First few days, LE vs. SEL

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czar

***
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
44
Just sharing a few thoughts for those contemplating purchasing and/or debating LE vs. SEL. I leased a 2015 LE nearly a week ago.

Acceleration: I'm constntly surprised by how quickly this car moves, especially gping from ~20/30mph to 60+
Regen: Mastering different regen techniques will continue to be fun more so than the "histrionic" auto trannies
Charging: Make sure it is actually clicked in all the way. Twice, already, I've checked Car Net too late, realizing it wasn't even charging! Also be prepared not to have consistent access to charging points. A few times I've either been ICE'd (i.e., a gas/diesel car parked in the EV spot) or a line if EV cars waiting for the small number of available chargers.
Range: Seems consisntely better than I thought, but still hard to watch the gauge move to empty s rapidly as compared to a gasser - hard to get over never being above the range of a typical car's quarter tank, when I normally fill
Questions: Be prepared for questions - ranging from, what is that? is parking no longer free? what's it like? To pure skepticism!

LE vs. SEL

I am kicking myself for being frugal and going with the LE. When I turn off the A/C, I can see the improvement in range, and I am wondering what will happen this winter without the heat pump. Also:

The "cloth" is nice but having had leather or leatherette for years, I am reminded how cloth shows everything, including the dog hair that seemingly floats throught the air around our house.

The headlights are a huge letdown, especially after having HID lights on the recent cars I've owned. I've found myself wondering how to improve the lighting.

If you're on the fence at all, bute the bullet, like I wish I'd done! I won't live with regret too long, as I love driving the car and this is only a 3-year lease, but if I had a time machine...
 
LE also has no cruise control, and the information display controls are on the wiper blade and not on the steering wheel where they're more convenient

Ron
 
I had to return to the dealership today to get my $97 refund from DMV (cheaper for electric in CT!) and plates, and I saw the SEL in silver. Prefer the grey I got. I also saw the rims for the first time in person. Yikes! They look better in pictures. I know they need to be aerodynamic but I hate to say that I prefer the wheel covers in lieu of them.

The interior, however, is much nicer with the leatherette and the bolsters, although I wish they'd used blue stitching like on the cloth.
 
I was at a VW dealership last night, the sales person told me, soon VW will no longer offer the LE, only SEL.
 
Well it is named the "Limited" Edition after all so I guess that shouldn't be a surprise.
 
NeilBlanchard said:
What tires does the LE come with - brand, model and size?
Our LE has these tires:
Continental ProContact TX 205/55R16-91H M+S
"Standard Load" Max Pressure 51psi Max Load 615 kg (1,356 lb)
Made in Mexico
 
Thanks for the answer on the tires - I think those are exactly what come on the SEL, as well.

They are not great coasters - only fair to middlin' ... Our Leaf S uses this same size tire, and its Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 - which are possibly the best coasting tire I have every driven. This is reflected in the relative energy consumption; even though the Leaf is (probably) higher aero drag vs the e-Golf. My best charge average on the Leaf is a bit above 195Wh/mile vs a bit above 206Wh/mile on the e-Golf. So, ~5.1 miles / kWh vs ~4.8 miles / kWh.
 
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