Kia Soul EV vs Nissan Leaf?

[Urchina]

Hi, all. We're electric car shopping right now and have narrowed it down to two contenders: a used Kia Soul EV or a used Nissan Leaf -- 2016 models or newer. Right now, I'm leaning towards the Soul because we are tall and it is more comfortable to get into and out of -- and also has a bit more cargo space -- but the closest Kia dealership is 45 miles away (we'd need to take it there for any maintenance) and they're a bit more expensive -- $2k or so -- than a comparable Leaf.

So, Leaf drivers and any Soul EV drivers out there -- what's your experience been with both? Range anxiety is not going to be an issue with us since it'll be exclusively an around-town car, with max driving of 30 miles a day or so, and no extreme cold or heat to deal with (gotta love coastal CA for that!).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bamaman]

I'd go for neither.

We have a 2018 Camry Hybrid that gets 48.5 mpg on average, and we are not tied to any electrical source. All the quiet, smooth power without having to deal with any dealer out of town. No maintenance other than oil changes. And the car is quite quick.

I would go for one of the new Toyota hybrids because they are reasonably priced--Prius, CR-V, Corolla Camry. My Camry Hybrid was $26k, for example.

 

[frank]

second on the toyota. I have 2012 prius I bought new and it has not been in the shop for anything but maintenance and tires. it has 100k miles. gas mileage about 48. how did you come up with the gas mileage on the leaf and soul? actual use, other owners, or car sticker?

 

[aja8888]

The Leaf battery system is not thermally controlled. This is know to be an issue and the battery loses the ability to fully charge after a short while. If this car is a contender for you, make sure you have a knowledgeable tech check out the remaining battery life. Range is short on the used ones, and a weak battery won't go as far as advertised.

 

[Chuckanut]

I also like my hybrid Camry also, but remember the OP asked for electric vehicles. California is a world of its own when it comes to automobiles, goose pate and other things. What sells in Peoria may not sell in California.

 

[Urchina]

I also like my hybrid Camry also, but remember the OP asked for electric vehicles. California is a world of its own when it comes to automobiles, goose pate and other things. What sells in Peoria may not sell in California.

Thanks, Chuckanut. We are not interested in a hybrid for this particular purpose. Any EV drivers out there want to chime in?

 

[bushpilot]

Following. I have had my eye on a Leaf, we have very inexpensive electricity in WA state.

 

[Bamaman]

Of the EV's,.the Leafs appear.to.he the one:rice and.range.inc!uded. And they are made in Tennessee by quality workers.

 

[brucethebroker]

Hate to get off electric topic a little, but...
Spent most of last fall and early 2019 car shopping. Was interested in Nissan and Kia, with the early nod to Nissan. But after driving both on 2-3 day test drives, was WAY more impressed with the KIA-overall quality, etc.

Don't know if that helps, but.....

 

[gstillson]

Looks like the 2020 Kia Soul is a huge improvement over the 2019....twice the range.

 

[gerntz]

I'd go for neither.

We have a 2018 Camry Hybrid that gets 48.5 mpg on average, and we are not tied to any electrical source. All the quiet, smooth power without having to deal with any dealer out of town. No maintenance other than oil changes. And the car is quite quick.

I would go for one of the new Toyota hybrids because they are reasonably priced--Prius, CR-V, Corolla Camry. My Camry Hybrid was $26k, for example.

Didn't know Toyota made a CR-V.

 

[easysurfer]

Hi, all. We're electric car shopping right now and have narrowed it down to two contenders: a used Kia Soul EV or a used Nissan Leaf -- 2016 models or newer. Right now, I'm leaning towards the Soul because we are tall and it is more comfortable to get into and out of -- and also has a bit more cargo space -- but the closest Kia dealership is 45 miles away (we'd need to take it there for any maintenance) and they're a bit more expensive -- $2k or so -- than a comparable Leaf.

