I Bought A USED Nissan Leaf And I'm Not Sure I Like It...Should I Return It? 

My daughter bought a 2014 Leaf used for about $9K and has now driven it for 3 years. She lives in the San Fran Bay area. So far, no problems. She charges it up from a drier outlet in her garage. Best feature: No Petrol Ever!

My mom has a 2012 and it had cost nothing, NOTHING to own for all these years. Yes the degradation is there, but degradation isn't reliability, and the Leaf has been absolutely and completely trouble free. Goes about 100 kms, which during COVID, is fine. Keep it and enjoy it. If you went top of the line, would enjoy how high tech it is for it's time. Really impressive. Stuff my mom's 2012 Leaf has, that my Model 3 doesn't. Like a tire inflation alert that honks to let you know it's reached the right pressure. Or a heated Steering Wheel... Amazing! Have fun with it!

Good choice, Nathan. I bought a used 2013 Leaf for my 32 mile round trip commute for cheap from CarMax a few years ago and it costs me virtually nothing to drive to work and back. Mine had the Halogen headlights like yours and they are terrible at night, very dim. I replaced the bulbs with some quality LEDs and now I am very happy with my funky-looking commuter.

Nathan's situation is a perfect example of how an EV can fit into a typical family. Think of all your vehicles together as a toolbox and everyday you pick the best tool for the job. Some days require a economical commute and other days require towing your trailer over the mountains. It would have been interesting to get your perspective on the safety features of the Leaf given that your daughter will be driving it.

Great video. I've owned a used 2015 Leaf SV since Fall of 2016 and a new 2019 SV since the Spring of 2020. First off you're absolutely correct. If you can get one that hasn't been abused these cars are near bullet proof and virtually maintenance free. The Nissan Leaf has won awards from CR and KBB for being the one of the lowest cost to own cars PERIOD. Except for being butt-ugly they're easily one of the most dependable and most reliable cars ever made. With no accessory belts, no alternator, no hydraulic power steering pump or hydraulic fluids (the Leaf uses an EPS - electronic power assist), no engine coolant system to speak of, no mechanical belt driven water pump, no complex Internal Combustion Engine with hundreds of moving parts, no engine lubricants, no transmission or transmission fluids, no exhaust or emissions systems, there's simply very little that can go wrong with them. Compared to an ICE vehicle this actually makes buying a used Leaf very worry free and except for the traction battery there's little that could have been abused by a previous owner. However, IMHO there are a few important things one needs to know about these cars especially if buying a used one. Well, anyway, these are things I've learned. Your readers should take them with a grain of salt :-). -1st, if buying any used Leaf, you'll need to invest in an app called "Leaf Spy" and a BlueTooth OBDII port monitor to quickly check the traction battery's state of health. Especially true if buying from a non-Nissan dealership. Contrary to popular myth it's not that the early battery packs are particularly prone to have issues. Rather it's that these batteries can be easily abused by careless owners and often without them even knowing it. Leaf batteries don't like being rapid charged when their core temperature is over 100F. An elevated battery core temperature can easily result from extended periods of high speed (>80mph) driving especially when ambient temperatures are very high to begin with (think Arizona's 115F summer daytime temperatures). There is plenty of anecdotal as well as empirical evidence for these early Leaf batteries lasting well beyond their warranties with no problems. Owners simply need to understand that Nissan wasn't using an active cooling system (liquid cooling) for these early Leaf batteries. This is not a problem for the vast majority of owners who will never experience problems. However, if you're someone that needs to cruise for long periods above 80mph during >100F summer days then realize that you shouldn't stop a rapid charger and immediately plug in. Let the battery cool off first. Practicing a little caution will go far to keep your Leaf battery in good health for a very long time. - 2nd, you should check the Car-Fax to see if the car was previously owned by anyone living in Arizona (this is where most of the battery issues occurred). - 3rd, if the car is a 2016 or 2017 model (30kWh battery), it will likely "incorrectly" show excessive premature battery degradation. This is due to a BMS software issue which now has a correction. Every 2016 or 2017 should be returned to the dealership for the FREE update. Most owners incorrectly believed something was wrong with their battery and traded the car in without having the update. If there are missing capacity bars Leaf Spy can be used to show the battery's true State of Health (SOH). A dealer will also be able to tell if the vehicle has received the update. -4th, if the car is a 2018 or 2019 you may have trouble if repeatedly needing to use a rapid charger on a long trip when the battery core temperature is elevated. This was called "Rapid Gate" and was due to the BMS software being overly protective. It wouldn't allow the highest charging rates when using at a rapid charging station. This will not be an issue for the vast majority of owners who will likely never experience this. - 5th, there was a new "heat tolerant" battery upgrade starting with 2015 models. Also, with 2015 models, Nissan began using a very efficient Heat Pump instead of the crude glowing resistive heating element. This greatly helps to preserve range in cold weather. -6th, the type of tires used is very important to achieve the best range with these vehicles. They are VERY sensitive to tire type. I lost nearly 7% of my range by simply changing to a high performance tire that wasn't designed for low rolling resistance. The Michelin low rolling resistance tires that these vehicles come with were chosen by Nissan engineers for a good reason. THEY ARE NECESSARY. -7th, if buying an early model (pre 2018), be sure to get the heated steering wheel and heated seats. It makes a difference since they draw much less battery current than using the the heating system, especially on pre 2015 models. - 8th, do not leave them charged to 100% for long term storage. If allowing the car to sit for more than a month than leave it somewhere between 40% and 70% SOC (I'm drawing from memory on this, the owners manual should state the exact storage times and proper SOC percentages). Also, try to limit the number of times you drive until the battery is completely drained. You should only do this in an emergency. It's not good to do this often. It's also not good to leave them in a drained state for any length of time. -9th, don't worry so much about battery life and replacement costs, they have dropped substantially. For the early Leaf you can now purchase a refurbished 24kWh pack for $2800 and a brand new one for roughly $5800. The 30kWh version isn't much higher (these figures are over a year old and costs may have gone down even further). As far as upgrades are concerned, I have not found where this is available but I've heard that some dealerships and private shops are now offering to upgrade 24kWh models to a 30kWh pack for a reasonable price. Some shops are claiming to offer to upgrade them to the new 40kWh pack. Anyway, upgrading the early 24kWh Leaf to 30kWh and even 40kWh battery packs is absolutely possible and is being done. Google "Leaf battery replacement" and "Leaf battery upgrade". -10th, using the CHAdeMO fast charger should not significantly affect battery life unless its repeatedly used when battery core temperatures are elevated. Using rapid charging exclusively will degrade the battery faster. Caveat here is that rapid charging is thought to be a lot less stressful on these batteries when performed on a cool of cold battery. - 11th, I see you're wearing a Steelers hat. Sorry but the Ravens are going to take it all this year :-)

