# [EVDL] My i Shipped - Leaf Comparisons ?



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

I just got notice that Mitsubishi has shipped the i ordered. The notice they
sent describes the trip from Japan that will " ... traverse the Panama
Canal, and then navigate through the tropical, turquoise waters of the
Eastern Caribbean on its way to the East Coast port of Baltimore."

What an image!

Anyway. I have driven the Leaf a couple times now and decided that for
efficiency and value, the i would work better for my family (me, wife, and 2
kids). I'm wondering for those who have driven both the i and the Leaf, how
the i compares to the Leaf in terms of:

Handling
Acceleration
Inside noise
Per person space
Utility space (with seats down)

I am sure just loooking at the numbers that the handling and acceleration is
better on the Leaf - but I'm one of those boring car=appliance kind of guys
(the Leaf salesman kept having to tell me to take the Leaf out of eco mode
so I could experience how fast the car was ... ).

The Leaf is VERY quiet - is the i similarly so?

And I know the Leaf is a 5 seater, but I'm wondering if 4 people in an i
might actually have more room than 5 people in a Leaf. When I was in the
car, the back especially, it did NOT seem roomy at all (I am 6'4", but just
compared to other vehicles I've been in). Also, after having seen the big
mongo hump in the back of the Leaf, I wonder if the actual carrying utility
for cargo (like a small desk or something) might be better in the i.

Thoughts? 
Thanks - Dan

-----
Dan Gallagher
http://www.evalbum.com/3854

--
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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Hi Dan,

We just bought an "i" ES model (bottom of the line, no options) instead of
leasing a Leaf. We only had a short drive in the Leaf, but we knew the
right choice for us after just a short drive in the i. In terms of the
areas you asked about:

Handling - Leaf is probably better, the i has small tires in the front
which amplify pot-holes, although the i is RWD and turns on a dime. If you
consider regen part of "handling", then I'd say the i wins ;-)

Acceleration - the Leaf is probably better, but the i is pretty peppy!

Inside noise - they are both pretty quiet, again, the tire size probably
makes the Leaf a little more quiet.

Per person space - my husband sat in the back seat of each car and thinks
the Leaf wins on this one. The i has a lot of headroom, but it doesn't
have the legroom to go with it, even in the front, according to one
passenger I took. My husband thinks that two in the back of the i would be
more comfortable than 3 in the back of the Leaf, though.

Utility space (with seats down) - I think the i has the edge on this, but I
haven't seen the figures. The back seats fold flat in the i.

One thing I didn't like about the Leaf was the visibility using the mirrors
when driving. It really disappointed me, but I figured I'd eventually get
used to it. I felt like I didn't really know where the edges of the car
were, and I didn't feel secure that I knew where all the other cars, etc.,
were around me. The i won hands down in that regard.

The other thing I didn't like about the Leaf was the weak regen. Most of
the fun of driving an EV is the regen! The i has three driving modes, each
with a different level of regen.

We also preferred the simplicity of the i. It didn't have buttons all over
the place and multiple screens of information to sort through. Our ICE
vehicles are from the 90's, so we're not used to all the fancy stuff.

Our main goal was to be able to do our daily driving in an EV. We didn't
think the Leaf was the be-all, end-all of electric cars, so we decided to
get into an EV as cheaply as possible and stick with that until something
we really like better comes along. We think there will be tremendous
break-throughs in the next decade and didn't want to be locked into a Leaf,
but the i suits us fine. It's fun!

Jenn
2012 i-MiEV ES
Santa Clara, CA


> Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:02:19 -0800 (PST)
> From: Danpatgal
> Subject: [EVDL] My i Shipped - Leaf Comparisons ?
> To: [email protected]
> Message-ID: <[email protected]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> I just got notice that Mitsubishi has shipped the i ordered. The notice
> they
> sent describes the trip from Japan that will " ... traverse the Panama
> Canal, and then navigate through the tropical, turquoise waters of the
> Eastern Caribbean on its way to the East Coast port of Baltimore."
>
> What an image!
>
> Anyway. I have driven the Leaf a couple times now and decided that for
> efficiency and value, the i would work better for my family (me, wife, and
> 2
> kids). I'm wondering for those who have driven both the i and the Leaf,
> how
> the i compares to the Leaf in terms of:
>
> Handling
> Acceleration
> Inside noise
> Per person space
> Utility space (with seats down)
>
> I am sure just loooking at the numbers that the handling and acceleration
> is
> better on the Leaf - but I'm one of those boring car=appliance kind of guys
> (the Leaf salesman kept having to tell me to take the Leaf out of eco mode
> so I could experience how fast the car was ... ).
>
> The Leaf is VERY quiet - is the i similarly so?
>
> And I know the Leaf is a 5 seater, but I'm wondering if 4 people in an i
> might actually have more room than 5 people in a Leaf. When I was in the
> car, the back especially, it did NOT seem roomy at all (I am 6'4", but just
> compared to other vehicles I've been in). Also, after having seen the big
> mongo hump in the back of the Leaf, I wonder if the actual carrying utility
> for cargo (like a small desk or something) might be better in the i.
>
> Thoughts?
> Thanks - Dan
>
> -----
> Dan Gallagher
> http://www.evalbum.com/3854
>
>
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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Dan, I'll suggest that you get active on the www.myimiev.com forum, and I'll go ahead and agree with Jenn out here on EVDL. The i has much more user control of regen than the Leaf, which makes spirited driving more enjoyable, EVen if the actual acceleration isn't as fast as a Leaf. I have some pretty steep hills to travel EVery day, and not only does it pull up 'em strong, it won't accelerate going downhill unless I want it to, and I normally only have to use the service brake for that last 10-15 mph of deceleration before a stop (or if heading hard into a tight corner). The Leaf will continue to accelerate down those same hills.
Rear cargo room in the i is 50 cubic feet in a nearly perfect cube, with a flat floor. That beats the Leaf hands down. HowEVer, the Leaf can carry more groceries if you have four folks also on board...
I just rolled over 2000 miles in my i, and though it's for sale in order to get a CHAdeMO-equipped version, I otherwise like the i's simplicity. I think that the fancy nav screens and extraneous graphics will be the first item to go obsolete in new EVs, and OEMs have a habit of soaking customers for updated content down the line. My dear old dad found it cheaper to buy a TomTom rather than buy updated maps for the nav system in his Grand Cherokee! 
SO, a smartphone or portable GPS unit will suit me just fine, and I don't need my EV to grow trees or sprout butterflies.

-Jay 
www.karmanneclectric.blogspot.com	

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