Car Review: 2013 Nissan Leaf

 

With gas prices continuing to go up, more automakers are looking for other alternatives to gasoline. Some are looking at wind power, others are looking at hydrogen power. A couple automakers are looking at electric powered cars.

 

You do get less maintenance with electric cars, but are electric cars really the way to go? It looks like a modern car for five people. The one thing that is really surprising is the interior. The dashboard looks like something from a futuristic spaceship. Turn it on, and all you get is a ding telling you the car is on. You do get the same amenities as a regular car, like leather seats, heated seats and a heated steering wheel.

 

 

The Leaf doesn't feel fast if you keep the eco-controls on. It almost feels like you're driving with the parking brake on. Turn the eco-controls off and suddenly the car feels a bit more peppy. Top speed is only around 90 mph, which isn't fast at all. But if you put your foot down, you get a load of torque and you will get from 0-60 mph in under 7 seconds. Of course, if you drive at high speeds with the eco-mode off, the car will make you pay. Your battery range will suddenly drop from 60 miles to 20 miles and you'll be panicking looking for a place to charge. Thankfully, the GPS will show where the nearest charging station is. By 2014, there will be around 15,000 charging stations in the US.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, there are ways to charge up the battery while you drive. You can put the car into brake mode when you go downhill. This allows the car to brake for you and the energy will be used to charge the battery. There are also solar panels on the roof to charge the battery as well. If you use any of the electrical systems, like the radio, A/C, or the wipers, this will drain your battery though

 

 

 

Yes, electric cars do save you money and environment in the long run, but they can be a bit stressful and too politically correct. I prefer to drive fast and if you do that in the Leaf, you'll drive for about 15 minutes before you have to charge up. Now, Nissan has put an additional charger that will charge the Leaf in about 30 minutes. There is also still the regular charge that takes over 4 hours to charge. Plus, there is a locking button that will prevent others from taking your charger out before the car is fully charged.

 

 

 

I still prefer my gas powered car. It has a great noise when you drive it, and in the long run, it's much faster. Plus, I don't have to deal with charging it up or draining the battery every time I drive fast or use the radio or A/C.