I drive a second-hand BMW i3. Went for it over the Leaf because: RWD, more power, much nicer interior, excellent liquid-cooled battery = less degradation. But as you said, all these cars are great for the price.

Bought a 2013 Leaf just over a year ago as a cheap, commuter car. We charge it off the solar panels and the only thing I’ve done is refill the washer fluid. No buyer’s remorse at all :)

Did the same back in 2016. Bought a 2013 Leaf SL for under $10K and it owes me absolutely nothing! Only problem I ever had was a single failure to charge that was remedied by "rebooting" the car with disconnecting and reconnecting 12v battery. It was my daily driver for quite a while and is now available for my kids. The negative, you have to be seen driving around in a Nissan Leaf. It was part of my pathway to a Tesla. I think you'll enjoy yours and it will do exactly what you bought it for.

What is going on with your foot? Weren't you in a cast over the spring? Blink twice if your being abused at home.......

I had a 2013 leaf for 4 yrs, then traded it for a 2018 leaf. Never had issues. My only expenditure was $12 carbine air filter from Amazon. It is a great vehicle for someone who's daily drive isn't more than 70-80 miles. It's also great as a second vehicle.

I don't know if this is still a thing, but it's something to keep in mind. when your battery goes, and it sounds like it's going to within the time you own it, there are aftermarket batteries with upgraded components that can give you more range. I believe LG sells/sold a version with great power density and lower weight. just something I thought you should know just in case.

A used Leaf is an excellent choice, especially as a second car. The degradation becomes an issue over time but while it meets your needs it's a fantastic and inexpensive car! I bought a used 2012 Leaf three years ago and my daily commute cost me under $100 per YEAR. So far I've spent $7 in maintenance on it (I had to top up the brake fluid). It's a great commuter car, not so much a road trip car. It has trouble getting the power down to the tarmac so I strongly recommend good tires though. Also, in the winter make sure you setup the cabin heat timer...trust me...no more windshield scraping in the morning!! Hands down the best secret feature of owning an EV.

