[Kayanarka]

I got a little tired of investing $400 a month in fuel for my Durango and Expedition, so last night we went out and picked up a 2019 Nissan Leaf. I will use it for my daily commute of 28 miles a day, and then my wife will take it when my i4 is ready.

It is a nice little car. The power is just enough to make it feel like it has plenty of reserve during normal driving. The range is more then enough for my daily commute. This will give me an excuse to get my level 2 charger set up at my shop early.

I feel like we got a pretty decent deal, 24k for a 2019 with fairly low miles in the SV trim package. Heated steering wheel and automatic cruise control are some nice upgrades from my previous daily drivers. My wife really liked it also, and I think she will be happy to use it daily to save on gas when the time comes.

I am excited to go give it a wax, maybe a ceramic coating, and possibly some upgraded speakers. Always nice to have a new toy to play with, even if it is not the big one I am looking forward to.

 

[ticotico]

I got a little tired of investing $400 a month in fuel for my Durango and Expedition, so last night we went out and picked up a 2019 Nissan Leaf. I will use it for my daily commute of 28 miles a day, and then my wife will take it when my i4 is ready.

It is a nice little car. The power is just enough to make it feel like it has plenty of reserve during normal driving. The range is more then enough for my daily commute. This will give me an excuse to get my level 2 charger set up at my shop early.

I feel like we got a pretty decent deal, 24k for a 2019 with fairly low miles in the SV trim package. Heated steering wheel and automatic cruise control are some nice upgrades from my previous daily drivers. My wife really liked it also, and I think she will be happy to use it daily to save on gas when the time comes.

I am excited to go give it a wax, maybe a ceramic coating, and possibly some upgraded speakers. Always nice to have a new toy to play with, even if it is not the big one I am looking forward to.

View attachment 9642

Sometimes small things become BIG👍

 

[kindofblue]

Congrats and nice color.

If I may be so bold as to recommend this:

Prior to putting on any paint sealant, go over the car with the clay bar treatment after first washing it. The clay bar will pick up surface contaminants and leave the surface as smooth as glass. Then proceed with your ceramic coating. I've been doing this for 6+ years now and our vehicles retain their lustrous finish.

 

[XtBimmer]

I got a little tired of investing $400 a month in fuel for my Durango and Expedition, so last night we went out and picked up a 2019 Nissan Leaf. I will use it for my daily commute of 28 miles a day, and then my wife will take it when my i4 is ready.

It is a nice little car. The power is just enough to make it feel like it has plenty of reserve during normal driving. The range is more then enough for my daily commute. This will give me an excuse to get my level 2 charger set up at my shop early.

I feel like we got a pretty decent deal, 24k for a 2019 with fairly low miles in the SV trim package. Heated steering wheel and automatic cruise control are some nice upgrades from my previous daily drivers. My wife really liked it also, and I think she will be happy to use it daily to save on gas when the time comes.

I am excited to go give it a wax, maybe a ceramic coating, and possibly some upgraded speakers. Always nice to have a new toy to play with, even if it is not the big one I am looking forward to.

View attachment 9642

Congrats.....happy wife/happy life...

 

[Kayanarka]

Congrats and nice color.

If I may be so bold as to recommend this:

Prior to putting on any paint sealant, go over the car with the clay bar treatment after first washing it. The clay bar will pick up surface contaminants and leave the surface as smooth as glass. Then proceed with your ceramic coating. I've been doing this for 6+ years now and our vehicles retain their lustrous finish.

I picked up a polishing scratch removal kit, I should have grabbed a clay bar. I am also waiting on some touch up paint, so ceramic coat will have to wait until later this week.

We had a lot of fun driving the car around town yesterday. When it came time to pick up my Durango, we ended up arguing over who got to drive the Leaf. 😉

I tried a public charger located at a state park down the street from my shop. It was free, but slow, only charged at 6.6kW. I thought about seeking out a fast charger to try it out, but decided against putting wear and tear on the battery just to experiment. This car is for local only with a 40kWh battery, and will most likely never see a fast charger unless we take it to the city for a day trip.

 

[Ken7]

You really should try a fast charger to make sure the L3 charging circuitry works properly.

 

[petee_c]

congrats on the new car purchase.... enjoy!

I do think that CHADEMO is like:

when the rest of the world is:

 

[Kayanarka]

You really should try a fast charger to make sure the L3 charging circuitry works properly.

