I've decided to buy a used Leaf. Which one should I buy based on info below?

[alex hamilton]

I need a second car for very short trips to work and back. The round trip is 8km. I have a level 2 charger at home. I'd like the car to last for at least 5 years. Any thoughts on which model year I might look to buy? Do I need to buy one with at least 10 bars? Thanks very much for any input.

 

[Chad E. Mo]

Pricing on Leafs is so low right now, I'd get the nicest >10-bar SV+ or SL+ I could afford. Odometer miles don't mean much to these EVs.

You may find the Leaf is great for all your local use, not just the daily commute. They are very nice to drive.

I'd also hold back $1000.00 to get a CCS1 to Chademo adapter. If the L2 fails for some reason (or if you forget to plug-in), you'd have your choice of DCFC chargers.

 

[alex hamilton]

Pricing on Leafs is so low right now, I'd get the nicest >10-bar SV+ or SL+ I could afford. Odometer miles don't mean much to these EVs.

You may find the Leaf is great for all your local use, not just the daily commute. They are very nice to drive.

I'd also hold back $1000.00 to get a CCS1 to Chademo adapter. If the L2 fails for some reason (or if you forget to plug-in), you'd have your choice of DCFC chargers.

Thanks very much for the insight Chad. Greatly appreciated.

 

[knightmb]

I need a second car for very short trips to work and back. The round trip is 8km. I have a level 2 charger at home. I'd like the car to last for at least 5 years. Any thoughts on which model year I might look to buy? Do I need to buy one with at least 10 bars? Thanks very much for any input.

If that truly is the only purpose, then any good condition 2015 or later model should work just fine. 2015 had the best 24 kwh battery packs and the 2016, 2017 had some hit or miss 30 kwh battery packs, be careful with those. Then move on to 2018 or later and you can't go wrong provided the battery wasn't abused by the previous owner. The same can be said for the earlier model years too. That's why LeafSpy is such an important tool. The capacity bars on the Leaf dash are just "general", no context information, but you want to make sure the battery pack isn't victim to some bad cells that would cause you headaches in the future.

 

[LEVE]

I need a second car for very short trips to work and back. The round trip is 8km. I have a level 2 charger at home. I'd like the car to last for at least 5 years. Any thoughts on which model year I might look to buy? Do I need to buy one with at least 10 bars? Thanks very much for any input.

IMHO, think a little more about this... You're describing a "town car" or a "commuter car". However, after purchase, you may decide you like it so much that you want to extend its responsibilities. That may mean longer trips. IMHO, it's not a bad idea to plan for a future need and get the Leaf that gives you the greatest range while still in your price range. After all, passing up those gas stations is addicting.

 

[alex hamilton]

If that truly is the only purpose, then any good condition 2015 or later model should work just fine. 2015 had the best 24 kwh battery packs and the 2016, 2017 had some hit or miss 30 kwh battery packs, be careful with those. Then move on to 2018 or later and you can't go wrong provided the battery wasn't abused by the previous owner. The same can be said for the earlier model years too. That's why LeafSpy is such an important tool. The capacity bars on the Leaf dash are just "general", no context information, but you want to make sure the battery pack isn't victim to some bad cells that would cause you headaches in the future.

I plan to have the Leaf I buy inspected at a Nissan dealership. Do you think I still need LeafSpy? Thanks.

 

[Chad E. Mo]

Absolutely. With LeafSpy you can see battery condition at the cell level.

Batteries can have any number of weak cells whose voltage will drop under load. LeafSpy can display the cell voltages in real time while test driving the car up a hill.

A battery is only as good as its weakest cell.

 

[Caliwish]

The other way to look at it is to get just what you need and use the second one for long trips. Keep in mind if you live in a cold state that range may be cut in half(Minnesota- 17 degree or worse). Also, hwy driving will cut the range by 15 to 25% even with optimal conditions.

 

[alex hamilton]

Absolutely. With LeafSpy you can see battery condition at the cell level.

Batteries can have any number of weak cells whose voltage will drop under load. LeafSpy can display the cell voltages in real time while test driving the car up a hill.

A battery is only as good as its weakest cell.

Thanks again. Great info.

 

[alex hamilton]

Absolutely. With LeafSpy you can see battery condition at the cell level.

Batteries can have any number of weak cells whose voltage will drop under load. LeafSpy can display the cell voltages in real time while test driving the car up a hill.

A battery is only as good as its weakest cell.

Thanks very much. Cheers.

 

[alex hamilton]

IMHO, think a little more about this... You're describing a "town car" or a "commuter car". However, after purchase, you may decide you like it so much that you want to extend its responsibilities. That may mean longer trips. IMHO, it's not a bad idea to plan for a future need and get the Leaf that gives you the greatest range while still in your price range. After all, passing up those gas stations is addicting.

Thanks for the info. It sounds like LeafSpy is the way to go to check out the battery condition before I buy.

 

[Dooglas]

Prices on used '18 to '23 LEAF's are so good right now that I would start by looking for 40 kwh and 62 kwh packs with 11 or 12 bars. These vehicles should give you many years of good service. The only thing to be cautious about is to use LeafSpy to check the cell balance as a weak cell or two is an issue that could give you a future problem. Fortunately vehicles in this age range are still within their battery degradation warranty so that gives you some additional piece of mind. A 40 kwh pack will certainly provide what you describe for many years, but as others note you may appreciate the additional capabilities of the larger pack once you have it in your garage (perhaps depends on just how good a buy you find).

 

[alex hamilton]

Prices on used '18 to '23 LEAF's are so good right now that I would start by looking for 40 kwh and 62 kwh packs with 11 or 12 bars. These vehicles should give you many years of good service. The only thing to be cautious about is to use LeafSpy to check the cell balance as a weak cell or two is an issue that could give you a future problem. Fortunately vehicles in this age range are still within their battery degradation warranty so that gives you some additional piece of mind. A 40 kwh pack will certainly provide what you describe for many years, but as others note you may appreciate the additional capabilities of the larger pack once you have it in your garage (perhaps depends on just how good a buy you find).

Thanks for the input. Cheers.

 

[cje]

If looking for best buy see 2013 with at least 8 bars should stay above 2 bars over next 5 years.
Enough for your 8km needs.

 

[alex hamilton]

Thanks for the input. When it gets to 2 bars is the car basically done?

 

[cje]

Running close to empty at 2 bars but still a few miles left if no hills in the way.

 

[Michael Scott]

Thanks for the input. Cheers.

I just bought a 2014 w 8 bars and about 80mi range for $3,600. Super enjoying it and delighted to be no-gas.

 

[Jerry Greene]

We bought a 2019 with 45000 miles and the 62kwh battery with the expectation that in 5-10 years it would still meet all our local driving needs. We now seldom use the gas vehicle for round trips under 200 miles as this Leaf is such a pleasure to drive and charging at home even on level 1 once a week is no big disruption. The additional cost to move up to the plus model was minimal, about the cost to have level 2 charger installed. Still trying to get the leafspy and dongle set up, so can't report what the first 45000 miles has done to it