2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

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chrismj
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2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by chrismj »

The 2022 Nissan LEAF S can be priced at $19,900 after $7500 federal tax credit, and the high-end comes in at $29,900. Those seem like decent deals. Am I missing something? I read that Nissan dropped price by almost $6k from 2021 to 2022 models.

What's anyone's guess on depreciation/resell on these?
runner3081
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by runner3081 »

Depreciation on the Leaf is BRUTAL. Check out used ones and you will see.

They are a "3rd class" electric car with a low range. They are great for specific short-range needs, but fall way off the pace of the range offered by other EVs.
loghound
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by loghound »

Back in the early days there were a lot of problems with battery packs overheating and losing range (and the range isn't great to begin with back in those days)

fast forward to today and I belive they have largely fixed those problems. The leaf is a pretty OK vehicle for just driving around town ... Not flashy but it get's the job done... As long as you are ok with the size and range I wouldn't worry about it too much....
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02nz
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by 02nz »

I test drove the LEAF before I made my EV purchase (went with the Kia Niro EV). It's a serviceable car, but the reasons it's cheap are:

- Just 151 miles of range in the smaller-battery version
- Rental-car interior (literally - the interior bits are shared with so many rental Nissans I've had)
- Soggy driving dynamics, due in part to the last-gen platform (Nissan changed the exterior but not the bits underneath with the 2018 redesign) and cheaper torsion-beam suspension
- No active cooling for the battery. I believe the LEAF is the only EV on the market without active cooling. Supposedly battery degradation is not as bad as with the earlier models, but it'll certainly be worse than other EVs, esp. in warmer climates.

There's also the CHAdeMO DC fast charging port, which is a dying standard.

For me there were just too many reminders of the price point. And the LEAF Plus was actually slightly pricier than a comparably equipped Niro, which drove, looked, and felt like a car that was at least $10K more, so it was a no-brainer for me.

At a little over $20K though, it's not a bad option if the range works for your driving pattern. I mean that's the cost of what, a 3-year-old Corolla these days.
squirm
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by squirm »

CHADEMO is going away.
bzcat
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by bzcat »

I found the practical range of the Leaf lacking. It doesn't have active battery temperature management, so on hot days or cold days the range shrank substantially and sometimes suddenly. There were several times the range just `wilted` away. I hated it for the last two years we owned it.

I still drive electric and love it. Just not the Leaf. It had upgrades, but its still an ancient design, in a category that had major advancements in the last 12 years. Thats the catch.
ankzap
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by ankzap »

I leased a 2021 Leaf SV for $100 a month (incl taxes, 0 down). It is a great car for commute, and everyday use around town. Since it is a lease, I don't really care about CHAdeMO eventually going away, or long term battery degradation due to lack of active cooling. Interiors are not bad (much better than the 2021 Chevy Bolt), and the trunk space is immense (great for Costco runs).
Topic Author
chrismj
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by chrismj »

Hmmm, maybe I’ll test drive and see for myself. I only drive about 1000 miles a year, 60/40 city/hwy. I think the lease was $149 for three years.
ctfish
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by ctfish »

ankzap wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 12:22 am I leased a 2021 Leaf SV for $100 a month (incl taxes, 0 down). It is a great car for commute, and everyday use around town. Since it is a lease, I don't really care about CHAdeMO eventually going away, or long term battery degradation due to lack of active cooling. Interiors are not bad (much better than the 2021 Chevy Bolt), and the trunk space is immense (great for Costco runs).
Well I put that into yearly maintenance on my 2008 gas commuter. Might as well get a leaf
WhyNotUs
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by WhyNotUs »

On our second leaf and happy with each. The best deal out there for those who are not driving 200 miles a day in 100 degree heat.
We drive about 13,000 miles a year in the mountains of CO. Bought the first one and it was headed to 100,000 miles without losing a bar when the dealer made a lease option on a 2020 too good to pass up. I should have kept the older one just for fun but sold it to someone who I know and they are delighted with it.

At 1,000 miles a year I would be tempted to buy a used one but that is a good lease deal. EVs in general are a big step up from ICEs, particularly for those with access to clean electricity.
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mrb09
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by mrb09 »

We recently bought a used 2018 Leaf SV with low miles from Carmax for less than $20k. That's getting close to an out the door S model, but we wanted the SV. We had moved from the country into a small city, we sold out diesel truck and used that plus some cash on hand to buy the Leaf. For what we use it for it is great, we use it around town and charge it once or twice a week in the garage. We kept our other ICE (internal combustion engine) car for longer trips.

