2013/2014 Nissan Leaf Lease Information

[Klayfish]

Picked up my Leaf last night. End of the month time, struck while the iron was hot. After tons of back and forth e-mails and calls with several dealers, here's what I wound up with.

SL model - blue ocean
$1999/down
$238/month before tax ($258 after)
24 months, 15k miles/yr

Now to figure out how all these doodads on the car work.... :lol:

 

[Corina1231]

Nissan reported Leaf sales of 1864 for July, 2013, down from a record 2224 in June, and way up from 395 sold in July of last year. I suspect the higher Leaf lease prices accounted for the much of the drop.

 

[GoingForLeaf]

Nissan reported Leaf sales of 1864 for July, 2013, down from a record 2224 in June, and way up from 395 sold in July of last year. I suspect the higher Leaf lease prices accounted for the much of the drop.

Hi Corina1231,
Appreciate your help in getting the best deal for number of bay area residents.. i was following this thread 2 months back and gone out of country. Just back in bay area this week..

Any idea what is the best deal now a days? I just contacted 3 dealers through email to get the quotes. i am looking for 2 year leasing of SV+QC+LED.
If I am getting the best deal, I am ready to close the deal in couple of days.. My credit is excellent.

Appreciate your input on this..

Thanks..

 

[Corina1231]

Nissan reported Leaf sales of 1864 for July, 2013, down from a record 2224 in June, and way up from 395 sold in July of last year. I suspect the higher Leaf lease prices accounted for the much of the drop.

Hi Corina1231,
Appreciate your help in getting the best deal for number of bay area residents.. i was following this thread 2 months back and gone out of country. Just back in bay area this week..

Any idea what is the best deal now a days? I just contacted 3 dealers through email to get the quotes. i am looking for 2 year leasing of SV+QC+LED.
If I am getting the best deal, I am ready to close the deal in couple of days.. My credit is excellent.

Appreciate your input on this..

Thanks..

Welcome back. Pm me and I'll be glad to help.

 

[vsri100]

Finally got onto EV bandwagon ;-)
Picked one today.

Model: S with charger pkg / Metallic Slate
Down: $2000
Lease : 36 months / 12000 miles /year
Monthly damage: $207 ( including taxes)

Learned a lot from this forum which helped me in negotiating the deal. Thanks a lot to all of you.

 

[Gearscout]

I got my LEAF S about 2 months ago.

The "deals" are getting tougher as of August 2013. While there have been ads in Atlanta promising a $189/mo lease, the reality is that it requires a substantial down payment.

I got 2 years, 15k miles on VPP program with nothing down for $281. But that's just the very basic S, with no enhanced charging/rear view cam etc.

With the Georgia state tax rebate it's still a heck of a deal -- but the deals are fading: Dealers can read the numbers of how the LEAF is setting new sales records.

I couldn't be happier. I'm saving a lot on the cost of commuting 42 miles a day! ;-)

 

[calikbn]

Bought a 2013 Leaf S model yesterday. This is my first time posting on this forum and was wondering if I did alright on the price and the decision to buy an S.

Here are the details:

S model w/ charge package (6.6 kW charger, quick charge port, and rearview camera) + splash guards and mats etc.
MSRP = ~$31600
Sale price = $29395
Financed at .9% for 60 months with zero down and zero out the door.

Put all taxes and fees into the finance because of the very low interest rate (have better guaranteed return by paying other debts). I have the tax liability to get the full $7500 back. That and the .9% finance rate (instead of 3.9% for lease) were motivating factors. I live in Santa Monica.

Here are my questions:

1. I am concerned how diminishing battery life on this car and improvements in battery range on future cars will impact resale value in 3-5 years. What is the general consensus (if any) on this issue in terms of the lease v. buy decision?

2. How important or valuable are the following features that the SV has and that my S does not have: hybrid heating system, b mode regeneration, navigation, carwings, aluminum wheels, autodimming mirror, six speakers v. four, and pandora radio capability (obviously not that important). Of these, I'm especially curious about the hybrid heating system and b mode regeneration. Do these features make a meaningful difference, especially in the LA-area?

3. All things considered, how did I do on price?

Thanks in advance!

 

[cwerdna]

^^
Can you update your location info via User Control Panel (near top) > Profile (left side)? That way, we don't need to ask in future posts/threads or do sleuthing to deduce it.

Fortunately, you should have a pretty mild climate so you shouldn't have rapid battery degradation unless the car is out baking in the sun in a much higher temp area.

 

[RonDawg]

Bought a 2013 Leaf S model yesterday. This is my first time posting on this forum and was wondering if I did alright on the price and the decision to buy an S.

Here are the details:

S model w/ charge package (6.6 kW charger, quick charge port, and rearview camera) + splash guards and mats etc.
MSRP = ~$31600
Sale price = $29395
Financed at .9% for 60 months with zero down and zero out the door.

Put all taxes and fees into the finance because of the very low interest rate (have better guaranteed return by paying other debts). I have the tax liability to get the full $7500 back. That and the .9% finance rate (instead of 3.9% for lease) were motivating factors. I live in Santa Monica.

