Beware if trading in or selling a Leaf

[OPECsux]

Fair warning to prospective Leaf buyers in NC and VA, if you buy this car or lease plan on keeping it till the end, I inquired about trading it in and posted it for sale and most dealers don't want it and the few that actually put a number on it lowballed the hell out of it. The trade in spread on my 2013 Leaf S with 3600 miles has been a high of $17,000 and a low of $13,000. Proof that like me others really don't like it's appearance. On the bright side, I haven't given a ish about gas prices and saved alot of money. 3 years 9 months and counting till I can get a fun car This is the first time I've been stuck in a car I couldn't sell or trade :x

 

[leafmealone]

Proof that like me others really don't like it's appearance.

:arrow: Did your car's appearance morph into something after you took delivery? :arrow:

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Why is this thread titled "Beware if trading in or selling a Leaf"? Wouldn't a better title have been "Don't buy or lease a Leaf if you don't like it" ?

 

[Deleted member 9549]

Just pay off the lease. Done.
Try to have someone assume the lease online. You're still liable though.
Seems that any car you buy will lose tons of value if you suddenly have buyers remorse.

 

[no2gas]

You seem to have some serious buyer remorse posting multiple threads bashing the leaf. You fall into the category of the consumer who don't do their research when getting into one of the most important purchases in their life after a house, or you're just faking it and trying to piss of EV owners. A vast majority of owners unlike you have done their research and are quite happy with the leaf for it's intended usage and not having to contribute to the OPEC kitty.

 

[camasleaf]

Proof that like me others really don't like it's appearance.

I did not like the looks of the Leaf either, but now I got two. I got used to it, and the advantages outweight the weird look. It helped a lot that my wife liked it . But I still wish it had an either normal or sexier look.

 

[OPECsux]

Your right, I do have a case of buyers remorse, my fault. I'll probably just keep it rather than take a massive hit on a trade in since I am still saving alot of money compared to a conventional car. My point is that it seems that in my local area the Leaf doesn't hold it's value as well as I thought. I'm not trying to piss you guys off that love this car, just giving my opinion of the appearance of it. I had a 240z and lot's of people thought that body style was ugly but I personally loved it. You know what they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hopefully the next gen will look better.

 

[GeekEV]

While all cars take an immediate depreciation hit the moment they're sold, don't forget the federal, state and local tax incentives you get/got with the LEAF. The used buyer will not get those, so they're taken off the trade-in value too.

 

[adric22]

I'm kind of in the same boat. I'd like to trade my Leaf right now for another Volt. (Then we've have two Volts) but I can't. I have to wait at least another year until my lease is paid off. The trade-in value on mine is horrific because I bought a 2011 when prices could not be negotiated at all and you were lucky if you could even get a Leaf. Plus mine lacks the quick charge port. So I didn't get a very good deal. I would have to shell out thousands of Dollars to switch cars now. So I'll just have to wait.

 

[Foible]

I was talking with the owner of Portland's Smart car dealership at the electric car meet-up two weeks ago. He told me that Nissan could offer the cheap leases (like the one I got ) because the car retains fifty-nine percent of its value after two years, the highest of its class.

"People want Leafs" was how he summed it up.

 

[evnow]

The trade in spread on my 2013 Leaf S with 3600 miles has been a high of $17,000 and a low of $13,000. Proof that like me others really don't like it's appearance.

New S is 29-7.5= 21,500. $17k is just $4.5k off - something you should expect as soon as you drive it off the lot. Proof that people have no idea what "proof" means

This is how Tesla calculates used S values.

17% off as soon as you drive it off.
$1 for each mile you drive.
1% for each month.

Looks like "proof" that people don't like how S looks like, either.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I agree that the title is extreme, but there is a valid point in here, somewhere. It's that used Leafs are going to be hard to sell or trade in without taking a fairly big loss. The lease deals are so good that if you like the car it usually makes more sense to keep leasing them. I've speculated elsewhere that Nissan will be selling off-lease used Leafs elsewhere in the world, and I still think that will happen...unless gas prices really take off.

 

[pauldesr]

I love my Leaf and think she's beautiful.

 

[gbarry42]

Of course the numbers vary, but with incentives thrown in, one can buy a LEAF S for just over $18K. So, $17K resale doesn't sound so bad in that light. Also, you might do better selling it privately.

Just remember, when you're in it, you don't have to look at it!

 

[RonDawg]

Your right, I do have a case of buyers remorse, my fault. I'll probably just keep it rather than take a massive hit on a trade in since I am still saving alot of money compared to a conventional car. My point is that it seems that in my local area the Leaf doesn't hold it's value as well as I thought. I'm not trying to piss you guys off that love this car, just giving my opinion of the appearance of it. I had a 240z and lot's of people thought that body style was ugly but I personally loved it. You know what they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hopefully the next gen will look better.

