EricBayArea wrote:IBELEAF wrote:So if these updates and price changes are for real, pre 2013 models could loose a lot value.
And then when the 2015 models come out the pre 2015 models could loose a lot of value. Repeat.
The LEAF, as with 99.9% of cars, is not an investment. It loses money the moment you sign the dotted line and every day you still own it. Every few years a new, better, flashier, faster, more efficient, better equipped model of every car is on sale and the one you own goes down in value - it's just the nature of things. Add to that buying a first gen of anything you typically pay a higher price for something that will only improve of functionality and get cheaper in price.
Heck, my first generation Barnes and Noble Nook was $250 (a gift) and you can get one now for $89 that's smaller, has a clearer screen and better battery life.
With that being said, with the incentives we received for the car I think it's resale is doing quite well for being 1 year old.
Longer term, I think the major factor determining LEAF resale values will be future battery costs and/or whether the battery will be upgradable for 2011-12 LEAFs.
IMO, If we can buy 2011-12 LEAF compatible ~30 kWh battery packs for under ~$10k in five years, LEAF resale values will far exceed comparable ICEVs/PHEVs. If Nissan move on to non-compatible future battery designs, such as those requiring ATM, for example, LEAF resale values will be much lower.
However, I think there is good reason to expect very poor resale values for
all 2011-12 ICEVs/PHEVs five years from now, as I don't see anything (other than gas prices consistently below $3 a gallon) stopping the eventual market realization, that
current ICEVs/PHEVs are obsolescent designs.
Edit 9/17:
I just noticed that I left a single important word, current, out of my earlier post.