Good idea. We ended up trying one on Sunday. It worked like a charm. Took me a minute to figure out how to turn it on.

 

[fsxbob]

I have a 2013 leaf and it's the most affordable and practical vehicle I've ever owned. Almost no maintenance work and electric is relatively cheap. I've fast charged to do longer drives on occasion (had only a 20kw battery) and the battery is still healthy.

Congrats on the purchase!

 

[Kayanarka]

I have a 2013 leaf and it's the most affordable and practical vehicle I've ever owned. Almost no maintenance work and electric is relatively cheap. I've fast charged to do longer drives on occasion (had only a 20kw battery) and the battery is still healthy.

Congrats on the purchase!

Thank you! I am going by the Nissan dealer tonight to see what it would look like to get into a new one. My neighbor told me we may have up to 14k in rebates available between the local energy company and the feds. If that is the case I may be able to trade this in on a new one towards the end of the year.

Now I just have to find new ways to justify an 85k electric sports car, I am really loving this leaf and finding it harder to justify the extra 60k for some leather and more speed.

 

[fsxbob]

You're correct, it's hard to justify. The build quality is acceptable for the price paid and reliability is top notch, Nissan has got EVs figured out. It's a huge shame they don't bother making one that's styled half decently, they would also have a waiting list like BMW.

 

[Pictionary]

Leaf is a great car for that price range, but it can't compare to the i4, especially the m50, in terms of tech, luxury, and performance. Oh and awd. It turns out I want all of the above in my next car. I've been driving a prius for 12 years, I've paid my dues!

 

[Kayanarka]

Leaf is a great car for that price range, but it can't compare to the i4, especially the m50, in terms of tech, luxury, and performance. Oh and awd. It turns out I want all of the above in my next car. I've been driving a prius for 12 years, I've paid my dues!

There is no way to compare the leaf to the i4. I would not try. Now that I have my electric commuter, it is hard to justify the expense of the i4. It is truly a toy to me now. In fact since I have an electric now, I could just grab a used M convertible again to get my BMW fix in.

I think I will keep saving for the i4. If I hit my goal of 50% down then I will probably place an order. I will for sure keep my deposit at the dealer, I want some kind of BMW.

You're correct, it's hard to justify. The build quality is acceptable for the price paid and reliability is top notch, Nissan has got EVs figured out. It's a huge shame they don't bother making one that's styled half decently, they would also have a waiting list like BMW.

Nissan has a new EV coming out that looks like a crossover SUV that has some nice options. It is still no direct competition to BMW offerings, but I think it will do well at the price point we have set.

 

[TXZL1I4]

There is no way to compare the leaf to the i4. I would not try. Now that I have my electric commuter, it is hard to justify the expense of the i4. It is truly a toy to me now. In fact since I have an electric now, I could just grab a used M convertible again to get my BMW fix in.

I think I will keep saving for the i4. If I hit my goal of 50% down then I will probably place an order. I will for sure keep my deposit at the dealer, I want some kind of BMW.


Nissan has a new EV coming out that looks like a crossover SUV that has some nice options. It is still no direct competition to BMW offerings, but I think it will do well at the price point we have set.

I would recommend re-evaluating the i4. Oh and I actually have a 2022 Nissan Leaf SL Plus. I bought it in December at the last minute to realize the tax incentives, and that's why I'd say I would recommend you reconsider the i4. I also probably would've recommended that you buy a new Leaf to receive the $7500 credit. I'm hoping to take delivery of my i4 in time to apply it to my 2022 taxes, but won't be devastated if I miss out. My Leaf did run about $39K, but was fully loaded (still not as many features as the 2021 Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve that I traded in, sadly). I figure the $7500 tax credit brings it down to a more respectable $31.5K. I'm hoping to get a decent amount for my trade-in and then have another $7500 credit for the i4. Based on the homework I've done, there is no minimum time that you're required to keep an EV, and no limit as to how many rebates you can get, unless the manufacturer has sold more EVs than rebates. If I were in your shoes, I'd see if I can trade the older Leaf for a brand new one if only to get the $7500 credit. I figure with the extra rebate, you'd be paying an extra $2000 but would have a brand new Leaf.

