Test driving a Leaf tomorrow. Hey Gavin!

[Mike S]

The popup Nissan ad came up with the drive electric tour. So I figured what the heck. Too bad I don't have a PE to drive to the event. I understand there is at least one PE in my area but it is supposed to be secret.

Perhaps Laura might read this and find a way to have it driven to the Nissan event (3 days in Sunrise Fl).

[Gavin]

Ha....Thanks for the shout out....sadly my LEAF will likely be offered to me very very soon....and I will then pass....A great car and I probably should buy it, but 30k is a bit much for a car I'm not in love with. I wanted to support EVs, which is why I jumped on the LEAF and got a very early number, but I think the LEAF will do ok with my passing and going for the Fiat EV when it comes out....

Hey Fiat, if you need some all weather testing of the Fiat 500 EV at 6000 feet elevation, I'm happy to help  :)  We get sun (tons and tons of sun), hot, cold, rain and snow...well a bit of rain and snow....
I can tell you that Italian engineering and high elevation are still somewhat a mystery to each other...every Piaggio/Vespa Scooter I know above 6000 feet has a few nibbles and bumps with the O2 sensor...nothing horrid, but some good testing of the Fiat 500EV here a mile and more high in the sky could be very useful...Just trying my best to be helpful :)

Gavin

[Mike S]

The Leaf did not have an interior equal to the Fiat and the car did not feel as solid either.

I didn't check it out just to dump on it and compare it to Fiat because they are not the same type of car. I was surprised how much better the perceived quality of the Fiat was. The Fiat is very solid and you know it when you close a door or the hood.

The Fiat interiors I have seen and touched and sat on were really top quality. The fabric and vinyl seats have vinyl that was hard not to confuse with leather, the look and feel. The Nissan material was not as good as I thought it would be.

I think the Leaf is excellent for it's intended use and should do the job well. Navigation is an integral part of the car. I think you MUST plan your trip before leaving (not sure) and it may not let you go if you don't have the power to get there. The navigation screen will draw a circle on the map with the radius of the distance you can travel.

Overall, I was impressed and I think Fiat can do it even better.

[Wimbledon]

For those who do not need the extra space, I bet most will find the Fiat 500 EV more compelling than the Nissan Leaf.

While the Leaf's tech is commendable, when it comes to aesthetics there is simply no comparison...