Which Used Leaf to Buy

Wife and moved to Florida from California in March of this year. Our 2013 Leaf lease was up in February so we turned it in.

We are looking at 2 Used Leafs, which one should we get?

2015 NISSAN LEAF S - 48k / 11/12 Bars - $6500 (This is the negotiated price)

2016 Nissan Leaf SV - $46k / 11/12 Bars - $9995 (This is the ad price, haven't talked to them yet.)

I am trying to figure out which one has the best value for the price and not necessarily how far the range is. Both have clean Carfax and are in super condition. So it comes down to cost and value.

Looking for some feedback, thanks in advance.

How was your 2013 lease up in February...???

First, you have to decide if you want the added features of the SV, or if an S will suffice.

LeftieBiker said:

How was your 2013 lease up in February...???

First, you have to decide if you want the added features of the SV, or if an S will suffice.

Click to expand...

+1 on both.

Also, the '16 SV has a 30 kWh battery so it has more range and a longer battery capacity warranty (8 years/100K miles) instead of the 5 years/60K miles on the 24 kWh cars like all '11 to '15 and '16 original S. And, if the OP is lucky enough to get a 30 kWh car down to 8 bars (after firmware update) before the capacity warranty expires, they'll probably receive a 40 kWh replacement as that's what Nissan currently calls for due to 30 kWh battery being discontinued.

Personally, I would pick the 2015 S for a LEAF residing in Florida. Not sure I would even buy a LEAF though, due to battery degradation concerns in that climate.

FWIW, you might find a better deal here on a 2015 SV:

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/nissan/leaf/miami-fl-33101?dma=&searchRadius=200&listingTypes=USED%2CCERTIFIED&startYear=2015&endYear=2016&trimCodeList=LEAF%7CSL%2CLEAF%7CSV&isNewSearch=false&marketExtension=include&showAccelerateBanner=false&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&numRecords=25

Such as this one:

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=557354485

alozzy said:

Personally, I would pick the 2015 S for a LEAF residing in Florida. Not sure I would even buy a LEAF though, due to battery degradation concerns in that climate.

Click to expand...

Not sure where in CA the OP is. CA weather varies A LOT, even within the Bay Area: https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=533224#p533224. People living in cool climates like city of SF, Pacifica and Half Moon Bay would probably see Seattle-like or better degradation whereas those in places like Palm Springs would see horrible degradation.

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=545757#p545757 points to a guy from Indio (near Palm Springs, apparently). I don't know why he's no longer on MNL.

As cwerda said, the climate where you are will make a big difference. I have an S and don't miss the heat pump but I live in a mild (ish) and very sunny climate. If I was in the midWest say, I think a heat pump would make a much bigger difference.

The other big difference between the 2 is the warranty. The 2015 will almost certainly never qualify but I'd say the odds are low on the 2016 also, unless you plan to live in a very hot climate. Even then, it's still a big uncertainty.

What trim was the 2013? Are there any features on it you would miss if the 2015 didn't have them?

The OP mentioned Florida, which is what I was basing my comments on. However, I'm admittedly not that familiar with Florida climate, Vancouver is a long way from Florida

Oops. I misread the OP.

In that case, maybe the 30 kWh car is a better buy, judging by how the 30 kWh batteries are holding up. The odds are probably not bad that it will 8 bars prior to the 8 year/100K mile (whichever comes first) capacity warranty expiration.

OP, your post lacks even the most basic information to help you. To ascertain value, you have to be clear what you want from the car in terms of range, duration of ownership, and cost.

One simple example: if you have 50 mile drives and the range of the car is 40 miles then its value *to you* is about zero. Conversely, if you never drive more than 20 miles at a time then additional range has little value that depreciates quickly.

---
AFTER you think your situation through, I would say the 30 kWh LEAF's extra kWh and much better battery degradation warranty should be considered carefully. I doubt the resale market will give you back $2,000 more than the 2015 LEAF in a couple of years, but the higher priced car could be excellent value to *you* if it meets your needs and lasts for years longer than the alternative.

My gut feeling is that a LEAF in a hot climate without a warranty is a gamble I would not take if I had a choice. One thing you should do is verify the original sale date of the 30 kwh LEAF via a free VIN check on the web since that sets the warranty clock.

Sorry I rushed into the original post.

My first leaf was a 2013 and turned that in February 2017 for a 2016 new model on a 3 year least. Turned that in Feb 2020.

I lived in the Santa Clarita Valley in north Los Angles county. High desert climate. 100 degree days in the summer, and cold enough to get the cold warning light on the dash.

We moved to the Tampa Bay area in Florida in March. Hot and humid in the summer, feels like in the upper 90s and low 100s from June to mid October. Climate is then lower humidity and feels like in the 50s to upper 70s and low 80s.

The BIG difference for me is the everywhere you its flat. I would often have steep inclines and variation in slope back and forth to the a particular location. For instance, going to Disneyland from my house in California draws more juice on the return than the trip there.

Disneyworld is about the same difference from my house in Florida and I'm guessing its easier on the battery since it pretty flat the whole way and back.

Anyway, a few of the Leafs Ive been looking at have sold but I think I am going to pull the trigger on the 2016 SV, 46k miles, 11/12 bars, and for $10k out the door. I figure its probably close to dropping bar #2, but for where we would be driving it, we can go most places back and forth without a charge. Battery warranty start date is 7/18/16. I'm gambling the climate change would be that much of a difference form where I came from and what my 2 previous experiences of 7 were.

gjarmel said:

I'm gambling the climate change would be that much of a difference form where I came from and what my 2 previous experiences of 7 were.

Click to expand...

I'm highly skeptical. For a better estimate of climate, calculate each month's (high + low) / 2.
I say this because a high desert cools off at night.

OTOH, choosing the 2016 model gets you an 8 yr/100k mile warranty so I think your choice is reasonable.

Note also that there is a firmware update for the 2016, 30 kWh BMS. If that hasn't been installed yet, the pack is likely in considerably better condition than you might think.