Consumer Reports New Cars – November 2019

32 NEW CARS CR.ORG/CARS

On the Road Charged and Ready

ONE OF THE first mainstream

EVs got a major update for

2019. The new Nissan Leaf
      Plus can go up to 226 miles
      on a charge—almost on a par
      with similarly priced models
      from Hyundai and Kia.
      Aside from a bigger battery
      and a longer range, the
      Plus is mostly identical to the
      standard-range Leaf, which
      carries on for 2019 with a 140-
      mile range. Although that
      might be plenty for most daily
      commutes, we noticed that
      the range dropped consider-
      ably in cold weather or with
      accessories like heating or air
      conditioning turned on.
      Still, newer EVs offer more
      miles for the same money,
      and the standard-range Leaf
      seems like it’s so 2011.
      The Leaf benefits from
      quick, quiet acceleration
      that’s common to EVs, but
      it lacks the thrill of a
      Bolt or Kona EV, let alone
      an I-Pace or a Tesla.
      A soft-seeming ride has
      trouble absorbing sharp
      bumps and can send nasty
      thumps into the cabin. In
      addition, the mushy handling
      doesn’t inspire driver
      confidence, which makes the
      Leaf rather boring to drive.
      We found the cabin ambi-
      ence rather austere, espe-
      cially when compared with
      the Kona EV, but the Leaf’s
      fit and finish is at least better
      than the Bolt’s so-so interior
      furnishings. It’s pretty quiet
      inside, too. The Leaf’s
      elevated stance makes it easy
      to get into the car, and the
      rear seat is roomy enough for

two adults. One noticeable

omission is a telescoping

steering column, which can

make the Leaf’s driving

position less comfortable for

some drivers.

Nissan’s optional ProPilot

Assist combines adaptive

cruise control with lane center-

ing. It’s not designed as a

self-driving feature but can

be a convenience in stop-

and-go traffic. FCW and AEB

are standard.

Expect 8 hours to charge

the standard-range Leaf.

The Leaf Plus should take

about 12 hours to charge

from near-empty.

BEST VERSION TO GET

The Leaf Plus

comes with

a larger 62-kWh

battery and

has a range of

226 miles. The

standard-range

Leaf has far

fewer miles on

tap than similarly

priced models

from Chevrolet,

Hyundai, and Kia.

V I TAL STATS

OVERALL

SCORE

ROAD-TEST

SCORE

Price as tested

$38,115

Trim line SL

Drivetrain

147-hp electric

motor; 1-speed

direct drive; FWD

Range 140 miles

(226 miles from

Leaf Plus)

Reasons to Buy

Practical design

The new Leaf Plus

offers a 226-mile

range

Reasons to Skip

Standard model

has only a

140-mile range

Outclassed

by newer EVs

from other

manufacturers

Nissan

Leaf

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