Anyone moved from Nissan LEAF?

[cachehit]

My 2-year Nissan LEAF lease will be expired soon. I basically love the EV car, but the quality of the car itself wasn't that satisfactory. Too ugly, lots of rattle/noise, etc.

Unfortunately, BMW i3 doesn't have three seats in the rear. I often ride three kids in the back. That was deal breaker.

So, now I'm considering e-Golf. Reasonable price and better appearance than LEAF. My concern is that I don't have a good impression on VW cars, especially maintenance and small problems etc. (I'm not a big fan of US makers either.)

Anyone who recently moved from LEAF? I'd like to hear your any thoughts on these two EV cars.

Thanks!

 

[NeilBlanchard]

My spouse an I share a Leaf and and e-Golf. The e-Golf is generally the better car, and it is a more comfortable fit for my tall family of four. The Leaf has a couple of features that are better: better charging indicators and lighted charging port, all seats are heated as is the steering wheel. And it has CHAdeMO quick charging, which are actually available over a wide area. The CCS chargers for the e-Golf has none anywhere near where I live. I much prefer the charging port location in the nose of the Leaf.

The e-Golf has the best feature of any EV: it coasts when you lift your right foot, so you use the kinetic energy of the moving car in the most efficient way possible. It also has four levels of regen toggled by the driver with the “shifter”. It also has a direct heating defroster; but this is not as effective as I would have hoped.

Another niggle is the charging port locks every time, and you have to unlock the car in order to release the plug. The Leaf has this an an option, which is much more helpful. The e-Golf resets the HVAC system to 72F every time it sits for more than about 30 minutes, which forces me to turn it off, or change it to what I want every time. “Only” the two front seats are heated in the e-Golf.

The fit and finish of the e-Golf is far better than the Leaf. The aero of the e-Golf is better than the Leaf – it is lower and smaller frontal area and has a lower Cd: 0.27 claimed for the e-Golf and 0.29 claimed for the Leaf. The e-Golf has a thermally operated shutter in the lower grill, if I am not mistaken.

Oh, and I cannot forget to mention their respective low-speed noises: the Leaf has a higher pitched sorta’ Jetsons whirring (that my spouse finds quite annoying in stop and go traffic); while the e-Golf makes what sounds like a distant high reving four cylinder car. Both make this noise up to about 18MPH.

 

[cachehit]

Thank you! That's very informative and detailed comparisons.

Locking the charging port looks pretty terrible. I'm mostly charging at my office. We have a rule that no usage of locking charging port so that other people can easily unplug when the charging completed.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

Hopefully VW listens to us on this, and on the HVAC setting, too!

 

[eGary]

I returned my leased Nissan Leaf and immediately got into another lease with the VW e-Golf. Unfortunately, having had a great experience with the Leaf, where it just worked and a very well thought out EV, the e-Golf has a lot of minor issues that added up to frustrations that makes someone think why VW did not learn from their competition--especially since VW did not enter the market years later.

Additionally, VW seems to be having software quality and electrical issues that I did not experienced with my Nissan Leaf. My VW e-Golf has been frequenting the service center since the third week after taking delivery of the car--4 times in the last 2 months

 

[Carc]

I've gone on about this but here goes... No comparison. I can list about 30 annoying things with the Leaf - and about 3 with the e-golf after almost 5 months. Locking charger, service required for an a/c problem which was quickly taken care of, and yeah you can't really see if it's charging but then again that's just German understatement and the 3 lights on the leaf dash are also kinda annoying. Just totally different classes of cars - It's hard to believe Nissan ever thought the leaf would bring new loyal customers to the brand...

