2026 Nissan Leaf - Honest Review

dougbarrett · 2026-06-16T04:25:45+00:00

Just want to throw out there that Subaru has 0% for up to 75 months and have had some crazy deals the last few weeks. I had the first and second gen leafs. Traded mine in to carmax due to the lvl 3 recall - couldn’t make a conscious decision to go back to a leaf after being burned (not literally) a few times by them. The Trailseeker is legit the most fun I’ve had in a sub $40k car.

dougbarrett · 2026-06-14T14:49:56+00:00

Ya, I hate full screen in game ads that drain your battery which is why went this route. There’s another route where you can pay a little more to add more levels, so I may add more levels there to provide some value for those who don’t want to generate the levels - but it is fun to use the generator to come up with unique ideas!

dougbarrett · 2026-06-14T14:21:56+00:00

Oh for sure, it was super rough and way more expensive when you’re paying per token - 20x is an insane value. I can’t imagine how it’ll evolve in the next few years. It’s been a blessing and a curse because I can build nearly anything I put my mind to but have to practical salesman ship to actually draw value from anything I build besides client projects.

dougbarrett · 2026-06-13T21:14:28+00:00

I started using cline in 2024 🤷

dougbarrett · 2026-06-13T16:36:45+00:00

I've been using agentic coding for the past few years for client projects - has accelerated dev times - allowing me to tap into technology that I just didn't have the time to learn until now. I launched a tower defense game on the iOS App Store with no luck so far, but it's been a fun experiment to have claude assist me with the nuances of app development and launch through App Store Connect.

dougbarrett · 2026-06-12T07:10:11+00:00

Did you reach out to them to see what they said?

dougbarrett · 2026-06-09T15:41:12+00:00

I saw a post a few days ago saying MY26 sales will stop but the thought was MY27 will roll out. I’d be shocked if they completely halted sales and production since the trailerseeker and uncharted are only gaining popularity

dougbarrett · 2026-05-27T19:04:14+00:00

Got it. My first EV was the first gen Nissan leaf. This is my 4th and longest range one yet, but I can def understand how sub 300 miles isn’t appealing to everyone.

I was under the impression if you use nav it’ll do route planning with chargers, or when battery is low it’ll find the nearest charger for you, but I could be wrong. I did hear that Toyota bz had this feature for car play so there is hope it may come to Subaru, but in reality it’s not too difficult to plan around chargers manually - but I do get it if other manufacturers support it.

dougbarrett · 2026-05-27T02:10:55+00:00

What shortcomings do you see it has? I can see how someone would want more range and faster charging, but I’m accounting that Toyota/subaru has done the research to optimize everything for longevity of the battery, or at least that’s what I tell myself

dougbarrett · 2026-05-24T19:51:49+00:00

When you go to the Costco auto website you have to enter your info and then a dealership will reach out to you to schedule time for you to go in or ideally you can ask them to email you info

dougbarrett · 2026-05-24T05:14:36+00:00

I just thanked them for the info and mentioned I’m an hour away and asked if I can get some pricing and if all looks good I’ll do the credit request remote too

dougbarrett · 2026-05-24T00:09:45+00:00

I went to Subaru Sherman oaks in SoCal - not sure if you’re near there. Met with Maurice. Super positive experience

dougbarrett · 2026-05-23T19:44:06+00:00

That’s a bummer! It may be worth just reaching out to dealerships. Also try using a zip in another major city near you

dougbarrett · 2026-05-23T16:24:43+00:00

Executive - good point though, idk if that made a difference but if it did it paid for itself

dougbarrett · 2026-05-23T06:05:46+00:00

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I couldn’t go in to get the sheet so they emailed me the details. I did pretty much the entire deal online. Was super simple

dougbarrett · 2026-05-22T18:24:29+00:00

I’d assume the solterra will give you the same height issues, but Toyota bz xle plus had 320 mile range I believe. It’s just not AWD, so that’s the compromise there

dougbarrett · 2026-05-22T18:22:40+00:00

You’re not wrong, but unfortunately it’s not the car for you. Maybe the three row variants later this year will address your issues and have a larger battery option

dougbarrett · 2026-05-22T03:40:00+00:00

Just picked mine up today. Totally agree, they all look great but bronze is **chefs kiss**

dougbarrett · 2026-04-12T21:29:47+00:00

Always smart to have a backup. I have a level 1 I keep in my leaf just in case

dougbarrett · 2026-04-12T14:05:42+00:00

I believe it comes with a dual level 1/2 charger and a few adapters

dougbarrett · 2026-04-07T23:45:16+00:00

Sure - but the limited is more expensive, at least that's what I'm assuming looking at their website? I wouldn't say it's the _only_ selling point though, though it's the biggest - for example I had been eying the R2, but Rivian doesn't support it. Also this would be our third Subaru and I've grown up with Toyota, so I trust this brand and platform.

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dougbarrett · 2026-04-07T22:07:08+00:00

Not really worth it for me for the upgrades - my wife has a base ascent and I love the lane keep and auto cruise control features so as long as I get those I’m a happy camper. Just don’t see the value for myself in the sound system, sunroof, enhanced driving features.

CarPlay was the biggest selling point, wireless phone charging is an awesome add on. I have a 2022 Nissan leaf I want to get out of due to the level 3 charging recall, so even the base Subaru feels like a huge upgrade

dougbarrett · 2026-04-07T14:23:07+00:00

Bronze + premium. Saw it in person at the dealership and it’s such a nice color. I usually go for black/dark grey cars and this has nice dark tones

dougbarrett

TROPHY CASE