Cruisin' and hoopin' with the Nissan Leaf

I like the Nissan Leaf. It’s sporty, smooth, quick, and solid.

But I don’t think it’s good for cruising—and I love to cruise. 

Cruising is a relaxation ritual of mine. Occasionally, I wander downtown Toronto in my car on a weekend afternoon, while listening to music. This eases my mind and makes me feel refreshed. I live in Markham, so this kind of cruise can cover 100 kilometers and last a couple hours. I tried cruising with the Leaf. Driving it from Markham to downtown Toronto using the highway took up much of its battery life. This made me frequently worry about not having enough battery power to make it back home. So I didn’t cruise for as long as I normally would, which was dissatisfying. Worrying about the battery defeated my purpose for cruising, which is to relax! So I think I would have to give up my love for cruising if I were to own a Leaf.

On the plus side, I was impressed with the amount of space inside the Leaf. Before driving it, I assumed it is too small for a six-footer like me. I had a preconceived notion that economy cars cannot be spacious. But I was very comfortable inside the car. I drove the Leaf after playing an intense game of basketball. When I got out the car, my long, exercised legs felt fine. A car with little legroom would have stiffened my legs after a workout. There’s plenty of driver legroom inside the Leaf.

So the only negative I see in the Leaf is its battery life.

Baseer Syed
Web Editorial Assistant
Thestar.com