I did the same 2 years ago. Love the leaf! It's perfect used car

I enjoyed your honest review of the Leaf. I have a 2017 Leaf S, and I love it! Got mine at CarMax as well, was about 9G as well.

I had one for 3 years (leased) loved it both of my sons learned to drive in it. we always charged it with the standard 110 outlet in the garage usually could fully charge over night. For a run around town local car it was amazing fun fact it will only go 96 miles an hour trust me my sons and I did a number of tries to see if could break the 100 mark lol down hill floored 96 mph was top speed enjoy

Congrats on finding one with that much range available. I only could find one with 75 to 80 miles with the 30kw battery. Plus CarMax is usually more expensive, but their cars are in better shape. I was trying to go that route but the lack of range is scary. Looks like the updated M3 is the best option.

A used Leaf is a perfect car for someone like you. You can charge it at home and at work, has plenty of range for your one way commute and could probably work for a round trip commute (although probably not in the winter). It doesn't cost much to buy and if you can charge it just for the cost of electricity almost all the time, it costs almost nothing compared to even an efficient ICE vehicle. As you said, the cost of gas + maintenance on an ICE vehicle really adds up when you are driving 80 miles a day. Don't listen to the EV haters. Most of them don't know anything about electric vehicles, and most of the "facts" that they do try to tell you about how the batteries only last 10 years or how the electricity generation causes more pollution than gas or how the batteries cause more pollution than gas is completely baseless, i.e. not based in reality.

Hubcaps on steel wheels, are they coming back in style? No, seriously, Nathan is a considerate fella, and it takes some self confidence to drive this... thing, in broad daylight! A bumper-sticker "My other cars are V8's" could help😎

That car has a very well documented problem with battery longevity since Nissan decided to go the cheap route and passively cool the battery instead of actively cooling it which is what they should have done.

that "software fix" is actually removing a anti-degradation safeguard. the battery degrades much faster if it is totally drained, which is why the car will prevent you from completely running out the battery. if you remove that limiter and drain it all the way the battery will not last as long.

I have a 2014 Leaf S with the fast charging option. Purchased for a little less than $9000. Its been a great car. Great local transportation. I charge mainly at home. People said not to drive long distances, but I have driven it down to Hanford California and up to the Seattle area. It does take planning, but if you're not up for the adventure don't.

Go with mooney rims and get 3% range back. Also go with low rolling resistance tires.

Under 10 minutes and you slammed this out of the ball park with points of interest! There is a reason I like your style Nathan. lol. I heard about this car from Roman on TFLTalk, so I was not surprised today. You thought all this out very well. And the fact it will be passed onto your daughter down the line, again, well thought out plan. Cannot argue your choice or thought process, because I would have done very similar. Thanks for sharing your replacement to the Samurai and the pros and cons to it. :).

Great message. Happy commuting❤️

Honestly that's not a bad deal at least your battery isn't as degraded as ours is and you got 30kwh so it's definitely still an upgrade over the 24kwh battery. We paid half as much for ours, but it's a 2012 with a bit more milage and some wear and tear on the body. Perfect, drama-free car for getting around town or to the next town over with room for car-seats and an interior that can hold up to pets and other family shenanigans lol. I actually don't mind the factory look with the super black paint and factory HIDs, but with wheels, body kit(yes they exist for the Leaf), and lowering springs I think they have more potential. I'm sure the styling is laughable to some people(especially since we live in brodozer country), but I had to get something my fiance liked to as it was mostly an auto car she could drive while I'm at work and we needed the practicality of a hatchback. I get a lot of people that ask how I take it on long trips, but with patience and plugshare you can do a lot with these old cars technically especially in the summer... Even though I can just take my gas car which I'm easily able to afford with the savings from using our leaf 95% or more of the time lol. One thing that I think is often understated about the leaf is how easily it can be hypermiled (assuming driving conditions are good). 4, 5, or even 6 miles per kwh are easily obtainable with good driving habits and I've seen even crazer numbers than that before.. Of course that is going to get more difficult as the days get colder though.

