Help on Leasing a New Leaf

Full disclosure: I've never leased a vehicle before, or owned an electric car, so this is all new to me.

I'm looking to lease a Nissan Leaf- I can charge it for free where I live, and I spend about $100/month on gas, so this would save me money. I rarely drive more than 25 miles in a day.
I was offered what seems like a great deal at the Nissan dealership:
24-month lease, $1,100 down (this includes doc fees, etc.), and $177/month for 23 additional payments for the Leaf S w/quick charge. The residual is $11,200.

This seems like a great deal, and they confirmed that there are no additional/hidden fees. But it almost seems too good- does this seem like a pretty standard good deal?
Also, do I get the tax credit if I lease instead of buy? I'm in WA state. Thanks for any help!

It's a good enough deal. The only issue is whether or not an S will work well for you. Even in your mild climate, whenever you use the heater at all, you will use a lot of power. If you really don't drive more than say, 40 miles a day it should be ok, but I suggest you also get a quote for an SV without premium Package. These often go for little more than the S, and they come with the faster onboard charger and QC port, so you would only gain features, not lose them. (Excepting LED low beams, which aren't critical, as the halogen low beams on the Leaf are fine - it's the high beams that suck.)

What dealer? I walked into one in Queens this evening and asked about buying/leasing a Leaf. After some hemming and hawing about how hard they were to get, I was quoted something silly like $470/month for an SL. I didn't bother countering. Would love to get one of these cars but not understanding how to do it without a circus.

Thanks for the input! Would I still receive some sort of tax credit if I lease instead of buy?
Is the SV really that much better than the S? The S I was offered has the quick charge.

There are 4 dealerships around me, so I just called one and asked if they were running any specials, then I called the next one and asked them, then told them what I was offered at the other dealership, and so on until I found the best deal.

MalachiConstant said:

Thanks for the input! Would I still receive some sort of tax credit if I lease instead of buy?
Is the SV really that much better than the S? The S I was offered has the quick charge.

There are 4 dealerships around me, so I just called one and asked if they were running any specials, then I called the next one and asked them, then told them what I was offered at the other dealership, and so on until I found the best deal.

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The tax credit is supposed to be included in the price, which is why leasing can be advantageous. If you buy, you have to have a high enough income to claim the credit on your income taxes.

The big advantage the SV and SL have over the S is the heat pump for climate control, and the ability to remotely turn it on. Also, the 2016 SV and SL have the 30kwh battery, versus the 24kwh battery in the S, which means more range.

I would prefer the SV or SL over the S. It depends on your situation and needs, and your budget. Ask the dealer what they can do for you on an SV with a quick charge port, and then decide.

Starting in 2016, all of the SV and SL Leafs have the QC port. And yes, they have better heating systems and larger packs, so the worst SV you can find will still be much better (even with a slightly degraded battery pack from sitting on a lot at 100% charge) than the best S. The S isn't well suited to climates where heater use is anything more than occasional.