I was still concerned about the lack of active cooling of the Leaf’s battery, but with it being the most affordable mainstream option, I had to reconsider it. So this time I actually went to drive one.

On paper it really did seem compelling. Part of my issue with the Bolt was the lack of adaptive cruise control, which could be had on the Leaf within my budget. It was lacking the surround vision I loved so much but had many other nice features. While not a standout, I actually liked the way it looked in person. It was a good size as well and it seemed like the location of the charge ports in front would be very convenient. It drove fine. I don’t think it was as fun as the Bolt, but it still felt pretty quick. For some reason, the thing that stuck with me the most was how incredibly firm and cheap the back seats felt. I think it’s a perfectly good car, and quite practical, but it needed to wow me to overcome my concerns and it did not.