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Many critics might tell you the 2023 Nissan Leaf is well past its prime and a purveyor of old tech. But after a week in the Leaf, Host Jack Nerad came to a different conclusion. It might be one of the best electric car values on the market right now. In its upscale SV form the Leaf offers 212 miles of range and a 214-horsepower 160-kW electric motor. While these aren’t stunning numbers, they must be viewed in the context of the suggested retail price.
At $37,750, including the $1,095 destination charge, the Leaf SV is one of the least expensive vehicles on the market offering more than 200 miles of range. Meanwhile, the entry-level Leaf S offers about 150 miles of range at a suggested price of less than $30,000. These are just hints as to why Jack Nerad thinks the Leaf is one of the biggest EV bargains on the market. And his week road testing the perky hatchback just solidified that opinion.
At the same time Nerad was testing the Leaf, Co-Host Chris Teague was evaluating the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, a vehicle that might be the unofficial Crossover Utility of New England. Could the Crosstrek stand up to the rigors of late spring in Maine…and to the rigors of the Teague’s 80-pound dog? We’ll tell you in this episode.
Our special guest this week is interesting guest Brian Nielander, chief exterior designer of the 2023 Dodge Hornet. Host Jack Nerad recently had a chance to talk with him about the first all-new Dodge vehicle in more than a decade, and we’ll share that discussion with you.
In the news this week, we have to ask the question is there a flying car in your future? That longtime dream might be closer to becoming a reality than you might think. We’ll tell you who has made a startling announcement about this effort and the exciting details later in this segment.
Also in the news, a well-reviewed electric vehicle is now the subject of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation. Several drivers of the vehicles report hearing a popping noise and then the car suddenly loses power. We’ll have details on that critical safety issue.
And in the True Crime Files Automotive Edition, fugitive Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has sued the company for more than $1 billion in a lawsuit filed to Lebanon’s public prosecutor last month, according to a copy of the lawsuit seen by Reuters. As longtime listeners know Ghosn is currently living exile in Lebanon after have escaped from Japan where he was facing prison time.
America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com
