Used 2016 Nissan LEAF Hatchback Consumer Reviews
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Don't be shocked! It's a great electric car!
Hardball, 09/29/2016
updated 02/06/2018
2016 Nissan LEAF SL 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
94 of 94 people found this review helpful
I leased my 2016 LEAF about 900 miles ago and I have to say I'm "shocked" at how great it is. It's the SL version which means it's fully loaded with all options. The car is well built and very solid. With all the incentives, I got a great deal and will be able to buy it in a few years at an awesome price. Fully charged, it is capable of 125 miles. This is plenty for my daily 40 mile round trip commute. I installed a 240 V level 2 charger myself with not too much difficulty. I'm fairly handy and have a newer home with 200 amp service and spare breakers. I bought the NISSAN charger or EVSE online. I charge the car on early Wedsnesday mornings and again on Sunday mornings during off peak hours. It charges from empty in less than 5 hours but I usually only need about 3 and a half hours to go from 20 miles to about 110. It costs me about 2 bucks per charge. This is easy to do beacuse it's fully programmable. It's incredibly loaded with technology that makes it fun to drive. While searching for an alternative vehicle, I drove the VOLT and Prius. I was not impressed with either one. The VOLT has hardly any rear headroom and is a joke for tall people to sit in the back plus it's a true four seater at best. The Prius was interesting but seemd to lack any pep. The LEAF is decievingly large inside due to its height. It also has great acceleration due to its torque from the electric motors. Driving an electric car is a unique experience. It's silent and smooth. There is no drag when using the A/C and no strain from a gas motor. It accelerates effortlessly, quietly, and smoothly. I don't have trouble with range because there are many chargers available in my area plus at any NISSAN dealer. I still have gas cars for long trips though. But, I don't travel much anyway. I love pulling into my garage silently, having no motor to heat up the garage, no smells from oil and exhaust etc. It requires no maintenance except tire rotations. No belts, exhaust, oil etc. I'm no hypermiler either- don't have to be- I use the climate control liberally, drive at normal speeds on the highway every day, plus I'm a car guy and own a classic musclecar which I drive pretty hard on the weekends. I guess I'm not the typical electric car owner but it's just a blast to drive the LEAF. It has a nice sized hatch area for groceries unlike the Honda Fit. The electronics are intuitive and easy to use. The nav is great and the Bose sound is very good. I would say to anyone on the fence, examine your driving practices and see if it's for you. I should add that the build quality is exceptional and the materials are excellent. I am VERY picky with cars and don't have any major cons for this car. I will say that the center armrest could be improved by making it adjustable to slide forward. There is a little more wind noise than I like but it's a smaller car. There is no lock on the glove box. There should be courtesy lights for rear passengers. I hope this review helps you. *UPDATE* Feb 2017 Okay, so I first reviewed this car in September of 2016 so I think it's time to update my review. I see some people saying some poor things about it but it's not been my experience. I have almost 16,000 miles on the car from a new lease and have ZERO battery life degradation. All battery life bars are full as new. It does not charge to what it did when new (135) but does charge up to 109 which is in line with Nissan's projections. I live in a Northern cold weather climate and will say that using this car in winter weather DOES affect the mileage rather significantly when driving at highway speeds. Cons: The use of all the electric accessories in winter weather (especially the climate control) can drain the battery quickly. At lower city speeds however, I find the effects to be not as drastic. The A/C in the summer is a high drain on the battery also. Driving on snow or ice can be especially tricky due to the torque of the motors when accelerating from a stop. The windshield washer sprayers are terrible. They are not set up to spray high enough and don't immediately activate the wipers. No daytime running lamps, headlights don't automatically turn off in the constant ON position- they could potentially be left on though there is an alarm. Pros: no gas or maintenance other than tire rotations. Powerful headlights (SL). Great Bose stereo (on the SL), EFFORTLESS electric power steering, nice leather, navigation is excellent, easy Bluetooth, lots of media options, heated steering wheel is AWESOME, I have no complaints with the heater, surprisingly roomy because of its tall cabin, jackrabbit acceleration. This car is not for everyone. It's NOT a highway car for sustained drives. It is ideal for close to home driving, running errands, grocery shopping etc. Forget about unscheduled impulse drives however because you have to take your range into consideration. If most of your driving is close to home this car could be perfect for you.
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Nissan Leaf Issue - Winter
Steve Clubb, 01/04/2017
2016 Nissan LEAF S 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
26 of 28 people found this review helpful
In the winter > 20 degrees I am lucky to get 50 miles on a charge. Additionally, the heating is not effective. Heated seats work fine but the feet and leg area is cold and does not warm up. My feet stay frozen. Seats are not comfortable when commuting @ 24 miles.
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2016 Nissan LEAF for sale near you
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- S 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $8,590289 mi away
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Best car to own for commuting
Kurt, 06/17/2017
2016 Nissan LEAF S 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
This car is great. I like having the filling station at home in my garage. I save money on fuel and maintenance. I like the quiet ride especially when driving through the neighborhood with the windows down on a nice day. My first reaction to the styling was not good but it grows on you and now I love it. The only thing I don't like is that my wife keeps driving off in it leaving me stuck filling her Prius with gas. There are some great deals on these out there right now.
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Battery Life is TERRIBLE - Don't buy this vehicle
Georgiana Maly, 02/10/2018
updated 02/21/2020
2016 Nissan LEAF SV 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
25 of 28 people found this review helpful
You should know that my Nissan Leaf was supposed to get on a 100% charge, a mileage range of 112. It's 2 years old and starting after owning the car for a year and a half (18 months), the battery started degrading rapidly. On a full charge, mileage range was approximately 85 miles and now February 1, 2018, driving it for 2 years, on a full charge, mileage range is approximately 70 on a good day. I NEVER can use my radio, heater or a/c because the mileage range will drop to 55 on a full charge. I have the 220 outlet for the charger at home. It gets a full charge within about 3 hours. If you use the 110, it will take up to 12 hours or more for a full charge. I am so disappointed in the mileage. Other than that, I like the car; however, battery life sucks! It's now February 2020 and the car still sucks along with battery life. I'm getting rid of it. Come to find out, it's worth a lot less than what I still owe on it.
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Don't buy this car - battery degradation pitiful
Richard Perata, 12/22/2017
2016 Nissan LEAF SV 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
28 of 32 people found this review helpful
I bought a 2016 Leaf with extended range of 108 miles after owning a 2013 leaf for 2.5 years with no noticeable battery degradation. My 2016 leaf now has lost 31% of it's original battery capacity after 19 months and 7000 miles. A full charge now indicates 74 miles, however the last time I drove this car I traveled 44 miles round trip and was left with 12 miles capacity when I returned home. Ask yourself if this suits your needs before buying this car. Nissan says that battery degradation is normal. According to Nissan my car charges 9 out of 12 bars on their charging scale and they won't replace the battery until it is at 8 out of 12. I'm stuck with a car with 69% of it's stated range after 19 months and low mileage. Will this car work for you? I can only drive 22 miles from my home if I want to make it back home - pathetic rip off - car is essentially a huge brick with a monthly payment
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