2015 Nissan Leaf review

1. City-friendly range

The 2015 Nissan Leaf has an EPA-estimated 84-mile range on a full charge.

 Thanks to the 2015 Nissan Leaf's excellent powertrain, this is plenty of electric car range for city living. All 2015 Nissan Leaf models come equipped with an 80 kW motor producing 107 hp and 187 lb-ft of torque. This enables the 2015 Nissan Leaf to achieve an EPA-estimated 114 MPGe combined—that's 126 MPGe in the city and 101 MPGe on the highway. All of this means that not only is the 2015 Nissan Leaf ideal for inner-city driving and short journeys around town, but it can also easily handle longer trips when required. 

2. Spacious and comfortable seating

The 2015 Nissan Leaf is a compact car, but it certainly doesn't feel like one on the inside. There's seating for up to five passengers inside, with slots for up to two child car seats with LATCH connectors. And with a total of 92.4 cu-ft of passenger volume inside, there's more than enough room for you and all your passengers to stretch out and travel in comfort—especially with the 42.1 inches of front-seat legroom and 33.3 inches of rear-seat legroom. 

Additionally, you get a heated steering wheel and heated seats as standard—perfect on cold winter mornings. And if you want more, the top-of-the-range SL trim offers leather upholstery for that final touch of style and luxury. The 2015 Nissan Leaf is the kind of car that feels far from compact on the inside, and one that you and your passengers will enjoy spending time in no matter how long the journey. 

3. Impressive feature list

Speaking of elements offered as standard, that brings us on to a real ace up the 2015 Nissan Leaf's sleeve—a packed feature list spread across the three trim levels. The base S model starts off strong, with standard items including keyless ignition and entry, automatic climate control, heated front and rear seats, and heated mirrors. 

The middle-tier SV trim adds alloy wheels, cruise control, and a six-speaker audio system with Pandora^® smartphone integration. Finally, the top-of-the-range Leaf SL trim adds automatic LED headlights, a quick-charge port, and fog lights. 

Additionally, SV and SL models have an extra Premium package to look out for, featuring a 360-degree parking camera system and a seven-speaker Bose^® sound system. Regardless of what trim you select, there will be a model, trim level, and option package combination ideally suited for you and your everyday requirements.

4. Fast charging options

Combined with the excellent range from the standard electric motor, the 2015 Nissan Leaf has you covered for when you inevitably need to plug in and recharge the lithium-ion batteries. The base S model includes a 3.3 kW charger, which when using a 240-volt power source can recharge a depleted battery in around eight hours. Go for the SL and SV models with the 6.6 kW charger and that charging time is cut in half, down to four hours. 

When equipped with the optional (standard on SV trims) quick-charge port, you can potentially have the power to recharge up to 80 percent capacity in just 30 minutes using a public fast charger. Alongside all of these full charging options, the 2015 Nissan Leaf also includes multiple transmission settings for three levels of regenerative braking, which converts kinetic energy from the brakes into extra battery power to help top up your range while on the move.

5. Plenty of storage space inside

The 2015 Nissan Leaf doesn't skimp on practicality, with a very useful 24 cu-ft of cargo volume behind the rear seats—more than enough for even the biggest of grocery shopping trips. 

You can increase this to up to 30 cu-ft of cargo volume when the 60/40 split-folding rear seats are folded flat, so bigger items can be transported with ease. The premium SV trim also includes an additional cargo cover, for extra protection and peace of mind for whatever you happen to be carrying in the trunk.