Used 2018 Nissan Leaf for sale 

The 2018 Nissan Leaf is offered in three trim levels, namely S, SV, and SL all under a price range of $36,200. A 147-horsepower AC Synchronous Motor is standard across the range. Some standard features offered with the 2018 Nissan Leaf include a 7-inch infotainment system, climate control, and standard automatic emergency braking. The following table gives an overview of the various trims and features offered with the 2018 Nissan Leaf. 

The overall idea of the Nissan Leaf is to get people into the electric vehicle segment by offering incredible value for their money. The base S trim comes with basic features that let you use the Leaf as a standard commuter vehicle. While the base does come with some interesting features such as Automated Emergency Braking, the higher SV trim takes the vehicle’s tech aspect to the upper echelons. The top-of-the-line SL trim is offered with premium interior features, along with convenience aids such as a portable 240V charging cable that make living with the Leaf on a daily basis much easier. 

The 2018 Nissan Leaf comes equipped with a moderately sized AC Synchronous Motor, capable of putting down a modest 147 horsepower and a reasonable 236 lb-ft of torque. The Leaf only comes in front-wheel-drive configuration and offers a sufficiently comfortable ride. Despite being an electric car, mashing the pedal won’t unravel an exhilarating experience.

The Leaf is more centered towards convenient drivalibility and efficient range. The Nissan Leaf is easy to drive, and offers a pleasant ride and comfortable dynamics.

Among the electric cars compared here, the Leaf has the lowest power output. Spending almost $6,000 more can get you the considerably more powerful Tesla Model 3. However, the Model 3 has a massive waiting period. The Model 3 also comes with a sophisticated VFD-controlled 3-Phase Induction Motor, which promises seamless power delivery and an efficient energy recuperation system. 

2018 Nissan Leaf Acceleration and Braking

As mentioned earlier, the 2018 Nissan Leaf doesn’t put down sportscar-like numbers, despite being an electric car. It takes the tardy Leaf 7.5 seconds to reach a speed of 60 miles per hour from a standstill and nearly 15.8 seconds to cover a quarter mile. The Leaf also weighs 3433 pounds, which is not bad, given it houses a hefty battery pack. The Nissan EV disappoints in terms of braking, owing to its heft and lousy low rolling resistance tires. 

The quickest to reach 60 MPH from standstill is the Tesla Model 3, putting down a time of 6 seconds. It maintains its lead in the quarter mile race, crossing the finish line in a reasonably quick 13.4 seconds. The Chevrolet Bolt and BMW i3 fall between the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model 3, offering compromised performance numbers. The BMW i3, however, weighs the least, thanks to recycled interior components and carbon-fiber based body. The Chevrolet Bolt puts down an embarrassing 132-foot stopping distance, while the BMW i3 delivers the best braking results. 

The 2018 Nissan Leaf comes with a 40 kWh battery pack. This gives the Japanese EV a range of 151 miles. That's enough for routine commuting, but road trips can be a problem. The Leaf can charge fully in 35 hours from 110V socket. With a 240V socket, that's reduced to less than 8 hours. Also, with public 480V DC Fast Charging charging points, you can get 90 miles worth of charge within 30 minutes.

Among the competition, the Chevrolet Bolt comes with the beefiest battery pack, and offers a compelling rage of 238 miles. The BMW i3 comes with the smallest battery pack and the least range, but offers the quickest charging time through a regular 240V supply. 

With a passenger capacity of up to 5, the 2018 Nissan Leaf is one of the most comfortable and cozy electric vehicles on sale today. Owing to a minimum number of moving components, the Leaf is impeccably silent. The only sources of the noise can be wind or road but neither of them would be overly prominent. Thankfully, the Nissan Leaf comes with a pleasantly familiar cabin, with nothing too wild or outlandish to remind you that you’re in an electric vehicle. The controls are well laid out, and there’s plenty of space to keep your daily items.

The seats are offered in fabric, but the top trim offers leather seats. The interior can be themed to fashion various shades, such as jet black or white. The buttons feel sturdy and high quality, but the instrument panel looks a little dated. Cheap plastic has been used judiciously, and the interior isn’t exactly luxurious. All in all, the cabin feels clean, easy to use and functional. The ergonomics justify the price tag well. 

At the front row, the Nissan Leaf comes with the most headroom, while the Tesla Model 3 has the most shoulder space to offer. The Model 3 also comes with the most front-row legroom, which is fantastic. At the back, the Chevrolet Bolt offers the most headroom and legroom, while the Tesla Model 3 comes with the most shoulder space, and that too by a considerable margin. Some highlight interior features offered with the 2018 Nissan Leaf include:

• 6-Way Manual Adjustable Driver Seat. 
• 4-Way Manual Adjustable Passenger Seat. 
• Power Windows. 
• Front and Rear Cupholders. 
• Automatic Air Conditioning.
• Fabric Seat Trim. 
• Front Map Lights.
• Hybrid Gauge Cluster.
• Air Filtration.

2018 Nissan Leaf Infotainment 

The 2018 Nissan Leaf comes with a modest 5-inch infotainment display that hosts a variety of settings and controls to play around with. The infotainment comes with Nissan’s excellent navigation system, which makes city driving a breeze. While there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on the table, Bluetooth audio streaming and iPod compatibility is offered.

