Hi,
I recently test drove a 2013 and fell in love. What a car! We were previously looking at Mazda3 and Honda Fit hatchbacks, but I'm hoping the Leaf is the right fit for us. Hoping to get some opinions on our exact situation.
1 (Purchase options): We're looking to buy a car outright. Lease or loan is not an option for us right now. We're going to be applying for home mortgages in the next few months and we're concerned that starting a lease would have a significant negative impact on our otherwise excellent credit histories and debt-to-income ratio.
2A (Current location, commute): My commute right now is 24 miles roundtrip on surface streets. Stop and go driving in 35MPH or 55MPH zones. Seems like perfect driving conditions and distance from work. I just started this job about a month ago, but it's a great fit and I hope to be here for many years.
2B (Future Location, commute): We're looking to buy a house nearby where we rent, so overall mileage shouldn't increase dramatically anytime soon. In all likelihood my daily commute won't be exceeding 40 miles round trip. Absolute worst case scenario, round trip commute will be 60 miles.
3 (Free Electricity): My work's parking garage has 12 free charging stations via Chargepoint. They are generally under-utilized, and I get in early enough that I'm willing to wager I'd get a charging stall everyday for the next few years.
4 (Secondary Car): My wife has a pretty reliable 2001 VW Golf with 100k miles that she isn't currently using for commute. That is likely to change when we buy a house. She'll end up driving to the park and ride stop she currently walks to.
5 (Climate): We live in Portland, Oregon. Just moved! Seems like an great climate for longevity, with very few summer days reaching 90+ F. Our future house will likely have a garage where it can be kept indoors on hot days.
6 (Purchase Price): There's a dealer near us that has a few Leaf SV with Quick Charge, 12k miles for about $13,500 - $14,000. Haven't been in yet to try negotiating price so let's just assume the final sale price is $14,000.
I'm estimating my annual mileage will be around 8,500.
Work: 260 days x 25 miles = 6500
Weekend: 52 weeks x 40 miles = 2080
Total = 8580
My main concern is the cost to replace the battery outside warranty. Assuming the battery is in good shape at the time of purchase (I'll definitely be checking that out with Leaf Spy), I believe my driving habits, commute conditions, and overall mileage will ensure the battery outlives the warranty. I've seen a few threads here quoting new battery packs out of warranty could cost $10k+ !
The situation I absolutely don't want to enter into is needing to spend $10,000 on a new battery in 6-8 years. I hold onto cars for a while, only now letting go of my 2001 VW GTI with 180k miles.
Thank you all in advance for your opinions/feedback.
I recently test drove a 2013 and fell in love. What a car! We were previously looking at Mazda3 and Honda Fit hatchbacks, but I'm hoping the Leaf is the right fit for us. Hoping to get some opinions on our exact situation.
1 (Purchase options): We're looking to buy a car outright. Lease or loan is not an option for us right now. We're going to be applying for home mortgages in the next few months and we're concerned that starting a lease would have a significant negative impact on our otherwise excellent credit histories and debt-to-income ratio.
2A (Current location, commute): My commute right now is 24 miles roundtrip on surface streets. Stop and go driving in 35MPH or 55MPH zones. Seems like perfect driving conditions and distance from work. I just started this job about a month ago, but it's a great fit and I hope to be here for many years.
2B (Future Location, commute): We're looking to buy a house nearby where we rent, so overall mileage shouldn't increase dramatically anytime soon. In all likelihood my daily commute won't be exceeding 40 miles round trip. Absolute worst case scenario, round trip commute will be 60 miles.
3 (Free Electricity): My work's parking garage has 12 free charging stations via Chargepoint. They are generally under-utilized, and I get in early enough that I'm willing to wager I'd get a charging stall everyday for the next few years.
4 (Secondary Car): My wife has a pretty reliable 2001 VW Golf with 100k miles that she isn't currently using for commute. That is likely to change when we buy a house. She'll end up driving to the park and ride stop she currently walks to.
5 (Climate): We live in Portland, Oregon. Just moved! Seems like an great climate for longevity, with very few summer days reaching 90+ F. Our future house will likely have a garage where it can be kept indoors on hot days.
6 (Purchase Price): There's a dealer near us that has a few Leaf SV with Quick Charge, 12k miles for about $13,500 - $14,000. Haven't been in yet to try negotiating price so let's just assume the final sale price is $14,000.
I'm estimating my annual mileage will be around 8,500.
Work: 260 days x 25 miles = 6500
Weekend: 52 weeks x 40 miles = 2080
Total = 8580
My main concern is the cost to replace the battery outside warranty. Assuming the battery is in good shape at the time of purchase (I'll definitely be checking that out with Leaf Spy), I believe my driving habits, commute conditions, and overall mileage will ensure the battery outlives the warranty. I've seen a few threads here quoting new battery packs out of warranty could cost $10k+ !
The situation I absolutely don't want to enter into is needing to spend $10,000 on a new battery in 6-8 years. I hold onto cars for a while, only now letting go of my 2001 VW GTI with 180k miles.
Thank you all in advance for your opinions/feedback.