Can a Leaf replace a Murano ?
Discussion
To clarify we dont need a Leaf, we also dont need a Murano. Anna drives the Murano we have had for a year, its my second ever Nissan after a 350Z in 2005 (which was pretty crap build / quality) it (the Murano) really impressed me as a kiddy carrier after thinking a E class cabrio would do it (c class floorplan) but its a bit of overkill however it was cheap and loaded (there is a reason for it being cheap - running costs). I was so impressed I bought an Infinity FX50 but thats another story.
Anna needed an MOT and as it has a 2 year warranty and service pack inc MOT she took it in and noticed the Leaf claim of cheap motoring for £200 a month for a Tekna (its got a heated steering wheel you know), girl maths worked out at £200 petrol a month, £500 road tax could be saved and as the Murano probably depreciates £200 a month its a no brainer - forgetting the £2500 deposit !! so over the last few weeks she worked out that her biggest day is home - Liverpool 1 - JLewis Chester - home - is under 60 miles (safe leaf range) ah but what about the small boot I said, its big enough for the scooters and day bags (kids are nearly 5) and with seats down its huge - ok then.
Now Anna isnt a techno geek in fact she just cant be bothered reading up on stuff and once into the lease were stuck so I was nervous, I thought about cold starts on school days, forgetting to charge it, running out of power with the kids etc etc but we decided to give it a go. At this point I need to mention the Outlander which we nearly got as a company car, simply put we dont need it and the Leaf private deals of £7500 for 2 years top spec motoring and no petrol was compelling.
No haggling at the dealer, well not yet, booked a test drive last monday for 2.5 days to ensure she is ok with it, decided we dont need a 6.6 and we have a 16kw point already fitted at home so I may use the free offer to get one fitted at work (if allowed by Nissan). I have trawled the net to see if better deals exist and they dont and business lease is much more so its Tekna top spec at 8000 miles p/a £2600 down and £207 a month for 2 years then give it back or buy it for £15k. Quite an amazing deal.
Collected it last night to the sound of rockets and bangers going off, I was familiar with Nissan controls and had read up on the Leaf I just needed to know how to release the battery cover and get it to go but Steve the young sales guy explained everything. We were given a Accenta mid range model now with sat nav free and lots of writing on the side!! Anna wouldnt drive it home in the dark so i set the lights to auto and set off quite uneventfully for the 1.4 mile drive home. I got home, had a push of a few buttons and went out to a firework display in the Infinity.
Writing this next morning I offer to take time off to go for a drive with Anna - too busy she says - we will do it tonight when the kids are in bed - ok but you have to drive it. I have decided to take it to work and drive it like I stole it with heater on full to see how low I can drop its range.
Update later.
Anna needed an MOT and as it has a 2 year warranty and service pack inc MOT she took it in and noticed the Leaf claim of cheap motoring for £200 a month for a Tekna (its got a heated steering wheel you know), girl maths worked out at £200 petrol a month, £500 road tax could be saved and as the Murano probably depreciates £200 a month its a no brainer - forgetting the £2500 deposit !! so over the last few weeks she worked out that her biggest day is home - Liverpool 1 - JLewis Chester - home - is under 60 miles (safe leaf range) ah but what about the small boot I said, its big enough for the scooters and day bags (kids are nearly 5) and with seats down its huge - ok then.
Now Anna isnt a techno geek in fact she just cant be bothered reading up on stuff and once into the lease were stuck so I was nervous, I thought about cold starts on school days, forgetting to charge it, running out of power with the kids etc etc but we decided to give it a go. At this point I need to mention the Outlander which we nearly got as a company car, simply put we dont need it and the Leaf private deals of £7500 for 2 years top spec motoring and no petrol was compelling.
No haggling at the dealer, well not yet, booked a test drive last monday for 2.5 days to ensure she is ok with it, decided we dont need a 6.6 and we have a 16kw point already fitted at home so I may use the free offer to get one fitted at work (if allowed by Nissan). I have trawled the net to see if better deals exist and they dont and business lease is much more so its Tekna top spec at 8000 miles p/a £2600 down and £207 a month for 2 years then give it back or buy it for £15k. Quite an amazing deal.
Collected it last night to the sound of rockets and bangers going off, I was familiar with Nissan controls and had read up on the Leaf I just needed to know how to release the battery cover and get it to go but Steve the young sales guy explained everything. We were given a Accenta mid range model now with sat nav free and lots of writing on the side!! Anna wouldnt drive it home in the dark so i set the lights to auto and set off quite uneventfully for the 1.4 mile drive home. I got home, had a push of a few buttons and went out to a firework display in the Infinity.
Writing this next morning I offer to take time off to go for a drive with Anna - too busy she says - we will do it tonight when the kids are in bed - ok but you have to drive it. I have decided to take it to work and drive it like I stole it with heater on full to see how low I can drop its range.
