2014 nissan leaf S for $6,999

[ronnels]

Hey Folks,

Newbie here

I am almost ready to buy this 2014 Leaf S with 17K miles. Its a Nissan CPO so it comes with:

7-year/100,000-Mile Limited Warranty,
167-Point Inspection and Reconditioning,
24-Hour Roadside Assistance and Towing Assistance

This Nissan dealer has 7 - 2014 Leaf S for $6,999 and 5 - 2015 Leaf for $8,999.


Just wondering about your opinions on the following:

- is this a bargain? good price?
- 2014 vs 2015?
- how good is Nissan CPO?
- anything should I check?
- anything to look for or avoid?

Thanks

 

[RonDawg]

I would spend the money and get the 2015, for the more heat-resistant battery (though some 2014's got this unofficially) and also since it is a year newer and thus an extra year on the remaining warranty.

An OBDII adapter and software such as LeafSpy is an absolute must when looking at a used Leaf. You can't go by the display to judge battery health as it's possible to temporarily reset the computer to show all 12 bars, and by the time the car shows its "true colors" you've already signed the paperwork and possibly exceeded any return period allowed by your state.

While it may have a 7 year/100k limited warranty, the battery capacity warranty still remains at 5 years/60k miles. Don't let the dealer fool you into thinking otherwise.

 

[jjeff]

Personally I'd save the $2k and get the '14, really anything after 4/'13 has the improved battery it's just unless you live in an extremely hot climate(Phoenix??) you might benefit from the Lizzard battery. I second LeafSpy and the OBDII to check the battery, that or assume a 12 bar car is 11 an 11 bar is 10, etc. Feature wise I don't think there would be much difference between '14 and '15. An extra year warranty on the battery might be nice but again unless you live in a hotter climate(or the car came from one) you probably won't benefit from it anyway.

 

[craig]

I just paid $11,250 for a 2014 S that was not CPO, with 21k miles in northern Utah. Yours sounds like a deal!
I didn't have any of that high tech stuff to check a battery with, but took the 12 bars showing at face value. At full charge I had 12 bars, a projected range of 93 miles, and actually covered 93 miles and had 6% SOC remaining, so I guess my ignorance didn't bite me.
I've put 2,000 miles on mine since purchase, and all is well.
I love this car!

 

[SageBrush]

Amazing price, I'm currently buying a 2013 with 22k miles for $8,300.
Perhaps you could negotiate a little with your dealer and ask them to pay you to take the car off their hands ?

 

[ronnels]

Thank you RonDawg, jjeff, craig & SageBrush for your input and tips!

I will definitely start looking at leafspy.

 

[sendler2112]

Where is this dealer? Colorado state used EV rebate? Let us know if this turns out to be real or if the hidden fees add up.

 

[GordStewart]

A used 2014 leaf in Canada will set you back $18,000 CDN. Check out Autotrader.ca.
That being said, for an extra 10K, I bought new. Can't quite figure how they sell them used here in Ontario loosing a 10k government rebate. It might be worth a trip south with a flatbed for my next purchase.

 

[Evoforce]

The lizard battery is not more heat tolerant. It degrades at the same rate in hot climates.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The lizard battery is not more heat tolerant. It degrades at the same rate in hot climates.

Yes, it's more accurate to say that it resists moderate sustained heat better, while being no better in genuinely Hot climates. Has anyone yet established that there is a significant difference between a 4/2013 pack and a "Lizard" pack?

 

[rosier9]

That's a steal on the 2014's! I would buy that in a heartbeat. I would check which one has the latest in service date to have the longest warranty period, but I don't think I would let that change your preference on color/interior combo... Enjoy!

 

[Bretsuaz]

Must be looking at Lithia. I posted about these over the weekend.

http://www.lithianissanmedford.com/all-inventory/index.htm?listingConfigId=AUTO-new%2CAUTO-used&compositeType=&year=&model=LEAF&start=0&sort=&facetbrowse=true&quick=true&searchLinkText=SEARCH&showInvTotals=false&showRadius=false&showReset=false&showSubmit=true&facetbrowseGridUnit=BLANK&showSelections=true&dependencies=model%3Amake%2Ccity%3Aprovince%2Ccity%3Astate&suppressAllConditions=compliant

 

[DuncanCunningham]

... in northern Utah

a fellow Utahn.. YAY! look out for my leaf parked on 600 South and about 270 West. I work in the office there.

