Buying Used -- 2011 vs 2012

Really want to get into a Leaf but new is out of the question. Obviously 2011 is cheaper for me but I am curious about your opinions on the differences. Would it be a horrible mistake to get the '11 over the '12? I like heated seats .. I live on the coast (the cold kind) so I'd say I use my heater a lot more than I ever use A/C.

My commute is 10 miles a day (that includes, to work, home for lunch back work then home) I've been using my trip odometer in my car for a few weeks. The farthest I've driven in that time is 40 miles. I assume given its range I won't have any issues there.

I doubt I'll be able to get a 220v outlet in my garage anytime soon. I assume it will be charging via 110 from at the latest 8pm to 7:30am daily. Is that long enough?

My Mom does live 150 miles away but I normally go down every other month or so. I assume the money I save on gas would easily cover a rental for those trips. Maybe one day there will be a 440v charger between us but I have yet to find one (via google)

I am so ready to get rid of gas!

A 2012 would be better for the heated seats, but also would have less calendar aging of the traction battery. Depending on your location (and thus temperature), calendar aging can be the most significant factor in lost capacity. See the Battery Aging Model link in my signature for more detailed info.

omg, my head is spinning looking at that..

suffice to say I'm in the Monterey CA area, the cars I'm looking at are located in the San Jose and Fremont Area.

I'm price shopping between 2 2011 one has 21k the other has 28k miles the '12 has about 22k miles. All are lease returns.

Stoaty is right, but you might be able to use that to your advantage, if price matters a lot. You might consider a car with 1-2 bars gone, for a really low price, since your commute is so short. Would a 55/35 mile Summer/Winter range be enough, if you saved thosands of dollars?

35 would be fine. Probably the least I'd be comfortable with but would it change that drastically?

the weather here all year rotates between low 40s to high 70s with a rare low 80s for maybe a week a year.

Candera said:

35 would be fine. Probably the least I'd be comfortable with but would it change that drastically?

the weather here all year rotates between low 40s to high 70s with a rare low 80s for maybe a week a year.

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$#@! server ate my post. Anyway, no, you wouldn't lose that much range at those temps. 50 in Winter would be more like it. All the pre-'13 Leafs lack the heat pump, but unless you like to bake bread while you drive, you should be fine. And L-1 charging should also be fine: it adds 5% charge per hour, or about 4 miles.

Stoaty said:

A 2012 would be better for the heated seats, but also would have less calendar aging of the traction battery. Depending on your location (and thus temperature), calendar aging can be the most significant factor in lost capacity.

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Agree completely.

Candera said:

suffice to say I'm in the Monterey CA area, the cars I'm looking at are located in the San Jose and Fremont Area.

I'm price shopping between 2 2011 one has 21k the other has 28k miles the '12 has about 22k miles. All are lease returns.

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I'd probably go w/the '12. See above.

Also, even though your drives/commutes are short, maybe you'd like to make them longer in the future, so perhaps get one w/a CHAdeMO (DC fast charge port). It's the bigger port to the left of the J1772 connector (see http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=10346" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, for example).

You've got a free (for now) CHAdeMO DC fast charger at CHOMP: http://www.plugshare.com/?location=42901" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. And, the CHAdeMO network is expanding...

Can you update your location info via User Control Panel (near top) > Profile (left side)? That way, we don't need to ask in future posts/threads or do sleuthing to deduce it.

Profile updated. Heading to see the '12 tomorrow. If all works out I'll be driving it home tomorrow as well. If the number don't add up I'll head on to the '11.

All the ones I'm looking at are SL-Es

Do all SL-Es come with the quick charge port?

Candera said:

Profile updated. Heading to see the '12 tomorrow. If all works out I'll be driving it home tomorrow as well. If the number don't add up I'll head on to the '11.

All the ones I'm looking at are SL-Es

Do all SL-Es come with the quick charge port?

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In 2012 QC was standard on the SL. In 2011 it was an option.

it might be a good idea to get and extended warranty.

I got the 2011 and love it... How do you find your leaf number? Is it just the last digits of the VIN?

If so I got 1209

Candera said:

I got the 2011 and love it...

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How many miles on it? How many capacity bars has it lost?

Since you have no % SoC indicator, if you ever plan to push it on range, you should consider something to tell you battery gids.

See http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=14284" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; then http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=14285" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Otherwise, you should pretty much ignore the crappy GOM (guess-o-meter) as you only have the 12 not very granular "fuel bars" and you might be able to use the charging time estimate as a proxy for more granular SoC: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=7079" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Missing two capacity bars, total miles 24762 as of today.

Candera said:

Missing two capacity bars, total miles 24762 as of today.

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Cool. Did it have the CHAdeMO (DC FC) port?

Out of curiosity, what's the build month and year? It should be on the driver's side door sticker.

3/11. Has QC

Cool. Not sure if this will happen for you, but hopefully it'll degrade enough to be down to 8 capacity bars before the 5 year/60K mile capacity warranty (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13192" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false expires.

Unfortunately, it might not since since Monterey tends to be on the much cooler side of the Bay Area (vs. say south San Jose, Gilroy, Concord, Walnut Creek, etc.)

Secretly that was my hope too...

Candera said:

Secretly that was my hope too...

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So find a place where it gets very, very, very hot (ideally over 100 degree F) and store your LEAF there with 100% charge. When you start the LEAF don't click "YES" on the question whether to send data transmission to Nissan.

Just driving around beautiful Monterrey you're not likely to see sufficient additional degradation to trigger the warranty. Given the degradation to date (two bars lost, under 30k miles) I"m guessing this car was resident in a hotter climate - perhaps SoCal, central valley, Gilroy, or Livermore valley. Coastal Monterrey is just about the ideal Goldilocks location for a LEAF - not too hot (for battery degradation), not too cold (for range loss during winters).

Fresno this summer... If I can make it there

FYI, the reason I went for the 2011 was I got it for 14.5k