Really enjoy your channel! Keep up the great work!! 😀

CarMax is fantastic. Bought all but one of my last 7 trucks there (they don’t sell new in Texas so I couldn’t buy that there) but they are fantastic. The buy back is no joke either. I had a wrangler that was just too much garbage and they bought it back.

We bought a Leaf for my then 16 year old son a couple of years ago for $6k... A few great things for being a first car: Range... He needs to be within 30 miles of the house😄, Money: he won't ask for "gas money", Maintenance: None, Deal: the best choice for a teenager 👍

In 2016, I bought my ‘13 Ford Focus Electric for $9500 just having been returned from a lease. Even with the limited range, I absolutely love the car and it’s needed essentially nothing except tires and a 12 volt battery. I’m frankly never buying another gasoline car again.

Go with mooney rims and 3% range back. Also go with low rolking resistance tires. Or for the show get your battery updated to a 40 or 62kWh battery.

I have a 2016 Chevy spark as my runabout. I only have 8 mile commute to work and don't really drive more than about 25 miles one way from the house. For all the running around stuff in town its great. Saves me more than enough in fuel in my diesel truck to pay for itself.

I bought a 2014 nissan leaf with the 24kw battery. I used it when my main fast car is on jack stands and i am working on it to go to HPDE track days and primarily when going to the auto parts store, going to work, taking my kid to the park. No need to warm up the oil and coolant.

Nice find, Nathan! I drive its twin: a used 2016 S-30 in that same color that I can't get enough of! Good call on ditching the wheel covers--I'm running on the black steelies. It's taken me over Berthoud Pass to Lake Granby twice, and from Weld to Elbert counties. My understanding with the batteries is that Nissan still had some 24 kWh packs after the start of the 2016 model year, so they put them in S-trim LEAFs until they were gone, and then put in 30 kWh. Oh, and 205/65R16 fits with no rubbing!

I drive a leaf and love it. Don’t let the battery sit fully charged for a long time. Better to have a timer and have a charge just finished when you’re ready to leave better on degradation. These are great cars if you Are willing to baby the battery

I haven't done any maintenance to my Leaf in 30k miles. It costs me 60 cents per day. I lost my first battery capacity bar at 40k miles during DC charging and I've DC charged once since then (20k miles later). Such a great commuter and it's my projects car that I put bags of mulch and everything in. Just like any other EV, try to only charge it up to 80% as much as you can. Also, make sure that you have a decent level 2 charger at home. I have a juice box pro 40 with the internet connection. It's really helpful because leafs have problems maintaining the 12 volt battery, and the juice boxes programmed to separately charge the 12 volt battery when it's done charging the high voltage pack. I've seen other people that don't have this set up have a lot of problems with their 12 volt batteries.

Great review, thanks!

Love my LEAF, great little car. I have a charger in my driveway so i just plug it in every couple of nights. Even better now that I am working from home, it does not get many miles so it will last that much longer.

Nathan, great thinking. Let me look for those here in Guadalajara..

I really think you should consider degradation, specially on hot weather and fast charging on that weather the leaf doesnt do good period. Specially the 30kwh battery has gotten a bit of a bad name as it actually seems to degrade faster than 24kwh so dont get used to that 90 mile range. Given that you're aming for ~100 mile range Soul Ev & Ioniq are just in the range and their batteries degrade significantly slower and fast charging is more negliable degradating temperature controlled batteries. Specially on Soul EV u can get a good deal but neither of these will be high performing either for than look into the Bolt EV really solves allot of your points, pleanty of extra power & range(pretty much x2 on those), i wont say better but definetly more sporty suspension set up to improve cornerning & degradation is allot less relevant but it may be a bit out of the range you're trying to stay under. If price is the true leader here its sibling the Spark EV might be worth a look, still more power than leaf and allot more capable at DC fast charging too (yes they both can take 50kw but only one will stay at 50kw all the way to 80% charge and staying at max charge rate longer means faster charge!) & with minimal degradation to compensate for reduced range but it does sit at subcopact 4 seater class. Also check in with your charge times specially lvl 2 is a little over optimistic actual rate is closer to 25mph charged. Overall think you should really consider other EV/PHEV as their economics can't be denied if degradation/range are already dissaponting you unfortunately the Leaf just doesnt do a good enough job to protect its battery and to keeping it long term will only expose you to those dissatisfactions further.

