Leaving aside the exterior and interior, it has an original design and is unparalleled in the industry.
Let me focus on the driving experience:
This is the most crucial reason for me to place an order. I went to have my U serviced that day. Since I had to wait in line, I checked out the S and GT in the lobby. The GT is more like a toy for a family with multiple cars, and the rear seats can hardly accommodate anyone, so I mainly took a look at the S by the way. I had been researching the cars throughout 2023 but hadn't made up my mind to buy one. I was wavering between the C11 and the S (because I liked the exterior and interior of both, and the prices were similar). After much thought, I felt that the C11 might offer more comfortable space, so I decided to choose the C11 in the second half of the year and planned to place an order after the Spring Festival.
So I applied for a test drive of the S, but the test - drive car was out and hadn't returned yet. I went to the neighboring showroom to check out Leapmotor. The C11 test - drive car was available, so I took it for a test drive first. After that, I went back to the Nezha showroom to test drive the S. After the test drive, I directly paid the deposit for the S.
Since it was the same time and the same test - drive route, the difference in driving experience was extremely obvious. I always thought the chassis of the C11 was as good and comfortable as car reviewers claimed. In fact, when it passed over manhole covers, it made a loud "bang - bang" sound, and the filtering of road vibrations was almost zero. It felt even worse than my 90,000 - yuan U. After all, this is a flagship car and is loaded with a lot of high - end features. However, this car is similar to my U and even the Haval First Love (the First Love has a torsion - beam rear suspension), being very rigid, with no sense of comfort or luxury, except that the seats are a bit softer, which offsets some of the vibrations.
In contrast, the S is really stable and smooth. The shock absorption is extremely comfortable, and you can hardly feel the minor vibrations. Driving it is like sitting in a pile of cotton, with a similar texture to my previous Jaguar XEL. It remains very stable when taking large and sharp turns, with almost no roll. There is a raised triangular waiting area in the middle of the test - drive route. The test - drive instructor even asked us to drive over it. When the C11 drove over it, the whole car seemed to shake, like a ship swaying, while the S drove over it smoothly without any sense of bumps.
Another issue: The C11 has a very serious problem of nose - up when starting and nose - dive when braking, just like driving a dual - clutch gasoline car. I was really shocked. In contrast, the S starts and stops very smoothly and linearly, without a sense of sudden acceleration or deceleration.
One more problem: I started the range extenders of both cars, and the vibrations of both were not strong. However! The vibration of the C11's range extender was really strange. The sense of vibration came from under my buttocks, passed through the seat cushion to my butt, and then to my stomach. After driving for about ten minutes, I felt like my stomach was about to shake loose. The vibration of the S's engine is transmitted from the steering gear to the hands. You can feel the vibration, but it doesn't affect other parts of the body.
