Is this a good price for a 2015 Nissan Leaf?

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connorhodges

Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2016
Messages
8
Location
Savannah GA
I found a used Nissan Leaf locally and interested in purchasing but want to know if you guys thing the price is fair. It's a Leaf S Morningsky Blue with 40,180 miles for $8,895. It shows all 12 bars for the battery
 
If you assume that it's really "11 bars plus a little more" and if that is enough range for you, then it's a good price, especially with the Charge Package if present. The year is important, as the Lizard Pack was only around for about 1.5 years. Still, I'd worry about a BMS reset, especially if the car was driven locally.
 
In addition to Leftie's comments, you should ask yourself how much range you require for how many years.
In GA you probably have to presume 5-10% range loss a year

Focusing on purchase price is a setup for disappointment in a LEAF
 
connorhodges said:
I found a used Nissan Leaf locally and interested in purchasing but want to know if you guys thing the price is fair. It's a Leaf S Morningsky Blue with 40,180 miles for $8,895. It shows all 12 bars for the battery
Where did the car reside before (per Carfax/Autocheck) report? That can help determine if it was a reset victim vs. reading a true 12 capacity bars.

Make sure you're looking at the right bars. http://www.electricvehiclewiki.com/File:Scott_3_bars_s.jpg is a fully charged 3 capacity bar loser.
 
According to KBB, that car is priced high trade-in / low private seller. considering how high Leafs have been priced on craigslist recently, that does sound like a good price... as long as the carfax shows good servicing and no problems... AND as long as you are buying from an original owner. Dealers get cars from auctions, and you know that something happened if the car went to auction....

I would say.. try to go down another $500.

I am also looking for a good used leaf and am shocked how high the asking prices have become... I don't know if those cars are selling at those high prices.. Like I would never spend $7-8K on a 2011 with three missing bars...
 
I've been looking at Leafs for a month or so now (not much selection in Chitown) and found a 2015 SL Gun Metal ext. and got the Dealer to $13500. It's been in Illinois it's whole life according to Carfax, no accidents and one owner. Carfax says it offered as a CPO but the Dealer wants $995 to certify It?

Any thoughts on the pricing? LeafSpy Lite stats below.

Thx

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gv5nhuuhkv9tsgv/Leaf%20Spy%20Lite_2018-04-23-20-27-44.png?dl=0
 
The SOH is good but not outstanding, and the Hx seems low. If they advertised it as CPO then any deal should include that. You want to extend the factory bumper to bumper warranty if possible. Decide if you like the car, and if 90% capacity (less in a few years) is enough.
 
briscobully said:
I've been looking at Leafs for a month or so now (not much selection in Chitown) and found a 2015 SL Gun Metal ext. and got the Dealer to $13500. It's been in Illinois it's whole life according to Carfax, no accidents and one owner. Carfax says it offered as a CPO but the Dealer wants $995 to certify It?

Any thoughts on the pricing? LeafSpy Lite stats below.
The battery in my 2013 LEAF is in better shape, and I paid $8300 15 months ago.
 
I would not but the car... 1) They want to charge you an extra $1000 to "certify" it? That means that you are BETTING that during the next few years, you will be spending more than that in repairs? What repairs can you expect in 2 years? Odds are you would be giving them PUREE PROFIT. Also, even if you have a $1000 repair, spend it when you really need it... Don't spend it in "fear dollars".

Also, I would not spend $13500 for a 3-4 year old used Leaf. I would buy that car for $10-11,000. When you add taxes and dealer crap charges to it, you will be at $16-17K. For that $$ get a NEW 2018 "S" that will run you close to that figure after the incentives and tax benefits...
 
Thanks so much LeftieBiker, SageBrush and powersurge for your quick and thoughtful replies. The problem here in Chicago is there is not much to pick from in the way of Leafs. The prices for 2015 basic S models are getting $11-$12K! Do you think the higher prices are reflective of the lack of inventory and the fact that the 2015's battery is, in general, a better quality than the earlier years? This being my first EV I don't want to be 'all in' on a new Leaf! The discounts for them in Illinois suck to say the least :x (no real incentives now) and the Fed rebate won't help me in my tax bracket :cry: Believe it or not, the two Nissan dealers here wanted $525/month lease for 36 mo on a 2018 Leaf SL! I'd lease a new Land Rover for less than that :lol:

I digress; I like the package and color combination (wife prefers the leather as we have a slobbery dog) and the battery, although not great, will most likely handle my daily needs for a few years unless it drops radically! My commute is maybe 15 miles daily, the one advantage to living in Chicago (not many others)!