Your range will be much lower in the winter. I lease a Bolt for the same reasons you mentioned. I got a great deal and pay $235/mo $2k down. It allows me to have an old Wrangler set up for off road.

Great review. Thanks.

You can make the car look cool. Re: painting the wheels. Body color lips with satin black centers. Tint the all back windows with limo tint. There’s also an Aero upgrade. Then you’ll be styling!

Good purchase. If the battery drops below 9 bars within 8 years and before 100k miles you will be able to get a free replacement with a brand new 40kwh battery from Nissan😁Has to have the BMS software update first though.

Great video. Hit all the issues I was interested in and ind language I understand.

We can get more range by driving 58mph. Ours will get us to Salinas from San Francisco. The Ecopia or Michelin will improve range. At 55k we still get over 100 miles. As far as 135 with the wind. However if you drive 65mph no way you will get even 90 miles. Coast down hills and use regen for braking.

I would definitely say keep the leaf personally especially if you can get by with the range, and since you mentioned it was also for your family? I think that would be great city run about. :-)

I have a 2014 LEAF exactly the same colour. I drive the thing into the ground. My foot is either flat on the gas peddle or flat on the brake. For starters it holds corners far better than a typical gas car (low centre of gravity). Her are the 'issues' I have faced: 1. My ball joints blew at 80,000kms (50,000 miles) This is a Nissan problem not an EV problem. I replaced the ball joints with more rugged OEM ball joints at a 10th of the price of what Nissan quoted for the replacement. 2. I have a radiator sensor that is malfunctioning causing the radiator fan to blow consistently (not really a problem) - it will cost me $40 buck to replace. , And.... and well that's it. I'm over 100,000kms (65,000 miles) on the clock and the car feels like new. All my previous cars would be giving stupid irritating issues and would feel sluggish by now. This car feels the same every day, I get it., turn it on and floor it. . I have been a gas guy all my life and bought this thing (used) to test, hence I floor it every day. I throw it into corners and I just can't get over how amazing it is to drive. This car is to Nissan what the Beetle was to VW. the most iconic car of its time and Nissan has no appreciation for it. . I don't think I can ever go back to a gas car after this. I rent gas cars to do long distance drives and get an opportunity to compare..... wow.... no comparison. I want to now buy EVs only.

I literally watched this vid and decided to buy a leaf. I have a Ford bronco lifted sitting on 35d and it gets maybe 6mpg on a miracle of a day. With that being said I needed something that would allow me to dump money into the bronco and not spending much. Great vid answered my concerns. I’ve had it for two days and I can say i understand the worries like range but like you said low maintenance. Also they make tires for ev vehicles that will help with Range. And as for the wheels any Nissan 5 lug car wheel will fit. Ebay has a nice set of white nismo wheels for 225 shipped.

note on the Saludin tires (or however it's spelled) - bought a Highlander AWD at Carmax in 2014 that had that brand on it. They're serviceable for commuter duty in the sun and rain. I wouldn't brave a Colorado winter in them. I did eventually put some high quality all-terrain tires on that vehicle but I did wear the Carmax tires down before I did. Unless you like g-force cornering just get some snow tires and be done with it.

I love my leaf. The 30kwh battery has a design flaw were a section of the battery overheats more easily causing faster degradation. If you are down 4 bars within the warranty you get a free upgrade to 40kwh from Nissan.

I put 18” staggered 370z rims on my leaf. $500 on Craigslist with good tires. Handles like on rails. Changes the look and the way it drives. Bought with 18,000 miles. At 148,000 miles only changed tires, wipers, and washer fluid. Best A/C of any car I have had. Heat quit 5 years ago. Not worth the price to fix. Live in Florida. My 2007 5.7 v8 pickup has 130,000 less miles now and the 8125 gallons I did not buy over the last 6 years more than paid for the car. Have lost 4 bars on battery out of 12. Enjoy your leaf. Get a hitch and utility trailer. Won’t need a pickup after all.

To avoid battery degredation, don't keep it plugged in while it's fully charged. That is what causes it. Keep the battery between 20% and 80%. New EVs have that in their battery management system, which the leafs didn't get.

