It's Not a Car, It's an iPhone! Leasing is the way to go...

[kolmstead]

I hate to see cars considered disposables like cell phones have apparently become. People toss 'em as soon as a new model comes along. We need to step back from that mindset if we expect to have much of a future for our children. We've done a pretty thorough job of using up most of the oil, forests and drinking water in just the past hundred years.

I would agree that if the LEAF isn't going to do the job for you three years from now, it'd be silly to buy it. Personally, my transportation requirements haven't changed that much in the past twenty years, so the only change in direction I've made is to buy increasingly fuel-efficient cars, and they last me five to ten years. It's going to take more than a better sound system, nav system or leather seats to make me buy a new EV in three years if my LEAF is still running. It is very comfortable and efficient, and it does what I bought it to do very well.

-Karl

 

[IBELEAF]

It's not just cellphones, but all todays gadgets are being considered to be disposable and it's happening for obvious reasons where we want the latest stuff. I guess I am guilty like most where I would replace certain gadgets almost every year, but it's not as big money loss as a car. It was a tough decision for me to sell perfectly running 3 year old Sentra and finance Leaf. The car lost almost 40% value which was hard to swallow and I am hoping not to repeat that again with Leaf. I made myself a promise to keep Leaf as long as possible, at least until battery degradation will be unbearable to handle.

 

[TRONZ]

Hard to say, its just a car but it has the potential of getting you to work when gasoline gets rationed to 4 gallons a week.. if Obama gets a second term.

Your funny. That's the oily GOPs latest gimmick, huh? Oil is the victim! That's gonna go over real well when they report profits soon. Sorry to stray OT but I guess someone did not notice that gas prices shot up when the GOP took over Congress?!? BTW - When were they planning to start Congressional Hearings on Oil prices anyways??? Oh, NEVER ?!?!??? I guess that's what the Drill Baby Drill crowd wanted. Lets all step aside while they take the medicine they ordered. Love It!

Back OT - I do think, with a Pro-EV President like Obama, there will be dramatic improvements in EV technology which makes the price/availability of oil meaningless. Interestingly, I have a collection of all 4 iPhones. Happy to also collect Nissan EV's as they are released.

 

[cdub]

Happy to also collect Nissan EV's as they are released.

I'm going to need a bigger garage. :lol:

 

[evnow]

Hard to say, its just a car but it has the potential of getting you to work when gasoline gets rationed to 4 gallons a week.. if Obama gets a second term.

Your funny. That's the oily GOPs latest gimmick, huh? Oil is the victim!

I think Herm is correct. If Obama doesn't get the second term, gasoline will be too expensive for us surfs and can't afford to burn gasoline unless you are one of the McCain "middle class" people (i.e. upto 5 Million a year in income) . Atleast with Obama we can hope for rationing.

 

[TRONZ]

Hard to say, its just a car but it has the potential of getting you to work when gasoline gets rationed to 4 gallons a week.. if Obama gets a second term.

Your funny. That's the oily GOPs latest gimmick, huh? Oil is the victim!

I think Herm is correct. If Obama doesn't get the second term, gasoline will be too expensive for us surfs and can't afford to burn gasoline unless you are one of the McCain "middle class" people (i.e. upto 5 Million a year in income) . Atleast with Obama we can hope for rationing.

That's funny! :lol: I had not even considered that possibly being rationed 4 gallons a week with Obama is still 4 gallons more than Americans would get under the Burn Baby Burn crowd. Good point.

 

[bowthom]

Hello,
I must be the exception, I still have the first car (1966) I ever bought, still using my iPhone 1 and playing the same Gibson guitar (circa 1964). I'm typing on a Mac G4 DA (2002) and have a Mac G5 quad 2.5ghz (2005) in the studio that's rendering a 37 minute HD video as I type. I rarely buy the first version of anything cuz' I hate the premium price and the problems. However, when something comes along that warrants adopting early and we have the need, we do so. Hence our purchase of the Prius and now they Leaf. I remember people doubting the benefit of hybrid technology and it's acceptance due to the complexity and cost but I saw it as the new paradigm just as I do the Leaf. The Leaf will lend itself to upgrades as the batteries are sure to get smaller and more powerful as will the charger. I purchased it with the intention of driving it as long as all the other vehicles & toys I still own.

 

[Jimmydreams]

I just checked my lease. It says specifically "You do not own this vehicle, unless and until you exercise your option to purchase this vehicle."

Under Purchase Option, it lays out how and the fees associated with purchasing.

It doesn't look to me like they can deny me buying the car at the end of the lease. So much for the EV1 option.

As for WHY I leased....quite simply I'm not convinced that something better, more cost effective with more range, etc., won't be available in 3 years. Plus, the battery degradation is a big question mark. Shortly before my lease is up, I'll survey the landscape and see what my options are. But if the batteries are degrading faster than I had hoped, or the car's resale value is equal to or less than your average trashed Honda Civic, I'll toss the keys at the dealer and walk away. If I decide to buy, I'll consider the extra $$ I paid during the lease as insurance against the above. It won't bother me either way.

