barbarasklar wrote:Hello.
I have learned an enormous amount from this forum. I live in Eugene, OR, a mild climate with increasingly hot summers. I commute 15 miles/day and do not often use a car for trips over 60 miles.
I am hoping to purchase a LEAF that will get me through for the next 4-5 years when I can afford a higher-range used vehicle. Initially, I was thinking about a 2013, but the commentary on canary batteries made me think twice. I am now thinking about a 2015, and saw a couple of them on shift.com. Does anyone have any personal experience buying from them. Things I should be looking for in a 2015 other than strong battery health? Thanks.
Hey, I'm from Eugene! It's a great city, and there's good fast charging infrastructure to take you up into the mountains or over to the coast. I would personally recommend looking at dealers around Portland for a 2016 SV or a 2017 S to get the 30kWh battery, and drive it back to Eugene. There are a lot more options for Leafs around Portland, so the price is often a couple thousand dollars less. With the 30kWh battery you can take it to go hiking or for a beach trip. There are a small number of 2016 S Leafs with the 30kWh battery. For some reason, I have never seen that listed, but you can tell if a 2016-2017 Leaf has the 30kWh battery if the VIN begins with 1N4B. If it starts with 1N4A, it has the smaller 24kWh battery. For example, you might consider this car:
https://nissanofportland.com/inventory- ... XGC301509/
That said, you asked about things to look out for on a 2015. The price will still be a couple thousand dollars less up around Portland, but make sure you get one with a quick charge port if you plan to drive it home. Even if you don't plan to use quick charging, I'd still strongly recommend the option for flexibility or in case your situation ever changes.
In any case, make sure to download the LeafSpy app for your phone (or borrow a phone), and buy a compatible OBD adapter first. The Leaf can lose over 15% of the battery capacity before the capacity gauge on the dash loses its first bar, and LeafSpy can tell you the percentage more accurately.