Update later.
Sounds like a good start. Our Leaf replaced a Disco3, so massive savings for us on fuel, road tax, and repairs. Ideal for most of our use, which is generally shopping, school etc. I still have my 964 for longer trips so that gets more use now, double win.
Don't forget that Nissan will lend you a car if you need a conventional one, free of charge, when you buy a Leaf. I have not tested this, maybe ask!
Don't forget that Nissan will lend you a car if you need a conventional one, free of charge, when you buy a Leaf. I have not tested this, maybe ask!
This will be a frequently updated thread!
Got in this morning expecting it to be cold inside, it wasn't but the Timer Heat light was on the dash but it wasn't plugged in - I thought pre heat only worked on mains power ?
NOTE - I put it into B mode for max regen I think - this has a side effect more of which later
Set heater to 22 degrees, wipers to auto and trundled down the path, radio off as I want to experience the serenity of the experience. CLICK - hmm power off at junction CLICK, power on CLICK Christ I cant be doing with that, I knock it out of B mode and try again with power on / off ClIcK quieter click but still a click, turn radio to normal and I cant hear it but I know its happening - fellow Leafers can you advise on the power on / off click please - I assume its a relay? I would expect a solid state relay would have been used.
Click apart it was smooth, quiet and in mid spec trim - ok - it was a shock to the system manually adjusting a seat! My commute (remember its not for me I am trialling it) is 5.4 miles of residential road it was on 96% at start and is on 88% now my 5.4 miles used 10 miles of range but I do know the range is based on recent use not current use. If I had one it would need one maybe 2 charges a week for Anna it will need a daily overnight charge - it makes more sense I have one than her.
Got in this morning expecting it to be cold inside, it wasn't but the Timer Heat light was on the dash but it wasn't plugged in - I thought pre heat only worked on mains power ?
NOTE - I put it into B mode for max regen I think - this has a side effect more of which later
Set heater to 22 degrees, wipers to auto and trundled down the path, radio off as I want to experience the serenity of the experience. CLICK - hmm power off at junction CLICK, power on CLICK Christ I cant be doing with that, I knock it out of B mode and try again with power on / off ClIcK quieter click but still a click, turn radio to normal and I cant hear it but I know its happening - fellow Leafers can you advise on the power on / off click please - I assume its a relay? I would expect a solid state relay would have been used.
Click apart it was smooth, quiet and in mid spec trim - ok - it was a shock to the system manually adjusting a seat! My commute (remember its not for me I am trialling it) is 5.4 miles of residential road it was on 96% at start and is on 88% now my 5.4 miles used 10 miles of range but I do know the range is based on recent use not current use. If I had one it would need one maybe 2 charges a week for Anna it will need a daily overnight charge - it makes more sense I have one than her.
No click on our car, B mode works fine, maybe mention it to the dealer when it goes back and see what they say.
The heating timer light shows the heating timer is set, this will not heat unless the car is over a certain level of charge. I am not sure, but if you are over 80% charge it might still run off the battery hence the heater light. Once you have carwings on your own car you can though set the car to pre heat off the battery at any level of charge by turning the heater on remotely on your phone or PC, nice on a cold morning when you are not sure when you are going out.
If you pre heat whilst plugged in you save a few miles of range as the car does not have to be heated as much whilst driving.
The heating timer light shows the heating timer is set, this will not heat unless the car is over a certain level of charge. I am not sure, but if you are over 80% charge it might still run off the battery hence the heater light. Once you have carwings on your own car you can though set the car to pre heat off the battery at any level of charge by turning the heater on remotely on your phone or PC, nice on a cold morning when you are not sure when you are going out.
If you pre heat whilst plugged in you save a few miles of range as the car does not have to be heated as much whilst driving.
Edited by Biggles111 on Thursday 6th November 20:14
Replies appreciated.
The click isn't audible if the radio is on but try it on a very quiet road - will mention to dealer.
Anna met me for lunch and she drove Leafy for the first time, like a duck to water she had no issues being used to a Nissan already she said it was lovely and quiet but will need a cushion to sit a bit higher up - maybe Tekna has a better seat adjuster? Probably not.
Leaving work the Leaf was a nice place to drive 15 mins home listening to Simon Msyo, no DAB is a pity but FM will do. Anna had adjusted the seat and I just couldn't get comfy, the squab seems short but I will persevere on Friday as it's imperative we get comfy, at least Anna must get comfy. She is 5'1'' hardly a midget.
The leaf will not need daily charging for my use which further lowers running cost but for Anna it's best to be sure so it will charge daily - range after a genuine 14 miles today dropped from 76 to 57 miles but tomorrow will reflect today's driving so let's see.
The click isn't audible if the radio is on but try it on a very quiet road - will mention to dealer.