 

[MagnusMax]

I eagerly switched over to the eGolf after a test drive. While the LEAF is a good, reliable car, with no issues ever since 2011--after switching out its TERRIBLE tires--our LEAF had vague steering and was basically a great way to get around town locally, it got the job done, but zero excitement/passion. :| Not a "driver's" car by any means. The LEAF fails at that IIHS crash test as well, so definitely not good. Its focus was more on the eco-friendliness, and the polar bear hugging and growing virtual forests, which is great. Climbing into the much more sportive eGolf, it corners well, very planted. Solid, excellent suspension & steering feel from a really well-designed steering wheel, and road connectedness. And you still get to hug polar bears. I now actually look forward to commuting :!: The fit and finish inside is much better in the eGolf. I love the car's mechanical engineering, dynamic LED lighting, and style. And it passed the IIHS crash test, is MotorTrend CotY. If it ever rains again, I'm sure I'll like the automatic wipers. And yes, the eGolf has some 1st gen issues, but VW support is so far quite impressive, much better than the relatively depressing Nissan experience and I'm optimistic that VW actually cares about their eGolf customers and wants to honorably retain them. Main complaint is with VW infotainment unit and CarNet is still in its infancy, which they will surely improve with updates. Vastly. But then again, that's what iPhones are for, and the bluetooth works flawlessly.

 

[SpdLmtNA]

I'm also a Leaf to e-Golf convert.

Leaf Pros:

- Remembers last ECO and HVAC settings when turning the car ON/OFF
- Backseat has a seat warmer, and is relatively spacious for a compact car
- I didn't experience any rattles or bad fitment, but the interior uses cheaper plastics than the e-Golf.
- Trunk/Boot space is generous even with the awkward backseat slope (just being picky here)
- You could leave the A/C or Heat running while parked and unplugged after leaving the car (great for quick grocery runs).
- Heated steering wheel (cool'ish) not really a deal breaker for most in warmer climates
- Nice little light to see charge port receptacle (on newer models).
- You could run the HVAC while plugged in and pull juice from the grid (rather than the car's battery) as long as the car is NOT fully charged.
- You could set the charger to Lock/Auto/Unlocked (Auto unlocks the charge port based on the max charge level being reached - choice of 80% or 100% charge)

Leaf Cons:

- Suspension is a bit too jarring and crashy on bumpy roads (couldn't put my head on the headrest comfortably most of the time)
- Tire wear was terrible (also a complaint from many Leaf owners), it was a very uneven tire wear.
- Driver's seat didn't go back far enough on the rail, so may (read: will) be uncomfortable for 6' + drivers.
- I believe 'beauty' is something most people agree on, and this car isn't beautiful.
- When pushing this car to the limits, it will understeer very dramatically (careful there Schumacher).
- Didn't do well in small overlap crash test.
------------------
e-Golf Pros:

- Driver's seat goes back pretty far and is glorious for taller drivers (okay I'm being dramatic).
- LED headlights are really well done (although the Leaf offers LED headlights in it's goblin eyes).
- Interior is MUCH higher quality than the plasticy Leaf
- "e-Golf has a 8yr/100k mile battery warranty which includes 70% capacity coverage for the full duration" - miimura
- Did well in small overlap crash test.

e-Golf Cons:

- Car shuts off HVAC once you exit the car/open the driver's door.
- Car does NOT remember last ECO and Regen settings (needs to be set every time the car is started).
- Finicky charger locking logic (you'll get used to it though) and no choice of full lock or full unlock of charger cord.
- Suspension is well done, but may still be a bit firm for some drivers, but less firm than the Leaf (needs verification).
- Trunk space may be a bit small (but strollers fit fine).

-----------
Conclusion:
If your budget permits and you trust VW, go for the e-Golf.

 

[miimura]

e-Golf has a 8yr/100k mile battery warranty which includes 70% capacity coverage for the full duration.

2016 e-Golf seems to have fixed the locking charge port issue and conforms to normal J1772 operation.

 

[stevestrange]

That's a great list! We have both a 2011 LEAF (purchased) and a 2015 e-Golf (leased). I would just add:

From a handling standpoint, I believe there is no contest -- the e-Golf handles far better. I understand they may have stiffened up the suspension in the newer LEAFs -- ours definitely feels softer than the e-Golf. I would describe the LEAF somewhat like driving a marshmallow (that makes it sound worse than it is, but it's the best I can come up with).

The sound quality of the radio is infinitely better in the e-Golf.

Updating of the charge status via phone app is better on the e-Golf. Perhaps the newer LEAFs are better, but on ours, I frequently get an error trying to update the charge status. Apparently VW car-net was awful for a long time, but I must have avoided that stage, having just gotten an e-Golf two weeks ago.

Despite all the complaining about the infotainment in the 2015 e-Golf, I find it usable. The maps suck, but I use my phone anyway. I've seen the 2016 system that integrates with the iPhone and it looks glorious. But I didn't think it was worth the extra $2500-$3000 for a 3-year lease over the 2015 (I need the SEL for the DC fast charge and the 7.2kW J1772).

I'm also a Leaf to e-Golf convert.

Leaf Pros:

- Remembers last ECO and HVAC settings when turning the car ON/OFF
- Backseat has a seat warmer, and is relatively spacious for a compact car
- I didn't experience any rattles or bad fitment, but the interior uses cheaper plastics than the e-Golf.
- Trunk/Boot space is generous even with the awkward backseat slope (just being picky here)
- You could leave the A/C or Heat running while parked and unplugged after leaving the car (great for quick grocery runs).
- Heated steering wheel (cool'ish) not really a deal breaker for most in warmer climates
- Nice little light to see charge port receptacle (on newer models).
- Good battery warranty (6 years last I checked).
- You could run the HVAC while plugged in and pull juice from the grid (rather than the car's battery) as long as the car is NOT fully charged.
- You could set the charger to Lock/Auto/Unlocked (Auto unlocks the charge port based on the max charge level being reached - choice of 80% or 100% charge)

Leaf Cons:

- Suspension is a bit too jarring and crashy on bumpy roads (couldn't put my head on the headrest comfortably most of the time)
- Tire wear was terrible (also a complaint from many Leaf owners), it was a very uneven tire wear.
- Driver's seat didn't go back far enough on the rail, so may (read: will) be uncomfortable for 6' + drivers.
- I believe 'beauty' is something most people agree on, and this car isn't beautiful.
- When pushing this car to the limits, it will understeer very dramatically (careful there Schumacher).
- Didn't do well in small overlap crash test.
------------------
e-Golf Pros:

- Driver's seat goes back pretty far and is glorious for taller drivers (okay I'm being dramatic).
- LED headlights are really well done (although the Leaf offers LED headlights in it's goblin eyes).
- Interior is MUCH higher quality than the plasticy Leaf
- Did well in small overlap crash test.

e-Golf Cons:

- Car shuts off HVAC once you exit the car/open the driver's door.
- Car does NOT remember last ECO and Regen settings (needs to be set every time the car is started).
- Less battery warranty (5 years last I checked).
- Finicky charger locking logic (you'll get used to it though) and no choice of full lock or full unlock of charger cord.
- Suspension is well done, but may still be a bit firm for some drivers, but less firm than the Leaf (needs verification).
- Trunk space may be a bit small (but strollers fit fine).

-----------
Conclusion:
If your budget permits and you trust VW, go for the e-Golf.

 

[REM]

I had a 2012 Leaf SL until a couple days ago. I liked it, but after test driving the e-Golf SEL when I was pondering buying my Leaf at lease end, it wasn't close. I agree with what others have already covered: the e-Golf is more refined and more fun to drive.

 

[SpdLmtNA]

e-Golf has a 8yr/100k mile battery warranty which includes 70% capacity coverage for the full duration.

2016 e-Golf seems to have fixed the locking charge port issue and conforms to normal J1772 operation.

Yes, you are absolutely correct. I corrected that in my original post.