2011 Nissan LEAF Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Nissan Leaf review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Leaf, and includes Nissan Leaf safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

A pure electric car, the Nissan Leaf is a five-passenger, five-door hatchback that never, ever needs to visit a gas station.

The Nissan Leaf is the first modern mass-produced electric car. As such, it’s not only new to Nissan’s lineup and infused with new technologies that make it far more viable than previous attempts at electrification of the automobile, but also a new milestone for the entire industry.

The 2011 Nissan Leaf is available in two trim levels. The standard Leaf SV is nicely equipped with automatic climate control, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power mirrors, cruise control, and 16-inch alloy wheels. Bluetooth hands-free connectivity is also included, along with a navigation system, a trip computer, and Nissan Intelligent Key with push-button starting. The Leaf’s stereo includes a CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a USB port for connecting an iPod. Rounding out the standard features list, the Leaf SV has an outside temperature gauge, LED headlights with blue reflectors, LED taillights, and a CarWings telematics system.

CarWings allows the owner to manage the Leaf’s vehicle systems remotely using a smartphone, displays local charging stations on the navigation map, and shows a “reachable” area as a highlighted radius from the Leaf’s current location when the battery is down to its final few miles. CarWings is free for the first three years of ownership.

There’s an uplevel Leaf SL model available. It adds a HomeLink universal remote control, automatic headlights, fog lights, a cargo cover, a photovoltaic rear spoiler, and a reversing camera.

The best reason to choose the Leaf SL, however, is that it’s available with a quick-charge port designed to provide the car with an 80-percent charge in 30 minutes using public charging stations. The theory is that a Leaf owner can spend a day running errands without experiencing range anxiety (the concern that the car’s battery pack will run out of power before finding a place to re-charge). However, for this be a reality, the Leaf must be driven in areas where charging stations are plentiful.

The Leaf’s powertrain is comprised of an 80-kilowatt AC synchronous electric motor powered by 48 laminated and rechargeable compact lithium-ion batteries that are mounted under the Leaf’s floor. Total system output is 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which is available immediately upon depressing the accelerator pedal.

Nissan claims that based on U.S. EPA LA4 City cycle laboratory tests, the Leaf has a 100-mile range. The disclaimer is that with battery age and use, driving habits, charging habits, weather, temperature, and speed, capacity will shrink. An Eco mode can be selected that limits climate control activation and improves range.

Using public charging station, an optional quick charge port and DC fast-charger gives the Leaf an 80-percent charge in 30 minutes. Using a standard household outlet, Nissan says a full re-charge happens in 8 hours. A 110-volt trickle charge will power the Leaf up in 21 hours.

Nissan provides a three-year roadside assistance program with every Leaf. The battery pack is covered by an eight-years/100,000-mile warranty.

Equipped with six airbags, traction and stability control, and regenerative four-wheel-disc brakes with antilock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, and brake assist, the Nissan Leaf’s safety features list is fairly standard in the industry. The SL model is equipped with a reversing camera.

The Leaf’s crash-test scores are impressive. Despite a strengthening of its standards for the 2011 model year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the electrified Nissan a 5-Star overall rating. Frontal impact results get a 4-Star rating, side-impact results garner a 5-Star result, and the NHTSA says rollover resistance is good for a 4-Star rating.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is equally impressed, and the Leaf achieves Top Safety Pick status thanks to top ratings in the offset frontal-, side-, and rear-impact assessments, in addition to roof crush strength.

Consumer Reports has not made reliability predictions for the Leaf. J.D. Power and Associates predicts that dependability will be average, based on the overall performance of all Nissan products over the years.

When you buy a Nissan Leaf, you get a $7,500 income tax credit, which serves to help lower the price of the car. Through the end of 2011, there’s also a $1,000 income tax credit for installing a 240-volt charger at your home, which cuts re-charging time in half compared to a standard household outlet.

The Leaf’s headlights may be odd looking, but they’re specifically designed to split the atmosphere and direct airflow around the side mirrors to reduce aerodynamic drag. Overall, the Leaf’s coefficient of drag measures 0.29.

Speaking of measurements, the Leaf’s trunk measures 14.5 cubic-feet, almost as much as most midsize sedans. The Leaf’s rear seat folds in a 60/40 split, adding even greater cargo versatility. Nissan declines to provide a cargo volume number with the back seat folded down.

