ST430

Been a long time ICE lover, from my first hooptie 84' Corolla to 600HP Supras and Evos to my luxury barge LS430 (and some rice rocket 600cc/1000cc bikes in between), so I never thought I would get a LEAF EV. But.....the prices on them are ridiculously cheap these days. $32k base price - $4k dealer discount - $7.5k federal rebate - $2.5k CA rebate + free home charger on top of it (at least in CA) = win! Love it so far! Quiet as heck, plenty of power, and range is great (for my usage of 20 miles / day). I'm not sure how long the government is going to continuing subsidizing it at this rate, but EVs are definitely the future and i look forward to when we can have an affordable 30k EV sports we can buy (c'mon Elon!). Highly recommend the LEAF to anyone that is okay with its range! I guess I have to wait on my NSX for another time..

Aron9000

$18,000 is still a metric ****-ton of money IMO for something that is an overly glorified electric golf cart. You can get into a Chevy Cobalt, Civic, Corolla, Mazda 3, etc for that type of $$$$. Granted it won't have the cool options, but it would be solid transit, not a novelty.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Glad you're enjoying it. I'd have gone with a Tesla S

Congrats though!

spwolf

thats so cheapo... congrats, i would have made the same deal for that price.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

congrats. no matter the subsidies though, the math doesn't work but you're saving the planet. i'd still rather drive your ls.

Sulu

Why *gasp*? If the LEAF is what you want and it suits your needs, then it is a good buy! Congratulations!

mmarshall

Congratulations.

I haven't reviewed a Leaf, partly because it is so hard to actually get one unless it is special-ordered by a prospective customer. Consumer Reports, though, generally has better things to say about it than with some other small competing all-electrics, like the unimpressive Mitsubishi MiEV.

With an all-electric car, of course, you probably don't have a specific break-in regimen for the engine like with an internal-combustion engine, but I'd still take it easy on the brakes for the first several hundered miles while the pads break in. The regenerative-braking systems used in most hybrids/electrics usually means that little pedal pressure is needed to actually stop the car anyway.

KA8

iTrader: (1)

Congrats! It took me 10 years for me to get on the hybrid bandwagon, I do not see myself going all electric anytime soon though.

spwolf

lol, it sure does work out at these prices... for similar price you get lower equipped b class hatchbacks with 32 MPG average and lesser equipment, luxury, comfort.

it is like you are getting free launch with these EV prices.

-J-P-L-

Congrats on the new car. There's a lot to like about electric cars even though right now there are too many compromises for most people.

I don't see them as the future at all. The tech started over 100 years ago and the industry chose the far more practical ICE route. There could be a place for them. The future may be filled with several alternatives filling the market together. I just don't ever see the possibility of full electrics having limitless range (or the ability to charge them full in minutes on road trips).

You're a person fortunate enough to be able to own more than one car allowing for the electric. Most people can only have one vehicle (not counting married people with 2 cars - it's still one per). So you can't be left with just one car that prevents going anywhere beyond 90-100 miles round trip.


I know bit that you know that electrics don't help save the planet. Electrics are big polluters. Manufacturing huge toxic batteries. Burning coal to charge them. Not "clean" at all.

I, and many would argue that the "greenest" cars are regular gas powered sub-compacts. Why? No big batteries. The least amount of materials to manufacture. 35-40+ mpg.

ST430

I'm a little confused by this statement on the math. I'm definitely not a tree hugger, since I plan to still have a hi po car as a 3rd/4th vehicle, but as a commuter this thing kills my daughter's civic I bought last year: more amenities, better power (IMHO), more unique, and best of all, no gas at relatively the same price point. And yes, we still take out our LS, though I'm trying to limit the miles right now so it mostly sees client shuffling duties.

rai

Hi, good luck with the car, I saw one the other day was nice looking to me.

I was curious if the $7500 credit is somehow limited by my in come, in other words if I make too much money does that nullify the tax credit?

Edit: just checking, the range is too low for my needs.

-J-P-L-

Everyone gets the tax credit, which aside from the credit itself, is all the more annoying. Wealthier people (the only people that can afford electrics) are being subsidized by poorer people paying the taxes to support the subsidy. It's completely outrageous when you think about it.

The idea of subsidizing electrics is really bothersome and makes no sense. The government is promoting electricity while simultaneously trying to destroy the coal industry. How can someone say that "electricity rates will necessarily skyrocket under my plan..." and then try and get millions of electric cars on the road through taxpayer subsidies? It's mind boggling.

Nothing like paying my car payment as well as my neighbors.

rai

while I agree with you that subsidies are asinine, I mean 2 docs I work with bought Tesla S and can easily have bought them with or without my tax money.

But I disagree when you say the wealth are being subsidized by the poor, because very few poor people in our country pay any meaningful income tax (I am not talking payroll tax) but talking income tax where the wealthy pay probably 80% of all the income tax collected.

just looked it up, the 'top 10%' pay 70% of all income tax

Och

iTrader: (3)

Good luck with the car. I had a deposit put down on a Leaf back in June or July, but they couldn't get me the car for at least 3 month, so I had to back down from the order and ended up with a Mazda 3. It seems that electrics are just difficult to buy outside of Cali.