Seeking advice on buying a Leaf Plus

[timgross]

I am thinking of upgrading my 2016 30KWh Leaf to a Leaf Plus. I am very familiar with the 1st gen Leafs. I have LSP and know what to look for to identify problems. I have not heard of as many battery issues with the 62KWh batteries. I think I read that the batteries have a balancing process that prevents batteries from degrading to the point of qualifying for a battery warranty. I would appreciate getting an education on that and anything else that would help me make a decision about purchasing a Leaf Plus. It sure would be nice to have more than 60 miles of range. Please share your suggestions and/or point me to threads with good advice.

 

[vectormax]

This may be more than what you need. I still get 212+ range on the GOM. SoCal HWY speeds 70+ for commuting.
Check the notes section for changes.

2020 Nissan Leaf SV PLUS - Battery Degradation and AmpHours Remaining in 62kWh Pack

 

[BillHolz]

In 1.5 years of owning a 22 S+ we have put about 24K miles on it with several short road trips. Our 70+ MPH freeway range is right around 200 miles but we generally try to QC at around 150 miles. Like all Leafs doing more than 1 QC in a day is usually significantly slower on the 2nd and subsequent QC.

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

We have road tripped our S+, and lodged the car to nearly 600 miles in a day. Fall and spring at best, with 55ish F ambient being the ideal mix of reduced air resistance and passive battery cooling. Above 70 and cooling nearly stops. Below 40, and the gains in cooling are offset by the increased power needs to travel at 70mph ( or more). 16" rims and efficient tires at 44psi are a must.

 

[Stanton]

I am thinking of upgrading my 2016 30KWh Leaf to a Leaf Plus. I am very familiar with the 1st gen Leafs. I have LSP and know what to look for to identify problems.

Not sure if you have a desire to upgrade your current (Gen1) Leaf, but here's a story about my experience upgrading from a 24->40kWh pack (Keeping your Nissan LEAF? — Electric Vehicle Association (EVA)). I can say this based on my experience with 40kWh pack reliability: if I were to get a new (Gen2) Leaf, I would go for the Plus (no mechanical issues involved with "retro-fitting" either).

 

[Bombastinator2]

My understanding is if you can afford it a Tesla is better, there are caveats though. Teslas have better motor and battery technology than everyone. The weird downside to this is because of this they can get by with smaller battery packs and charging more for replacements. And they do. A used Tesla is sometimes not as good a deal as a used leaf. Especially if the battery pack is near EOL. Some math needs to be done. That said, if you can afford a tesla, buy one. If you can’t the leaf is second. The bolt used to be in contention for second, but they’re not made any more.

 

[LarryKaplan]

It's about more than range and torque, though (personally, I don't need to be the first guy off the mark at a green light; nor do I travel more than 15 miles a day). Many say the fit and finish on the Tesla is inferior, while the Leaf has typical tight Japanese fit and finish, as well as better colors to choose from. The centralized computer screen controls in the Tesla are off-putting for many people, who prefer the more traditional dashboard layout of a LEAF. The LEAF is also smaller, and although most Americans love their SUV's, the compact size is an advantage in the city. The biggest advantages of the Tesla are resale value and their extensive public charging network (vs CHADEMO).

 

[Bombastinator2]

Most of the fit and finish stuff came originally from a guy who takes cars apart bolt by bolt and reports about them to the company who hired him o do it. Usually one based in Detroit. He’d been doing it before the internet. He did a YouTube video after he took the cabin and outer shell apart stating that a lot of the stuff was done in weird and less useful ways, and that the coach work was clearly done by an inexperienced company. The next day though he produce another video retracting it, saying that the actual runnining gear looked fine, and the drivetrain was incredibly advanced. His statement was something li,e “they’re at least 10 years ahead of everyone. Other companies may never catch up” or some such. He also said that the coach work stuff they could learn, but the drivetrain stuff he couldn’t reverse engineer. It was too advanced. So Yes. And No. Leafs are good cars for people that can’t afford 50k for a Tesla.