 

[Kayanarka]

I would recommend re-evaluating the i4. Oh and I actually have a 2022 Nissan Leaf SL Plus. I bought it in December at the last minute to realize the tax incentives, and that's why I'd say I would recommend you reconsider the i4. I also probably would've recommended that you buy a new Leaf to receive the $7500 credit. I'm hoping to take delivery of my i4 in time to apply it to my 2022 taxes, but won't be devastated if I miss out. My Leaf did run about $39K, but was fully loaded (still not as many features as the 2021 Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve that I traded in, sadly). I figure the $7500 tax credit brings it down to a more respectable $31.5K. I'm hoping to get a decent amount for my trade-in and then have another $7500 credit for the i4. Based on the homework I've done, there is no minimum time that you're required to keep an EV, and no limit as to how many rebates you can get, unless the manufacturer has sold more EVs than rebates. If I were in your shoes, I'd see if I can trade the older Leaf for a brand new one if only to get the $7500 credit. I figure with the extra rebate, you'd be paying an extra $2000 but would have a brand new Leaf.

I have considered it (a new leaf), and I would if I did not have the i4 on order.

My situation now is this: I like my leaf and I got it cheap enough thay the payments are less then my old gas bill, so I am able to put a little more in my BMW slush fund each month.

There is no new leaf I can buy anymore then there is a new i4 I can buy. Nissan says I would be sometime next year for leaf, all allocations are filled. So even if I placed an order for a new leaf it would arrive after the i4, and I do not make enough to take advantage of two tax rebates.

My daily commute is less then 50 miles, so while I would love the SL plus for personal reasons, the price of the SV I bought was so low that it is basically a free car with my fuel savings.

As far as cancelling the i4 alltogether, well I might. It was to replace my M3 that I sold. Now with the leaf, I could just get another used M3 or M4 to fill that void while I wait for used i4 to hit the market at 30k below MSRP in 3 years. The only reason I have not considered cancelling yet is I have never been so excited about a car, and I would really like it with Merino leather. I am still building up my downpayment, and the excitement has turned saving in that particular account into a game. I have been working extra hard to make an additional 45k of disposable funds in under 6 months and it is fun. Who knows, maybe I will keep the fund going and set my sights on a rental property instead, then use that income to pay for a new car 🆒

 

[Markus E]

Nissan has the new 2023 ARIYA EV coming out. On paper it is closer to the i4 compared to the Nissan Leaf but it is a SUV and it looks strange in my mind. I think the best SUV EV is the Kia EV6.

 

[TXZL1I4]

I have considered it (a new leaf), and I would if I did not have the i4 on order.

My situation now is this: I like my leaf and I got it cheap enough thay the payments are less then my old gas bill, so I am able to put a little more in my BMW slush fund each month.

There is no new leaf I can buy anymore then there is a new i4 I can buy. Nissan says I would be sometime next year for leaf, all allocations are filled. So even if I placed an order for a new leaf it would arrive after the i4, and I do not make enough to take advantage of two tax rebates.

My daily commute is less then 50 miles, so while I would love the SL plus for personal reasons, the price of the SV I bought was so low that it is basically a free car with my fuel savings.

As far as cancelling the i4 alltogether, well I might. It was to replace my M3 that I sold. Now with the leaf, I could just get another used M3 or M4 to fill that void while I wait for used i4 to hit the market at 30k below MSRP in 3 years. The only reason I have not considered cancelling yet is I have never been so excited about a car, and I would really like it with Merino leather. I am still building up my downpayment, and the excitement has turned saving in that particular account into a game. I have been working extra hard to make an additional 45k of disposable funds in under 6 months and it is fun. Who knows, maybe I will keep the fund going and set my sights on a rental property instead, then use that income to pay for a new car 🆒

What you're not taking into consideration is that the used car market is so crazy right now that you could sell a 1 year old Leaf for probably what you paid for it new and just put the tax credit in your pocket. I figure by the time my i4 or EV6 is ready (prefer the i4 at this point) I can trade my Leaf in or sell it to Carvana or CarMax. As for waiting a year, there are 3 new Leafs at this dealership alone. I'd get this guy at $33k less $7500 and then in 9-15 months when the i4 is ready, sell it for $29k.

