Pondering 22 Leaf SL+

My Nissan Leaf Forum

Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

watchdoc

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 19, 2021
Messages
157
Location
Greenville, NC
Hi everyone, first post, thanks for having me.

I'm pondering a 22 Leaf SL+ purchase in the next few months. I recently sold my Rav4 Prime for nearly what I paid for it and have decided to go full electric. The R4P was nice but all it really did was solidify my decision to go full electric. If anyone would like to know more about my R4P experience, Just ask. The Leaf is on my short list not only because it's currently the "value" proposition EV but it's also very comfy, practical, and fun to drive. This would be a commuter car for me with occasional out of town jaunts needing fast charging. I'm "eyes wide open" about the air cooled battery issues and the ChadEMo connecter being phased out in some areas. My biggest concern would be that depreciation has not been kind to the leaf.

I've driven the Leaf, ID4, and Mache. I wasn't impressed with the ID4 so I've ruled it out. Everything was touch based and I'm just not ready to give up buttons. The Mache seems overpriced and buggy although it did drive nice. I don't wanna spend Tesla money. The BZx4/Solterra look interesting but it will likely be a year before they arrive. Ultimately, I would like to have an F150 lightning but it could be years before I could get one.

I would choose the SL+ trim because it doesn't seem much more expensive than the SV+ and the leather and Bose would be worth it to me.

The R4P came with a full $7500 tax credit which I will use for 2021. My options would be to lease a 22 Leaf before the end of the year or purchase one after first of the year so I could get another tax credit depending on what the democrats get passed.

So, with all that being said. What is everyones thoughts on purchasing or leasing a 22 SL+ at this point?
 
watchdoc said:
So, with all that being said. What is everyones thoughts on purchasing or leasing a 22 SL+ at this point?

If this is the first time owning/driving a Leaf, go with a short lease with the option to buy. This will give you time to get accustomed to how it works, drive, quirks, etc. If you enjoy it after a year, you can still buy it, if you are not satisfied, you can drop it and look for another EV that fits the needs you have.

Me personally, I've had friends and relatives do the same thing and they all bought after the lease ran out. It helps that I could tell them everything about it, what it can, can't do, etc. Coming into it with full knowledge leads to less issues with planning trips or wondering how to turn off XYZ annoying feature. :lol:
 
If this is the first time owning/driving a Leaf, go with a short lease with the option to buy. This will give you time to get accustomed to how it works, drive, quirks, etc. If you enjoy it after a year, you can still buy it, if you are not satisfied, you can drop it and look for another EV that fits the needs you have.

Why not instead just assume/takeover someone else's lease, that has only a year or less of payments left?
 
alozzy said:
If this is the first time owning/driving a Leaf, go with a short lease with the option to buy. This will give you time to get accustomed to how it works, drive, quirks, etc. If you enjoy it after a year, you can still buy it, if you are not satisfied, you can drop it and look for another EV that fits the needs you have.

Why not instead just assume/takeover someone else's lease, that has only a year or less of payments left?

Easier said than done, as NMAC holds the original lessee financially responsible for the lease even after someone else assumes it. That makes the process less than appealing for the original lessee...
 
I would think finding a lease to takeover for the exact car you want would be very difficult. I’ve never leased before mostly due to all the fees. Aquistition fee, disposition fee, etc. lots of hidden fees in leases to look out for.
 
After checking Bolt, Mach E, and Mini Cooper E, I purchased a 2021 SL+ in May from local dealer after one test drive. It was the only one on the lot and one of two in all of New Mexico. I was hesitant to pay for the fully loaded markups, but with factory, dealer, and Fed rebates it was an easy decision. Absolutely love the car and very happy with all the tech features. I even signed up for additional Meals on Wheels delivery routes so I can more reasons to enjoy it. Long trips in this state not practical due to lack of public chargers but that is NOT why I bought it anyway. I have L2 charger at home and charge once a week to 90% for local trips.
Be happy to answer any specific concerns you might have about the new LEAF (2022 very similar to 2021 from what I can tell).
 
watchdoc said:
Hi everyone, first post, thanks for having me.

