I'm about to take the plunge to buy a used LEAF! - narrowed down to two choices - please help!

Hi,

I'm in Atlanta, and I'm sold on purchasing a Leaf. Just having a hard time choosing between a 2013 S and a 2011 SL that may end up qualfying for a battery replacement under warranty.

Here are my choices:

$6200
2013 Nissan Leaf S (08/2013 manufactured)
36,000 miles
not sure of battery health, but has all features I want: heated seats, quick charge (and 6.0 kW charger), heated steering wheel
Battery warranty expires 9/17/2018

Second one is $6500
2011 Leaf SL
40,000 miles
Battery: 9/12 capacity bars, and warranty expires on 1/30/2018
extra throw-in - includes JuiceBox Open Source Level 2 EV (power=15kw, current= 60A and voltage: 120-240V

What is the probability that the capacity will be reduced to 8/12 in the next 12 months assuming I would drive 12k miles per year? And also, even if the battery is replaced under warranty, is the 2011 SL with a new battery likely superior to the 2013 above?

I would very much appreciate some help here. Thanks in advance!

Since you live in Atlanta you have a good chance of losing another bar - with either car. If you don't have a preference between the features, it comes down to whether you want to make a bet on getting a luxurious car and then a free new battery for it (or maybe not getting one) and getting a more basic car that won't lose range fast, but will lose it slowly. Your range needs matter here. If it were me, I'd make sure the SL wasn't opted out of the battery settlement. I assume it has the second QC port? You should also consider the lifestyle implications. Would you rather be babying the car to preserve the pack, or running it hard and hot, mercilessly trying to keep the pack hot? If you naturally drive conservatively, you might find the latter harder to do.

Thanks for the reply!

I know for sure that the 2011 is still under the battery warranty through 1/30/2018. And I am finding out about 2nd QC port on it.

I am probably more of a natural conservative driver, mainly due to hypermiling/mpg performance reasons, but I don't think I'll have much trouble adjusting if I need to burn through a battery in 11+ months.

Is there a way that I can use Leafspy to estimate how close the 2011 is to losing that 9th capacity bar?

Leafspy will give you some idea, but my understanding is that the actual bar loss isn't linear and can take much longer than it should - as if the car is resisting admitting it. There are topics on that process here. I'm posting from my phone but hopefully someone else will post a link

mcLEAFsaari said:

I know for sure that the 2011 is still under the battery warranty through 1/30/2018.
...
Is there a way that I can use Leafspy to estimate how close the 2011 is to losing that 9th capacity bar?

Click to expand...

On first part really? It sat around THAT long before it was first sold or leased?

Capacity warranty is only for 5 years/60K miles, whichever comes first (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=13192). Clock starts ticking original in-service date. It wouldn't surprise me if the capacity warranty has expired already.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=455984#p455984 can help.

Can you update your location info via your user name in the upper right > User Control Panel > Profile tab? 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?

I'd go for the 2013, assuming its battery is in better shape, and maybe even if it's not. I think trying to get the battery warranty on the 2011 is just too much of a gamble.

I would definitely use Leaf Spy to verify battery health of both vehicles before making this decision if I were you. I'm not sure the 2013 battery will perform better from a degredation standpoint, it's just two years newer. Maybe someone on the forum who is more knowledgeable can comment but I thought the Lizard battery only officially started with the 2015 MY. With the GA heat, you may want to consider that.

I'm not sure the 2013 battery will perform better from a degredation standpoint, it's just two years newer. Maybe someone on the forum who is more knowledgeable can comment but I thought the Lizard battery only officially started with the 2015 MY. With the GA heat, you may want to consider that.

Click to expand...

Packs made from April 2013 have better heat resistance than those made before. No Leaf pack, including the "Lizard pack," resists high heat really well, so it will be key to limit pack heating whatever battery they get.

I used to live in Atlanta. People drives really fast on the interstate, driving faster than 60 mph will draining battery much faster. Also, the winter is pretty cold which would use more energy from the battery. I would go with a car that has more battery capacity such as the 13'. Also the 13' and up has the option to have the 6.6 kWh charger which can come in handy sometimes. Perhaps you could look around for a 13' SV which also has better hybrid heater.

drhlee1 said:

Also the 13' and up has the option to have the 6.6 kWh charger which can come in handy sometimes.

Click to expand...

Charge rate is measured in kW, NOT kWh.

kW and kWh are very different metrics. It's the same as confusing gallons with horsepower. Think of kW = horsepower, kWh = gallons.

If one charges at 1 kW (or 1000 watts) for 6 hours, 6 kWh came out of the wall. If it's at 6 kW for 1 hour, it's also 6 kWh. If it's 1 watt for 6000 hours, it's also 6 kWh.

One pays for electricity at home in cents per kWh. There are a few utilities w/residential plans where they not only bill per kWh but also have demand charges, but that's rare and complicates calculations. (Demand charges aren't unusual on many commercial plans.)

Leaf has ~21 kWh usable battery but since charging isn't 100% efficient, it takes more than 21 kWh out of the wall to fully charge a dead Leaf.

(BTW, 1 hp = ~0.746 kW and 1 gallon of gasoline=33.7 kWh.)

2011 Leaf SL
Battery: 9/12 capacity bars, and warranty expires on 1/30/2018

Click to expand...

I'm also skeptical about the warranty expiration date. What is your confidence based off ? A vehicle history report should clear things up.

mcLEAFsaari said:

Thanks for the reply!

I know for sure that the 2011 is still under the battery warranty through 1/30/2018. And I am finding out about 2nd QC port on it.

Click to expand...

Where do you find out when the battery warranty expires?

To the OP, Leaf prices are dropping rapidly. I just scooped up my pristine condition '13 SV w/ QC w/ ~35k miles for $6500 here in LA, and at same dealer there is a fully loaded '11 SL for less than $5k, but he advised not to go for it as battery is pretty much blown.

seanheat said:

mcLEAFsaari said:

Thanks for the reply!

I know for sure that the 2011 is still under the battery warranty through 1/30/2018. And I am finding out about 2nd QC port on it.

Click to expand...

Where do you find out when the battery warranty expires?

Click to expand...

Contact Nissan, either visit a Service Department with the VIN Number or call 877-NOGASEV. The capacity warranty is 60 months or 60,000 miles from the Original In-Service date.