Why can't the leaf look like a dart?

In reply to Vigo:

Sorry for editing out your favorite part.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: I've read the next Gen Leaf is going to look more "normal".

I'd say it does essentially look "normal" for an econobox. I saw one on the highway driving right behind a Versa and I'm pretty sure they're the same body, except they added some giant headlights, different hood, and snazzy taillights to the Leaf.

Then again, the Versa is also hideous, so that explains why the Leaf is.

I think it's pretty ugly, and I drive one daily.

That said, most other people I talk to think it looks like any other 5-door hatchback in the world. Almost nobody guesses it's an electric car from looking, so anyone who buys it as a status symbol will be sorely disappointed.

Also, my mother-in-law drives a Dart. It's not nearly as spacious as the Leaf, and I wouldn't have bought the Leaf if it was a sedan. Look at the Volt, which looks pretty similar to the Dart. As far as cargo capacity goes, it sucks.

then i guess its just me being old. having my headlights sweep all the way to my doors and my roof line eclipse a full size 40's sedan isn't my thing.

i'm short, i pay attention in traffic without needing watchtower elevation, and i couldn't care less if anyone notices my car doesn't have a gas cap.

and yes i realize the dart isnt for everyone. ill take mine in retina bruising orange please!

So get a Focus EV.

Driven5 wrote: So get a Focus EV.

Good luck finding one.

I have been seeing a TON of Leafs running round Atlanta. If I hadn't the need for occasional two hour drive for work, I'd probably have one myself... Lease deals for approximately the same money as my fuel costs in an economy car - what's not to love?

Looking forward to the next generation of electrics and hybrids. I will be in the market in a couple years when kid 1 inherits my ten year old civic. (unless there is a small diesel pickup available by then).

itsarebuild wrote: i'm short, i pay attention in traffic without needing watchtower elevation

I'm not saying they are very pretty or anything, but they really are not very tall.

tuna55 wrote:

itsarebuild wrote: i'm short, i pay attention in traffic without needing watchtower elevation

I'm not saying they are very pretty or anything, but they really are not very tall.

They really don't seem like it, even compared to a micro SUV.

So, these lease dealios everyone talks about...I have a 23.7 mile drive each way to and from the metro stop, that I do about 4x per week on average. The other day I work from home or am traveling. With my current car, that works out to about 2 gallons of gasoline (about $7.20 at current prices here in MD) every time I drive. Unfortunately, the Metro stop doesn't have plug ins for electron cars.

What's the math work out to?

volvoclearinghouse wrote:

tuna55 wrote:

itsarebuild wrote: i'm short, i pay attention in traffic without needing watchtower elevation

I'm not saying they are very pretty or anything, but they really are not very tall.

They really don't seem like it, even compared to a micro SUV. So, these lease dealios everyone talks about...I have a 23.7 mile drive each way to and from the metro stop, that I do about 4x per week on average. The other day I work from home or am traveling. With my current car, that works out to about 2 gallons of gasoline (about $7.20 at current prices here in MD) every time I drive. Unfortunately, the Metro stop doesn't have plug ins for electron cars. What's the math work out to?

You're not seriously asking us to do your math for you, are you?

Figure that you get something like 3-4 miles to kwh from the wall and check out your electric bill.

It's seriously cheap.

Then see if Maryland has any fancy state programs to make it cheaper. In Georgia, for instance, leasing a Leaf for two years results in a total cost of a few hundred bucks, because of this massive rebate thing they have.

skierd wrote: I think the Leaf and the Dart are ugly. :shrug:

FTFY

bastomatic wrote:

Driven5 wrote: So get a Focus EV.

Good luck finding one.

Obviously different areas have different availability, especially being near a major metropolitan area vs not...But there are at least 11 available that I could easily drive home with plenty of electrons to spare.

.

volvoclearinghouse wrote:

tuna55 wrote:

itsarebuild wrote: i'm short, i pay attention in traffic without needing watchtower elevation

I'm not saying they are very pretty or anything, but they really are not very tall.

They really don't seem like it, even compared to a micro SUV.