 

[Bombastinator2]

It's about more than range and torque, though (personally, I don't need to be the first guy off the mark at a green light; nor do I travel more than 15 miles a day). Many say the fit and finish on the Tesla is inferior, while the Leaf has typical tight Japanese fit and finish, as well as better colors to choose from. The centralized computer screen controls in the Tesla are off-putting for many people, who prefer the more traditional dashboard layout of a LEAF. The LEAF is also smaller, and although most Americans love their SUV's, the compact size is an advantage in the city. The biggest advantages of the Tesla are resale value and their extensive public charging network (vs CHADEMO).

Neither do I. I wasn’t expecting it. I remember before I noticed I pulled up behind a Prius that had a bumper sticker that read
“this is a really cool car!”-no one ever
And I thought to myself “it’s cooler than mine”. I was not expecting to get a car that was quicker than my old one. Rather the reverse. Things worked out different though.
I didn’t buy the thing to be quick. I bought it because “gas” costs a tiny fraction as much. I bought it because it was an economy car. I admit it’s nice to be tooling down the road, see a Mercedes that cost 5 times what my car did, and think”I can crush that in a drag race”

 

[ibeckerman]

I am thinking of upgrading my 2016 30KWh Leaf to a Leaf Plus. I am very familiar with the 1st gen Leafs. I have LSP and know what to look for to identify problems. I have not heard of as many battery issues with the 62KWh batteries. I think I read that the batteries have a balancing process that prevents batteries from degrading to the point of qualifying for a battery warranty. I would appreciate getting an education on that and anything else that would help me make a decision about purchasing a Leaf Plus. It sure would be nice to have more than 60 miles of range. Please share your suggestions and/or point me to threads with good advice.

Have a 2019 SV Plus with a bit over 40k on it. Bought new. Range is around 210 mi in Spring/Summer; 175 in Winter. (We live in PA.) With rebates, our price was just over 30k, but we wanted some advanced packages. Problem free with exception of cheap OEM tires and needing an alignment. The biggest knocks on the LEAF is range, of course, and that Level 3 charging is CHADEMO, which seems to be the beta-max of EV charging. If I was in your shoes, I would seriously consider a 62 kWh used LEAF. They rapidly depreciate so the price might be pretty good, and you get the $4k Federal rebate. This will buy you time to expand your choices in 2-3 years with a new EV that will follow the universal charging standard (whatever that will be) and almost certainly give you the 300 mile range that everyone wants. In the meanwhile, you will benefit from the much longer range and the familiarity and reliability of the LEAF.

 

[Bombastinator2]

Have a 2019 SV Plus with a bit over 40k on it. Bought new. Range is around 210 mi in Spring/Summer; 175 in Winter. (We live in PA.) With rebates, our price was just over 30k, but we wanted some advanced packages. Problem free with exception of cheap OEM tires and needing an alignment. The biggest knocks on the LEAF is range, of course, and that Level 3 charging is CHADEMO, which seems to be the beta-max of EV charging. If I was in your shoes, I would seriously consider a 62 kWh used LEAF. They rapidly depreciate so the price might be pretty good, and you get the $4k Federal rebate. This will buy you time to expand your choices in 2-3 years with a new EV that will follow the universal charging standard (whatever that will be) and almost certainly give you the 300 mile range that everyone wants. In the meanwhile, you will benefit from the much longer range and the familiarity and reliability of the LEAF.

I get 143 in summer 99 in the depths of winter. I bought mine used though basically there needs to be one more battery advance to really make electric cars rock. There are 4 possibles though and one is almost ready for market. I don’t know the time frame but that sounds possible.

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

I had great gom this morning after some warm efficient days of driving (2019 SV+).

 

[Sparkland]

We leased a 2024 Nissan Leaf SV Plus today for $58/month for 24 months with $0 down. It was a fantastic deal. Colorado EV credits really make these lease deals hard to pass up.

 

[bruceha2000]

that is a heck of a deal!

 

[Dooglas]

We leased a 2024 Nissan Leaf SV Plus today for $58/month for 24 months with $0 down. It was a fantastic deal. Colorado EV credits really make these lease deals hard to pass up.

Yes indeed! A great car and a great deal. Enjoy!