Looking for Leaf; lost out on 2 attempts

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I have an S but I live in Colorado where it's sunny and not too cold. I charge at work or at other free locations but they are all L2 chargers.
A trickle charge will be quite slow but if you're at work all day charging, 25 miles won't be an issue. The 30kWh Leafs are a pretty big jump up in capability but might also be in price. A lot depends on location.
 
LeftieBiker said:
The range issue with the S is because of the resistance-only heater. If you can happily drive with just the seat and wheel heaters, then it could work. (BRRR!) You want to verify that the car was built AFTER March of 2013, though, as earlier builds use the old, bad chemistry in the battery.

Seller posted a picture of the door sticker so I could see it was made July 2015. I verified the QC port in person by opening it up (and the inner door incase the cars without it leave the lid on, like how there is a blank spot for the fog lights). I'm pretty sure there are no red flags here considering my very low range needs.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/d/carol-stream-nissan-leaf/7088813303.html

:p I do love the cold - I only wished my old cube had a heated steering wheel.
 
I had a Senior Moment on the year, and mis-remembered you writing that it was a 2013. If no red flags, and as long as you understand that you can't add the heat pump or the remote access telematics, you should be ok. Luckily for you, the S got cruise control in 2015, IIRC. The lack of it then saved me from leasing a 2013 S and not having enough Winter range for my commute.
 
It is definitely an S model since it has radio with knobs and separate HVAC controls. Downsides to S model:
1. Halogen headlights instead of LED low beams with halogen high beams.
2. No telematics system so no remote access for climate control, etc.
3. No heat pump so resistance heater uses more energy even just for defrost.
 
1. Halogen headlights instead of LED low beams with halogen high beams.

Some SV models have halogen combo bulbs - no LEDs. Mine was like that. Any SV without a QC port is likely to have halogen lights, high and low, as the LED lights were part of the Charge Package.
 
Did you see this 2015 SV?

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/ctd/d/chicago-2015-nissan-leaf-sv/7076335709.html

...and this 30 kWh 2016 SV?

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ctd/d/saint-charles-2016-nissan-leaf/7082187309.html

As much as I love EVs, I don't think I would use one if I couldn't charge at home. Running back and forth to level 2 stations sounds very inconvenient, and level 3 charging is expensive and hard on the battery.

Nissan suggests keeping charge level between 20-80% as much as possible for long-term battery life. This would be easier with the remote connectivity of the SV/SL, but you still risk tying up public chargers, or a lot of running back and forth.
 
In good news I convinced my landlord to let me charge at home. In bad news, I can't use any private sellers because my credit union doesn't do financing for anything but franchised dealerships. So back to the drawing board.

For now I'm back to looking and definitely want an SL, but I will settle for an SV with quick charge. If another one falls through, I think I'll have to take that as a sign :(

I've already been without a car since mid-January and this is getting on my nerves. Hence putting more effort into my search.
 
If your landlord has a spare dryer or welder outlet you can get a 16-24 amp 240 volt L-2 charging station. That would be MUCH faster than a L-1 120 volt station or cable, but as noted if you have modest range needs and can plug in for many hours a day, L-1 will work. I still use it after 7 years. Just make sure the circuit hasn't got anything more than a light or two on it now. You need about 14.5 amps available on the circuit for a 12 amp charging cable or station because of the NEC's 80% rule, which says that you can only use 80% of a circuit's rated amperage for continuous (more than 3 hours) loads.
 
PrairieLEAF said:
Did you see this 2015 SV?

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/ctd/d/chicago-2015-nissan-leaf-sv/7076335709.html

...and this 30 kWh 2016 SV?

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ctd/d/saint-charles-2016-nissan-leaf/7082187309.html

First link is the first one I tried to buy (and someone else bought it) - they haven't taken down the post because they either don't care or want to get people on the phone to try to sell them a different car. Second link is in Missouri (they posted in the wrong Craigslist).

I appreciate you trying to help :). I'm going to check daily on CL and cars.com and a few other aggregates.
 
Before it is suggested, I'm seeing red flags on this one: very high mileage and the car fax shows the dealership replaced tires several times, the wheel hubs, and an oil change :?: . Not sure how they changed the oil on a leaf...

