The official "I got my Leaf" thread

[Londondrug]

Strolled into Platt Auto the first of last month noticing they had quite a stock of Chevy Bolts on the lot. Chatted with one of the fellows. In the course of the discussion about what was available, he mentioned they had a '19 LEAF SL Plus in their inventory which only had 562 miles on the clock. That caught my interest. I looked it over carefully and test drove it. Talked to them about price and a possible trade in of my '16 S30. We ended up with numbers I felt doable. I thought about it for a day and I am now the proud owner of a '19 SL Plus. What a treat to have enough battery that I don't worry about using A/C when I wish. or taking an unplanned trip around town. Now, I will have to train myself up on the many electronic features of the SL. I am discovering a new one every day.

Hello, I am interested in a similar car in the market in OR US, did you test how is SOH, HX number of your car? If possible, would you mind telling me how much you pay it?

 

[Dooglas]

Hello, I am interested in a similar car in the market in OR US, did you test how is SOH, HX number of your car? If possible, would you mind telling me how much you pay it?

About $15K plus the trade-in on my '16 LEAF S. The purchase price on paper was low enough to qualify for the the federal tax rebate on used EVs. I had the pack and some other items checked out by the local Nissan dealer. I didn't use LeafSpy on the vehicle before purchase, but I could have if I chose. Assuming you are in Oregon, you should meet the Platt Auto folks and talk over your needs with them. They have a solid reputation as an EV reseller and are good people to deal with.

 

[Londondrug]

About $15K plus the trade-in on my '16 LEAF S. The purchase price on paper was low enough to qualify for the the federal tax rebate on used EVs. I had the pack and some other items checked out by the local Nissan dealer. I didn't use LeafSpy on the vehicle before purchase, but I could have if I chose. Assuming you are in Oregon, you should meet the Platt Auto folks and talk over your needs with them. They have a solid reputation as an EV reseller and are good people to deal with.

Hi , thanks for your reply. Yes, I am in Oregon, I visited them once and like them. Very friendly people there, no pushing. Just the price is not attractive enough. They don't have many plus choices there. I check the KBB value of their listing , it is far more above fair value.
Which Nissan dealer around did you send the car for inspection? Is it the one in Gladstone?

 

[Chad E. Mo]

Greetings,

This is my first post here, so more verbose than usual.


The purchase:
I bought my 2020 SV+ 1/1/23, with 17k miles on the odometer. This was purchased from a local no-haggle used-vehicle dealer that had dozens of EVs of many makes, which made comparisons easy. The Leaf was a lease return, so it should qualify for the $4k tax credit in the US. I sold my Camry Hybrid when used car prices were still strong, so I'm into 200mi range full BEV for well under $20k.

Driving:
I've put 16k miles on it to date (1/5/24). I commute 100 miles (round-trip) a few times a week and make longer drives (300mi - 600mi) every couple of months. The steering and cruise options are a treat and work very well. The anti-collision braking/steering are a bit too paranoid for me, so they are switched off, but alerts are still on.

Charging:
Local: I made a 220v extension cord ( 6ga) running 100' to my garage for charging. No opportunity for trenching and a 220v overhead connection to a sub-panel was also impractical. My licensed electrician pal says the cord is fine. I can dial-down the current on my Aimler EVSE if I get paranoid. At my workplace, we have a ChargePoint HomeFlex hardwired into 208v.

Travel: Rapidgate is a concern, but if I can get three QCs without cooking my battery, life will be great. I'm now also a Dala patreon, and very encouraged about the CCS>CHAdeMO adapters. (Battery cooling is on my list.)

Value:
I still own a 1986 Jetta turbo-diesel, but the price of fuel is still stupidly high; my monthly commuting cost was ~$120. With the Leaf, I charge at work and home; my monthly commuting cost is now ~$42.

How I got here:
Kudos and thanks to forum member denwood for their guidance on rustproofing. My Leaf was originally a Texas car, so protecting it from Michigan road-salt was high on my list before the so-called winter we are having. I have a vehicle lift at work, so the job was a breeze. Thanks also to those members that shared info on compact-spares that fit the Leaf, I found a 2007 Quest at the boneyard with a good spare.

Mods so far:
Rustproofing as mentioned above. Installed the Etrailer big hitch. Sheepskin seat covers in lieu of seat heaters. 3D printed insert for the oddball phone cavity in the console, Cargo cover (details soon).

The Future:
Plans include a 1500W inverter for 120V during blackouts, and battery cooling like kmcmahan. Would love an easily removed roof rack. More coming soon.

TL;DR:
The Leaf SV+ fits my lifestyle perfectly. Yes, they have their quirks, but a better choice for me than a (cough:Nazi) Tesla or fugly Bolt.