2015 SV or 2016 S... or a 2014?

[anthonystclair]

Thanks again for all the help in my prior/first post about getting a Leaf as a secondary (or likely soon-to-be primary) for me, my wife, and our 2 kids. (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28263)

I've been looking around for options, and 2 Leafs on Shift.com really caught my eye. Mileage and price are similar. Both vehicles had 1 reported owner and were in the San Francisco Bay area. Question is, what are your thoughts on what you think could be the better deal—a 2015 SV or a 2016 S?

Used 2015 Nissan LEAF SV - Shift - https://shift.com/car/c102264

• $9,500
• 20,500 miles
• Shift lists a "84.0 mi battery range"
• 1 owner
• 0 accidents
• Manufacturer's warranty has expired
• Carfax is linked from the listing: 1N4AZ0CP9FC330736 https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p ... P9FC330736
• Carfax says manufacture date was 04/15/2015

Buy a used 2016 Nissan LEAF S - Shift - https://shift.com/car/c140489

• $9,650
• 26,375 miles
• Shift lists a "84.0 mi battery range"
• 1 owner
• 0 accidents
• Manufacturer’s warranty expires in Nov 2019 or at 36,000 miles (9,625 miles left)
• Carfax is linked from the listing: https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p ... P7GC310339
• Carfax says manufacture date was 04/12/2016

Would love to know your thoughts.

Also, there are 2 2014 Leafs listed on Shift that may be worth a look too. The lower price point certainly catches my eye, but I wonder if it may be worth it to go a little newer?

Used 2014 Nissan LEAF SL | Shift https://shift.com/car/c115976

$9,650
25,389 miles
Shift lists a "75.0 mi battery range"
Carfax reports 1 owner, in California

Used 2014 Nissan LEAF S | Shift https://shift.com/car/c101012

$7,650
39,103 miles
Shift lists a "75.0 mi battery range"
Carfax reports 2 owners, both in California

Figuring I ought to keep these in mind too.

What yall think?

[LeftieBiker]

The '14 "Wolf" pack holds up fine as long as it isn't exposed to prolonged heat, so check where those cars resided. If a hot climate, rule them out. The 2015 looks good, with the same caveat. The "Lizard" pack holds up better in hot climates, but not well enough. It does well in more "normal" US climates, like those in the upper Midwest, Northeast, and upper West coast. If the 2016 has NOT had the BMS update and shows 12 bars, it should be the best for range. If it it had the update recently, then there is no easy way (just a range-testing drive) to determine its capacity.

[Lothsahn]

The 2016 S listed has a 24kWh pack, so no BMS update applies. The BMS update is only for the 30 kWh (107 miles range)

All else being equal, I would take the 2015 SV over the 2016 S. The SV includes a heat pump which makes heat much more efficient in mild climates like SF.

You're shopping leafs like other cars. You know that Model Year and Mileage matter. This is not the way that leafs work. The first and MOST important thing is battery health. Everything else comes second, as a new battery is $8k (not worth doing). Then you need to consider features like quick charging, backup camera, heated seats, etc.

Because the battery wears out first, mileage doesn't matter so much. You need to get the car with the best battery. Check for 12 health bars, 11 MINIMUM. Any less and the range is really going to suffer. If you truly only need a very short commute (<20 miles), you can get an older leaf for CHEAP (~$4k), but in general, avoid them unless they're cheap. 7 and 8 bar leafs are a dime a dozen for 4k on Craigslist in your area.

So again, get a battery whose health is 11+ bars, preferably 12. Then worry about features and finally mileage. I would avoid the "cheap" 2014 unless it has 12 bars because it's an S model and there are likely better deals.

Cwerdna on this forum is trying to sell his 2013 with 11 bars. You might consider that one... It's a good value. I think he's asking $5500 or $6k for it.

By the way, the bars I keep talking about are the SMALL ones on the right side of this gauge (NOT the big bars). The small bars are battery health while the big ones are charge. This dash shows a 12 bar car (including the 2 red bars).

https://www.plugincars.com/sites/defaul ... h-bars.jpg

[LeftieBiker]

The 2016 S listed has a 24kWh pack, so no BMS update applies. The BMS update is only for the 30 kWh (107 miles range)

True. The S was given the 30kwh pack about midyear in 2016. BTW, Cwerdna wants $6500 for his car. It should also be noted that...ah , I'll just post a link to my buying guide.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=26662

[anthonystclair]

Thanks all!

Looking through the photos on the 2015 and 2016 listings, each is showing 12 bars, so hopefully that's a good sign. I know there's the possibility of resets and such.

Both the 2015 and 2016 were showing heated front seats, which is occasionally nice around here. Heated rear seats on the 2016 aren't a big deal. 1) Both kids are still in boosters, and 2) They're both their own little heaters anyway

The Shift ones may not work out after all in any case though. LurchOR had turned me on to a $2500 rebate here in Oregon, but I just got confirmation that Shift isn't one of the participating dealers. Obviously, I'm not keen on leaving that kind of money on the table.

Maybe I can convince 'em to knock $2500 off the price

[DustanT]

I was just in the same boat as you recently looking to buy a used older leaf as a commuter car and after months of searching and driving all over looking I ended up getting a leftover 2018 SV and wish I did it sooner. The extra range and all the new safety stuff and app controlled software is great. Pro pilot is sweet and adaptive cruise works great too. I've had mine 2 weeks now and already have over 1700 miles. I leased mine and was able to talk them down to my preferred payment. The S trim is pretty basic. Good luck on the shopping you will love whatever you get.