Thank you early adopters...2012 w/newer battery vs 2015 11k miles...

[dcdisc]

Thank you for being the first to try a new old idea.Both cars are sv w/qc. The 12 has 66k miles battery replaced 8/17/16 at 55 k miles.The current owner will ask if he is original owner battery had replaced under warranty with paper work Is asking 9200.00 in CA. The 15 is a dealer in Portland Or. 11 k miles asking 13,800....Could i hire someone in Portland to run the Leaf Spy check?. Thank you so much for all the great posts and knowledge that is shared here.Bob S. Alex.VA. Wash,DC. Will cost 1k to ship. Short commute 15 miles m-f....40 miles rt on weekends to gf.How can you check the heat pump?thank you Bob

[GerryAZ]

I recommend the 2015 for your climate if it is truly an SV or SL because the heat pump will work well most of the time in DC except when it gets really cold (has a ceramic resistance heater in the dash as a backup). The 2012 has a little hot water tank under the hood for heat (and defrost) so it takes a while to heat up and wastes a lot of energy to keep the cabin warm. Also, I am not sure if the QC port was even available on the SV in 2012 (was optional on SL and not available on SV in 2011). The 2012 has a 3.3 kW onboard charger while the 2015 SV or SL has a 6 kW unit. Although there are some convenience features I miss from the 2011, I would not want to give up the heat pump or 6 kW charger on the 2015.

[powersurge]

Buy the NEWEST car you can afford... End of story..

[SageBrush]

Buy the NEWEST car you can afford... End of story..

There is little difference* from 2012 - 2015 model years and they are all low mileage.
So I say ignore the model year and pay attention first and foremost to the battery health and price.
Paying $13k for the '15 instead of $9k for the '12 with new battery is asking for the new model to last 45% longer. Bad, bad bet.

*
A rare person might find substantial value in the QC or 6 kW OBC, but people who charge at home may never use those capabilities.
The heat pump is nice, but the heated seats are a whole lot more important.

[armmynissanleaf]

My respect to early adopters of EVs, including Nissan Leaves. They opened the door of enthusiasm for the rest of the Nissan Leaf buyers.

[GerryAZ]

The "new" battery in the 2012 has 11k miles on it and is almost 2 years old. The 2015 has 11k miles on the whole car. The 2012 has LED low beam headlights; not sure, but 2015 SV may have halogen. The 2011/2012 electric motor has more torque and the electronics are programmed to give better accelerator pedal response but the 2015 has "B" mode which greatly improves regeneration without using the brake pedal. The suspension of the 2015 is slightly firmer when new and the 2012 may be needing new shocks/struts soon, depending upon previous driving conditions. If ambient temperature is below 60 F, the 2011 and 2012 models will energize the heating elements in the hot water tank when climate control is turned on to vent even at coldest cabin temperature setting. The only way to avoid excessive heater power consumption under these conditions is to modify the HVAC control circuits (see threads on this subject). The heat pump in 2013 and later SV and SL models is much more efficient for heat and defrost in moderate temperatures than the electric hot water tank in 2011 and 2012 models. The 6 kW charger is beneficial if you need to charge during the day, but the 3.3 kW charger in the 2011 and 2012 models is more than adequate for overnight charging. As noted before, I strongly recommend the 2015 to get the more efficient heat pump system since the car will be used in the Washington, DC area.

[dcdisc]

Thank you...will be try to work for a better price on the 2105...forgot about the hp on 2013,s and later.Where is the sd car located ...thank you Bob.

[jjeff]

AFAIK the SD card is always located under the flip-up radio front and only on Leafs with the flip-up radio(which includes NAV).