Looking for the cheapest leaf around I only need 40 miles :-)

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Gigawatt

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2018
Messages
48
Greetings, I’m looking for a cheap leaf here in Boulder Colorado. I have seen leaves for 5 to 6000k in the bay area but everything here on the front Range seems to be at least 7-9k. So I’m wondering what the deal is if people actually getting these prices here in Colorado?

(Obviously a $5000 leaf is going to have a not so good battery pack don’t care just need to get 20 or 30 miles and I’m pretty handy with electronics so can probably throw in a hundred kilowatt pack in 2022 :) of course the frustrating thing is one cannot simply jump on a plane throwdown some cash in San Fran and drive her home - well one could in 50 mile increments. )

My second question is do all leafs come with heated seats? it would be nice on cold mornings here when it’s below zero.

Third question is what to look for in his cars especially if I get something sight unseen.Obviously the battery levels look for all 12 bars. Anything else to worry about? seems like electric motors wheelbearings all of the mechanical stuff is pretty much bulletproof on these cars no?
 
Shipping a car from a cheaper state would cost you about $600. I'd avoid Leafs built before April of 2013 because of rapid degradation, but a cheap early 2013 with a degraded pack would at least have a heatpump in SV or SL trim. Heated seats and wheel are standard after 2011, although the heated backseat goes away in the 2015 or 2016 model year. Make sure you have a guarantee that both heaters work correctly, because there have been some failures in both the resistance/PTC heater (mainly) and the heatpump units. If you want remote preheating, then the car has to have an upgraded telematics unit (SV and SL only) - and some of the upgrades haven't gone well.
 
This one might fit the bill. It's at JamboMotors on Colfax in Denver.

It does have some huge stickers on the side and lettering on the front.

CarGurus . com had it listed as being on the lot for 260 days but a week ago it disappeared from that website.

So I bet they are desperate to get it off the lot and free up space for something that sells quicker.

https://www.jambomotors.com/2011_Nissan_LEAF_Denver_CO_268699251.veh

I test drove it when it was 30 degrees out and the geussometer milage dropped quickly. If you buy you'll want to have one.

When I test drove it, it did not have a charging cable. They would drive over to Tynan's Nissan on Havana to charge it.

I ran leafSpy and this is what I got: https://ibb.co/di6mRH

di6mRH


This thread is a discussion about the car.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=25256

Sorry I haven't used image hosting since MySpace - apparently, I'm not doing it right.

LeftieBiker and Powersurge make some very valid points. This is in all likelihood a car you want to avoid and one that you would regret buying.
That being said it does fit the request.
 
2 things..

first, the leafspy only shows2 L1/L2 charges.. that looks suspicious.

second, the idea of getting a "cheap" Leaf is really a foolish goal. The difference of an older 11 Leaf (with a bad battery, for $5-6K) and a younger, 14-15 Leaf ( with low miles and a good battery) (for $9-10K) is a no-brainer. For $3-4K more you have a useful car that will run well for years.... AND the car will still be worth $5K, so you did not lose anything in depreciation...

If you cannot afford the extra $. then you should just get a $1 car....
 
You might want to start asking around and post want-to-buy ads. I'm in Boulder also and while I just bought a 2017 S my wife's friends told us that they would sell us their old Leaf once they got their Tesla Model 3. I don't want to wade into those waters....but suffice it to say they are still waiting for the car. There may be other people around who will be trading in their older Leaf's for a newer model or a Tesla. Knowing someone who is going down this path might save you some $$ since a lot of folks might not care about getting the last $1000 out of their old car vs having a no-hassle sale to someone they know.

From what I've learned about the Leaf in the 6 months I've had mine, there is a lot of differences between model years and trim levels. I'm no expert but I would try to avoid the early model years that had the cabin heat generated from liquid coolant around the inverter (or something like that...). The experts here will know what I mean.

Another point is that here in CO, especially with your short commute, heat is not a big deal. My car only has the resistance heater and while it is a power pig and I really, really wish I had a heat pump heater (how cool is that!) I get by very well without it in our wonderful Boulder climate. BTW, the AC on these cars is awesome and doesn't take too much power so no worries there.