My actual situation is not too different than yours except for one tiny detail. I have a ZL1 that I bought in Feb. If the housing market takes a dip, I may go ahead and trade the ZL1 and the Leaf in for the i4 and make that my exclusive vehicle. The money that I might be able to get from trading both cars would pay off the i4 and give me a decent amount for a down payment for a house (sold my house in December for $50k more than they were offering just a year ago but I'd like to get back into a house). Again, this will depend on what the housing market decides to do. At this point, I'm content with keeping my ZL1 and upgrading the Leaf.

 

[fsxbob]

What you're not taking into consideration is that the used car market is so crazy right now that you could sell a 1 year old Leaf for probably what you paid for it new and just put the tax credit in your pocket. I figure by the time my i4 or EV6 is ready (prefer the i4 at this point) I can trade my Leaf in or sell it to Carvana or CarMax. As for waiting a year, there are 3 new Leafs at this dealership alone. I'd get this guy at $33k less $7500 and then in 9-15 months when the i4 is ready, sell it for $29k.

My actual situation is not too different than yours except for one tiny detail. I have a ZL1 that I bought in Feb. If the housing market takes a dip, I may go ahead and trade the ZL1 and the Leaf in for the i4 and make that my exclusive vehicle. The money that I might be able to get from trading both cars would pay off the i4 and give me a decent amount for a down payment for a house (sold my house in December for $50k more than they were offering just a year ago but I'd like to get back into a house). Again, this will depend on what the housing market decides to do. At this point, I'm content with keeping my ZL1 and upgrading the Leaf.

Similar situation as well. Sold my Jag recently and recovered all of my costs, now using the old leaf as a daily. Also prepping my house for the market since prices are so high. The new Leaf idea is tempting, your numbers make sense. Its just a potentially risky investment because you assume the used car market will stay as hot as it is now for another 9-12 months. With interest rates rising and companies like Carvanna in financial stress it could all slow down. Only companies like Tesla are crushing it now with their manufacturing capabilities.

 

[TXZL1I4]

Similar situation as well. Sold my Jag recently and recovered all of my costs, now using the old leaf as a daily. Also prepping my house for the market since prices are so high. The new Leaf idea is tempting, your numbers make sense. Its just a potentially risky investment because you assume the used car market will stay as hot as it is now for another 9-12 months. With interest rates rising and companies like Carvanna in financial stress it could all slow down. Only companies like Tesla are crushing it now with their manufacturing capabilities.

What you have to figure is that gas prices will come down and supply chain will also return to normal. When I bought the Leaf in December, I actually banked on gas prices going up as workers returned to the office. Little did I know that a maniac would try another land grab and cut his country off from the rest of the world.

One thing to also consider, (figuring that you're probably a car guy on a car forum) is that your opportunities to get an ICE vehicle with analog features (manual transmission) are slowly being phased out. My Camaro purchase was figuring that the current version of the Camaro is probably 1-2 years from being phased out, or turned into a 1-forward gear transmission EV. Imagine before the oil embargo of the 70s, being able to buy one of the last classic muscle cars before the automotive landscape changed. I figure we're in those final stages. Next model year, I suspect it may be extremely difficult to get certain vehicles not just because of the supply chain issues, but because the vehicles will be phased out. I considered everything between a Mazda Miata, to a Mustang GT500.

As for the used car market, I have traded in 5 vehicles since 2020. The best I managed was trading in my 2016 Chevy SS Sedan for $42K. I paid $39K for it new in 2016. And I mean sure the dollar was stronger in 2016, but that's the other part of the equation, holding onto cash right now isn't the best idea. The housing market is too high, but find an auto manufacturer that is selling a Leaf at MSRP, and just do a search on Nissan Leafs that are just 1 year old, and you'll see opportunity. 2020+ Nissan Leaf The cheapest 2020 right now is selling for just over $30K. So MSRP of about $39K, $7500 in tax credits brings it down to about $32,500. If you can sell it in 2 years for just under $2500 of total cost, that's paying just over $100 a month for a new vehicle. Just something to consider.

 

[i4m50Norway]

My experience. With an EV (in my case a BMW i3) that car will always be the prefered car to drive (cost, pre-heating etc). Others cars like my 300SL (30 years old) and 10 years old C-Class is only used when EV is not available - (or if the sun is shining the 300SL is nice).

In Norway now, it is difficult to sell a 2nd hand ICE car at an ok price. I even have a friend that was a semi professional importer of classic american cars to Norway. He has now started to export cars back to USA.