Here are my questions:

1. I am concerned how diminishing battery life on this car and improvements in battery range on future cars will impact resale value in 3-5 years. What is the general consensus (if any) on this issue in terms of the lease v. buy decision?

2. How important or valuable are the following features that the SV has and that my S does not have: hybrid heating system, b mode regeneration, navigation, carwings, aluminum wheels, autodimming mirror, six speakers v. four, and pandora radio capability (obviously not that important). Of these, I'm especially curious about the hybrid heating system and b mode regeneration. Do these features make a meaningful difference, especially in the LA-area?

3. All things considered, how did I do on price?

Thanks in advance!

1. The consensus here is it is better to lease the Leaf rather than buy, for the reasons you state. Living in Santa Monica, your battery should at least not suffer from accelerated degradation that is often discussed here.

2. Hybrid heating is nice if you like to use the heater a lot and/or need to drive relatively long distances (say over 25 miles one way) on a single charge, but if you are somewhat tolerant to mild cold and can tolerate limited or no heater usage, and/or the seat heaters are sufficient for you, then you won't miss it living in Santa Monica. The nav system sucks IMHO so you're not missing anything there. CarWings has its usefulness, but it's something I can live without. Same with cruise control. Wheels can always be swapped out; some folks here have gone for aftermarket 17" wheels (this was before the 2013 specs were announced) and the ones from the Juke look good on this car. The autodimming mirror appears to be made by Gentex and you can get these from Amazon, with or without built-in HomeLink. Can't speak for the 4 speakers vs. 6 but some folks have upgraded their OEM speakers and one person recently added a Bazooka subwoofer. Don't have B mode on my 2012 so I can't comment on it.

3. Can't speak to the negotiated price, but the very low rate and lack of drive-off fees are very good. Just make sure you have gap insurance, as the depreciation is quite steep so you'll be "upside down" for quite some time.

 

[Corina1231]

Bought a 2013 Leaf S model yesterday. This is my first time posting on this forum and was wondering if I did alright on the price and the decision to buy an S.

Here are the details:

S model w/ charge package (6.6 kW charger, quick charge port, and rearview camera) + splash guards and mats etc.
MSRP = ~$31600
Sale price = $29395
Financed at .9% for 60 months with zero down and zero out the door.

Put all taxes and fees into the finance because of the very low interest rate (have better guaranteed return by paying other debts). I have the tax liability to get the full $7500 back. That and the .9% finance rate (instead of 3.9% for lease) were motivating factors. I live in Santa Monica.

Here are my questions:

1. I am concerned how diminishing battery life on this car and improvements in battery range on future cars will impact resale value in 3-5 years. What is the general consensus (if any) on this issue in terms of the lease v. buy decision?

2. How important or valuable are the following features that the SV has and that my S does not have: hybrid heating system, b mode regeneration, navigation, carwings, aluminum wheels, autodimming mirror, six speakers v. four, and pandora radio capability (obviously not that important). Of these, I'm especially curious about the hybrid heating system and b mode regeneration. Do these features make a meaningful difference, especially in the LA-area?

3. All things considered, how did I do on price?

Thanks in advance!

1. The consensus here is it is better to lease the Leaf rather than buy, for the reasons you state. Living in Santa Monica, your battery should at least not suffer from accelerated degradation that is often discussed here.

2. Hybrid heating is nice if you like to use the heater a lot and/or need to drive relatively long distances (say over 25 miles one way) on a single charge, but if you are somewhat tolerant to mild cold and can tolerate limited or no heater usage, and/or the seat heaters are sufficient for you, then you won't miss it living in Santa Monica. The nav system sucks IMHO so you're not missing anything there. CarWings has its usefulness, but it's something I can live without. Same with cruise control. Wheels can always be swapped out; some folks here have gone for aftermarket 17" wheels (this was before the 2013 specs were announced) and the ones from the Juke look good on this car. The autodimming mirror appears to be made by Gentex and you can get these from Amazon, with or without built-in HomeLink. Can't speak for the 4 speakers vs. 6 but some folks have upgraded their OEM speakers and one person recently added a Bazooka subwoofer. Don't have B mode on my 2012 so I can't comment on it.

3. Can't speak to the negotiated price, but the very low rate and lack of drive-off fees are very good. Just make sure you have gap insurance, as the depreciation is quite steep so you'll be "upside down" for quite some time.

RonDawg nailed it on everything he discussed.

Regarding leasing vs. buying, unless leases go up about 25%, I remain in the camp favoring lease over buy. Many of us predicted 40-50 pages ago on this thread that Leaf residuals were wildly inflated and we have seen almost monthly drops in residual values since May. The used car manager at my SJ Nissan dealer says he's upside down about $4000 each on the two used Leafs he has on the lot. He further says that when the lease Leafs come storming in in a couple years, he will keep none, but instead will send them all back to Nissan who will, in turn, send them straight to auction to cut their losses.

Regarding price, you were smart to purchase the S if you were going to go the buy route. The general rule of thumb on all cars is that the cheaper models hold their value better than expensive ones with options. The price you paid of a few hundred over invioice is on the low end of SOCal prices, so you did fine. I have always been able to purchase or lease based on selling prices below invoice, even for non VPPs, here in San Jose, but that has not been the norm in SOCal or most other parts of the country.

