



2013 Nissan Leaf


Source: Nissan

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By foxalopex on 1/16/2013 2:07:44 PM , Rating: 2
I actually own the Volt having bought it late last year. In Canada after taxes and the rebate in Ontario, it sells for $42 K. Although the Leaf is about $10 K less, I'd still get the Volt. I never have to worry about range as you can fuel this car up. Another problem that most people don't realize is that electric cars don't work so well when you live in an area where temperatures can dive to -4F or worse. The Volt gets around that by burning gas to keep you and the car warm literally. In cold climates, waste heat isn't waste heat. I would hate to see what the Leaf would do in our nasty winters. So far winter fuel mileage has been impressive, I'm seeing 40-50 mpg and keep in mind that's in very cold weather that caused my former 2005 corolla to go through gas like there was no tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see what it does in the summer. Insurance for a 2013 volt is actually the same as a 2005 corolla. It turns out insurance cares more about safety features than the price of a car. And yes you really need to drive an electric to understand why some folks are fans of them. They might not do 0-60 like a sports car but they have an absolutely smooth acceleration curve due to CVT type transmission so no gear jumps as in an automatic and they respond instantly. Other fun things you can do is if you're in a rush you can floor it literally and people arn't going to be wondering why it sounds like your engine is going to explode. It is that quiet. Cost wise I'll probably get back the extra $$$ I spent in gas in 10 years but yeah, it's closer to a luxury car. It's not going to save you a lot in $$$. And no worries about the battery. GM has massive reserves on the battery to make it last longer and they have a tool to swap out individual cells. All in all a really nice alternative to the Leaf.

