Another newbie, looking at Nissan Leaf possiblites

HI there,
I've been looking into Leaf's lately since I convinced my ex to buy one a few months ago and realized how cheap they have become.
I'm not a typical Leaf buyer in most ways, but I do love a bargain! I drive fora living (big rig) and own 2 other cars and my pickup. I'm a car guy and do my own work, although I don't foresee doing anything major with an EV.
I live in Tacoma,WA and my commute is about 7 miles each way, and since i put about 75K miles a year at work, I tend to go home and stay there. Obviously, I have plenty of other options if I need to go outside the range of the Leaf.
I've done a lot of reading here and other places, so I know I should look for one made after 4/2013, what the bars on the right side of the dash mean and that I should get an SV or one with a QC option, but price is my main motivator here and with my commute I don't think I'll have any problems keeping my Leaf charged up.
I just missed out on a 2013 S at the local Nissan dealer with very low mileage for $6000. They kept dropping the price in the last few months, and I went down when I saw them drop it the last $1000; but I wasn't the first one there!
A couple questions:
On an S model, there is no app or any way to communicate with the car remotely, correct? I only see the Car Wings app for the SV and SL models. It would be nice to have it let me know when it's charged or to be able to warm it up remotely.
What is the best OBD dongle to buy for the Leaf Spy software. It says my old one won't work. Must be V. 1.5 I think?
Any other sage advice or other mechanical things to look for, feel free to enlighten me!
Thanks!

The cutoff date for the old vs new battery chemistry is March 2013, not April. Leafs built from that April on have better resistance to age-related capacity loss. In your case, though, you might want to look for a Leaf with a couple of bars lost, for much less money.

No remote access with the S. You also don't get the heat pump, which would help you, although, again, 7 mile trips won't drain the pack even with a resistance heater. You might want to avoid the 2011-2012 Leaf, though, as they are slow to heat the cabin up.


I keep thinking "Someone needs to write a Leaf buying guide." I just don't see why it has to be me. ;-(

LeftieBiker said:

I keep thinking "Someone needs to write a Leaf buying guide." I just don't see why it has to be me. ;-(

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Insideevs published quite a good one awhile back, and Google found it pretty quick.

Levenkay said:

LeftieBiker said:

I keep thinking "Someone needs to write a Leaf buying guide." I just don't see why it has to be me. ;-(

Click to expand...

Insideevs published quite a good one awhile back, and Google found it pretty quick.

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It has a few mistakes, though, and more info is needed, like avoiding the early 2013 'Canary pack' Leafs. This site needs a guide, because this is where so many people come to look for info.

I had done enough searching that I have read that guide, but it would be a good idea to have a FAQ page with all the relevant info listed.
Of course, that still won't stop the dumb questions, but you will have something to point to! :idea:
In that vein, here's one; I notice that there seems to be a cooling system of some sort in the engine compartment. Is that for the battery? I don't think I've seen that discussed much, or I've missed it.
A friend of a friend works in the service dept. at this dealership. He might be able to help me find a good one. Here's one that seems like a decent deal, built in late 2013 and has the QC package. http://www.younkernissan.com/auto/used-2013-nissan-leaf-s-renton-98057-wa/17328660/

The cooling system on the 2013 and on Leafs is for the inverter/charger/motor. On the 2011-2012 Leafs there is a second system for the liquid-based heating system. Not enough info on that Leaf to comment, except to say "use LeafSpy" to check the pack.

warrenc said:

Here's one that seems like a decent deal, built in late 2013 and has the QC package. http://www.younkernissan.com/auto/used-2013-nissan-leaf-s-renton-98057-wa/17328660/

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Wow, that looks like a great deal! Looks like it came from Renton WA so the battery should be in very condition, definitely worth a look IMO. I never see S models with QC for that price in my market.