Why would anyone buy a nissan leaf right now???

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.

coach81

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2012
Messages
147
Location
Louisiana
2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is dead (electric issue, battery keeps dying).. have to get rid of it..

1. Nissan Altima '16 - $4500 off.. can get one if I can sucker them into top dollar for my FFH'13 for as little as 2-3K.
2. Nissan Rogue '16 - pretty much same deal.. for maybe a grand or two more..

3. Nissan Leaf'16 SV???? Was going to offer 27K then ask for 6K off, then get my trade in which would make the cost below 10K before the state tax break... but...

with the Bolt, M3, and recently announced '17 Possibly "redesigned" Leaf... why would anyone buy a new leaf???

Thanks in advance for your suggestions, etc....
 
coach81 said:
3. Nissan Leaf'16 SV???? Was going to offer 27K then ask for 6K off, then get my trade in which would make the cost below 10K before the state tax break... but...
You think you can achieve that? That's way below http://driveoregon.org/eugeneev/.

But yeah, buying a new Leaf at this point seems a bit crazy. Lease? Maybe.

Maybe consider a used one if it will meet your needs? Resale value of Leafs is still pretty lousy. I pointed to my used '13 Leaf SV w/premium buying saga (over a year ago) near the end of http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=22713&p=472319&hilit=saga#p472319.
 
Agreed. Buying a new vehicle makes little economic sense to begin with; but a new Leaf right now? Madness. Used? Sure.
 
Why would anyone buy a LEAF?

40kWh LEAF is a month or two away from nationwide availability, and even then, it might not be a Gen 2 body (but who knows). Bolt is likely 6 months away from nationwide availability. Model 3 is at least 18 months away from nationwide availability. If you can wait 2 months, do it and see what Nissan has to offer for 2017. But if you need a car now, what other options do you have that can go 100+ miles and doesn't cost as much as a small house? BMW i3? That's about it.

Dealers are offering up to $7500 contribution in addition to NMAC offering $4000 (purchase) or $10000 (lease). If GM follows the course of the Volt, you're looking at $3200 CCR nationwide and maybe $6400 CCR if you are in a CARB state. So run the comparison:

LEAF: $34200 -$7500 dealer -$4000 nmac -$7500 federal tax credit = $15200
vs
BOLT: $37500 -$7500 federal tax credit = $30000

$14,800 more for the Bolt.

You could buy a CPO Volt AND a brand new LEAF for the price of a new Bolt, which isn't even available yet and probably won't reach nationwide availability until spring of 2017. So the better question is, if you needed an EV/PHEV now, what cheaper option is there than a LEAF?

I'm asking myself that question, and I'm consistently brought back to one answer: Used Volt. Second-gen used Volt pricing is a few months away from being stabilized, so that car is ruled out for now. First-gen Volts are cheap and plentiful. Low mileage 2013 CPOs start at around $13,000. So maybe the plan is to buy a used Volt, drive it for 18 months, then get a new Model 3?

I'm in the same boat. My gas car is on the fritz. It might last long enough for a 40kWh LEAF, but if it doesn't and I need a car, I'm probably picking up a used Volt.
 
kubel said:
So the better question is, if you needed an EV/PHEV now, what cheaper option is there than a LEAF?
Fortunately, since I'm in CA, we have many more EV/PHEV choices than most other states. See http://insideevs.com/compare-plug-ins/. Almost everything on the list is still available. One can get better idea via http://insideevs.com/monthly-plug-in-sales-scorecard/ and http://www.hybridcars.com/september-2016-dashboard/.
 
An off lease 2014/2015 with around 15,000 miles on it and a solid 12 bars for less than $9,000 is where I ended up. As dealers get more scared of getting stuck with the 24 kWh and 30 kWh cars when the 2017 is released the incentive pricing on a new one could come pretty close to that of a low mileage former lease vehicle. If your like me and live about 12 miles from work traveling 30 to 45 mph roads with stop lights and such then buying a heavily discounted Leaf right now makes very good sense.