I've been looking at the SL, and lesser so, SV due to the better battery management that has been discussed in previous posts which also jacks up the price a bit I'm sure too. Would the basic S model cover my needs considering how cold the winters get here? I have also found that most of the S's I've looked at here don't have the upgrade to the Quickcharge port.

Thoughts? And thanks again! everyone here is beyond helpful!
 
WetEV said:
SageBrush said:
The battery in my 2013 LEAF is in better shape, and I paid $8300 15 months ago.

And used Leaf prices have risen with the rising price of gasoline.


True, I've seen gas prices rise about .35cents per gallon here over the last month or so... coming into the Summer travel season always jacks the price up here in the City.
 
With a 15 mile commute nearly any Leaf will suit your needs. However, you might find you like driving it so much you want to take it 'everywhere'. Eg, out to dinner, to the airport, etc. In the winter the range will drop, especially on an S with the simple heater it has.

I can understand your reluctance to go 'all in' on an EV since it is a quantum jump from what you're used to. I'd suggest being patient and looking nation-wide. Shipping a car is not too expensive and a Leaf is a Leaf pretty much. As you are probably aware, the batteries are NOT the same for all years even if the nominal capacity is the same. And climate, charging and driving habits affect battery life. But if you look around and are patient, you can probably find an older Leaf for < $8000 that will get you to work and back for years.

The prices of used Leaf's does seem to be increasing lately. IMO, it's just a sign of more people getting EV's. I just bought my first NEW car in over 40 years of driving since I could buy a new one for less than the used ones on CL. But that was in CO where the incentives are great.
 
"As you are probably aware, the batteries are NOT the same for all years even if the nominal capacity is the same. And climate, charging and driving habits affect battery life. But if you look around and are patient, you can probably find an older Leaf for < $8000 that will get you to work and back for years".


My only concern with the above is being able to test the battery via LeafSpy or other reliable method to determine battery quality without relying on the GOM. If I buy from out of state and can't verify the battery quality I'd be worried I may get a dud. That's my concern with buying from Carvana... they never seem to show the instrument panel in their photos and don't trust that process.

Do you or anyone else know someone who purchased from Carvana and had to send it back? Was it a problem to do so or was the process smooth?

Thx.
 
I was looking at Carvana Leafs this month, and I used this VIN research site to find where they were originally leased.

https://www.vehiclehistory.com/vehicle/land.php

I was able to get the original locations for most Carvana Leafs, and it became clear that they get most of them from hotter climates like California, Texas, etc. They also offer a great, cheap, extended warranty that is not available for the Leaf. Between those things and the high prices, I don't think Carvana is a good bet, except for maybe the local cars you can look at in person before buying.
 
WetEV said:
SageBrush said:
The battery in my 2013 LEAF is in better shape, and I paid $8300 15 months ago.

And used Leaf prices have risen with the rising price of gasoline.
A little, perhaps.
More I think due to the lack of inexpensive new LEAFs

But no where by that amount, and the 2018 LEAF will get discounts eventually and then the used LEAFs will drop in price again.
 
briscobully said:
Do you or anyone else know someone who purchased from Carvana and had to send it back? Was it a problem to do so or was the process smooth?
I bought from this company
https://carportal.co/buy/
and shipped the car from CA to Colorado

LeafSpy available if requested.
 
SageBrush,

Thanks for the insight... I'll take a look. I see that you have a Leaf S with the QC. What do you think the benefits, if any, are to upgrading the the SV or SL models? I'm leaning toward the 2015 model year in any case. I personally don't care about the Carwings/infotainment system but the wife would prefer the leather seats and I would like the QC just in case. I figure I can always get seat covers for the car instead of upping the price substantially for leather.

thoughts...
 
The SV and SL trim levels have a heating system that uses a heatpump as well as a resistance heater. In milder Winter weather (above 25F or so) this adds range - quite a lot of range above freezing. Below about 15F it makes no real difference in range.
 
SageBrush said:
briscobully said:
Do you or anyone else know someone who purchased from Carvana and had to send it back? Was it a problem to do so or was the process smooth?
I bought from this company
https://carportal.co/buy/
and shipped the car from CA to Colorado

LeafSpy available if requested.


Curious, I just looked at their website and it says they only ship to the San Francisco Bay area... how did you get them to ship it to Colorado? Did you have to take care of the titling and registering it or did they do that for you? Also, did they negotiate price from what was listed or did you find the price competitive with your market area given you'd have to ship it?
 
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