help in deciding to purchase or lease a leaf

[Kleanhiker]

Well after haggling for 3 hours we have a new 2013 SV leaf in our driveway.

With the prepaid maintenance and extended warranty for 60,000 miles our monthly came to 439.11.

I would've passed on the extended warranty but we will be driving the car way past 60000 miles during the lease and I really didn't want any issues. So got that for $459 instead of $1350.

Prepaid maintenance for six trips, $50 for annual and $199 for yearly, got it for $399 instead of $499.

Since this is my first lease I really didn't want to get stuck with any repairs not covered by warranty and the maintenance agreement seemed worthwhile.

Who knows if it was worth it. But it seems ok.

Only had I walk out three times!

They did bring down the cost of the car by $500 so I don't know if that is unusual or not.

Now to get rid of that aching feeling that I always get after signing my life away for another three years.

 

[Randy3]

Time to go for a drive and enjoy the new EV feeling

 

[TonyWilliams]

The RAV4 is an exception but isn't sold in our state. At the price of there RAV4 I'd start considering a Tesla, maybe a used one.

You aren't going to touch a Tesla for $400-ish with zero down. Tesla doesnt even have a lease.

The Rav4 EV (like every California only CARB-ZEV compliance car) is available in every state. It will actually show up at your door.

Carson Toyota has shipped dozens out of state. No California taxes!!! Heck, it's easier than buying most cars because you don't go to the dealer to buy it and the car comes to you... just like a Tesla.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Run the numbers. If you figure 4mi/kwh (pretty easy to do, assumes lots of expressway) and using the national average $0.11/kwh and figuring $0.15/mi overage charge, going 280 miles in the Leaf if over mileage, would cost $42 overage charge + $7.7 in electricity comes out to $49.70. Still cheaper than the $60 gas tank..

Electricity costs are all over the place, so it's dangerous to use average electricity prices. Heck, I can pay 8 cents from midnight to 5am, or 30 cents midday, almost 400% more.

Also, while 4 miles/kWh is easy to get, but depending on what voltage and amperage the car is charged at will determine how efficiently the car recharges. If you want an average, I'd use 75%.

That turns 4 miles per kWh from the battery to 3 miles per kWh from "the wall" (what you're actually paying for).

 

[WetEV]

Lease! The resale value will kill you (almost none at this time) unless you plan to hold on to your Leaf through thick and thin for the next 15 years. You will be acquiring a new battery in about 3-4 years that will cost you at least 5-8 grand. You can count on that.

Having rarely sold a car before 10 years of ownership (once), I don't think resale value, and I don't think I'm likely to buy a new battery in this decade.

But this depends a lot on where you live and work, and maybe depends some how you drive and how you charge.

Now if a used Leaf was cheap, as in almost nothing, a used Leaf would be a great deal in a cool area. But I don't see cheap ones yet. Does the price of a used Leaf vary with location?