I'm pondering a 22 Leaf SL+ purchase in the next few months. I recently sold my Rav4 Prime for nearly what I paid for it and have decided to go full electric. The R4P was nice but all it really did was solidify my decision to go full electric. If anyone would like to know more about my R4P experience, Just ask. The Leaf is on my short list not only because it's currently the "value" proposition EV but it's also very comfy, practical, and fun to drive. This would be a commuter car for me with occasional out of town jaunts needing fast charging. I'm "eyes wide open" about the air cooled battery issues and the ChadEMo connecter being phased out in some areas. My biggest concern would be that depreciation has not been kind to the leaf.

I've driven the Leaf, ID4, and Mache. I wasn't impressed with the ID4 so I've ruled it out. Everything was touch based and I'm just not ready to give up buttons. The Mache seems overpriced and buggy although it did drive nice. I don't wanna spend Tesla money. The BZx4/Solterra look interesting but it will likely be a year before they arrive. Ultimately, I would like to have an F150 lightning but it could be years before I could get one.

I would choose the SL+ trim because it doesn't seem much more expensive than the SV+ and the leather and Bose would be worth it to me.

The R4P came with a full $7500 tax credit which I will use for 2021. My options would be to lease a 22 Leaf before the end of the year or purchase one after first of the year so I could get another tax credit depending on what the democrats get passed.

So, with all that being said. What is everyones thoughts on purchasing or leasing a 22 SL+ at this point?
I've been told you can do multiple $7500 tax deductions but of course you'd have to have enough liability which depending on your financial situation that might be tricky.
I'm kind of in the opposite situation as you, we own 2 Leafs, a '12SL with a 50 max mile range(severely degraded battery) and a '13S we purchased new and has a 60'ish max range, missing one health bar. With a change in employment neither the SL or even S has enough range for unexpected trips the new employment brings, although a + Leaf would be more than adequate. Because of this we were forced to go back to using our '07 Prius that has been basically problem-free for us and gets very good mileage but of course no EV range. We've been eyeing up SUVs for a more comfortable seating position and higher ride as well as AWD for the occasional 6+ inches of snow we experience and the Leafs and Prius don't have enough clearance or traction to get over. We also want to get rid of several vehicles to cut down on insurance and tab costs. Because of this we put money down and expect delivery late this year or early next, we were on a long waiting list being in a non-CARB state but at least Toyota would sell us one, unlike other mfgs. With the RAV4- Prime we will be able to sell our '12 Leaf and Prius which we mainly kept for a couple long(200 and 1000 mile) trips we make each year. MN is pretty lacking in remote charging stations which is why I really wanted a PHEV and one with decent EV range so the majority of our in-town trips would be gas-free.

The Leaf is a comfy car, well other than the less than SUV entrance/exit height but I've always felt it lacked much meaningful storage space, especially coming from a Prius which is a wonder on how much it can hold, WORLDS better than our first-gen Leafs. Again a Leaf + could do all but our 1000 mile yearly vacation but the ride height and storage space not to mention the ability to very infrequently pull a small trailer kind of push us towards the Rav4 Prime. I've also not been as happy with the build quality of Nissan compared to Toyota, just little things and I hope the Rav4 will be as trouble-free as our Prius.

So note again if you have the tax liability apparently there is no problem getting multiple tax credits per year but I'm actually hoping our Prime won't come in before next year as I've already claimed $4500 for a Hyundai Ionic PHEV for my daughter who used to use the '12 Leaf and as they don't sell PHEVs in non-CARB states we were forced to drive the 1800 mile RT to CO to pick it up and I personally don't think I'd have the liability for both cars in a year.
 
Around here, dealers are asking more for a used leaf than you can buy a new one for. Several dealers laughed or hung up at the mere mention of negotiating. I'm just gonna wait til the craziness settles down after Jan 1st and try again.
 
Spoke to my local dealer today and there is currently only a $1750 lease incentive on the 2022 SL+ for my zipcode so that rules me out until something changes. New incentives come out in Oct.
 
watchdoc said:
I would think finding a lease to takeover for the exact car you want would be very difficult. I’ve never leased before mostly due to all the fees. Aquistition fee, disposition fee, etc. lots of hidden fees in leases to look out for.

I didn't say it was easy :) For a short term lease takeover (ie a few months), you make compromises on trim, color, features, etc. Think of it as a long term rental car - the idea is to figure out if you like the car enough to buy a new one.

I only suggested this approach because you seem undecided and, if you can find someone desperate enough to get out of their lease, good deals can be had.

I personally would never do a full term lease, unless I was able to write off the lease payments as a business expense and use the car exclusively for business too. I don't drive enough for business reasons to make that viable.
 
