| Ranking | Details |
|---|---|
| #1 |
2011 nissan leaf Professional Edmunds ReviewSource: Edmunds...Safety: The 2011 Nissan Leaf comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. A rearview camera is optional on the SL. Interior Design and Special Features: Because the Leaf's battery pack resides under the floor beneath the seats, the rear seat is quite comfortable for adults. The front seat provides no shortage of space for even tall drivers and the seats themselves are quite supportive and comfortable, though the vehicle's short range makes sure they'll never be enjoyed during a long-haul road trip. The cargo area is on... |
| #2 |
2011 Nissan Leaf Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The Leaf has manually adjustable cloth front seats, which are made partly from recycled materials. Both my husband and I were able to find a great fit, which is a challenge sometimes since I'm 5 feet 3 inches and he's 6 feet 2 inches. However, the steering wheel only adjusts up and down. It doesn't telescope, which is surprising in a car where seemingly everything else was so well thought out. The backseat had plenty of space for my two daughters and their high-back booster seats. While the Leaf seats five, squeezing three kiddos in the backseat would be uncomfortable but doable in a pinch... |
| #3 |
2011 Nissan Leaf Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...Cloth upholstery is the only choice, and the interior is almost indistinguishable from a regular car's, with the exception of the drive mode selector, which looks like a computer mouse. The usual cupholders, center storage console, door pockets and glove compartment are all present. The standard touch-screen navigation system superimposes a graphical range indicator on the map. It also provides multiple energy-readout screens to help gauge energy use and remaining range. Under the Hood The Leaf uses a 340-volt battery pack under the floor to power an electric drive motor, which drives the... |
| #4 |
2011 Nissan LEAF: Flash DriveSource: MSN Autos...While 100 miles is more than the average driver needs in a day, a full charge takes 15 hours using a standard 110-volt outlet. Since you're used to leaving home with more gas than you'll need for the day, driving the Leaf feels like the low-fuel light is on; you always have one eye on the gauge. –Mike MeredithIt may not be the fastest, the best-handling and certainly not the most beautiful vehicle, but the Leaf is one of the coolest cars on the road. With its purely electric powertrain, the novelty of driving silently never seems to wear off. The Leaf is much more than a glorified golf... |
| #5 |
2011 Nissan Leaf Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com..." The top speed is electronically limited to 95 mph. I found myself speeding inadvertently — a lot . This is always a good sign in a car. It reflects low noise levels, stability and confidence, things you don't always get in typical cars, much less in efficient ones. As I said of the Volt, the Leaf isn't merely quiet as it accelerates from a stop, it's admirably quiet at high speeds. Only when you hit around 60-70 mph does wind noise begin to become intrusive, especially when you encounter crosswinds. The car's bizarre, bulging headlights are designed to deflect air around the side... |
| #6 |
2011 Nissan Leaf Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...For a compact hatch, the Leaf's ride is supple, and while you're not going to win an autocross competition, the steering and suspension can take a hard corner without fuss. Headroom is great, but seat height can't be adjusted since the batteries are fitted underneath the carpet. Standard LED headlamps are piercingly bright, as are the rear LED tail lamps. Brake feel is superb, and not at all loose like some regenerative systems. But the Leaf is no moonshot. When the last GM EV1s were ripped from customer hands and crushed, they had a nearly 140-mile range, zipped to 60 miles per hour in under... |
| #7 |
CarGurus' Review for 2011 nissan leafSource: CarGurus
...The Nissan Leaf may not rocket us toward some utopian World of Tomorrow, but it sure feels like a piece of that world has come to life. |
Things are getting a bit weird today as the oddballs of the upcoming show season make their first appearances. First up, we have the 2012 Smart For-Us Concept, a micro-pickup... December 7, 2011 by Nelson Ireson
There are at least three obstacles standing between electric cars and mainstream drivers: range-anxiety, battery recharge times, and the fledgling charging infrastructure... October 11, 2011 by Richard Read
As everyone knows by now, Apple did not launch the iPhone 5 at yesterday's press event. This was bad news for Apple (shares slid after the meet-up), bad news for iOS... October 5, 2011 by Richard Read
In America, the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash holds a special place in our automotive culture. The creation of esteemed auto journalist Brock... September 7, 2011 by Kurt Ernst
2011 Nissan Leaf owners are right on the cutting edge of car technology, but so far only Apple iPhone users have been able to enjoy the full experience of controlling the... August 1, 2011 by Antony Ingram
The Leaf is simpler in purpose than the 2011 Chevrolet Volt—and more than $10k cheaper.
As an all-electric vehicle, the Leaf has no fuel tank, no tailpipe, and no conventional gasoline engine, so it's a greener solution if your daily driving is in the 40-90-mile range.
The Tesla Roadster is also an all-electric vehicle, but this little two-seater is a cartoonish exaggeration of what an EV can be—an EV exotic of sorts—capable of zero to 60 in less than four seconds.
No question, the top rival for the 2011 Nissan Leaf is the 2011 Toyota Prius, though.
Nissan is setting its sights on the exact same people who have bought more than one million of the iconic Toyota hybrids.
Just as Toyota has plans to build the Prius in the U.S., Nissan plans to build all U.S.
Leafs—as well as the battery packs—here in the U.S.
(although the first ones will come from Japan).
The 2011 Nissan Leaf, by the way, is already sold out for the entire first year of production, so if you want a new car this year you just might have to go for one of those other options.
Other than the Prius, there's the Honda Insight; while the Insight is priced even lower, it's a mild hybrid and doesn't return fuel-efficiency numbers that are quite as high as those of the Prius.
The Lexus CT 200h is another new alternative; it's a stylish five-door hatchback that borrows elements from both the Prius and the HS 250h sedan, has a slightly sportier feel, and gets more than 40 mpg combined.
Also, beginning in 2012, there will be a number of other all-electric models introduced.
