craigy_b
Established Member
After a chance conversation with my brother last weekend and a segment on Radio Scotland on the Monday I decided to look into electric cars and took a trip to my Nissan dealership. They offered me a four day test drive of the Nissan Leaf which I collected on Friday. The car is due to go back tomorrow so I thought I'd leave my initial thoughts.
The car itself may be a bit of an acquired taste. Its not your typical hatchback shape but then its not your typical car. First impressions of the interior were positive. I had been given the 30Kw Tekna model and I liked the leather interior, DAB radio etc. The dashboard does feel a bit 'plasticy' and I'm not sure how it will wear over time.
On driving it I was pleasantly surprised. My commute is around a 25mile round trip so range shouldn't be a problem. For family days out etc we have my wifes 4x4 so the Leaf will be used for commuting and short family journeys. I initially feared that I would be driving a milk float that would be slow and laboured but that wasn't the case. The power is immediate and its quick to pull away. I'm not the hardest of drivers and the power from the 'engine' was enough to put a bit of fun into the drive, especially compared to my Qashqai 1.6l petrol which is a very laboured drive. I did notice myself relaxing into the drive due to the lack of gear changes and had to remind myself to use my indicators on more than one occasion!
The car goes back tomorrow and I now have to think if its something I want to go for. The car itself ticks a lot of boxes. The dealer, a trainee, told me they had sold an Acenta model the previous week on a 3 year PCP deal at £235 deposit and £235 a month. Having used the Tekna I'd be reluctant to downgrade a model but the £235 a month is the kind of price I want to pay. I wonder how hard he can be pushed? At that price the saving I'd make of fuel would cover the difference on the monthly payments of my current car. Factor in that my current car is 6 years old, has done 61k miles and isn't the most fuel efficient I think the expenses will only increase with MOT's and increasing fuel prices.
Overall I was very pleased with the car and when I look at other options and ICE vehicles then I would struggle to find a better option from a financial point of view. I had looked at the new Insignia but at £259 a month before I put in any fuel its pushing my finances in the wrong direction.
Has anyone taken the Leaf Tekna on a PCP deal recently and how hard did you manage to push the dealer? I'd be interested to know what I can get away with given that Nissan are pushing their Electric July event.
The car itself may be a bit of an acquired taste. Its not your typical hatchback shape but then its not your typical car. First impressions of the interior were positive. I had been given the 30Kw Tekna model and I liked the leather interior, DAB radio etc. The dashboard does feel a bit 'plasticy' and I'm not sure how it will wear over time.
On driving it I was pleasantly surprised. My commute is around a 25mile round trip so range shouldn't be a problem. For family days out etc we have my wifes 4x4 so the Leaf will be used for commuting and short family journeys. I initially feared that I would be driving a milk float that would be slow and laboured but that wasn't the case. The power is immediate and its quick to pull away. I'm not the hardest of drivers and the power from the 'engine' was enough to put a bit of fun into the drive, especially compared to my Qashqai 1.6l petrol which is a very laboured drive. I did notice myself relaxing into the drive due to the lack of gear changes and had to remind myself to use my indicators on more than one occasion!
The car goes back tomorrow and I now have to think if its something I want to go for. The car itself ticks a lot of boxes. The dealer, a trainee, told me they had sold an Acenta model the previous week on a 3 year PCP deal at £235 deposit and £235 a month. Having used the Tekna I'd be reluctant to downgrade a model but the £235 a month is the kind of price I want to pay. I wonder how hard he can be pushed? At that price the saving I'd make of fuel would cover the difference on the monthly payments of my current car. Factor in that my current car is 6 years old, has done 61k miles and isn't the most fuel efficient I think the expenses will only increase with MOT's and increasing fuel prices.
Overall I was very pleased with the car and when I look at other options and ICE vehicles then I would struggle to find a better option from a financial point of view. I had looked at the new Insignia but at £259 a month before I put in any fuel its pushing my finances in the wrong direction.
Has anyone taken the Leaf Tekna on a PCP deal recently and how hard did you manage to push the dealer? I'd be interested to know what I can get away with given that Nissan are pushing their Electric July event.