Monday, October 10, 2011

18. I HAD to Drive My Lexus Last Week...

Last week I had to drive from Austin to Houston; so I took my Lexus.  This was only the third time the Lexus had been out of the garage since I got my LEAF three months ago (just a couple of prior airport trips).

I should preface this by saying I have really enjoyed my Lexus IS350 for the past several years.  It's probably the finest gasoline automobile I've ever owned - quick, quiet, smooth, and elegant.  Lexus service has always been exemplary.  

That said, here are just a few reasons I prefer driving my LEAF for all my in-town travel:

1. When I pressed the button to start my Lexus that morning, I could actually feel vibrations as the engine turned over, then idled.  How "primitive"!

2. I could hear muted sounds from the engine compartment, not the LEAF's utter silence.

3. When I pressed the accelerator I could feel the Lexus' internal combustion engine rev up and shift repeatedly (albeit very subtly) - a really noticeable difference when one has become accustomed to the LEAF's silky smooth and silent acceleration at all speeds.

4. Before the drive I stopped off to fill up the Lexus, and it was annoying to have to buy 12 gallons of gas for about $44 (the first gas I'd bought in three months).  When the pump stopped I couldn't help calculating that at 3¢/mile for electricity, I could have driven my LEAF for almost 1,500 miles (!) with this $44.

What's not to like about this car?  I haven't found anything yet.



17. My LEAF Makes the Christian Science Monitor

The reporter loved my LEAF:


"Something new and a bit odd is happening here in Texas, where history and the economy are so tightly interwoven with oil: Some drivers are ditching their gasoline vehicles and turning over a new leaf – literally.'


http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech/2011/1009/Post-oil-In-oil-country-maverick-Nissan-Leaf-driver-gives-up-gas-VIDEO