So the real reason for your buyers remorse is not related to range, or battery issues, or build quality, or any other usual reason, but because you still can't get used to the looks?

And is it you that has an issue, or is it people in your social circle that hate it, and remind you of such? My answer to the latter is to ask them if they want to make my car payments, and when they inevitably answer no my reply will be "Then shut your trap, unless you want to pay me to drive a car that YOU like."

If it's the former, I just remind myself that beauty is only skin deep, and having lower overall operating costs, contributing less to pollution, and contributing far less to our country's need to buy oil from dictators who otherwise have no problem stabbing us in the back runs much, much deeper.

 

[OPECsux]

Your right, I do have a case of buyers remorse, my fault. I'll probably just keep it rather than take a massive hit on a trade in since I am still saving alot of money compared to a conventional car. My point is that it seems that in my local area the Leaf doesn't hold it's value as well as I thought. I'm not trying to piss you guys off that love this car, just giving my opinion of the appearance of it. I had a 240z and lot's of people thought that body style was ugly but I personally loved it. You know what they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hopefully the next gen will look better.

So the real reason for your buyers remorse is not related to range, or battery issues, or build quality, or any other usual reason, but because you still can't get used to the looks?

And is it you that has an issue, or is it people in your social circle that hate it, and remind you of such? My answer to the latter is to ask them if they want to make my car payments, and when they inevitably answer no my reply will be "Then shut your trap, unless you want to pay me to drive a car that YOU like."

If it's the former, I just remind myself that beauty is only skin deep, and having lower overall operating costs, contributing less to pollution, and contributing far less to our country's need to buy oil from dictators who otherwise have no problem stabbing us in the back runs much, much deeper.

The range is fine for my commute, on the weekends I'm left wanting more range but I do have a back up (motorcycle). Have not had any battery issues, build quality is actually the best I've ever gotten from Nissan. I love the fact that I'm not wasting kinetic energy when slowing down, the throttle response is awesome however the lack of power off the line is disappointing. Like I said in my first post I won't sell the car to purchase another if I'm going to take a huge loss. I honestly don't give a flying **** what my friends think about my car cause like I and some of you said, the car isn't the sexiest on the block but it looks great bypassing all the gas pumps.

The dealer that called me today to offer $18k on the car stated that they had one that sat for along time before it sold. I am in NASCAR country here so it doesn't surprise me. I will probably hang on to it till I either lower the buyout enough to make it more appealing in a private party sale or till the lease is up, either way I'll have a pocket full of cash that would otherwise be in the hands of Exxon Mobil :lol: Like I've said before hopefully the next Nissan EV will be sporty or look more like a normal car.

 

[OPECsux]

Of course the numbers vary, but with incentives thrown in, one can buy a LEAF S for just over $18K. So, $17K resale doesn't sound so bad in that light. Also, you might do better selling it privately.

Just remember, when you're in it, you don't have to look at it!

Good point, I do like the interior, but I hate the build a tree meter, I think we would be better served by it being a brake application meter, that way we could regen as much as possible.

 

[OPECsux]

I was talking with the owner of Portland's Smart car dealership at the electric car meet-up two weeks ago. He told me that Nissan could offer the cheap leases (like the one I got ) because the car retains fifty-nine percent of its value after two years, the highest of its class.

"People want Leafs" was how he summed it up.

Portland is a world apart from NC, how much is gas in Portland? That could be a motivating factor. Speaking of gas, went to NYC on vacation $4.04 a gallon for regular and $13 toll to cross into NYC from NJ :shock: That's extortion!

 

[RonDawg]

Portland is a world apart from NC, how much is gas in Portland? That could be a motivating factor.

Per GasBuddy.com, $3.69-$4.09 for regular. Portlanders tend to be rather "environmentally conscious" and back in the 70's even had a freeway removed from their downtown area, so demand is likely to be high even if gas wasn't as much as it is now.

 

[Foible]

Portland is a world apart from NC, how much is gas in Portland? That could be a motivating factor.

Per GasBuddy.com, $3.69-$4.09 for regular. Portlanders tend to be rather "environmentally conscious" and back in the 70's even had a freeway removed from their downtown area, so demand is likely to be high even if gas wasn't as much as it is now.

Yeah, Portland has a few things going for it that makes electric vehicles much more practical. We have an Urban Growth Boundary that limits sprawl so the Leaf's range works well. We have a moderate climate without the extreme cold or heat to harm batteries. We have hydro for most of our electricity so we can feel good about plugging in our cars.

Even though I love my Leaf I still have my old ICE vehicle for all those trips that the Leaf can't do.