The ONLY drawback for me leasing is that if I decide to upgrade the stereo speakers and/or tint the windows, I'll be giving that away if I turn the car back in to the dealer.

 

[thankyouOB]

re the Obama remark:

You should just thank Obama for the tax credits being extended for the car and infrastructure. The GOP wasnt who put them back into the tax deal in 2010.
If the goopers take over, say sayonara to EV infrastructure money, the tax credits for the car and the solar. They will disappear as fast as solar from the WH under raygun and as quickly as the fast trains went away in Fl, OH, and MI under the gooper governors.

The grand old old party loves it some oil and all that goes with it.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I beleieve it will have a constrained supply in 3 years. The $7500 tax credit will be gone making a new purchase much more expensive.

Remember. The tax credit only covers the first 200,000 units from nissan. The tm plant will blow thy number up in no time

 

[sdbmania]

I beleieve it will have a constrained supply in 3 years. The $7500 tax credit will be gone making a new purchase much more expensive.

Remember. The tax credit only covers the first 200,000 units from Nissan. The tm plant will blow thy number up in no time

True. Hopefully by then battery costs will be less and Nissan might be able to make a more affordable version of the LEAF.

 

[LEAFfan]

re the Obama remark:You should just thank Obama for the tax credits being extended for the car and infrastructure. The GOP wasn't who put them back into the tax deal in 2010.
If the goopers take over, say sayonara to EV infrastructure money, the tax credits for the car and the solar. They will disappear as fast as solar from the WH under ray gun and as quickly as the fast trains went away in Fl, OH, and MI under the gooper governors.
The grand old old party loves it some oil and all that goes with it.

Ya +1! And don't forget if it weren't for Obama's stimulus monies, some of us wouldn't have our free charging stations!

 

[Herm]

Hard to say, its just a car but it has the potential of getting you to work when gasoline gets rationed to 4 gallons a week.. if Obama gets a second term. Note that inflation will not hurt you if you purchase instead of leasing.. and inflation is going up.

Really? I thought we agreed to keep politics out of here.

(that's ludicrous btw)

Damn I missed the memo again... whats ludicrous Obama's 2nd term or gas rationing?.. I likes free money too.

 

[cdub]

Implying that Obama's second term would bring on gas rationing was ludicrous.

 

[BlueSL]

There is no question that buying a Leaf is like buying a first generation iPhone. The improvements will be many and they will come quickly. As a result, the car will depreciate rapidly (especially after the charging speed is cut in half and again when range is increased). Thank goodness for the incentives.

I'm leasing.

 

[nader]

If there were no incentives then an outright purchase would definitely not make sense. However with incentives I don't think its a bad deal. As long as there is legacy support for the battery and charger the car should last for decades. The interior may be destroyed but the drivetrain should be very low maintenance.

 

[nader]

There is no question that buying a Leaf is like buying a first generation iPhone.

The difference here is that the first gen iPhone was sold for MSRP only and had no incentives. The 2nd gen iPhone had carrier subsidy and sold like hot cakes. How many people would have bought or leased the car if the lease payment was $550/mo or if they had to pay $36,000 OTD. I think it would be hard to justify buying an electric Versa at those numbers.

 

[TRONZ]

Yes. The LEAF is a fully upgradable car. They will have a very long life in the secondary market since global oil prices will do nothing but go up. Most cars are junked when their drivetrain fails and costs more to fix than the value of the vehicle. The LEAF does not have this issue and the replacement batteries will be much higher capacity and cost a fraction of what the current packs do. In general, I would agree that EV's will follow how the Tech sector develops a revolutionary product (iPhone). Now if we can get batteries onto the trajectory of Moore's Law and we are all set.

 

[Herm]

Most cars are junked when their drivetrain fails and costs more to fix than the value of the vehicle. The LEAF does not have this issue and the replacement batteries will be much higher capacity and cost a fraction of what the current packs do.

Modern engines are very durable, cant say the same for automatic transmissions.. a replacement transmission on a midzised can cost you $5k to replace, and all you get is a 12k mile warranty.

No idea what a new replacement battery for the Leaf will be, at $200/kwh + 10% for packaging you are talking $6k just in parts for a future new replacement battery. Labor should not be too much and there will probably be a brisk rebuilding industry.

 

[Jimmydreams]

No idea what a new replacement battery for the Leaf will be, at $200/kwh + 10% for packaging you are talking $6k just in parts for a future new replacement battery. Labor should not be too much and there will probably be a brisk rebuilding industry.

But consider that unless you have premature battery failure, you'll likely be replacing the battery in 5 years or more.....which means not only will the cost (probably) be lower, but you'll (probably) be able to get a higher kWh rating, thus increasing the range (and value) of the car. It's literally like breathing new life into the vehicle. Assuming no major body damage, the life-expectancy for a Leaf I would guess is much more than twice that of your average ICE. Even more so in areas of the country where salting roads for snow isn't a factor.