Nissan uses partially recycled materials to create the Leaf’s cloth upholstery, carpeting, headliner, interior panels, and other interior bits and pieces. Additionally, the SL model has a photovoltaic solar panel spoiler that supports the car’s 12-volt battery for powering accessories.

Because electric cars are literally silent at low speeds, the Leaf emits a sound that comes from a speaker at the front of the car to warn pedestrians that a car is approaching. The sound engages at speeds of 16 mph or less, and automatically shuts off when the Leaf reaches 19 mph or more. While we’re discussing speed, Nissan claims that the Leaf’s top speed is 90 mph.

If you’re wondering about the Leaf’s overall value equation, Nissan says the cost-per-mile to own this car is up to 30 percent lower than a traditional combustion engine vehicle.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) offers a brand-new mobile charging service in California, Florida, and Washington. Some observers claim this helps alleviate range anxiety. It doesn’t. Initially, just six trucks will be deployed, and a re-charge could take hours. That’s hours after the initial wait for the truck to arrive. Getting flat-bedded to the closest charging station, which can be found using the Leaf’s navigation system, might be a faster way to go in the event that you deplete the Leaf’s battery pack before finding a power outlet.

If you’ve ever driven a golf cart, you’ll be familiar with how a Nissan Leaf drives. It’s quiet, except for a faint spooling sound that sounds like revving turbine jet engines dialed waaaaay down on the decibel meter. It responds instantly to throttle input, because peak torque is available the moment you hit the accelerator. It has an unconventional gear selector offering three transmission settings: Park, Drive, and Reverse. The difference, of course, is that the Leaf is a real car and not a golf cart, a five-passenger family five-door with 14.5 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the rear seat.

Surprisingly fun to drive, the Nissan Leaf feels quick, and can even squeal the inside wheel powering away from a corner. On the highway, the Leaf is almost silent depending on the pavement surface, a result of those headlights directing airflow away from the side mirrors. The electric steering thrums under your palms, providing a sense of road feel. The brake pedal is generally easy to modulate, but the regenerative brakes definitely get grabby when releasing and re-applying pressure in traffic. The suspension is tuned to provide a blend of comfort and handling, feeling more like a European city car, and the 16-inch Bridgestone Ecopia tires grip well and provide entertaining driving dynamics.

Our test car provided an indicated 80-mile range on a full charge. However, driving style, terrain, weather, and other factors have an impact on how far the Leaf will travel before needing another electricity fix. We typically got 70 miles per charge – thanks in part to a heavy foot thrilling to the joys of instant torque – and the Leaf would start issuing warnings about finding more juice at about the 55-mile mark.

Comfort for front seat occupants is good, but not great. The seat fabric is soft and the seat is roomy and comfortable, but the driver’s seat lacks a height adjuster. There’s a manual seat cushion tilt adjustment designed to improve thigh support, but the car really needs a height adjuster to provide the best possible outward visibility.

The Leaf’s rear seat looks roomy but appearances are deceiving. Leg room is sufficient, and passengers sit up tall with a great view out, but that’s because the seat sits on a platform over the battery pack, which means there is no room for feet under the front chairs. This translates to a lack of thigh support for adults.

Low-gloss plastic, a piano-black control panel, and plush cloth upholstery give the Leaf a quality look and feel, though the light gray color (the only color offered) tends to show dirt easily. The trunk is quite accommodating, deep like a minivan’s, but when the rear seats are folded the resulting space is not flat. The Leaf could use a panel dividing the trunk, similar to what’s installed in the Nissan Quest minivan, to solve this issue.

Finally, the Leaf’s charger is relatively light and compact, and stows easily in a removable backpack inside the trunk. The Leaf’s charger is centrally located under the Nissan badge on the Leaf’s nose.

The average American drives fewer than 40 miles per day, on average, well within the Nissan Leaf’s maximum range. However, if you need to travel a triple-digit distance, or if the power goes out, or if you forget to plug the car in overnight, or if you can’t find a public charging station, or if you’re nearing the end of the car’s range and still have some elevation to climb before reaching home, the Leaf becomes a major inconvenience. As a second car for shorter commutes and running errands, it’s brilliant. But you don’t want one of these as your only car.

By Christian Wardlaw