 

[cwerdna]

The used car manager at my SJ Nissan dealer says he's upside down about $4000 each on the two used Leafs he has on the lot. He further says that when the lease Leafs come storming in in a couple years, he will keep none, but instead will send them all back to Nissan who will, in turn, send them straight to auction to cut their losses.

It'll be very interesting to see what used Leaf prices look like when that happens.

With luck, when my Leaf is due to be turned in at the 2 year mark, if there are no other interesting EVs at a compelling price/lease price, maybe I might be able to get a used Leaf w/o significant degradation for cheap.

 

[calikbn]

Thanks for the responses. I think the S with the quick charge was the right way to go. We'll see how resale values look, but at least I have $7500 coming my way at .9% interest to work with in the meantime (plus the $2500 from CA, but that comes with the lease too).

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

The used car manager at my SJ Nissan dealer says he's upside down about $4000 each on the two used Leafs he has on the lot. He further says that when the lease Leafs come storming in in a couple years, he will keep none, but instead will send them all back to Nissan who will, in turn, send them straight to auction to cut their losses.

It'll be very interesting to see what used Leaf prices look like when that happens.

With luck, when my Leaf is due to be turned in at the 2 year mark, if there are no other interesting EVs at a compelling price/lease price, maybe I might be able to get a used Leaf w/o significant degradation for cheap.

i suspect lease turn ins for the LEAF will be handled no differently than any other model. Some will be refurbished (including a new battery) and sold as certified used while others will simply go to auction.

Cant speak for others but mine has definite wear and tear but nothing that cannot be fixed on the cheap. i have a small dime sized gouge on back bumper from a bike shifting but other than that no real damage.

But will say one thing about the lease; looks like its the goto option for the foreseeable future and can say that is true no matter where you live. I predict a spate of NW'ers posting here about degradation in the next 6 months simply due to the time factor.

my advice? lease a LEAF, make sure you use up every mile you are allotted and enjoy the Hell out of it!

 

[StuRatus]

Dealer says lease programs are changing today. Any word on this? Is that true?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Dealer says lease programs are changing today. Any word on this? Is that true?

they changed July 1st to a smaller residual increasing the cost of the lease and sales went down. maybe they are increasing residual to a more acceptable middle ground

 

[702jesse]

Got a quote for a lease on a 2013 S, no options. I've never leased before. Is this a good deal?

36 month
215/month - including taxes
3200 due on delivery (seems high compared to what I've seen on this forum)
12k mi / year

Las Vegas area.

Love this forum btw.

 

[TDogg]

Got a quote for a lease on a 2013 S, no options. I've never leased before. Is this a good deal?

36 month
215/month - including taxes
3200 due on delivery (seems high compared to what I've seen on this forum)
12k mi / year

Las Vegas area.

Love this forum btw.

That's higher than Nissan's own lease ads ($199*36m + $1999 down).

 

[RonDawg]

Got a quote for a lease on a 2013 S, no options. I've never leased before. Is this a good deal?

36 month
215/month - including taxes
3200 due on delivery (seems high compared to what I've seen on this forum)
12k mi / year

Las Vegas area.

Love this forum btw.

That's higher than Nissan's own lease ads ($199*36m + $1999 down).

Nissan's advertised lease special does not include tax, license, or any other government-mandated fees. I don't know how NV's sales taxes are structured in regards to car sales especially leases, but in CA those figures would be pretty close to correct if you went with the official lease special.

On my lease, taxes and reg fees were about $1400 and I have to pay 9% sales tax on each monthly payment.

 

[Corina1231]

Got a quote for a lease on a 2013 S, no options. I've never leased before. Is this a good deal?

36 month
215/month - including taxes
3200 due on delivery (seems high compared to what I've seen on this forum)
12k mi / year

Las Vegas area.

Love this forum btw.

That's higher than Nissan's own lease ads ($199*36m + $1999 down).

For what it's worth, it's about $125 over dealer invoice on the S. Not a bad deal in many parts of the country. I'm not familiar with the Las Vegas market. Here in San Jose, I can get deals below dealer invoice, but many parts of the country are much higher. Hope this helps.

 

[cwerdna]

Got a quote for a lease on a 2013 S, no options. I've never leased before. Is this a good deal?

36 month
215/month - including taxes
3200 due on delivery (seems high compared to what I've seen on this forum)
12k mi / year

Las Vegas area.

Can you update your location info via User Control Panel (near top) > Profile (left side)? That way, we don't need to ask in future posts/threads or do sleuthing to deduce it.

What are your daily driving needs in terms of miles? How much city vs. highway? Will you have the ability to charge at your work/destinations?

Your batteries will likely degrade very rapidly due to the high temps there. Hope it still has enough range for you near the end of the lease. I'd guess you'd be down at least 2 capacity bars by the end of the lease, possibly 4, which would make you a "winner", as you could get it replaced for a 9+ bar pack (having lost between 0-3 capacity bars).