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/801662940/overview/
 
The mileage is "a bit high" for a Leaf, not "very high." There are Leafs with 100,000+ miles on them. The price reflects the mileage. I'd look at the battery capacity, and as you noted, look for suspension or alignment issues. It has Premium Package and it will have QC. The 2015 has the best battery Nissan ever made, so unless it lived in a Hot climate or was badly abused, it may have good remaining capacity.
 
Lupus said:
I just found a 2016 CPO with a remaining warranty and QC. Going to see it Wednesday. Hopefully this will be it. Crossing my fingers.

Remember that if it's an S it could be either a 24kwh pack or a 30kwh pack. Look for a "B" in the VIN, if you want 30kwh. The SV and SL all had 30kwh packs in 2016. LeafSpy would be helpful, as some of the 30kwh packs have bad cells, but that is covered under warranty as long as they are bad enough to trigger error codes. Good luck.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Lupus said:
I just found a 2016 CPO with a remaining warranty and QC. Going to see it Wednesday. Hopefully this will be it. Crossing my fingers.

Remember that if it's an S it could be either a 24kwh pack or a 30kwh pack. Look for a "B" in the VIN, if you want 30kwh. The SV and SL all had 30kwh packs in 2016. LeafSpy would be helpful, as some of the 30kwh packs have bad cells, but that is covered under warranty as long as they are bad enough to trigger error codes. Good luck.
It is a 30Kwh pack and is an SV. I don't have a compatible OBDii yet to use LeafSpy (waiting to spend the money on one until I actually have a car), but it has a good guarantee and I'll ask about that. I'll bring up concerns about the bad cells in 2016 - if nothing else it's a good point for haggling.
 
The only way to spot bad cells without LeafSpy is to look for range that is much less than it should be given the capacity bar count (this is also how you spot a BMS reset) and especially for the car to experience a sudden large drop in estimated range as the charge gets low - sometimes with a sudden, unexpected drop into reduced power mode or even into the barely-crawling "Turtle mode." That is due to the bad cells triggering the low voltage protection mode of the BMS before most of the cells are low on charge.
 
Well I've learned a lot and am still a fan of the Leaf, but I will remain a spectator for now.

I spent $60 and several hours yesterday getting everything arranged and was going to pick up a car this morning. Bad dealership lied to me repeatedly and was insulting in the financing. Wanted far over blue book values even after negotiating. Was already at high end of my budget and the dishonesty was the last straw. I made sure they know why they lost the sale. They had the gall to insist that the car was priced well just not for *my* budget. I was already going in knowing it was overpriced and figured they have to make a living too. But lying about simple things is a huge red flag.

I'm giving up on getting a car for a while. Prices have gotten too high so I need to wait for more to come off-lease or something.

Sorry for wasting everyone's time.
 
Patience is key. You need to do all your research well in advance and it sounds like that is done. Now that you know what a good deal looks like you will be able to spot one when it comes along.

There are a lot of Leafs around here and I watch the local CL all the time just to keep track of the market. The good deals usually disappear in a day or two so it's imperative to be ready to act when they come up.
 
Dealers like to change the terms of the deal whenever they want.

I once went to a Nissan Dealer on a used Leaf. The price was good and I said I would take it...

When I told them I would pay cash for it, they suddenly raised the price by $1000 "surcharge" because I was not financing it...

Buying a car, even a used one is such a hard process.

I am following craigslist DAILY for a car for my son in college. They are mostly all junk cars or from shady used junk "dealers" out of a gas station. Good cars that are owned and sold by the original owners are rare, and are sold the day I see the ads!!!!! BUMMER!!

I almost rather buy new because you know that all the cars will be the same, and the only difference will be the price...
 
powersurge said:
I am following craigslist DAILY for a car for my son in college. They are mostly all junk cars or from shady used junk "dealers" out of a gas station. Good cars that are owned and sold by the original owners are rare, and are sold the day I see the ads!!!!! BUMMER!!

I actually found a good one on CL as a private seller but unfortunately I don't have that kind of cash and my credit union doesn't do private seller loans.
 
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