I've recently made a transition from Outlander of 4 years ownership to an all electric LEAF and I haven't looked back after putting now over 2k miles on it. While both are different type of cars, I do have to mention that Leaf is much better then Outlander in almost every way. It has smooth and quick acceleration without and jerks and quiet inside and out and doesn't stink. The looks are somewhere between plain and ugly, so I still prefer Outlander looks, but it wasn't my priority when the gas got expensive. It lacks AWD control, but to be honest I don't miss it, at least for my daily work commute there is no need for that. Surprisingly LEAF feels very stable in wet roads where with Outlander even with AWD and upgraded tires I feel like it's hydroplaning. The acceleration is excellent with LEAF having 207 pounds of instant torque and just a hair short from V6 Outlander performance and I would probably think that it would be better then 4 cylnder version. Cornerning is impressive, I can effortlessly do 60 mph on a 25 mph freeway ramp thanks to 700 pound batteries in the floor keeping the low center of gravity where with Outlander I never really dared to try. Most importantly I no longer smell like burned oil after my commute. So, all in all it's a fun car for daily commuting and smelly and tired Outlander is now resting in the garage for those once in a while long trips.

 

Hey klas (kcmh here), thanks for the info. I've had a soft spot for the LEAF since I saw it for the first time. My work commute is pretty short, so it would be the ideal car for that and for around town.

That being said, I think your opinion is not necessarily targeted towards the Outlander itself, but all gasoline and diesel cars. To say the Outie left you smelling like burned oil after driving means you either had massive oil leakage over your exhaust manifold or you work for Greenpeace.

The Outie is one of the best handling SUVs out there. I have pushed it hard in the wet, and kept up with some very sporty coupes. It has loads of grip available at any time. It surely has a higher CG than a smaller car, but I consistently exceed curvy ramp and road speeds and she never gets out of shape, she's very predictable.

So I say point your renewable hate gun towards all combustion engines. I too would like a greener world, but picking on the good looking kid ain't fair.

 

In 5 to 6 years when the batteries are shot they will be sent to china for "Recycling" (They have a very spotty track record but they are willing to do dirty work) so you can do all the pollution in one shot rather than a bit at the time. Not including the shipping both way in a bunker fueled ship.

Also how is electricity generated in you part of the world, Coal fired power plants?

0 carbon does not exist on earth, just breathing generate CO2.

BUT it's a start... not the absolute solution.

 

Are you serious? The Leaf is a technological marvel, and a total POS. There is no way it's "better than an Outlander in almost every way". The only thing it's better than is a bicycle, and that's only because you can hide from the rain while you're driving it. Not to mention that after I get tired on the bike, I can drink some water and be ready to go again in 10 minutes, not like the leaf, which gains 5 miles of range per hour while charging on a standard household outlet.

http://jalopnik.com/5780215/nissan-e...randing-owners

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Leaf#Recharging

 

Isnt there a LEAF forum you can post this on?


(P.S. How good is your leaf in snow, mud, dirt, or ice?...Oh and your Leaf can't tow)

 

I was only sharing my positive experience with transition to a completely different type of car and it was not my intention to prove anything here, everyone is entitled to their opinion. What I was saying is after I went EV route I had no regrets. Let me clarify something, Leaf is the best car for me, although, I am not even a fan of the name or the looks, but it's still much better option for ME then Outlander in every way. I don't tow... ever or drive in the snow, mud other then 3-5 times a years for skiing and, as I mentioned, Leaf handles nicely in rain unlike Outlander at freeway speeds. I wanted a fun and cost effective ride for my daily 25 mile commute that's not Prius that everyone has.

The daily cost of my 25 mile commute with Outlander was about $6 (~$3.90 per gallon, 16 mpg in city driving), now with Leaf it's 50 cents (~0.08 cents per kWh), so after 2k miles that equates to roughly $45 on electricity cost vs over $500 on gas. Just savings alone make it a fun ride and being an Outlander owner we all know what is "best bang for your buck".

Yes, all oil running cars smell, but my Outlander smells worse inside and out then another car that I owned prior to Leaf (Sentra). I had it checked for leaks and it all seemed ok, so it must be that cabin doesn't have good insulation or some engine smell gets into vents.

Handling wise Outlander is good, but having driven Leaf for a while I prefer its handling better. Without test driving Leaf you won't know how effortless it corners.

Now, the concern about batteries going bad in 5-6 years, is not accurate, there is a warranty for 8 years /100k miles that would cover that plus you can do some things to extend its life, like charging to 80%. Also in that time frame battery technology will improve and costs might be reduced, so the money saved on not paying at the gas pump might as well go towards a new battery that will most likely have extended range and/or longer life.

Finally, there are no expensive maintenance costs for Leaf, other then tires, brakes, free battery check, so that's also adds up to huge savings when you are not doing all oil changes and 30,60, 90k checks.

I am still keeping Outlander for a 3-4 years just because I don't see anything else that I would replace it with. I drive it once in a while when my wife takes the Leaf, but after Leaf I don't love driving it as much as I used to.

Speaking of electricity, my car is running on hydro juice, in WA state we have several hydro power plants, so I could say that I am CO2 free, but that wasn't my priority when I was buying electric.

Leaf or any other electric car may not work for everyone today, especially if that's the only car in your household or you need a car for distant commutes (100+ miles), but technology is slowly showing progress. I am hoping that Mitsubishi delivers better EVs then MIEV at affordable price since they promised 8 electrics in the next 5 years.

Cheers!

 

klas, this was a good post, I think you clarified what many took as a dismissive attitude towards the Outlander on your first post. As I said, I like the LEAF, but it seemed like you were comparing them directly, two very different machines built for very different purposes, that's why so many took offense.

Cheers,

 

Yeah, it came out a bit harsh in my initial post, wasn't my intention. Also, I am still lurking on these forums, but have substantially less interest in Outlander these days. As I said I am waiting for Mitsubishi to bring on some more EVs. Electric Outlander concept has my interest.

 

What a shame about your Outlander. I have a 07 also and think it is the bomb. (I like it) But as in every vehicle made there are lemons and issues. I was hoping to get 200k miles on the Outlander. The burning oil sucks. On my other Mitsubishi have 180k miles on it and it is running as good as the day I first purchased it.

 

yeah, to me it's all about savings... when I calculate that 200k miles 16 mpg will cost over $50,000 in just gas at a current price vs EV $5000.... or more realistically after 100k miles $25k vs $2,5k.... I sleep better