Some quick Leaf facts:

- They have three trim levels: S, SV and SL. With the SV you get Apple CarPlay and a fast Chademo charge port which you can use at public stations.
- There was a major redesign in 2018 for the body and most importantly the batteries. Most of the battery issues I've heard about for a Leaf are pre-2018
- For pre-2018 Leafs, they had a definite battery degradation problem, that's where you'll see really cheap used Leafs with reduced battery capacity
- As another poster said, the Chademo port is dying as a standard, but there are still a number of public stations available. And of course any public station will support the slower J1772 port. We've had the car a month, and the only public charging we've done is coming home from the dealer in another city.
- Also as another poster said, the battery is air cooled. What that seems to mean is issues in hot climates, especially if you're trying to take a long trip and doing multiple charges in a single day.

My opinion is that for an around town car, it is still a great deal. I think Nissan is having issues competing with the other longer range EVs (including against itself, with their new Ariya model), they added the "+" models that give the Leaf a longer range, but the air cooled batteries and dwindling Chademo port stations limit the longer trips you can make if you're doing multiple charges a day.

As far as deprecation goes, we'll likely lose money on the car, but this gives us experience with an EV, and we'll decide in a few years if we want go a single longer range EV to replace both cars (which won't be a Leaf).
oxothuk
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by oxothuk »

The recent price cut simply brings the MSRP down to reality. Nissan has been discounting the Leaf by $7500 for several months.

As others have said, the Leaf is a great daily driver. The higher trim levels (SV, SL) have all the modern conveniences you would expect in a mass-market car. Compared to other EVs on the market the Leaf is an incredible value.

While the Internet is full of battery-degradation tales from early Leafs, Nissan believes they have fixed those problems; since 2018 the battery has an 8-year/100K mileage warranty.
02nz
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by 02nz »

chrismj wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 7:08 am I only drive about 1000 miles a year, 60/40 city/hwy. I think the lease was $149 for three years.
For that little driving, wouldn't it be cheaper/easier to take Uber? That would cost around $2000/year. Add insurance to the $149 lease payment and you're well over the cost of Uber, not to mention there's probably at least a thousand or two in various fees and taxes (over the life of the lease) you'd need to add to the advertised $149/mo.
Topic Author
chrismj
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by chrismj »

02nz wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:24 pm
chrismj wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 7:08 am I only drive about 1000 miles a year, 60/40 city/hwy. I think the lease was $149 for three years.
For that little driving, wouldn't it be cheaper/easier to take Uber? That would cost around $2000/year. Add insurance to the $149 lease payment and you're well over the cost of Uber, not to mention there's probably at least a thousand or two in various fees and taxes (over the life of the lease) you'd need to add to the advertised $149/mo.
Not ubering around with a 2- and 4- yr old.
squirm
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by squirm »

It's probably even less then that. There might be some state, utility, or air resource board credits too.
For the little driving you do, seems like a great fit.
Topic Author
chrismj
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by chrismj »

Thanks for the comments. Trying to decide if I want to part with my solid running and payment free 2004 Suburban. Driving less than 1000 miles a year really dampens the fuel savings incentive of an EV even if you only get 14mpg.
fasteddie911
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by fasteddie911 »

Count me as a happy leaf owner. It's basically become our family car. Got it last year for around $22.5k otd after $7500 rebate. It's a budget commuter that works very well for our needs. Daily commute is 25mi roundtrip, I charge it every ~3 days with the included trickle charger plugged into our wall outlet. We have solar panels and have yet to pay for "gas." It's heavier, seemingly smoother and quieter than our ICE car. Interior is fine for us. We don't drive long distances and if we did we have the ICE car or rent. Range, battery degradation or depreciation aren't concerns for us. I'm guessing the price drop is in anticipation of the tax credit running out? In any case, at that price point we'd strongly consider trading in our 2nd, ICE car for another leaf.
Tink221
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by Tink221 »

I bought a used 2013 Leaf at auction and it has been an amazing vehicle. I look at it like a car with a 3 gallon gas tank. It is a great commuter with minimal maintenance costs. We have an ICE for places farther than an hour away. Leafs do depreciate quickly. Especially with battery technology and new cars coming out. The resale value of a car that can go 100 miles isn't going to be great if all the other EVs can get 200+. I believe LEAFs also cost more to insure. For 1000 miles annually, a solid paid off car sounds like a winner to me. If you want to make the transition to electric (which is totally worth it) I'd look for a used EV.
onourway
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by onourway »

chrismj wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 4:09 pm Not ubering around with a 2- and 4- yr old.
It’s worth considering that your driving habits may change a lot over the period you are likely to own a new car. The last 18 months or so while you’ve had kids of this age are likely not representative of how things will look in another year or two, let alone 3-5 years from now - when you are still likely to own this vehicle. Try to imagine if this is the right vehicle for running those same kids around to school, sports, activities, etc. Maybe it is. I doubt the 1000 miles/year will stick, however.
WhyNotUs
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by WhyNotUs »

chrismj wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:54 pm Thanks for the comments. Trying to decide if I want to part with my solid running and payment free 2004 Suburban. Driving less than 1000 miles a year really dampens the fuel savings incentive of an EV even if you only get 14mpg.
Well if the Suburban is running well and you are only using 70 gallons a year, then it becomes a want rather than a need. Only if you want an EV, otherwise it sounds like you are set until your driving habits or the condition of your big rig changes.
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cjking
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by cjking »