 

[SageBrush]

Must be looking at Lithia. I posted about these over the weekend.

http://www.lithianissanmedford.com/all-inventory/index.htm?listingConfigId=AUTO-new%2CAUTO-used&compositeType=&year=&model=LEAF&start=0&sort=&facetbrowse=true&quick=true&searchLinkText=SEARCH&showInvTotals=false&showRadius=false&showReset=false&showSubmit=true&facetbrowseGridUnit=BLANK&showSelections=true&dependencies=model%3Amake%2Ccity%3Aprovince%2Ccity%3Astate&suppressAllConditions=compliant

I looked at a "2015" (manufactured in 2014) vehicle history of a car listed at this dealer and noticed that the car spent it's life as a lease in GA before it was auctioned off in the Northwest.

I personally would want to know the battery health through a LEAFspy report before I bought the car. I know of another car with a similar history and miles that has already lost ~ 20% of it's battery capacity according to LEAFspy although the car meter still shows 12 bars. Of course if the price is right perhaps that level of degradation is acceptable, but best to know ahead of time. Caveat Emptor

 

[tattoogunman]

In my area (Dallas/Ft. Worth area), used Leafs can easily be had for under $10K. I think every one that I have looked at has been around $8000 to $9000. There is a '14 S CPO that I am thinking about looking at with 23K miles on it for $8400 and there are plenty more at other dealers in the area. I'm just having issues between trying a Leaf (due to all of the problems that I have read about) or going with a Chevy Volt which I like better and they seem to be more or less rock solid reliable (give or take obviously). I have a Fiat 500 now and I only drive around 20 to 30 miles round trip every day, so the range isn't my concern on the Leaf, it's the battery pack problems that I have read about. I'm half tempted, if I can get approved, to try and lease a new one so I have full warranty backing on it. We'll see what happens...

 

[RockyNv]

I have the 2014 S here in Tropical Tampa Bay Florida and the battery is still showing 12 bars and giving me about 100 miles range while the 2011 to 2013 models around here with close to 20,000 miles on them are usually down to 9 or 10 bars so I would say the new battery does make quite a difference here where roadway temps can be hovering at over 100 degrees much of the year.

Pricing on a CPO at a "Real Nissan Dealer" can be deceptive since many times they price it based on your qualifying for all sorts of incentives which evaporate when you walk in the door. I checked out similar and found the low price was only if you were a full time student, were considered a preferred customer by Nissan having a letter from them stating so, had served in the military and qualified for the highest level of Federal incentives available (since it was a lease and they had opted out of paying off the residual it was CPO and technically being sold for the first time). Real price went up to over $20,000 when they finally got you in their clutches. I purchased from a local Hybrid Dealer for $9,000 with no game changes once I walked in the door as the advertised price was the real price with no gimmicks, etc and the car he had was in better condition than the CPO at the "Real Nissan Dealership".

 

[craig]

... in northern Utah

a fellow Utahn.. YAY! look out for my leaf parked on 600 South and about 270 West. I work in the office there.

I live in Ogden, and actually bought my Leaf from Performance Ford in Bountiful.

 

[EVDrive]

Amazing deal. I bought my 2011 Leaf for $38,000 new in 2011. Traded it in to the dealer with 45,000 miles in 2014 for $10,500 cash. 11 capacity bars.

I can't believe you could pick up a Leaf for this cheap. Amazing and definately worth it if you have a short commute. Make sure it has a quick charge CHAdeMO port as nobody should buy an EV that doesn't have a quick charge port. Realistically an average 3 year old leaf with ~15% battery degradation will go 60 miles before getting low battery warnings. Less if you are using the heater and more if it's warm out.

Good luck!

 

[RonDawg]

Amazing deal. I bought my 2011 Leaf for $38,000 new in 2011. Traded it in to the dealer with 45,000 miles in 2014 for $10,500 cash. 11 capacity bars.

I'm surprised a dealer gave you that much. I Googled the VIN on my 2012 Leaf about a month after I returned it, and found it was for sale at CarMax for $9999, later to drop to $9699 before it was no longer on the website. My car had far fewer miles than yours when it was returned (see my sig line).