pixelriffic said:
Being of modest income, my wife and I need to keep cars as long as economically possible. The car we are replacing is 14 years old, and still in pretty good shape. It just had the biggest repair bill by a long shot at $1200.
The cost to operate a Leaf, maintenance wise, is one of the lowest of any car on the market, on average. Nissan Leafs are very reliable vehicles, overall, rated by Consumer Reports.
Adding on gas savings, they are far far cheaper. We saved around $800 last year on gas.
However, when repairs occur, they are typically very expensive. Failures in the car (DC-DC converter, Inverter, Passenger Occupancy Sensor, Motor, Junction box, Charger, etc) typically appear to cost $2k-4k to repair, based on responses in this thread. You will need to take those Gas savings and budget them for unexpected repairs, in case they occur.
I would not expect to keep a 24 kWh Leaf for 14 years. The battery will simply degrade beyond 35 miles range before that. But if you buy a Leaf with a good battery for $7k (very doable) and get 7 years out of it, the cost (- gas savings) will be <$2k.
If you need 35 miles on range, you will have to sell the car at 6-7 bars. I currently get 40 miles of range on my 2011 Leaf in the summer (but 20 in the winter!) with a 7 bar car... soon to be 6.
If you have a limited budget, I'd buy either:
1) A 2013 (built AFTER April) or later Leaf with a good battery (11+ bars)
2) A 2011-2013 that has had the main traction battery replaced (NOT the 12V battery) and is in good condition (11+ bars)
Keep in mind that Leafs built 2013 April or earlier had a very poor battery chemistry that wore out very quickly. If the battery has been replaced, it will always be a new, durable chemistry. This makes a 2011/2012 Leaf often a good value, because you can get a 2015 battery but pay 2011 pricing.
Also keep in mind that unethical dealers can do a battery computer reset which will make the car show a perfect 12 bars. I would test drive the car and verify that (in the summer, from fully charged) you have 50%+ capacity left after 25 miles of highway or 35 miles of city driving.