Considering used 2018 Leaf

I am looking for a new car this summer after I complete my cross country move and would like to go electric. I was originally thinking of leasing a new niro or leaf plus but lease deals have disappeared with the lack of inventory so I am looking used to spend less money. Looking at 2018 40kwh SV+tech pack.
I will be living in Seattle, with a driveway and 110v charging (rental not going to put in a 240v). Car will be used commuting ~ 20-25mi round trip, around town and for up to ~100mi round trip bike trips with a hitch rack. Ideally could take it skiing but that would require a longer range and we have a trip car I can use for that.
Do I need to buy leafspy before driving cars to check for battery? Any other issues to watch for? I found a used private party car for a few grand less than the dealers so thinking of going that route. With the crazy car market right now I am trying to just find basic reliable and cheap transport which seems like a good fit for a leaf.

Sounds like you have the perfect use case for the Leaf - primarily around-town use, temperate climate (except now). 110v charging is a bummer, but less of an issue for a 40kwh pack; perhaps you will find L2 charging locations (work, grocery store, etc.) which will help you out.

Battery degradation should not be an issue yet on a 2018, but make sure to check that the battery screen SOH still shows up full. without any bars missing. If not, I would pass.

You don't have to buy Leaf Spy, but it's a good investment if you are definitely going to buy a Leaf. You will need to get a low-energy Bluetooth OBD connector in order to use Leaf Spy. Check the documentation for the recommended model(s).

The PNW climate is perfect for a LEAF, assuming the crazy "heat dome" that brought temperatures of over 110F don't become common due to global warming.

Washington State has lots of CHADEMO charging options, as do Oregon and British Columbia Canada, but L3 charging can be costly. Hopefully you'll have some free L2 charging options in your new neighborhood. Use the PlugShare app to suss that out...

As long as your primary use of the 40 kWh LEAF is not for long distance travel, situations where you need multiple quick charges in a day, and lots of freeway driving, the '18 is just perfect.

It's not for use as a ride-sharing platform, delivery car, or situations where your daily use is time critical, and unpredictable.

It's a perfect urban daily driver for under 150 miles a day of usage. It's also an extremely reliable car too.

Sounds like a good fit for you.

I would suggest getting the free version of LeafSpy for looking at cars. You can't tell that much about the battery just from dashboard indicators. And even the free version will give you a lot of good information.

I have a 30kwh 2017, and the L1 charging is just fine for us. (overnight will probably get you half of the battery charged) We've had our Leaf 9 months now and have been pretty happy with it (and even moreso when we also move to Seattle in a few weeks).

Driver8 said:

I would suggest getting the free version of LeafSpy for looking at cars. You can't tell that much about the battery just from dashboard indicators. And even the free version will give you a lot of good information.

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You need an Android phone/tablet to use the free version of LeafSpy. IOS version is $20.

You also need an OBD reader (about $25) in order for LeafSpy to communicate with the car.

Tesla owner here but also a very satisfied former leaf owner. Your intended use sounds perfect for the leaf and you live in the right climate for the leafs battery to serve you for a long long time.

My only recommendation would be that you check the history of any used leaf you buy and insure it didn’t come from a high heat zone. Walk away if it did.

The leaf is a fantastic car and honestly one of the best vehicles we have ever owned. Our needs changed and we switched to a Tesla. But I still miss our leaf, even more so when I see it drive by with it’s new owner and his family in it.

Cheers and good luck.

My only recommendation would be that you check the history of any used leaf you buy and insure it didn’t come from a high heat zone. Walk away if it did.

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The exception here would be if LeafSpy shows a good state of health (SOH) and there are no other issues with the car. ~90% SOH would be very good for a 2018, and upper eighties would be acceptable. 85% or lower would be on the low side. A Gen II Leaf can actually have a SOH of a bit less than 85% and still show all 12 capacity bars, so keep that in mind.

LeftieBiker said:

My only recommendation would be that you check the history of any used leaf you buy and insure it didn’t come from a high heat zone. Walk away if it did.

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The exception here would be if LeafSpy shows a good state of health (SOH) and there are no other issues with the car. ~90% SOH would be very good for a 2018, and upper eighties would be acceptable. 85% or lower would be on the low side. A Gen II Leaf can actually have a SOH of a bit less than 85% and still show all 12 capacity bars, so keep that in mind.

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Good point Leftie. I keep forgetting how techie you guys are here. I suck at that stuff.