Nathan, Charging the Leaf with the Chadomo does not damage the traction battery but, over heating it and charging it went the battery is not down at 50% or more will. Running the battery down and DC fast charging is good. Take it out of Eco mode and you will have more torque ( on the dash turn the Ego light out it's green). Learn to drive it by coasting too stop signs and many other refinements in driving will help the range GREATLY. Change the gear oil AFT in the gear reduction unit very 35,000 miles. Also in snow if put taller tires on it and the mileage didn't suffer but in snow it didn't pack up underneath the wheel wells. Two sized higher. use the torque that the electric motor produces to your advantage. DPB

Bought a used 2015 in Sep 2018 to use as a commuter car and to see what owning an electric car would be like. Living in San Diego, and still having multiple other vehicle's with v6's & a v8, I was spending a lot on gas for my 60+ mile round trip commute. My average "topped off" range is around 85 miles, and the only big negative I have is the size. It's a little cramped for me..but the savings on gas is worth it..cannot wait till I upgrade to a Rivian =P

I feel that way about my 74 Nova, I bought it, put 215s and 255s on 15" rally wheels, purchased new chrome bumpers and tucked them, and im just sort of over it. It runs, and it's straight, I just kind of don't care about it anymore. Maybe that will change come spring and summer but right now, I'm over owning it.

Nathan, I have Saliun tires on my 5th wheel the S637's and they are G rated. They are awesome tires and I am very happy with is tire. They were recommended by Big Truck Big RV's RU-vid channel and tire store guy where they were installed. I don't know anything about Saliun passenger car tires.

Enjoy the Leaf! It should be very reliable. Car will live in a relatively cool area, so degradation should slow down.

Great Video! Being overseas for the last few years, I'm not familiar with Carvana. Based on your comments, I'll reconsider Carvana as a source in my next vehicle search through Autotempest.

As a former CarMax employee, they don’t even follow their own standards for vehicle reconditioning. They would constantly have me cut corners or flat out refuse repairs on vehicles that by their own company policy should have been repaired. And they use the cheapest parts, like those no name tires.

Thank you for the straight forward review. Stick with me, like Toyota with the Prius, remember when Chrysler introduced the mini-van ('8) and sold like hotcakes, how other manufacturers fell all over themselves to enter that market (Astro, Aerostar, Previa, MPV), how is it in a decade no car company has duplicated Toyota's success except maybe Tesla for $$$.

I went from a 19 TLX to a 17 Leaf due to join change, needed to cut monthly. Used Leaf was cheap, and being a service writer, love the fact that maintenance is wiper blades/fluid, brake fluid, tires, and cabin air filter. Electricity is very cheap here. Seats are comfy, though suspension is bouncy, but ok. It's my commuter, and does that well. Just wish the '18 model was cheaper, 150 miles would be just perfect.

what's cool about the leaf is that at this point, it most likely won't depreciate much more. Also, if you want, instead of getting a new used car in a few years, just pop in a new battery, it will be cheaper than paying tax on a new car, registrations etc. etc.. you just have to have one car for it's utility and like you said, have a fun car on the side.. something that you can change out when you get bored.

That's cool, the problem with the leaf is the battery is air cooled. That's why there is battery degradation. If you would have got something like the Chevrolet Bolt, Sonic EV, or the Fiat 500e those are liquid cooled and would be way less likely to have battery degradation.

New tires may give ya back some lost efficiency. We put Perelli Cinturato P1s on our 17 Volt. No noticeable efficiency loss over stock energy savers. But we also went with the higher speed rated tires with thicker side walls, allowing higher operating PSI (40-44 PSI) without encroaching into maximum PSI territory.

Also, ours was a 2013 with more options and the same miles with no degradation. It cost $7,000 at a dealer a year ago. So you can probably get a better price.

I have a 2012 leaf they are a good commuter. Car . I do take it on some 100 mile or more road trips. In ohio we are getting a lot of dc fast charging. 37 in Columbus alone. I got mine in 2015 when we had 4 dc chargers. My job has 110 and 240 volt charging so in 10 hrs I got a full charge at work or on 240 in 4 hours. I wish I could’ve gotten the 2013 so I had the better battery and the percentage display. Ian Sampson from the Uk was who I watched after I got my leaf he has over 100 videos on every thing leaf

leaf is very reliable and affordable and looks nice I 👍🏻the shape of the leaf very practical and big from the inside

I watched one of your previous posts and wasn’t sure how far between Denver and Boulder. Hope you can plug in when you get to work. I would be nervous driving back and forth on one charge, particularly in the winter. Your range will go down, especially if you are driving in bad conditions.