So, Leaf drivers and any Soul EV drivers out there -- what's your experience been with both? Range anxiety is not going to be an issue with us since it'll be exclusively an around-town car, with max driving of 30 miles a day or so, and no extreme cold or heat to deal with (gotta love coastal CA for that!).

Thanks in advance!

I'll answer your question with a question .
Which is more important to you, comfort of getting in and out of the vehicle or cost savings? Taking into account how long you plan on owning the vehicle.

For me, if the item is something I will use often and the cost difference isn't that much, I'll go with comfort and count that as a splurge to treat myself. IMO, better to get something I'll be happy with using than disappointed saving some money but having an improper fit.

The last car I bought was a choice between a used Honda Fit vs Toyota Prius C. Main difference was between the crazy good gas mileage of the Prius C vs the roomy cargo of the Fit. There were other factors too, but mainly I chose the Fit because of the cargo and magic seats as no way did I want to cram stuff around in the Prius C when I could've just flip the seats around to make things, well, Fit (pun intended). Though as for gas savings, the Prius C wins hands down.

 

[Spock]

Which ever one is easiest to hack into a home inverter supply similar to a powerwall.

 

[LRDave]

A former co-worker of mine had both - leased a Leaf first then a Soul. He would say the Soul - hands down.

 

[explanade]

Maybe Kia Niro EV or Hyundai Kona EV, if you can find one of them?

https://electrek.co/2019/05/07/kia-niro-ev-review/

 

[GoBears]

Have you looked at the crash test ratings? The 2012 Leaf I leased did not do particularly well. As others have noted, the Leaf’s range was not as advertised. Nor was the vehicle’s display of remaining range. For example, the Leaf would lose 7 or 8 miles of range coming up our 1 mile hill. At the end of the lease I couldn’t be certain that the Leaf would make my 18 mile round trip commute more than once per charge. I was very surprised that my dad’s Tesla’s range display is actually accurate.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

I have 2 Tesla's. I think you would be happy with either of your choices. I'd pick the one that makes you happy. Electric cars are everywhere in SoCal where I am.

 

[Christine]

Your situation seems perfect for smaller electric cars. Go for it!


It's so great not having to visit gas stations. My car is charged up and ready to go every morning.



When I got my Tesla videoes on Youtube helped me a lot. And especially Bjørn Nyland. Here he is comparing many electric cars a year ago - should be relevant since your candidates are used ones?

 

[ocean view]

I have a 2012 Leaf (original owner) so I’ll add what I can.

You mentioned a concern about the Kia dealership being further away for maintenance. In my first 3-4 years of ownership I visited the dealer exactly once per year for the required annual “battery check”, no other dealer maintenance was required. I took the car elsewhere for tire rotation and replaced wipers myself. After year 5 I stopped going for the battery check, as it didn’t provide any info that I didn’t already know (and was no longer free) and I was outside the battery replacement warranty period. I assume that the Kia would also be low maintenance, so perhaps distance is not such a big deal.

I would recommend you check out the MyNissanLeaf forum and do a lot of reading and ask your specific questions there. There are a lot of long term contributors on that site who are happy to share their knowledge (sound familiar?). There is probably a similar forum for the Kia as well.

As for the leaf itself, 30 miles a day is certainly doable, especially if they are driven under freeway speeds. I found 45mph to be the speed where I got the best mpKwh.

My biggest concern with buying a used EV would be getting an accurate picture of the battery health. Looking at the Guess-o-meter on the Leaf dashboard is NOT going to give you this info. The Leaf forum can guide you in this area. I’m not a EE or a car-gal, but I think you need a gid meter to measure the current or remaining battery capacity and then do some math. Please don’t ask me what a gid meter is.

Good luck in your research. And yes, I love my car.

 

[ocean view]

One more thought— ifyour concern about the Kia location is about battery range for the round to the dealer, they should have L2 or L3 chargers available to fill you up for the drive home. Ask them if they can accommodate this before you buy. If they can’t, then 1-shame on them and 2-look to see where public chargers are located in that city and plan accordingly.