When I last looked at owning a Leaf, admittedly a few years ago, I concluded that it was not worth owning if your mileage was low. In those days buying electric cost more, so unless you were going to get savings in running costs, electric would work out more expensive. As the cars weren't suited to long distances, a regular substantial commute within their range was the only way to do mileage that made the economics stack up.

For a low-mileage driver, mileage-related costs like fuel and maintenance will be less significant, so best value might be in used luxury cars that cost-conscious people who do average mileage don't want. (This theory assumes you value the luxury.)
smalliebigs
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by smalliebigs »

The reason Leafs (Leaves?) are going for so cheap is that Nissan is employing a strategy of selling at cost or at loss to get CO2 credits. They make a loss on this particular vehicle, but then builds CO2 credits which allow them to sell more profitable ICE-based vehicles.

This strategy is employed by most OEMs.
calwatch
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by calwatch »

Even if the Suburban is drinking gasoline like water, the LEAF is not going to be cost effective with the number of miles you drive. Now, if you are concerned about the Suburban's poor maneuverability and difficult to wrangle size, or its impact on the environment, sure. If you are thinking of selling the Suburban, this might be the high point for sales with the chip shortage, as gas is not going to get cheaper in the forseeable future IMO.
oxothuk
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by oxothuk »

smalliebigs wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 8:08 am The reason Leafs (Leaves?) are going for so cheap is that Nissan is employing a strategy of selling at cost or at loss to get CO2 credits. They make a loss on this particular vehicle, but then builds CO2 credits which allow them to sell more profitable ICE-based vehicles.

This strategy is employed by most OEMs.
To the extent this is true, it seems like an argument in favor of getting a Leaf while they are inexpensive.
smalliebigs
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by smalliebigs »

oxothuk wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 4:14 pm To the extent this is true, it seems like an argument in favor of getting a Leaf while they are inexpensive.
This is 100% true. I work in the auto industry
WhyNotUs
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by WhyNotUs »

To me, they are a high value proposition for those who are not looking to impress someone or worried about the rare drive that is out of range. I paid about $1,000 down (mostly taxes) and pay $85 a month for a 2 year 15,000 miles per year 2020 Leaf. It is a trouble free driving experience. We have quite a bit of solar and I the home and car are covered 9 months a year
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chrismj
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by chrismj »

calwatch wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 11:08 pm Even if the Suburban is drinking gasoline like water, the LEAF is not going to be cost effective with the number of miles you drive. Now, if you are concerned about the Suburban's poor maneuverability and difficult to wrangle size, or its impact on the environment, sure. If you are thinking of selling the Suburban, this might be the high point for sales with the chip shortage, as gas is not going to get cheaper in the forseeable future IMO.
That’s what’s tempting - the combination of the suburban being at a premium and the Leaf at a discount. I planned on swapping the truck for electric down the road so trying to see if this is worth accelerating that plan. Am I going to get a better buy/sell spread on a trade-in in a few years?

Either way it’s probably only a couple grand difference in real cost to do now or later.
kakemono
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by kakemono »

I saw the deal for the $89/month-10kmiles/yr-2yr lease LEAF. I pay almost that much in gas per month. It almost seems like I should lease the LEAF and park my other car until I hit 10k miles. It might just end up being a net cheaper proposition. I'd have to run the numbers though...
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MortgageOnBlack
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by MortgageOnBlack »

Concerned about long term reliability of their battery with the air-cooling over liquid cooled. Also, Nissan name is a bit blemished since I found out about their CVT transmission issues. Made me paranoid so we ended up selling my wife's 2013 Nissan Sentra because of the reliability ratings we came across. It drove fine, but I didn't like the waiting game.
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MortgageOnBlack
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Re: 2022 Nissan LEAF - low price?

Post by MortgageOnBlack »

kakemono wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 3:03 pm I saw the deal for the $89/month-10kmiles/yr-2yr lease LEAF. I pay almost that much in gas per month. It almost seems like I should lease the LEAF and park my other car until I hit 10k miles. It might just end up being a net cheaper proposition. I'd have to run the numbers though...
not a bad deal to test out Electric to see if it's for you. Might consider it as well even though I wouldn't trust a Leaf long term. My next new car I want to count on for at least 15 years no issue.
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