

Go drive this car. You will be impressed. Do the math and think about your average drive. The car is expensive, but maintenance is nonexistent. I believe rngas will go up from $3.40. If not, it's still a cool car.