The Leaf is only 3.3 inches taller than a Dart and 2.8 inches taller than a Focus EV.

volvoclearinghouse wrote:

tuna55 wrote:

itsarebuild wrote: i'm short, i pay attention in traffic without needing watchtower elevation

I'm not saying they are very pretty or anything, but they really are not very tall.

They really don't seem like it, even compared to a micro SUV. So, these lease dealios everyone talks about...I have a 23.7 mile drive each way to and from the metro stop, that I do about 4x per week on average. The other day I work from home or am traveling. With my current car, that works out to about 2 gallons of gasoline (about $7.20 at current prices here in MD) every time I drive. Unfortunately, the Metro stop doesn't have plug ins for electron cars. What's the math work out to?

Just as an example, I drive my Volt 12k miles per year, and spent about $10 a MONTH to drive it here in MD. With a Volt, you'd be using about a gallon of gas a week in the winter to do your commute, but no gas in the summer. And in a Leaf you'd be using just electricity, so it'd be dirt cheap, again, probably about $10 a month in electricity to drive your commute and errand running.

In reply to volvoclearinghouse:

Using my rates and average economy, that commute costs about a dollar, round trip.

If this board has taught me one thing, it's that people have WILDLY different ideas on what is good looking, and what is not.

I think some of the cars you guys drool over are ridiculously ugly, and I'm sure some of you don't approve of the cars I find attractive. This is one case where beauty (or lack thereof) is totally and completely in the eyes of the beholder.

So is the Leaf ugly? I suppose that all depends on what turns you on.

It was sort of rhetorical "what am I missing" question. I have seriously considered the Leaf as a commuting appliance but as hard as I want the math to work out it just doesn't. Even assuming the Leaf were essentially free to charge, it would save me about 30 bucks a week on gas, or about 130 dollars per month. The incidental expenses on my daily driver don't add up to the rest of the lease payment (199/mo, and I'd have to plunk about 2,000 down at signing), and my current DD is already (for all intents and purposes) fully depreciated. Also, the Leaf would add another car to my insurance policy, which would be a minimum of another 30 to 40 dollars per month.

The idea of commuting in an electron car is strangely appealing to me, I just can't make the figures work out.

Using that math, you may never buy another vehicle again because no matter how old or efficient you still incur an up-front cost that's greater than the free car you already have.

If you think instead as if you must replace your current car. In that frame of reference, the Leaf becomes more affordable than nearly any other new car, and many used cars too.

Yeah, that's the trouble I've had ever justifying a commuter/ appliance car. The Leaf comes closer to being justifiable than just about anything else, though. Frankly I'm surprised I don't see more of them around, with that 199/mo deal. But I don't see where MD has any fancy state subsidies, like the GA example.

If fuel prices go high enough, it may eventually work out for me. Or if I ever have to get a replacement car, like you said.

Like I said. I'm short 2" taller is significant...

I do like the focus ev. Costs just aren't the same. I also like the tesla... But a bigger cost problem exists. I just wish the leaf didn't have that dr suese slug look so I could go ahead and do this without reservations....

One of the reasons I like my Leaf so much is that it looks different from everything else. Good, bad or indifferent, it's not a cookie cutter and I like that. While all cars like the Dart have distinguishing features (grilles come to mind), they're all the same basic shape. Not unattractive, but not particularly unique.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: Yeah, that's the trouble I've had ever justifying a commuter/ appliance car. The Leaf comes closer to being justifiable than just about anything else, though. Frankly I'm surprised I don't see more of them around, with that 199/mo deal. But I don't see where MD has any fancy state subsidies, like the GA example. If fuel prices go high enough, it may eventually work out for me. Or if I ever _have to_ get a replacement car, like you said.

This is my problem also. Since I currently drive the Insight at an average of 55mpg, it cost me about $18 a week in gas to drive to work. Over a year it costs about $900 to drive to work. So at that math, a leas or financing options would have to run about $75 a month for it to equal the amount per month I am spending in gas, and that's not counting the extra costs on the electric bill to recharge it.

So sadly, as much as I want a Focus Electric, even a used one at $18,000 (minus $6000 from the sale of the Insight) would take a little over 13 years to pay for itself with the fuel cost savings.

Damn this Insight for being so cheap to operate.