Back in 2022, I brought home a new 2023 Nissan Leaf S and I’ve had a blast driving it since. In hindsight, it was one of my best purchases in a long time– it’s super fun to drive, and other than tires/alignment it has required zero maintenance (not even refilling the wiper fluid!) in the 45 months that I’ve driven it almost 38K miles. It’s a great car.
But.
- The Leaf’s range is not awesome. While its efficiency is high (I average 4.2 miles per KW), that’s partly achieved with a small 40KW battery pack, and the extremely limited fast-charger support (I’ve fast-charged perhaps 4 times) means that it’s completely impractical for road trips.
- It’s small. My 13yo now rides in the front seat, and my 10yo is pretty crammed in the back.
- It lacks features. No remote start or charge monitoring, no built-in CarPlay, small internal screen. Black cloth interior.
As early as one year in after getting my Leaf, I was already thinking about upgrading to something bigger in a year or two. I was excited that the 2026 Leaf fixes many of the problems of mine (bigger battery, nicer features, winning charger) but was disappointed to see that it’s got a backseat that seems even smaller than that of the 2023. I pondered waiting for a Tesla Model YL (the upcoming extended length version of the Y) but I’ve been souring on the Tesla because they’re everywhere nowadays and the look doesn’t appeal to me as it once did.
On June 27th, I bought an Equinox EV AWD in RipTide Blue with the cloud grey interior:
A week prior, I’d test-driven a Blazer EV and was disappointed that driving it felt … pokey. It was big and comfortable, yes, but driving it felt more like my CX-5 than my sporty Leaf, despite the 220HP electric motor. I’d initially been skeptical of going to the all wheel drive model as it cost more ($3300) and dropped estimated range (from 319 to 307), but online reviewers raved that the additional 80HP gave it the “electric car zip” that I was looking for.
So the following Saturday, as my kid warmed up at his out-of-town swim meet, I drove up from San Antonio to San Marcos (a lot further than I realized) to test drive the AWD LT2 trim. As soon as I sat down in its big comfy grey seat, I knew I wanted it. Ten-seconds off the lot in the test drive, I dropped the pedal and got that roller-coaster takeoff feel I was craving. The price was good (about $10K under sticker for the Riptide Blue one I wanted that had been used as a courtesy vehicle). Then it was just an annoying amount of paperwork before I got the keys and headed back to the meet.
I’ve only got some initial impressions, but here they are:
- The cabin is really nice (quiet, high-riding, spacious)
- The giant Google-powered infotainment display is really great (with a few annoyances: no CarPlay, many features locked out while driving)
- 360 degree cameras are awesome
- Fast-charging at up to 150KW (I consistently got 125KW at EvGo and Buc-ee’s) makes it a practical road-trip car
- Remote start/AC is awesome, but the myChevrolet app is still annoyingly limited (e.g. cannot override charge schedule to say “Charge fully now”)
- Having three cars is a hassle. I’d been planning for the kids to get my hand-me-downs, but it’s going to take a few years.
- The CCS charge port is much more broadly supported than the CHAdeMO, but they really ought to throw in a NACS converter (the 2027 model is rumored to be switching to that).
- WeatherTech floor mats are a worthwhile upgrade.
- Selling heated seats and steering wheels in Texas (in the summer!) has to be a hard proposition. They probably should sell a “Hot Weather” config instead.
In the nine days I’ve owned the Equinox EV, I’ve driven it to and from San Antonio twice and around town a bit, but I’ve been driving my Leaf more than I expected– it’s still fun, easy to park, and 33% more energy efficient than the Equinox.
So, why I bought, in order of reasons:
- I need the range. I bought a house a bit further out from the city and I’ll be moving sometime in August.
- The Equinox offers more room for my family.
- I wanted it. :)
I’ll expect I’ll update this post over the next few months when I’ve got more informed things to say.
-Eric
My Car History:
- 1990 Pontiac Grand Am (thanks, Grandma!)
- 2003 Corolla LE 130hp (thanks, Microsoft!)
- 2013 CX5 155hp (thanks, Telerik!)
- 2023 Leaf S 147hp
- 2026 Equinox EV AWD 300hp
Impatient optimist. Dad. Author/speaker. Created Fiddler & SlickRun. PM @ Microsoft 2001-2012, and 2018-, working on Office, IE, and Edge. Now working on Microsoft Defender. My words are my own, I do not speak for any other entity. View more posts