I am 6 foot tall and have short legs so I sit tall in the seat therefore I find the Volt a bit harder to get in and out of plus I have to stay back a bit from the stop line in order to see the lights change while I have no issues having to duck to squeeze under the door openings to get in nor do I have to slouch or stay back from the stop line in order to see the lights change driving the Leaf. Parked side by side at work the Leaf looks like a small van or SUV compared to the lower Volt. With the charge port on the side, the Volt owners at work have to drape the Charge Point cable over their hoods and left front fender in order to charge it which is already showing up as wear in the clear coat on some. The Leaf with the charge ports up front has no issues with having to drag the charging cable across the hood or fender before you can plug it in at a public charging station.

If your short from the waist and don't have to use public charging stations with the cord hanging in the middle of the hood then you may get by with the Volt however for many these two issues take the Volt out of the running for people with my build and charging situation.

You really need to pay attention to these two issues when considering the Volt. They may not seem like much at first but after a while putting up with them they can get very irritating.

I had one salesman tell me it was because I had the seat adjusted wrong so he almost fully reclined the seat and then slid it forward so my arms were not stretched strait out while driving and told me how much better that was however I am not a big fan if driving in an almost sleeping position with my chin on my chest and my legs wrapped somewhat around the steering wheel. Now he explained all you have to do is slide the seat back in order to get out. I walked out and never looked back.
 
On a fire sale maybe a 2016 SV if I could get it for $8000 off prior to any rebates, but even then its a stretch. I got a great deal on my 2015 S and it has been a good car, but I don't need another EV right now, so I'll hold tight for my Model 3. Really at this point, Nissan has pissed me off by not offering the 30kwh batter as a backwards compatible option. They need to just make that happen for <$6K for all cares 2011 forward. This would make me much more inclined to keep my car and possibly consider putting a new pack in it at some point in the future. Until that happens, my car is getting sold the second my Model 3 is ready.
 
I just bought one. I was going to wait for the new leaf or bolt, but I would be paying for extra range I don't really need on a daily basis. The extra range only allow me to charge less often. I would be paying 10K-15K more for the bolt or new leaf and for what...be a beta tester. I didn't really like the idea of buying a first generation Bolt for a company that don't really care or support EV. If it was the Tesla, then it would be worth it for the extra cash, but I rather save the money and get the discounted Leaf now.
 
As already mentioned, I think the answer to the question posed (in a word) is 'discounts.' If you look purely at MSRP, a new Leaf would make no sense. But some haggling and interaction with dealers even a few hundred miles away will probably net you a new Leaf for less than most econobox cars at the end of the day. So if its range and features meet your needs, you can have an EV for way less than the future offerings coming out shortly.

Keith
 
mikeng said:
I just bought one. I was going to wait for the new leaf or bolt, but I would be paying for extra range I don't really need on a daily basis. The extra range only allow me to charge less often.

As somebody who lost 7 capacity bars (5 remaining) and with a "range" of 26 miles before LBW, this is what I have found to be true also. Now, with the brand new replacement battery pack (under warranty) I have found that I'm driving pretty much the same, just recharging about half as much. With the poor batteries, I was having to recharge at every opportunity and keep it at 100%, which I think is what really damages the batteries, in combination with the heat of course. With the new pack, I'm at about 40% to 60% for the most part.
 
coach81 said:
2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is dead (electric issue, battery keeps dying).. have to get rid of it..

1. Nissan Altima '16 - $4500 off.. can get one if I can sucker them into top dollar for my FFH'13 for as little as 2-3K.
2. Nissan Rogue '16 - pretty much same deal.. for maybe a grand or two more..

3. Nissan Leaf'16 SV???? Was going to offer 27K then ask for 6K off, then get my trade in which would make the cost below 10K before the state tax break... but...

with the Bolt, M3, and recently announced '17 Possibly "redesigned" Leaf... why would anyone buy a new leaf???

Thanks in advance for your suggestions, etc....

My question is "was there ever a good time to buy a LEAF?" cause if there was, I completely missed it!

well new one, I guess cause there has been several great opportunities to buy a used one including the one I am driving now. I was offered $6K off the residual for a price of $5803 but I could not see putting up with the range in the current job I have now (and that might even get worse soon as far as transportation need!)


But after mentioning the buyout offer I was SLAMMED by people who thought I was crazy for passing it up and these were people who were VERY aware of the range limitations. In fact, nearly all were current or former LEAF drivers. What I heard over and over was "Yeah the range sucks, but at that price!!"