Electric cars in general and used ones in particular like this one are extremely affordable to run. Fueling costs are 1/2 to 1/3 vs gas and depreciation won’t be terribly high either. Used Leafs older than this don’t drop much beyond $5-6k. This was a smart buy.

Go with mooney rims and 3% range back. Also go with low rolking resistance tires.

Nathan great to see you again. Been missing you over the on the overlanding side. Get back.

Just about 3 years ago I bought a 9k 2011 Prius under the thinking. I did keep my 2006 F150 in the drive way, but I bought the Prius to save gas and let my daughter learn how to drive her "new" car which is the Prius. I loved how I learned about the car before she started driving it. Now I'm back to the F150, with no where to go. But I get it out like twice a week.

My 2013 looks exactly like your car! The most fun vehicle we have ever bought, and we have bought a lot of cars. Now they are in high demand and prices are high even for the used ones.

The only down side to owning a Leaf is running the heater in the winter. On gen 1 and I think gen 2 S, they run resistive heater which eats battery/range. For booking around town it is a great car.

#1 One of the reasons you have lower range is those off brand tires. You need Low Rolling Resistance tires to get anywhere near the rated range in a Leaf. Some of the best LRR tires on the market are the one that came on the 2nd generation Chevy Volt. They have a "self sealing version of that same tire on the Chevy Bolt. #2 Gaining 40 miles of range on L2 will take you 2 hours, not a few minutes. You can get 40 miles of range on CHAdeMO in 15 or 20 min. You get 80% charge (80ish miles) in a half hour. #3 FWD in an EV is little too no advantage in snow. The weight is concentrated in the middle in the battery pack, not in the tiny light weight electric motor up front. Not saying that they are horrible in snow, just that FWD EV doesn't have the snow advantage of a FWD ICE car.

Those off brand tires are probably fine for summer tires. In Colorado I'd just get a second set of snow tires and wheels.

If you're gonna change the tyres (which I definitely think you whould do, Sailuns are pretty terrible in the wet) I'd strongly recommend you check out the new Michelin CrossClimate 2, great tyres in all weather conditions including snow and ice! Also I'd change the headlights bulbs with either better halogen ones (Osram or Philips) or, better, quality LEDs.

Winter. S doesn’t have heat pump. Resistive even to clear / keep windshield diced will murder range. Happy to see what looks like 11-12 segments. Goona need plan for winter battery management. Love my Bolt, but’s got plenty of batt to allow some use of resistive heater. Need a winter plan with smaller batt. Go for it Nathan!!!

"I had to replace my beloved Suzuki" I hear ya bro, we had to say goodby to our 2003 Suzuki XL-7 last month. That vehicle gave us everything it had to give and then some.

Chademo has the distinct capability of being able to discharge from its charger as well, unlike tesla or others, so there are chargers that allow you to discharge the leaf battery into your home grid, such as in a power outage. Also for around 5.5k you can get brand new batteries for this model leaf. This was a good long term buy, especially for your situation.

Used Leaf doesn’t make sense unless you drive way less than the rated mileage per day to allow for future degradation, reduced range from driving at full highway speeds, cold weather, heater use, plus have an extra margin for comfort. If you really drive less than 40 miles per day year round, then it’s a good choice and you could even charge at home on a standard 110 outlet at that low daily mileage.

Simone Gertz can help you turn that Leaf into a pickup. Instead of Truckla, it could be Truff? Also, if you can get another Leaf and weld the front end onto the back end of your Leaf, you can make it a long bed 4x4.

I like the review. I like that you are a Steelers and Power Wagon fan more. 😎

I have a 2017 Chevy Volt. You should trade in for that. Get either the Premiere or the LT 2 package. The new Chevy Bolt is cool too. They have a larger version coming out. They're expensive though.

