Help - Can't decide which leaf to buy

so i'm definitely making the switch to EV and i really love the leaf. my options right now are a 2016. i can either get the s , or the sv for a little more and a little more money down. the s has 31k miles on it and the sv 34k. i'm mostly using this to commute back from work and school and local driving around town, but the range on the s makes me a little nervous about taking longer trips , so i'm wondering if it'd be worth it to spend the extra money on the sv? are the extra features plus battery worth it? i wanted to keep the cost down but i'm willing to add a little more. i live in Florida so i'm not sure if the batteries are any different with how fast they degrade between the two models with the heat or if the only difference is the kw. i'm also going to be relying on public charging. nice to meet you all and thank you

I suggest you read this now:

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=26662&p=538030


If you get a 24kwh S you do get the Lizard battery, but that has its limits tolerating heat also. Later 2016 S Leafs have the same 30kwh battery as the SV and SL. That battery is more likely to wilt...and also more likely to get a 40kwh warranty replacement battery. You have some choices to make, like low hassle vs possible new, free 40kwh battery in the future. The SV is definitely worth it in colder climates; in yours I suggest that you just think about whether you need remote access to the climate control.

LeftieBiker said:

I suggest you read this now:

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=26662&p=538030


If you get a 24kwh S you do get the Lizard battery, but that has its limits tolerating heat also. Later 2016 S Leafs have the same 30kwh battery as the SV and SL. That battery is more likely to wilt...and also more likely to get a 40kwh warranty replacement battery. You have some choices to make, like low hassle vs possible new, free 40kwh battery in the future. The SV is definitely worth it in colder climates; in yours I suggest that you just think about whether you need remote access to the climate control.

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from what i've been reading isn't the 24 kwh only warrantied to 60 months and 60k miles while the 30 kwh is warrantied to 96 months and 100k miles?

Correct. Also a Lizard pack is unlikely to lose more than two bars within the warranty period, even in your climate. The 30kwh 'Lettuce pack' could easily lose 4, 5 or even 6 bars within 8 years. You do have to have the Nissan Battery Management System "update" performed first, to be eligible for a new pack, and some 30kwh packs actually hold up well, so you can't count on a new battery anytime soon if you get a 30kwh Leaf.

LeftieBiker said:

Correct. Also a Lizard pack is unlikely to lose more than two bars within the warranty period, even in your climate. The 30kwh 'Lettuce pack' could easily lose 4, 5 or even 6 bars within 8 years. You do have to have the Nissan Battery Management System "update" performed first, to be eligible for a new pack, and some 30kwh packs actually hold up well, so you can't count on a new battery anytime soon if you get a 30kwh Leaf.

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so its starting to sound like the 30kwh might be a better option? especially with the extra range. do you think the odds of getting a replacement battery within than 100k miles are pretty good with the 30kwh? also, i'm getting this car from carmax. how would i go about getting an update if i did get that. just take it to a nissan dealership?

The odds of getting a replacement battery sometime during the warranty period for a 30kwh battery are very good in Florida - just not 100%. You get more range even if you don't get a new battery. The only real tradeoff is the extra hassle involved in the battery warranty process. For the time being, the best buy is a 30kwh pack with 9 capacity bars, or one with 12, several months after the BMS update. You should be able to get the update from any Leaf-certified Nissan dealership, and most of those (but not all) can also handle a pack replacement.

LeftieBiker said:

The odds of getting a replacement battery sometime during the warranty period for a 30kwh battery are very good in Florida - just not 100%. You get more range even if you don't get a new battery. The only real tradeoff is the extra hassle involved in the battery warranty process. For the time being, the best buy is a 30kwh pack with 9 capacity bars, or one with 12, several months after the BMS update. You should be able to get the update from any Leaf-certified Nissan dealership, and most of those (but not all) can also handle a pack replacement.

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hmm i think i'm definitely going for the 30kwh. thank you for your help

You're welcome. I may be looking for a 30kwh SV this year, for my housemate, for the same reason.

Hey guys, so a little while back I was deciding between the 24kwh leaf and the 30. I ended up going with the 30. My options right now are a 2016 SV with 34k miles or a 2017 s with 36k. I don't think I'll run either to 100k within the 8 year battery warranty. The 2017 s has a quick charge port. I'm not sure if that's standard though. I'm just wondering if you guys think losing whatever extra features on the 2016 sv to get the 2017 and an extra year of warranty coverage would be worth it? Does the 2017 even have the same battery issues the 2016 did? Thanks guys.

I see no reason to continue this discussion in a separate topic. I'm going to merge this into your first one in a little while.

The extra year of warranty vs more features is your decision. I'd think twice about a 2016 with an early month build date, say before March of 2016. My own preference is for the SV, but if you have no preference don't take that as advice.

Quick charge port (which includes 6.6kW on board charger vs standard 3.3kW) is an upgrade on a 2017 S. I think it was standard on the 2017 SV. The big difference between the S and SV for 2017 IMO is that I think all the SV's came with the hybrid, heat-pump, heater. This is much more efficient at cool temperatures although it doesn't make much difference below 20F or so. I have an S and live in CO and I don't really miss the heat pump as the climate here is mild and sunny in the winter and my drives are short.

It may also come with a heated steering wheel. The display is bigger and more capable and shows a lot of info that the S will not. You get alloy rims instead of steel rims. There are probably a few other differences but those are the ones I remember.

The SV would also have telematic remote access, and it could possibly have the optional Premium Package, with a great 4 camera parking system and better Bose stereo. It would have the auto-dimming rear view mirror. The rear seat heaters went away either after 2015 or 2016. Look for switches for them on the front passenger seat in the 2016. If no switches, no heaters.

Check the "in service" date for the 2017. You may or may not have some of the 3 year bumper to bumper warranty left on it.

Either car should serve you well. Personally, I like the remote access (climate control, email/text notifications, etc.) and heat pump HVAC system so that means eithe SV or SL. There have been numerous new owners of S models come on the forum asking about adding remote access (not possible) so I suggest that you think about that before making your decision.