I've got the urge to go electric ...

[dud]

The wife and I currently own two (paid off) older (7+ yr old) vehicles in exceptional shape with low miles for their age. They are highly reliable (a civic and Nissan Truck) and give us few problems. I am now in my 50s and the luster of working on my own cars is beginning to fade.

Just recently I started doing some research on replacing one of our vehicles and came across off-lease Nissan Leafs. I've read many reviews and watched dozens of Youtube videos and have come to the following conclusions:

1) The Leaf meets about 90% of our needs ... as in we drive so little that it could be a primary car. A75 mile range limitation is OK.
2) We will always have an ICE vehicle to use to go longer distances.
3) Maintenance on these vehicles is minimal as compared to an ICE.
4) Battery life is expected/warranteed for about 8 years.
5) Over 90% of the reviews/videos that I have watched are positive/highly positive of the vehicle.
6) Last but not least ... the car retails for $32K to $35K but with rebates/incentives the sales price can be in the low $20s. 2-3 year old off-lease cars can be had for about $10 with less than 20K miles.


By posting this I was hoping that I could get some feedback from the community, especially from those who have owned or ridden in a Leaf. I know that the car/concept is contentious right now. The 2016 model is about to come out with a larger capacity (30 KWh) battery. My current goal (If I go down this path) is to probably purchase an off-lease 2016 in a few years ... asuming that the depreciation on the model carrys over from the 2013s (currently at $10K) to the 2016s.

Any thoughts? Thanks ...

 

[Viper GTS]

Track your daily mileage for a while and see if you really need the range of the Leaf or if one of the plug in hybrids would suffice. If the shorter range would do 90% of your trips and you don't need to have three cars to do it then it might be a better choice than waiting (ie sell Civic, buy Volt).

All of the same advantages of the Leaf apply (stupid cheap 2-3 years old with low mileage) and it could legitimately be your only car.

Viper GTS

 

[herm0016]

we have a volt and love it. i use only a few tenths of a gallon on my 52 mile round trip every day, and we took it on a 4k mile road trip without plugging in and got about 40 mpg.

The leaf is also suffering from battery loss, where the volts have not. at 100k miles you may end up with less electric range in the leaf than in the volt.

 

[tweakmonkey]

If you're buying used, the Leaf will be way cheaper than a plugin hybrid. Here you can find Leafs (Leaves?) all day for $8000.

I say go for it!

 

[dud]

If you're buying used, the Leaf will be way cheaper than a plugin hybrid. Here you can find Leafs (Leaves?) all day for $8000.

I say go for it!

Sometimes it is easier to spend other people's money than our own but I wish it were that simple. Being both practical and pragmatic I have no need for one at the moment. I was hoping that most incentives are still in place and that Nissan was still leasing out most of their Leafs so that I could pick up an off-lease in a few years.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Friend of mine picked up a new i-miev a couple years ago. They have a Kia Rio and a minivan as well. His wife uses the i-miev to get to/from work (about 30 miles round trip)

They didnt sell in as big of numbers as the leaf, but in general, they are even more economical, with shorter range, less weight, lower cost. Anyhow, I do not like their i-miev, but the friends wife loves it .

 

[Murloc]

in a few years?

The cheap Tesla is on pre-order from March 2017, we'll see if that's a game changer.
If it really sells en masse as Musk hopes, incentives and tax breaks may decrease in the subsequent years.....
On the other hand, if you already have 2 not too old vehicles in good condition it's hard to argue for a new car now. Paying someone to change your oil and fluids instead of you is cheaper than buying a new car, even if it needs less maintenance.

 

[cabri]

Sometimes it is easier to spend other people's money than our own but I wish it were that simple. Being both practical and pragmatic I have no need for one at the moment. I was hoping that most incentives are still in place and that Nissan was still leasing out most of their Leafs so that I could pick up an off-lease in a few years.

Realize that the battery packs on the Leafs degrade and cost $5K or more to replace.

Now, newer Leafs may have a longer battery life and be less $$ to replace.

So getting a used Leaf may cost you as much as the savings of it being off-lease

 

[dud]

Realize that the battery packs on the Leafs degrade and cost $5K or more to replace.

Now, newer Leafs may have a longer battery life and be less $$ to replace.

So getting a used Leaf may cost you as much as the savings of it being off-lease

Understood. Hoping that next gen Leaf design compensates for this battery issue.

I wonder what the price of slightly used Leafs will be once more come off lease in the near future?

 

[desy]

I wouldn't consider cause I live where it gets -40
So how long is that battery lasting to blast the heat when I'm stuck in a winter traffic snarl?
At least with ICE idling still produces heat and for a lot longer cause its not working to move the car

 

[dud]

in a few years?

The cheap Tesla is on pre-order from March 2017, we'll see if that's a game changer.
If it really sells en masse as Musk hopes, incentives and tax breaks may decrease in the subsequent years.....
On the other hand, if you already have 2 not too old vehicles in good condition it's hard to argue for a new car now. Paying someone to change your oil and fluids instead of you is cheaper than buying a new car, even if it needs less maintenance.

You are too practical ... just like me!

 

[nerp]

In two years, buying a used leaf sounds pretty damn smart to me, especially since you're not making any payments right now. Yes, you have to spend some money to get it, but once you have it think of the lower operating costs. Most of what you spend on gas now would be eliminated. And when it comes to cars and getting around, expecting to always come out ahead is often futile and a lot of hard work. I think as long as you're not putting yourself under financial strain, all this obsession over a few hundred bucks a year is really just overthinking. We all could trade in, downgrade, drive less, add more air to our tires, take out back seats, ride bikes, hitchhike. . . Personally, I'm OK with spending some money on my transportation situation. I could probably spend less, but I honestly don't want to. And that means a lot to me.

 

[Kaido]

You are too practical ... just like me!

Yeah, that's the problem...when you really start doing the math, it doesn't make sense for most people. If your budget allows for a Model S at will, then more power to you, but speaking economically, until the machines get better (and cheaper) it's a no-go for a lot of people. I'd love to have an electric, but it doesn't make a lot of sense for me right now. In two or three years, that's going to be a different story with the Model 3, the Bolt, and so on.

 

[skyking]

I think it's great. If the used Leaf does the typical mission easily you will not regret it. I would have one if my wife were comfortable with a range leash. Hers is the only commute that is fixed at about 40 miles RT. Too many what-ifs in her head

 

[SearchMaster]

I think it's great. If the used Leaf does the typical mission easily you will not regret it. I would have one if my wife were comfortable with a range leash. Hers is the only commute that is fixed at about 40 miles RT. Too many what-ifs in her head

It is a bit daunting to be potentially stranded if something weird came up (boss asks you to pick something up 15 miles away subtracting 30 miles from your range), power outage so you couldn't charge one night, etc. Plus the range is lower in the winter, no? (heater uses a lot of battery, batteries worse in the cold). From what I've read the real world range of a couple year old Leaf is going to be closer to 60 miles, so a 40 miles RT commute might cause some anxiety unless you had a second car "just in case". That's why I really like the approach of having a built-in charger like the Volt, but obviously that's quite a bit more cash than a couple year old Leaf.

 

[Phanuel]

I want an electric motorcycle (that doesn't cost $20k and isn't still vaporware).

 

[dirtboy]

While I don't have a Leaf, I have an i3 BEV, so I can answer general questions you might have about owning an electric car.

 

[Jumpem]

I am still waiting for an electric Subaru.

 

[Blanky]

1) The Leaf meets about 90% of our needs ... as in we drive so little that it could be a primary car. A75 mile range limitation is OK.

Yeah it is, but then we're obviously not talking about the Leaf anymore. Depending on conditions it can run out of juice well before its stated range, just as in depending on conditions it can exceed. Depending on how fast you drive, how cold you drive, how much you use cabin heat, you can see the range of the leaf drop off precipitously.

The good news is the resale on barely used Leafs with few miles is so utterly horrendous that you can buy a used one in the low teens if you look around and, if you find it's not working for you, then go ahead and sell it. Either buy a used one or leaf a new one. Don't buy a new one, you'll be caught holding the bag on something that has no resell value.

The Leaf is a fine car, but you need to be aware of its shortcomings, and be realistic about the expected range.

If you decide to buy used confirm first that it will take a full charge, with all bars fully at the top. No exceptions.

 

[bigi]

FYI, new Leaf is supposed to be introduced. It'll have better range for sure. You might want to wait for it.

 

[nedfunnell]

Yeah it is, but then we're obviously not talking about the Leaf anymore. Depending on conditions it can run out of juice well before its stated range, just as in depending on conditions it can exceed. Depending on how fast you drive, how cold you drive, how much you use cabin heat, you can see the range of the leaf drop off precipitously.

The good news is the resale on barely used Leafs with few miles is so utterly horrendous that you can buy a used one in the low teens if you look around and, if you find it's not working for you, then go ahead and sell it. Either buy a used one or leaf a new one. Don't buy a new one, you'll be caught holding the bag on something that has no resell value.

The Leaf is a fine car, but you need to be aware of its shortcomings, and be realistic about the expected range.

If you decide to buy used confirm first that it will take a full charge, with all bars fully at the top. No exceptions.

On that last point: There are two different kinds of bars: charge bars and capacity bars. The Leaf shows all charge bars at 100% SOC regardless of battery pack health. The capacity bars are the ones to look for, and don't change in number at different SOCs. Have you driven a Leaf before?

Second, there's no sense in saying not to buy a Leaf with any pack wear. That's like telling someone buying an ICE car to make sure the odometer is all zeroes, no exceptions. Pack degradation starts from day 1 and is wear and tear like engine miles on an ICE car. It has greater impact on the car, as range is affected, but that's why they are selling for $10k. It's up to the buyer to determine if they can live with the remaining capacity, and the capacity expected to be left after a few years, and if battery replacement is an option.

EVs are a whole different paradigm than ICE cars. Applying ICE buying advice to EVs is apples and oranges.

 

[natto fire]

FYI, new Leaf is supposed to be introduced. It'll have better range for sure. You might want to wait for it.

If you are going to go that route, might as well wait until there is more info available on the Tesla Model 3, as the Model S is the gold standard in BEVs, and the upcoming Model X will show it is not just a lucky fluke by Tesla.

 

[Kaido]

FYI, new Leaf is supposed to be introduced. It'll have better range for sure. You might want to wait for it.

Yeah, they're saying there will be a 110-mile option available:

http://www.hybridcars.com/2016-nissan-leaf-to-get-110-mile-range/