You can return it to the place that the metal came from... the boneyard 😂. Seriously though, excellent review! I looked at these but just couldn’t get over the looks and the low range. Otherwise seemed like a deal

Great video Nathan! It looks like you made a great buy for a commuter car. I hope it inspires you to do a bad-ass EV conversion project car someday. 😀

Brakes? On my Chevy volt thanks to regenerative braking I have my original brakes. Still fine and with 145,000 miles. Was great on my last Prius too 🙌🏼

After a sabbatical of some years I got back into riding motorcycles in a big way. In almost any weather I would ride while my Subaru STi gathered dust and bird poop in the driveway (garage full of bikes left the Subi outside). Eventually I shopped the STi Around and found that with its low mileage it was worth quit a bit so I sold it to a Carvana competitor that no longer exists. Needing some kind of vehicle I worked in a trade for a high mileage '11 LEAF, probably the weirdest trade ever. I figured friends could have a laugh at me in that car. The thing is, I grew to love that car. A set of Pirellis vastly improved the ride and handling. I checked the MyNissanLEAF forum for tips and tweaks, learned about hypermiling, and got addicted to that game. It would feed my ADD need for engagement to try to squeeze the most miles out of a "tank." As a track day driver I found using the same techniques of looking ahead, conserving momentum, and precise throttle control could be used on the street w/o risking yet another speeding ticket. It was fun. I moved on to another electric after a few years, now totally hooked, but that's not the end of the story. My cousin's kid needed a car for her 40 mile round trip commute. Gave it to her and she took it to the dealer for a new 12V battery only to find out there was a recall out for the degraded then 7 year old main battery. They installed a brand new one at no cost to her. Today that car has over 120,000 miles on it and is still in perfect condition. It has never broken down or needed a mechanical repair. Because of regen braking it still has the OEM brake pads. I got accustomed to the quirky looks and now kinda miss it. Be forewarned that cold weather reduces range, especially using the heater. Dress for the weather and use heat sparingly. Preheat the car on cold days while it is still plugged in.

Love your thinking Nathan, at 65, retired, I only need a “ride” too an from city errands only kind of thing. I totally appreciate the battery car for all the reasons you state. I drove a friends E500 fiat years ago, $49 a month employee leasing program. I Fell in love with Fiats spunkyness, made me smile 😃 bunches! If we decide to hold out here in California, we might very well switch one ICE vehicle to an electric, maintain one ICE for travel. I really would not mind doing this. Speaking only as a consumer, not anything to do with politics. I would most probably be fine with 110 volts recharge. We have no children to share cars with like you. Thanks for the review, tell Tommy I really like his E Smart car. Glad I don’t get snow where I live. My county/state just burns all the time seemingly. Cities/wilderness fires. 🔥

Nathan, as much as I would love to see your review on this vehicle, I cannot say, keep it. If you are worried about battery degradation, already, then what are you going to do in the deep cold of winter when you only get 60%-70% battery usability? There are trade offs, for YOU, but you also have your daughter to think about.

Found a 2011 SL with 35k on it for $6k out the door in Nov 2019. I have about ~40 Miles in the Winter and ~60 in the summer commute that. I have used the crap out of this car plenty of DC fast charging as needed mainly L2 charging at home. Meets about 95% of our driving needs. Long range vehicle is our trust 2009 Prius that we've put about 180k miles on over a decade. Taking a delivery of an R1T to replace the Prius as our Long Range vehicle. There are plenty of these used Leafs seemingly everywhere. If you can get access to L2 charging it's simply the best used EV around period.

I have a leaf and I charge using a Rolec which takes about 3-4 hours from flat battery to full and it just plugs into the normal charger and sits on the front of my house

When I test drove a leaf the high pitched electric motor whine bugged me. However putting it in sport mode solved the problem.

i miss u man, i grew up watching you and roman, feels like i dont see you as much anymore.

Nathan, both my son and daughter learnt to drive on the Nissan LEAF. Perfect vehicle as a learner vehicle. Instant torque is very confidence inspiring for a new driver. Modern ice turbo engines can be initially laggy which can be scary for a new driver especially on left turns.

I just did the same thing. badass 2020 MB G63 in the garage, and a 2018 BMW i3s rex as my daily.

I bought one a couple years ago. It was a decent commuter but range and sitting in the cold in the winter wasn't good. It was enough for me to get a sense of living with am electric car and I can tell you I won't be doing a pure electric again for a long time. The new model s with a max range of life 530 miles is the first one that isnt a real compromise.

Glad to see it! Keep your v8 for fun but ev for daily commute.

Great starter EV. Also, Level 2 gets you 25 miles in an hour, not 40 miles in 20 mins.

U could have gotten a Volt with active thermal management for the same price. Also the Leaf u could upgrade to a 60KWh pack eventually tho not a cheap upgrade. 7:20 *level 3