Should I buy my Leased 2012?

[tkdbrusco]

I would first go buy a battery reader app and get some readings on your battery. The condition of it could be a major deciding factor.

I'm not sure what kind of purchase deals you have in your area, but my brand new 2015 S w/QC would up costing me about $17400 when I factored in the federal credit, state rebate, the nissan promotion they were running, and ground them a bit more on the price. if you could get a new one for that, I'd say do that.

 

[mynameisjim]

Thanks everyone. Lots of good feedback. I have a tough decision to make in the next week or so.

 

[mynameisjim]

I contacted my dealer to see if they'd take my 2012 in trade (with the discount) towards a 2015 lease and VPP. That may be another option, we'll see what they come up with.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I contacted my dealer to see if they'd take my 2012 in trade (with the discount) towards a 2015 lease and VPP. That may be another option, we'll see what they come up with.

If you are trying to include the value of the residual discount in the trade value, I doubt it will work, but also hope it will! By 2016 they may include the 2013 in those offers...

 

[tkdbrusco]

I contacted my dealer to see if they'd take my 2012 in trade (with the discount) towards a 2015 lease and VPP. That may be another option, we'll see what they come up with.

If you lease a 2015, you might want to consider doing a 2 year instead of a 3 year. Since there will be a lot more EV options coming in 2017 (Chevy Bolt, Leaf Gen2, Tesla 3) and the $7500 federal rebate will be about to run out around then, a 2 year lease puts you in a position to strike while the iron's hot and not miss out on the new options. If you're stuck in a 3 year lease, you may have to sit on your 2015 and watch some of the federal rebates fade away. But if you're in a 2 year and you're still waiting on some new models, you can just extend the lease a bit.

 

[mynameisjim]

My dealers initial offer is to trade in my 2012 (no penalty early lease termination) and lease a 2015 SV at $389/mo, including tax, 36mo, zero down. I'm targeting $320/mo and LED/ charge package. We shall see what happens.

 

[mynameisjim]

I don't think I'll buy my car or lease a 2015 just yet. I've been pretty happy with the pricing and lease deals for the 2015s, but the value of my 2012 seems too low. My 2012 seems to be worth between 12,000 and 13,500, and my buyout with the discount is $14,950.

One dealer even calculated that it could be cheaper to make my remaining 8 payments versus trading in my car with the discount.

 

[Deleted member 7875]

Having just traded in my 2012 for a 2015, I would say emphatically NO. My 2015 has much more range. The torque in Eco Mode and B mode is quite a bit less than the 2012, but all the power is still there if you use Drive without Eco mode or just mash the pedal all the way down. Heater is so much better too. I was averaging 3.1 miles per KWHr and now close to 3.8. Range has gone from 60 to 80 in mild Portland, OR winter temps around 40 to 50 F.

Don't know how it is in MN, but out here, there are a plethora of used 2012 Leafs with less than 20,000 miles for $14K, so I wouldn't buy the leased one for $15K either. When my 2012 lease ran out, I actually bought a used 2012 Leaf with 10,000 miles for $12,500, but three months later, I traded for the 2015 as the dealer offered $14K in trade. Go figure. Love the new 2015.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Having just traded in my 2012 for a 2015, I would say emphatically NO. My 2015 has much more range. The torque in Eco Mode and B mode is quite a bit less than the 2012, but all the power is still there if you use Drive without Eco mode or just mash the pedal all the way down. Heater is so much better too. I was averaging 3.1 miles per KWHr and now close to 3.8. Range has gone from 60 to 80 in mild Portland, OR winter temps around 40 to 50 F.

Don't know how it is in MN, but out here, there are a plethora of used 2012 Leafs with less than 20,000 miles for $14K, so I wouldn't buy the leased one for $15K either. When my 2012 lease ran out, I actually bought a used 2012 Leaf with 10,000 miles for $12,500, but three months later, I traded for the 2015 as the dealer offered $14K in trade. Go figure. Love the new 2015.

The heater improvement is due to the use of a heat pump. It works really well in moderately cold temperatures. In very cold temperatures, the 2015 uses the same heater as the 2012. I don't know the threshold, but it is well below 40F, yet well above the typical MN winter temps. In other words, in MN, the 2015 uses the same heater as the 2012 from December-February. In the shoulder seasons, you'd see the improvement.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The heater improvement is due to the use of a heat pump. It works really well in moderately cold temperatures. In very cold temperatures, the 2015 uses the same heater as the 2012. I don't know the threshold, but it is well below 40F, yet well above the typical MN winter temps. In other words, in MN, the 2015 uses the same heater as the 2012 from December-February. In the shoulder seasons, you'd see the improvement.

There are two real-world thresholds. The first is at 24-23 degrees F, when the resistance heater starts to play a big role, although the heat pump is still working. The second is at about 14F, below which the heat pump is still working but not helping range a lot. Below this point you might as well be driving an S as an SV. The most advertised one, quoted as either 5F or 4F, is really not noticeable. When the heatpump finally stops working it is doing so little you don't really notice that it's off.