Cars.com Adds 2011 Nissan Leaf to Green Fleet

We’ve already begun to answer some of these questions at www.cars.com/green and through our Twitter feed, @CarsComGreen, and we will continue to address the obvious concerns as well as the unexpected, such as what happens when a rodent makes a meal of your Chevy Volt.

We set the wheels in motion close to a year ago to get positioned to be one of the first actual consumers of both cars in the country, especially in a region like ours that’s not a launch market for either car and isn’t scheduled to be until the end of 2011. For this reason, our Leaf isn’t equipped with the optional Winter Package, which is still being developed. In addition to a heated steering wheel and seats, this treatment will add a “battery blanket” — insulation to maintain temperature in the battery pack, which isn’t heated or cooled like the Volt’s. For this reason, all of our winter observations will have to be taken with this in mind.

Here are the details and costs of our two vehicles:

The Cyber Gray Metallic Volt is loaded, with the Premium Trim Package, a backup camera and front and rear sonar parking assist. With all the options and a destination charge, the $40,280 standard car came to $43,105. After taxes and a one-way registration from our dealership, Martin Chevrolet in Torrance, Calif., it came to $47,392.
Illinois registration and tagging added $241.

Total: $47,633.

Our Blue Ocean Leaf is the higher trim level, the SL, with a list price of $33,720. Options include the quick-charge port, a bumper protection package and floormats. Our out-the-door price at Action Nissan in Nashville, Tenn., was $36,014. That’s before paying Illinois taxes of $2,611. Illinois registration and tagging will be the same $241.

Total:$38,866