So not everyone has an overwhelming desire to hit 3 states on a weekender. I found this to be the opposite of people who had never driven an EV which tells me that we are doing a piss poor job of getting the word out on EVs and how efficient, quite, smooth and CHEAP they are to operate.

My plan;

Well could go one of two ways.

1) Lease a 30 kwh LEAF at bargain basement prices, drive it 3 years then entertain what I expect to be HUGE discounts from residual. (After all, how much is a 100 mile LEAF (remember it will have 45,000 miles on it by then...) gonna be worth if there are a dozen 200 mile options out there? ;) ) This gives me 3 years to find a job that has less driving needs or a much more lucrative reimbursement plan.

2) Lease the car, drive it 3 years then get whatever is out there with the realization that half my options will no longer qualify for the State tax waiver or the fed tax credit.... So more range for a LOT more money....

Am I wrong?
 
For its intended purpose as a 20 odd mile a day daily commuter its range is just fine. Yes if you are pushing the envelope trying to use it for another purpose you will be likely disappointed. In reality most people do not drive much over 20/30 miles round trip to work and for them a discounted Leaf or one that is being removed from the Lease Pool and sold with a few hundred miles on it is a great buy. My 2014 Leaf S with 16,000 miles on it is just perfect for me and would be a great fit for all but a very small percentage of the 4,000 people who work out of my office.

I bought the house that I live in to be close to jobs but still be where property taxes would be locked in at around $500 per year (due to a Save Our Homes Cap) and utility rates were the lowest in the State so I would not need to range far and wide to find a higher paying job to support living in a high rent district. I planned this out so I would only need to drive a maximum of 100 miles per week/5000 miles per year to support my family. Then when my children got married and I faced retirement I would not need to be looking to downsize to a smaller home that I could still afford to live in on a pension. This also saves me on auto insurance since my short commute does not carry as much risk as it does for someone who is driving 4 or 6 hours every day to commute round trip back and forth to work.

Some folks may need to examine more closely why they commute so far and possibly need to make a better choice on either where they live or where they work. Some may find that at the end of the week they will have more money in their pockets and less stress in their lives by seeking employment closer to home or finding a place to live closer to where the jobs are. The poor choice for some might not be the car but their life choice of where they live and work.
 
Here are the numbers on my purchase in April:
Dealer took $2500 off MSRP, $4000 rebate, $7500 fed tax credit, and $6000 colorado state tax credit. So I got a Leaf SL with a $38500 MSRP for $18500 after discounts/credits, all financed at 0% for 6 years. At $478 a month, it will be over 28 months before the payments exceed the tax credits. So I get to drive the car for free for over 2 years not burning gas (second set of rooftop solar panels installed) and saving on operating costs.
I drove my Prius for 12 years and 210,000 miles before I gave it away, so I'm not too concerned about residual value. I'm retired now and won't put nearly as many miles on the Leaf, so I feel the 8-year battery warranty will protect me enough from capacity/range degradation. We'll see how winter might change my outlook.
 
EVforRobert said:
coach81 said:
2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is dead (electric issue, battery keeps dying).. have to get rid of it
Nobody at Ford can figure out how to fix a 4-year-old FFH?


NO sir.. they could not..

Traded it in for a new '16 Altima for 22K and got 14K trade in for FFH...
 
A salesperson at my dealership said they are making no effort to sell the Leafs, but take pride that they're moving more (70 per month) than any dealership in the country. They are mostly $99/month leases (with $3k down). At the end of the lease, people just return the cars and lease another, and they make no effort to try to get the lease holders to buy the cars. They resell them used for about $10k. Nissan obviously is taking a big loss, but I guess they get state credits from the CARB for zero emission vehicles, which are worth something, and they keep the EV pipeline warm until the "new improved Leaf" is released, so I guess they're okay with it.
A total cost of ownership of a couple hundred dollars a month (not including insurance) is pretty good, given that many people spend more than that on gas alone every month, to say nothing of maintenance. So I think the people who would want to lease a Nissan Leaf would be people with moderately long commutes who could save on fuel expenses.
- Bob
 
Back
Top