As previously mentioned, there are big differences in battery life between the various years as well but if you are already planning on a DIY battery replacement, that may not bother you as much.

Good luck! I really love my Leaf. Hope you find one and enjoy it as much.
 
Don't buy it. Not worth anything really


Its out of warranty
Its degraded to the point that there will be little to no regen
It doesn't have climate package

You would be MUCH better off to spend $7500-$9000 and get one with less degradation still under warranty. Realize you could save $1000 a year over gas in basic fuel/ maintenance
 
powersurge said:
the idea of getting a "cheap" Leaf is really a foolish goal. The difference of an older 11 Leaf (with a bad battery, for $5-6K) and a younger, 14-15 Leaf ( with low miles and a good battery) (for $9-10K) is a no-brainer. For $3-4K more you have a useful car that will run well for years.... AND the car will still be worth $5K, so you did not lose anything in depreciation...

If you cannot afford the extra $. then you should just get a $1 car....

Why is it necessary to question someone's budget for an EV? If that's what the OP has to spend, then so be it. The same argument could be made by a Tesla owner - "... for a few thousand dollars more, you could get a useful car that will travel much farther ...". We all have our budget limits and it sounds like the OP doesn't have another $3-4k to spend.

So, even if the OP spends less than <$7k for a LEAF, as long as it meets his/her needs, then he/she will still get a nicer car than pretty much any ICE for the same money. So, while limited range of a degraded battery pack wouldn't work for you or me, if it meets his/her needs then what's the harm? You seem to be taking offense to the idea that there's a market for older EVs with limited range. I'm glad someone still finds value in them, as I'd hate to see all these older LEAFs end up in the scrap yard.
 
alozzy said:
powersurge said:
the idea of getting a "cheap" Leaf is really a foolish goal. The difference of an older 11 Leaf (with a bad battery, for $5-6K) and a younger, 14-15 Leaf ( with low miles and a good battery) (for $9-10K) is a no-brainer. For $3-4K more you have a useful car that will run well for years.... AND the car will still be worth $5K, so you did not lose anything in depreciation...

If you cannot afford the extra $. then you should just get a $1 car....

Why is it necessary to question someone's budget for an EV? If that's what the OP has to spend, then so be it. The same argument could be made by a Tesla owner - "... for a few thousand dollars more, you could get a useful car that will travel much farther ...". We all have our budget limits and it sounds like the OP doesn't have another $3-4k to spend.

So, even if the OP spends less than <$7k for a LEAF, as long as it meets his/her needs, then he/she will still get a nicer car than pretty much any ICE for the same money. So, while limited range of a degraded battery pack wouldn't work for you or me, if it meets his/her needs then what's the harm? You seem to be taking offense to the idea that there's a market for older EVs with limited range. I'm glad someone still finds value in them, as I'd hate to see all these older LEAFs end up in the scrap yard.

"He" is here asking for advice. That is all we did for him.

So why are you questioning our responses? Its up to him what he does with the advice and his money. I am guessing he needs no one to defend him.
 
"He" is here asking for advice. That is all we did for him.

So why are you questioning our responses? Its up to him what he does with the advice and his money. I am guessing he needs no one to defend him.

Calling someone "foolish" isn't helpful. Telling someone that spending 50% more than they can afford because it's a better buy isn't especially helpful either. The best way to help people here is to offer suggestions in line with what they have already specified, unless there really is a serious problem with doing that. Asking for help online shouldn't carry an implied agreement to accept abuse, or even well-intentioned criticism.
 
@DaveinOlyWA Advice doesn't extend to telling someone that they are cheap and that they might as well buy a $1 car as spend $6k on a car.

I'll defend someone's right to spend whatever they want on a car, without passing judgement. Shame on snobs who don't!
 
LeftieBiker said:
Shipping a car from a cheaper state would cost you about $600. I'd avoid Leafs built before April of 2013 because of rapid degradation, but a cheap early 2013 with a degraded pack would at least have a heatpump in SV or SL trim. Heated seats and wheel are standard after 2011, although the heated backseat goes away in the 2015 or 2016 model year. Make sure you have a guarantee that both heaters work correctly, because there have been some failures in both the resistance/PTC heater (mainly) and the heatpump units. If you want remote preheating, then the car has to have an upgraded telematics unit (SV and SL only) - and some of the upgrades haven't gone well.