I think I'm going to turn my focus to finding a lightly used 19-22 Leaf SL+ with super low miles. Several availalbe right now around $30k with only a few thousand miles on them.

Question:

When considering an SL+, are there any differences between the model years 19-22? The only thing I can think of off the top of my head would be updated navagation maps.

Do any of them have Apple wireless carplay?
 
watchdoc said:
I think I'm going to turn my focus to finding a lightly used 19-22 Leaf SL+ with super low miles. Several availalbe right now around $30k with only a few thousand miles on them.

Question:

When considering an SL+, are there any differences between the model years 19-22? The only thing I can think of off the top of my head would be updated navagation maps.

Do any of them have Apple wireless carplay?

If you just wait a few more months, you could get a brand new one with tax credits - possibly less $ than a slightly used one. Is Nissan a Union shop? If so, your rebate would become point of sale and 12k -> IF the new credits pass. If Nissan is not union, but the bill passes, then it is still 7500 point of sale (not credit) and possibly $500 more for a battery credit depending on where it is made.
 
When considering an SL+, are there any differences between the model years 19-22? The only thing I can think of off the top of my head would be updated navagation maps.

In either '19 or '20 the accelerator pedal mapping was changed, and for the worse. Eco became too sluggish and Normal a little less responsive and powerful. Make sure that you drive the car you want to buy, first, for this reason. I drive a '21 SV40 now, and I'm missing the '18SL...
 
watchdoc said:
I think I'm going to turn my focus to finding a lightly used 19-22 Leaf SL+ with super low miles. Several availalbe right now around $30k with only a few thousand miles on them.

Question:

When considering an SL+, are there any differences between the model years 19-22? The only thing I can think of off the top of my head would be updated navagation maps.

Do any of them have Apple wireless carplay?

We have a '19 SL+. It has Apple Carplay. Haven't used it myself, but our son does. Seems to work for him.
 
[/quote]

If you just wait a few more months, you could get a brand new one with tax credits - possibly less $ than a slightly used one. Is Nissan a Union shop? If so, your rebate would become point of sale and 12k -> IF the new credits pass. If Nissan is not union, but the bill passes, then it is still 7500 point of sale (not credit) and possibly $500 more for a battery credit depending on where it is made.
[/quote]

This is my most likely course of action although I wonder if there will be a rush to buy EV's as soon as the bill passes to take advantage of the "point of sale" credit.
 
danrjones said:
If you just wait a few more months, you could get a brand new one with tax credits - possibly less $ than a slightly used one. Is Nissan a Union shop? If so, your rebate would become point of sale and 12k -> IF the new credits pass. If Nissan is not union, but the bill passes, then it is still 7500 point of sale (not credit) and possibly $500 more for a battery credit depending on where it is made.
AFAIK, Nissan Smryna, TN is not in the UAW. Google for nissan smryna not unionized.

There is JAW (https://www.jaw.or.jp/en/) but that doesn't help us since US Leafs since model year '13 have been assembled in the US, not Japan.

FWIW, I've dug around for used '19 to '21 40 and 62 kWh non-Plus and Plus prices and they're absurdly high at dealers. In some cases, buying a new '22 even at (the new lower) MSRP (https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/releases/2022-nissan-leaf-press-kit) and taking the $7500 Federal tax credit is about the same. There isn't a whole lot great on https://sfbay.craigslist.org/d/cars-trucks/search/cta?sort=priceasc&auto_make_model=nissan%20leaf&max_auto_year=2021&min_auto_year=2019 either and hardly any Pluses.

Heck, https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/ctd/d/half-moon-bay-2020-nissan-leaf-sv/7383884504.html is absurd. If that ad's right, that's a non-Plus. I could buy a new '22 SV Plus for less $ if I take the $7500 Federal tax credit and the $1500 https://cleanfuelreward.com/find-your-ev/eligible-electric-cars for CA.
 
It's my understanding the EV rebates and credits have been removed from the current version of the 1.2 Trillion Dollar infrastructure bill but Democrats hope to have them included in the 3.5 Trillion dollar budget the democrats plan to pass thru reconcilliation.

[https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news...bet there will be a rush on EV's of any kind.
 
More good info on the state of the market in this insideevs article that references Recurrent. This info should be taken with a grain of salt. Tesla "buy and resell" speculators heavily influence the used EV market.


https://insideevs.com/features/534903/used-ev-prices-rising/
 
Back
Top