gringostar said:
With that said, does it make sense to buy a 2013 for $16,500 or a 2011 for $11,500.
That's a religious war around here.. ;-)
If either will work, it comes down to money and how safe you feel with the drive (which is tough to gauge until you get used to driving EVs..)
gringostar said:
That's $5,000 more. Is the battery replacement going to cost a lot in the future?
Intesting.. The battery replacement is .. what, $6500 with a $1000 trade in of your old battery.
So that's a wash almost..
You could plan on driving the car now, when (if) you want/need to, replace the battery..
Of course, the 2013 is also a 3 (almost depending) year newer car.
Unless it's an SV or SL model 2013, you won't have the 6kw charger (unless the 2013 S was upgraded with one, which was an option). Not sure how much of an issue that would be tho...
Similar with the Heat Pump. I think that's only on the SV and SL models for 2013.
gringostar said:
I'd like to be able to at drive at least 50-70 miles per day if I need to. On most days my commute will be 20-30 miles.
For either car, that can depend on your driving habits. If you drive faster on freeways/highways, that might be an issue, even with a 2013.
However, if your Leaf has a Quick Charge port (optional for some models), then that can be lessened with a short charge when needed..
One of the first things I'd do is load up plugshare (or just go to the website) and check for chargers along your expected routes.
Of course, the other option is a lease of a new Leaf.
desiv