If a 2011-2012 Leaf has had its battery replaced and still showing the majority of bars with a good price, it is also a very good used Leaf.
 
Evoforce said:
LeftieBiker said:
Shipping a car from a cheaper state would cost you about $600. I'd avoid Leafs built before April of 2013 because of rapid degradation, but a cheap early 2013 with a degraded pack would at least have a heatpump in SV or SL trim. Heated seats and wheel are standard after 2011, although the heated backseat goes away in the 2015 or 2016 model year. Make sure you have a guarantee that both heaters work correctly, because there have been some failures in both the resistance/PTC heater (mainly) and the heatpump units. If you want remote preheating, then the car has to have an upgraded telematics unit (SV and SL only) - and some of the upgrades haven't gone well.

If a 2011-2012 Leaf has had its battery replaced and still showing the majority of bars with a good price, it is also a very good used Leaf.

Oops, I meant to write that as well, but forgot between starting and ending that paragraph.
 
What about this- https://boulder.craigslist.org/cto/d/2013-nissan-leaf-sl-premium/6483660061.html

The haps I can offer them 11 1/2? What makes me a little miffed is the fact that people got brand new leaves for 15 K ouch after all the rebates and stuff last year.

Yes, you buggers have convinced me a $5000 leaf is a bad idea thanks and no I’m not offended at all :)
 
alozzy said:
@DaveinOlyWA Advice doesn't extend to telling someone that they are cheap and that they might as well buy a $1 car as spend $6k on a car.

I'll defend someone's right to spend whatever they want on a car, without passing judgement. Shame on snobs who don't!

I really enjoy the fact how vocal and defensive people get when a post takes a very clear position.

I, on purpose, made the statement that it is foolish to buy an old Leaf with a bad battery because the new owner will very soon be complaining that they bought a $5000 paper weight.

I also said (on purpose) that the "sweet spot" on a Leaf is to buy a $9-10K. You defenders of the "poor guy" that has a right to buy as cheap as they want must like to debate every issue in your house. If a person's budget only allows $5K, then THEY WILL DIE when the Leaf soon has no usable range and needs to buy a $6K battery.

So... Stop putting down honest advice that spending $3-4K more on a car is a smarter choice, both short and long term....
 
thanks for your note.

I really think that buying a Leaf is not buying by price but by good value and less headaches.

I would say the say the same think about buying a cheap foreclosed house..... Unless you are a contractor, (or mechanic) stay away.
 
I don't have a problem with warning a nieve prospective buyer that it's risky to buy a cheap EV, due to concerns about the battery health. Kudos to that.

But, in this case, the OP clearly stated in the original post:

Obviously a $5000 leaf is going to have a not so good battery pack don’t care just need to get 20 or 30 miles

There's nothing ambiguous about that - he understands the risks and he seems willing to gamble a bit that even an old pack will give him "20 or 30" miles of range.

My point is that it's someone's prerogative to take that risk if they want, if they understand the risks, without being berated for doing so.

There are many Tesla owner's who think all LEAF owner's bought a lemon, due to the car's limited range. If you asked them if you should consider a LEAF with a 99% SOH pack, they'd likely tell you that you might as well buy a $1 car as spend $9-10k on a LEAF. It's all relative...
 
Ok peeps, lets get back on track here: I am quite handy with cars and electrics - I've kept a D2 A8 going since 2006, super complicated less than reliable car so a leaf / Vera seems to be easy peasy to work on. Of course having to drive the thing is going to be a big downgrade but such is the state of affairs right now, perhaps I should be looking at E-golfs? I3s are nice and I got to take one to top speed on the Autobahn last year (will post video - also in I8 at 150mph), lovely little cars but $20k is a bit of a stretch.

Is that a good deal you think, the one on CL in Boulder - ---- > https://boulder.craigslist.org/cto/d/2013-nissan-leaf-sl-premium/6483660061.html

I know for lots of vehicles there are list floating around of what to look for - where can I find such a list for Leafs?

Yes now is a shite time to buy with all the 2018s coming out and folks waiting to buy Model 3s - we should really wait a few months I suppose.
 
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