The infotainment also comes with a SiriusXM Radio, while also offering USB and Aux support. Sound is channeled through a 7-speaker sound system, which is not bad at all. Some key infotainment features offered with the 2018 Nissan Leaf include:

• 5-inch Infotainment Display.
• Nissan Navigation System.
• USB, Aux and iPod Support.
• Bluetooth Audio Streaming. 
• SiriusXM Radio.
• CD Player and MP3 Support. 
• Speed Compensated Volume Control.
• Portable Charge Cables (120 V/ 240 V).
• 7-Speaker Audio System. 

2018 Nissan Leaf Cargo Space

The 2018 Nissan Leaf has by far the best trunk volume in the class, offering a staggering 23.6 cubic feet of storage space. The trunk is ideal for hauling daily cargo, and can comfortably fit large suitcases and groceries. The interior isn’t too sparse on the practicality front either, offering storage options in the form of a sizable glove box, fairly large cupholders, a slot for storing your smartphone or change, and medium-sized door bins. 

Among the competition, the 2018 Nissan Leaf offers the most trunk space, by a significant margin over its competitors. The closest to the Leaf in the storage department is the Chevrolet Bolt, which comes with 16.9 cubic feet of boot space. The Tesla Model 3 offers the least cargo volume, landing just behind the BMW i3. 

The NIssan Leaf gets a major design overhaul for 2018, and that too, for the better. With a for-log front fascia and awkward proportions gone, the updated Leaf looks sharper, smarter and most importantly, normal. The front features styling more consistent with Nissan present-day design language, with sweeping black trims near the nose and bolder headlights. The silhouette still stands quite hatchback-like, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Towards the back, the 2018 Leaf features a floating C-pillar, entirely flushed in black.

The back also sports a lot of black plastic, delivering a large greenhouse look. The taillights are now sharper and feature much more elegant styling. Overall, the updated design is a sigh of relief for new Leaf customers that get to have their hands on a much less embarrassing electric vehicle for daily drives. 

The 2018 Tesla Model 3 measures the longest, while also boasting the greatest width. The BMW i3 measures the tallest, while the Model 3 is much shorter in comparison. The Model 3 and the i3 offer the least ground clearance, while the Chevrolet Bolt offers the most. The BMW i3 comes with the shortest wheelbase, whereas the Tesla Model 3 offers the longest. Some key exterior features offered with the 2018 Nissan Leaf include:

• 16-inch Machined Aluminum Alloy Wheels.
•  205/55R16 All Season Tires.
• LED Headlights with LED Signature.
• Daytime Running Lights.
• Black Side Windows Trim and Black Front Windshield Trim.
• Chrome Door Handles.
• Lip Spoiler.

The NHTSA has not yet crash tested the 2018 Nissan Leaf. Also, the data available from IIHS is partial. However, the Nissan Leaf is a well-engineered car with plenty of safety features including a full selection of airbags. People tend to be rather skeptical about buying electric vehicles, and part of that skepticism is often linked to safety. However, Nissan has ensured the Leaf to be as safe as any other compact vehicle in the market. Some key safety features offered with the 2018 Nissan Leaf include:

• Nissan Advanced AirBag System.
• Driver And Front-Passenger Seat-Mounted Side-Impact Supplemental Air Bags.
• Roof-Mounted Curtain Supplemental Air Bags. 
• Rollover Sensor For Side-Impact Head Protection.
• Front Seat Belts With Pretensioners And Load Limiters.
• 3-Point ALR/ELR Passenger Seat Belt System. 
• Front And Rear Crumple Zones.
• Latch System (Lower Anchors And Tethers For Children).
• Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS).

2018 Nissan Leaf vs Chevrolet Bolt

Priced nearly $7500 more than the Nissan Leaf, the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt uses a more powerful electric motor, offering better acceleration and performance figures. The Bolt can also travel about 70 miles more than the Leaf with a full charge. However, the Nissan Leaf stands as a more practical vehicle, offering a larger boot capacity and a wallet-friendly price tag.

2018 Nissan Leaf vs Tesla Model 3

The 2018 Tesla Model 3 outperforms the Nissan Leaf in nearly every imaginable aspect. The Model 3 comes with better range, better technology and certainly better performance. Further, the Tesla Supercharger network is unquestionable and the Model 3 looks and feels like a brother to the much-acclaimed Model S.

The only trouble is acquiring it since the demand is far higher than supply, along with a fatter price tag compared to competitors. 

2018 Nissan Leaf vs BMW i3

The 2018 BMW i3 is a very pricey EV, costing nearly $15,000 more than the Nissan Leaf. The power and torque generated do not justify the price tag and the range is hopelessly outclassed. However, the i3 does feel livelier to drive than the others. The i3 also comes with better build quality and safety features. While the BMW i3 is significantly down on practicality compared to the Nissan Leaf, one can opt for a range-extending engine, essentially turning the i3 into a hybrid vehicle. 

The 2018 Nissan Leaf is a practical electric car that can be used regularly for city commutes and some small out-of-the-city excursions, owing to its sufficient battery range. A sparse fast-charging network also means good planning will be required for longer trips, significantly confining the Leaf’s capabilities to the city. The Leaf, however, comes with plenty of space and practicality options, if its use is limited to running city errands. Comfortable, spacious and offered with a good deal of infotainment features, the Nissan Leaf stands as a compelling alternative to other pricier electric vehicles. While luxury is compromised and build quality is average, the Leaf makes up for the loss with ease of driving, a quiet cabin and plenty of space. All in all, the 2018 Nissan Leaf is an ideal city-driving companion if you want to cheaply get around town without consuming a drop of gasoline.