Anna met me for lunch and she drove Leafy for the first time, like a duck to water she had no issues being used to a Nissan already she said it was lovely and quiet but will need a cushion to sit a bit higher up - maybe Tekna has a better seat adjuster? Probably not.
Leaving work the Leaf was a nice place to drive 15 mins home listening to Simon Msyo, no DAB is a pity but FM will do. Anna had adjusted the seat and I just couldn't get comfy, the squab seems short but I will persevere on Friday as it's imperative we get comfy, at least Anna must get comfy. She is 5'1'' hardly a midget.
The leaf will not need daily charging for my use which further lowers running cost but for Anna it's best to be sure so it will charge daily - range after a genuine 14 miles today dropped from 76 to 57 miles but tomorrow will reflect today's driving so let's see.
No clicks on mine either.
B mode only works when you lift off the throttle. You'll know it's working if you lift off in D mode and the move to B. You'll feel the car slow more quickly.
Note that it won't work when the battery is full, or almost full as there's nowhere for that extra charge to go.
I *think* the heater timer works in the battery is above 80%, regardless of whether plugged in. This might be an option in setup.
B mode only works when you lift off the throttle. You'll know it's working if you lift off in D mode and the move to B. You'll feel the car slow more quickly.
Note that it won't work when the battery is full, or almost full as there's nowhere for that extra charge to go.
I *think* the heater timer works in the battery is above 80%, regardless of whether plugged in. This might be an option in setup.
Didn't use it last night after coming in from work, this morning we looked at the charging hatch, looked at the wall charger we have and decided the Leaf will go in the garage once tidied and charge there on the 16KW unit. We have an Asda fast charger and a CYC charger (both fast) nearby and this weekend I will have a look at them to sus it out. Todays trip to work was a test I was determined NOT to have any part of a tree grow on the display, heater on 22 degrees, lights on, heated rear window and crappy driving didn't do it - I still got a tree base and one trunk !!! range is 55 miles from 76 on weds night with 2 work round trips and a tootle round with Anna - good stuff.
It goes back on Saturday and we will order a metallic grey one and ask for the Type 2 cable to be included free of charge - I asked for an underwrite on the Murano but they bid less than WWAC however I will try and sell it myself as it has 10 months Nissan Warranty and service pack left on it and 4*4 are in demand now ??
The charger companies card schemes are overly complicated - will try and suss out whats needed today.
It goes back on Saturday and we will order a metallic grey one and ask for the Type 2 cable to be included free of charge - I asked for an underwrite on the Murano but they bid less than WWAC however I will try and sell it myself as it has 10 months Nissan Warranty and service pack left on it and 4*4 are in demand now ??
The charger companies card schemes are overly complicated - will try and suss out whats needed today.
sawman said:
did you manage to get the seat adjusted for both of you? That would be one of the issues we would face as my wife is fairly short too
Anna will need a cushion, in a 4*4 your more upright but here it's lower down so we will experiment on Saturday. I've driven it the most and feel perched on the seat not in the seat, I couldn't do long trips but it's not for that.What I have realised is its a perfect car for anyone with a sub 20 mile commute but only at the deals being done today and as a family we would need another car so a 2 leaf set up with a 4 seater cabrio might be a nice fleet.
its interesting to hear your feedback. maybe we should go an have a close look at the leaf
my wife does all the school runs and covers about 40 miles a day, in an 11 year old 3.7 cherokee, her use would be ideal for an EV,we had a weeks test of an outlander phev, which would have suited this use well, but she found the seat didnt quite adjust to get good visibilty, but she is spoilt by the visability out of the jeep which is panoramic. I suspect she would rather drive a murano than a leaf!
my only issue with the current EVs is the range - I get the feeling that it would be like driving around with the empty light on in a regular car.
my wife does all the school runs and covers about 40 miles a day, in an 11 year old 3.7 cherokee, her use would be ideal for an EV,we had a weeks test of an outlander phev, which would have suited this use well, but she found the seat didnt quite adjust to get good visibilty, but she is spoilt by the visability out of the jeep which is panoramic. I suspect she would rather drive a murano than a leaf!
my only issue with the current EVs is the range - I get the feeling that it would be like driving around with the empty light on in a regular car.
sawman said:
my only issue with the current EVs is the range - I get the feeling that it would be like driving around with the empty light on in a regular car.
I haven't felt like that at all but I have my petrol car in the drive as a fall back which I would have if we go 2 leaf 1 cabrio route DSLiverpool said:
I asked for an underwrite on the Murano but they bid less than WWAC however I will try and sell it myself as it has 10 months Nissan Warranty and service pack left on it and 4*4 are in demand now ?? .
It is a good time of year to sell 4x4s, one positive from the adverse change in weather. I would imagine once past Xmas things slow up though as pockets get tighter. Our Discovery3 sold on Monday for close to asking and was the easiest car I have ever sold, lots of interest. Just waiting for a nice partial refund of the £500 pa road tax now.Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff