Advice needed regarding buying a new car

[thait84]

I have an old 2003 Honda CRV that is high mileage but still working reliably. I also have a deposit on the Tesla Model 3 that I don't expect delivery until 2019 at the earliest.

We only drive about 2-3 miles a day, and on the weekends it is variable but definitely less than like 50 miles a day max.

Does it make sense for me to sell the CRV so that I can buy a used Leaf to use for a few years until I get the Tesla? Should I just rough it out with the old car until I can take delivery of the Tesla?

I love electric cars (I had a Ford Focus Electric) and I definitely don't want another ICE car. Because our commute is so short, it is definitely harder to justify having an electric car.

 

[LeftieBiker]

In this case that very short range requirement may actually argue for buying a used Leaf, and selling the CRV, as long as you don't need the Honda's luggage space. The 2011-2012 Leaf was built in Japan, and the basic reliability seems to be excellent. It's just the battery pack that is disappointing, and in your case it shouldn't be an issue. You should be able to find a good, low-mileage, cheap Gen I Leaf with 10 or 9 bars that will serve your needs admirably until the Tesla arrives. 10 bars is probably the magic number, as there will be no competition from those hoping to "win the battery lottery" by dropping to 8 bars after buying one.

 

[Turnover]

I had a 2012 SL and just bought a used 2013 Leaf for $13K that has a pretty good battery to carry me over until T3Time. We do a lot of long distance driving. Given your needs you could probably buy a used Leaf for much less than what we paid and rent a car for any long trips.

Having to drive our 2006 Subaru for two years and experience the ICE drive, vibrations, noise, and expenses was unbearable for my wife. :shock:

 

[RonDawg]

Because our commute is so short, it is definitely harder to justify having an electric car.

Actually, having such a short commute is very much justification to go electric. An ICE won't be able to fully warm up with such a short drive, and thus is quite polluting. Plus the short drives are very hard on the engine; hopefully you are changing the oil frequently on your CR-V.

I would suggest keeping the CR-V (if you have the room for it) and getting the cheapest used EV out there, whether it be an older Leaf, iMiEV, Smart ED, etc. to tide you over until the Tesla is available. If you want to get rid of the CR-V, then get one that will work reliably for the 50 mile range you occasionally expect to need.

 

[DanCar]

Since you live in California you can get a new electric car for almost free. Especially free if you charge at work. Will probably cost less than the maintenance costs of your older vehicle. Spark EV deals are available for $95 a month with $2500 down. The $2500 down equals the CA tax rebate. After the Bolt is available I suspect even better deals will be available.