Daily drive the Z or get a Leaf for commuting
 

I like daily driving the Z, but it gets old to have to fill up every three days and the car is noisy as hell. I am thinking about leasing a Leaf so I can get to and from work in quietness and not have to worry about racking up miles and be able to carry the baby in the backseat instead of the front. What do you guys think?

DD the Z, it's a car, use it

EDIT:
Refer to these posts:

Drive the Z or get something that fits your needs better.

The director of customer care at my company is leasing a leaf.. She makes 250k a year. When i park next to her in the z feels awkward

Line the trunk with sound deadening material. It's a cheap diy if you use roofing material and really quiets down the car. Don't get a leaf... sigh

get a leaf

Get the Leaf. I love my Z and it's a great car but I hate daily driving it. Living in Hawaii, people can't drive/park/open doors for crap (wrecks/dings/dents), it rains almost every day (waterspots), the roads are horrible at best and gas is the highest in the country.

Hell, I'm considering a leaf myself now. Just have to do the cost analyst on how much insurance would run and recharging cost. Electricity is high as a mofo here on the islands too.

Actually, I reread this... YOU HAVE A BABY.... Lease a leaf... They're cheap to lease

get the leaf

I got back from the dealership. The lease rate had climbed slightly as they are 7 months into the production cycle. I think I was quoted about $240 a month taxed with $2K down for 3 years. I still would like to see the payment at $200. Regardless, I am probably going to hold up for a few more months. Insurance is very expensive on the Leaf too, kind of annoying.

I get free charging at work (of course there could be a wait) and the place I am living at is installing them right now, of course they are getting so popular now that there is probably going to be a line in the near future.

Why not used Pry-us? Good gas mileage, Toyota so it'll work forever, and quiet

I would personally lease the Leaf, even if it's $240 a month. I love my Zs, but I'd rather have another DD. It's nice to drive something you don't really give a sh!t about, especially if it's fuel efficient. In your case, you'll be saving over $100 a week in fuel costs, you have a useable back seat, and the car's not yours. Total win OP.

I use to DD my Z and put almost 25k on in a year. I got a little beater just to go to and from work so I would go for the Leaf or a prius.

Rather have a Pry-us. I don't know why so many people are sooooooo loyal to the brand... I would've gotten the Leaf 3-6 months ago when it was $99/month lease with $2-3k down

:iagree:

NISSAN Leaf FTW!

My Z is my DD, but I am trying to save in preparation for starting a family. My GF has already given me the "...uh, yeah. Just let me know which vehicle you choose" look.

Get the leaf.

If you drive enough miles to have to fill the Z up every three days, is a Leaf even going to work for you? It seems like you do a lot of driving, and a range-limited electric only car may not fit the bill. Maybe a Volt would work better since you've got the gas backup to the electric?

That's a good point. What about something like a Versa?

I drive far too much for a Leaf myself, otherwise I would consider it for a DD. I bought a Mazdaspeed3 for my DD because I wanted a manual and a hatch to carry hockey gear and drums. (Would have gotten a Skyactiv, but I couldn't find a stick and it was only 2k less than what I bought the speed3 for)..

If manual wasn't a requirement, I would have gotten a base 2.5 Altima and put a stereo in it. You can haggle one down to say 19k, which wouldn't be a high payment, and get 38 MPGs, and have a nice quiet commuter. They're super nice cars.

Unless you're just putting your foot through the firewall at every green light, your refilling frequency suggests you'd find yourself on the side of the road with a dead battery waiting to get towed home in a Leaf.

I'll almost shot myself having a versa as a loaner.

My daily is a VW Golf TDI. Close to 50mpg and still a pretty fun car to drive, has plenty of cargo room, and the best thing is its not a Prius.

That Leaf was popular in Seattle when it was released. Puget Sound Energy started putting charging stations throughout the city, and they were well-recieved. The older crowd 65+ loved it because they didn't travel much further than 15-20 miles away from town.

The Reuters poll from December 2011 showed that it made 78% of the 1000 surveyed would feel "up-to-date" with an electric car. Well, to each their own, I guess :confused:

By your OG post you already kind of made your decision for yourself. Of course most of us will be bias to tell you to DD the Z but there is a reason why you thought of the idea of leasing a leaf. It suits your needs so I say go with it.

Leaf NISMO RC
 

/thread

http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/u...f_RC_Nismo.jpg

Your kid shouldn't be in the front seat. Period. I'd seriously think about getting something safer with a back seat.

The Leaf is pretty nice, but lets face it, it's still new technology. You really need to think about your average daily commute and how long it would take to charge up. You'll never have to stop at a gas station, but expect having to plug-in every night. My total daily commute for example, adds up to around 55-60 miles. With an EPA range of 75 miles and no place at work to plug into, it's doesn't really work for me just yet. It would be perfect for my dad that works 8 miles away though. He'd only need to charge it fully once a week.

Great thing about Electric cars over a hybrid or normal car is that there isn't really a whole lot of moving parts. No oil changes, ever. Just regular maintenance stuff like inspections and tire rotations. Depending on your electric rate and tax savings, you can usually offset the initial price premium too.

All I have to say is THANK YOU for not getting rid of the Z just because you have a baby!!! If you can afford a commuter by any means do so. A nice gas efficient one at that. Consider a Honda FIT (like somebody on the forum has. I forget who its white). Or consider a Honda Civic Si like myself and 6mt has. Great on gas, cheap to maintain and fun to drive with a lot of aftermarket support.

I think kenchan has a fit? Not sure

Nice little cars for saving gas as a DD

As did I :iagree:

I agree.
I 'll let the rest of the gang give suggestions on car choice. What I like about the Leaf is no fuel starvation.

You can get a 10 yr old Civic or Accord, low cost, still good mpg and they last forever. So you don't have to worry about parking, dents, bumping etc. insurance should be quite low too. Btw, I would not be able to drive my Z only once a week.... :p

you want to be iggyfied, DE? :mad:

wow, a ridable roomba! :tup:


cossie- that lease deal sounds good. as long as it's practical and charging and all makes sense, might be a good lease.

or just get a regular gasoline ecno-car for cheap and drive that till it falls apart. could be cheaper.

Juke Nismo is pretty comfy, better than our touring seats I think. Thing looks odd on the outside but grows on you lol

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/o...pinions-bg.jpg

juke is nice, test drove one. but rear cargo is small with the rear seats up, the rear foot well is tiny too, even for little kids. not really a family oriented car imo.

Sell the Z. Get the leaf

/thread...

ALMOST?!?!?! I have shot myself because of that hateful car. Second worst fucking thing I have driven. Number 1 was the Nissan Cube

Waizzz

+1 agreed.

Nothing but love for you Kenchan! :)