Thinking about buying a Nissan Leaf

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Soundsystem00

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Feb 7, 2020
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I found a good price on a 2012 Nissan Leaf SL on facebook marketplace. I am going to go test drive it Sunday. I really am new to electric cars and eventually want a Tesla. I am a student and currently own an Acura TSX. It takes premium gas and I find a lot of my money is going to gas and I can't afford it. A Leaf would save me a lot of money, if it doesn't break down. I read that this is one of the most reliable electric cars right now.

What are some things that I should look out for?

I am sure the battery range won't be very good, so will there be a way to upgrade the battery range? And are there ways to modify the car later down the road to increase performance? I am pretty sure people have been able to get 300hp out of it, but that may have been with a newer model.

I am really thinking about doing this. Thank you guys in advance, and please let me know what you think. Have a nice day.
 
Most Leafs, any under $10k will be lucky to get 70 miles summer and more like 40-50 miles with much heater use in the cold.
Note the '12 should be able to get 50-60 in the summer with no heat and keeping speed down to less than 60 but 70+ dramatically reduces the range.
I have a '12 Leaf and it's a nice clean fun to drive car but range is a real issue, mine is down to 8 health bars as many are, more bars will give you more range but even a 12 bar with a new battery is lucky to get 70 miles summer and taking it easy.
 
The range I gave is the likely worst case, which is the figure that newbies need most. If they think they'll get 60+ miles of range in all or even most situations, they will end up pushing or having to tow the car - guaranteed. I'm not saying you can't get 65 miles with an 8 bar Leaf, but the real world, no hypermiling range on my 2013 when it was just barely 12 bars was more like 65 miles in Summer with some A/C, and 35-45 miles in Frigid Winter weather with some (absolutely necessary) heat.
 
I was a lower-cost EV purchaser as well. Two models that really tempted me were the Fiat 500e and Chevy Spark EV. They are supposed to be incredibly fun to drive, and the Spark has some impressive motor output for its size. They also both have actively-cooled battery packs, so they aren't as prone to long-term degradation as the LEAF.

I went with a 2016 30kWh LEAF, although it cost more, for a number of reasons. I live rurally, and use the car for almost everything, including camping, so I wanted something with more battery capacity, interior space (with room to fit a spare tire on the trunk floor), and the ability to rotate the tires (the Spark and 500e have non-matching tires/wheels front and rear). I also wanted the charging versatility of the LEAF with the quick-charge capability. It can level-2 charge to 6 kW and DC-quick charge. The Spark can DC quick-charge (when equipped), but can only level-2 charge to 3 kW. The 500e has level-2 to 6 kW but no quick-charge. I'm very happy with my decision. Although the 1st-gen LEAF only has an 80 kW motor, it's plenty responsive for my liking. Range has been quite acceptable with the 30 kWh pack: 90-100 miles in the winter and 110-120 miles in the summer, with my driving style in ECO-mode.

As mentioned, modifying the battery pack and powertrain of an EV is fairly outside the scope of most of us. Although I used to be a 4wd tweaker, I've never felt the desire to change anything on the LEAF.

I completely understand your desire to go EV. I love the whole experience, and have a hard time when I need to use combustion vehicle for something...it feels like punishment.
 
Spend a little more and get a 30KWH 2016. You get a battery warranty, better range, and a heat pump instead of resistance heat. Makes a difference in winter range and comfort. Nissan will likely replace the battery once under warranty, in which case you get an upgrade to 40 KWH.
 
johnlocke said:
Spend a little more and get a 30KWH 2016. You get a battery warranty, better range, and a heat pump instead of resistance heat. Makes a difference in winter range and comfort. Nissan will likely replace the battery once under warranty, in which case you get an upgrade to 40 KWH.

Just make sure that you get an SV or SL, as the Leaf S came with a 24kwh battery for most of 2016. Also read what I wrote in my guide about the issues with the 30kwh battery. The safest bet is to get one with 11 or 12 bars of capacity that has NOT had the BMS update provided by Nissan, as the update will mask capacity loss for months. You might also look for a cheaper 30kwh 2016 that has already lost 3 or 4 capacity bars after the update, as this will be eligible for a free 40kwh battery under warranty.
 
^^^
Yeah.

https://mynissanleaf.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=30760 says
"Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2020 4:41 pm
Last active: Fri Feb 07, 2020 5:00 pm"

And, that last active time is the same time as the his 2nd and final (so far) post. I think we should stop answering until the OP comes back, if ever.
 
You don't buy a Leaf because you have little money and want to save money....

Even the cheapest Leaf is $5,000+. A relatively good one is $10,000. And that is for a used one that has a battery that will soon begin to deteriorate. So where is the savings?

A young person can easily save a ton of money by buying a $1500-2500 Honda civic or Toyota Corolla and drive it like crazy. Who cares that you buy gas? Gas is a necessary evil that will only take your money when you use it.

A young person is at the time of their life when they are having their adventures. Drive here, Drive there, take a drive to go camping... etc.. You don't want a Leaf. An EV is for a more settled married person that has a daily routine, and the number of daily miles is a fixed entity.
 
I appreciated all the replies to this question even though the original poster has not returned - thanks all!
 
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