Best value 2nd-hand EV?

31-03-2020 11:08am #1

Hi all,

We're thinking of getting a second car and wonder what the best value is in terms of model and year. Budget is around 10k.

We have a 64kWh Leaf so that would cover most longer-range trips we'd take. The aim is to have a second car for driving around locally with the odd 60km round-trip (motorway) to visit family.

Looking at Carzone, it seems we could get a 2012-2014 Leaf (24kWh) for 7k-9k. But if we dug a few quid out from down the back of the couch and went to 12k, we could get a 2015-2016 30kWh Leaf.

Which is better value given the need outlined above? Should I worry about older batteries? Are there other makes/models I should think about?

All tips/experience/ideas welcome.

Gumbo · 31-03-2020 11:24am

Best Value is the Gen 1 Leaf at 6-8k.
Especially if its used as a second car, short trips and the range suits.

But, i'd future proof yourself and stump to a Gen 1.5 for the better battery.

Totally depends on what the car will be used for.
7k for a Gen 1 and 12k for a 30 kWh, 5k is a big difference if you don't need the range difference.

31-03-2020 11:25am

Thanks Gumbo,
Currently thinking along similar lines.
So Gen 1.5 is 132 reg onwards or should I be looking at 141 reg?

slave1 · 31-03-2020 12:15pm

I'd stretch to a L30 as it will still have battery warranty left until 2024 whereas the L24 battery warranty is gone now, plus a L30 will have greater range so will not need as much charging so will not interfere with your L64 charging requirement.
Will a Leaf24 be able to do a 60km round trip in 4 years time in depths of Winter? A L30 will.....

KCross · 31-03-2020 12:42pm

Deleted User wrote: »

We're thinking of getting a second car and wonder what the best value is in terms of model and year. Budget is around 10k.

We have a 64kWh Leaf so that would cover most longer-range trips we'd take. The aim is to have a second car for driving around locally with the odd 60km round-trip (motorway) to visit family.

Looking at Carzone, it seems we could get a 2012-2014 Leaf (24kWh) for 7k-9k. But if we dug a few quid out from down the back of the couch and went to 12k, we could get a 2015-2016 30kWh Leaf.

slave1 wrote: »

Will a Leaf24 be able to do a 60km round trip in 4 years time in depths of Winter? A L30 will.....

I think there is little chance a 2011-2013 Leaf will do 60km on the motorway without some serious range anxiety.

Definitely needs a 2014+ L24 as a minimum for that.

The L30 would be ideal but thats adding alot of cost, thats above budget, for an occasional journey that can be done with the main car if required.

KCross · 31-03-2020 12:44pm

Deleted User wrote: »

So Gen 1.5 is 132 reg onwards or should I be looking at 141 reg?

Yes, 132+, but there is an overlap there. 141 would be a safer bet.

The Japan built cars are easy enough to spot with the interior color, electronic handbrake and lack of Eco button on the steering wheel etc. You want to avoid those.

You want a UK built car.

Deleted User wrote: »

But if we dug a few quid out from down the back of the couch and went to 12k, we could get a 2015-2016 30kWh Leaf.

The L30 came out in 2016 with a very small amount that came out in Dec 2015... so an L30 with a 2015 reg is rare. Watch that. If someone is advertising a 2015 L30 you'd need to double check it.

31-03-2020 3:13pm

Thanks for the replies. Will see what the price difference is from 141/142 and maybe 30kWH 161. If the gap is 5k it doesn't make much sense, but it looks like the cheapest options are mostly 12/131/132 which might not last very long.

Doesn't seem to be much else - I suppose the Zoe etc. are all too new.

unkel · 31-03-2020 3:32pm

Can you get a 2016 L30 for €12k? Any link to one?

31-03-2020 3:38pm

unkel wrote: »

Can you get a 2016 L30 for €12k? Any link to one?

Here's one

slave1 · 31-03-2020 3:41pm

It has heated seats which is nice but savage mileage, deffo want to check out that battery stat, by comparison I'm at 61k kms and battery at just over 95% in my 162

JPA · 31-03-2020 3:49pm

Battery warranty is up to 160,000km also. That has 163k

31-03-2020 3:50pm

Is it easy to see the health of the battery in those models? I mean, if I ask a dealer to check, will they be able to turn on the car and figure it out immediately?

slave1 · 31-03-2020 4:08pm

No and there's pretty cheap software out there to reset the figures

slave1 · 31-03-2020 4:09pm

JPA wrote: »

Battery warranty is up to 160,000km also. That has 163k

Didn't realise there was a limit on battery warranty

ELM327 · 31-03-2020 4:36pm

Zoe?
Ioniq?

Both better value than a fast degrading leaf

KCross · 31-03-2020 4:46pm

ELM327 wrote: »

Zoe?
Ioniq?

Both better value than a fast degrading leaf

€10k budget!

ELM327 · 31-03-2020 4:48pm

You'd get plenty of Zoe for that.

31-03-2020 5:58pm

I'm not seeing an awful of ZOEs at all and none at that price.
Had a look for Ioniqs too but that was way out of the price range.

I could stretch the budget a bit but the car is very much for local use i.e. pretty much no commuting; mostly school and extra-curricular activities for the kids or ourselves. Worst case is an away match in Naas or something! (Still only about 40km round-trip for us)

KCross · 31-03-2020 6:34pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm not seeing an awful of ZOEs at all and none at that price.
Had a look for Ioniqs too but that was way out of the price range.

You might scrape a Zoe under €10k.
The ones that are alot under it are battery lease so be careful with that. You dont want a battery lease one.

No chance of a €10k Ioniq. €20k is closer to what they are.

KCross · 31-03-2020 7:47pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

.... the car is very much for local use i.e. pretty much no commuting; mostly school and extra-curricular activities for the kids or ourselves. Worst case is an away match in Naas or something! (Still only about 40km round-trip for us)

If you are willing to drop the 60km motorway requirement and just go with the 40km run then a 2011-2013 much cheaper Leaf would be a better option.

At €10k you’d even be able to get a 2014+ one with high spec.

slave1 · 31-03-2020 11:12pm

Careful of battery lease L24 of that era if importing

unkel · 01-04-2020 12:36am

Deleted User wrote: »

Here's one

I'm going to go against the flow here. Get a few bob off and I'd buy that car. It's great value. Sure, battery nearly out of warranty, but they don't cause trouble, just some degradation. And that 2016 30kWh Leaf is only a couple grand over a 2014 24kWh Leaf. You will have very little depreciation on this car.

Either go with this, or keep most of your budget and go for a €4-5k early Leaf 24kWh with badly degraded battery, but as near to zero cost of ownership that any car will come with. Cheaper than a banger that someone would give you for free. You won't get your 60km though in winter.

n97 mini · 01-04-2020 1:57am

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it easy to see the health of the battery in those models? I mean, if I ask a dealer to check, will they be able to turn on the car and figure it out immediately?

Leafspy is the most accurate, but the GOM figure when fully charged (i.e. to 100%) is also a good indicator. On the Leaf 24 divide the range by 1.6 to get an indication of battery health, and on the 30 divide by 2. There are caveats to that though. If the weather is cold and the previous driver was a 20 year old apprentice in the garage, the range on the GOM is probably going to be lower.

01-04-2020 10:14am

Thanks for all the replies so far - really very helpful.

One more bonus question: do all early models of Leaf have the same two charging sockets?

[And bonus bonus [rhetorical] question: when will car dealers begin routinely specifying the battery size of EVs in their ads in the way they automatically list engine size in ICE cars?]

KCross · 01-04-2020 10:21am

Deleted User wrote: »

One more bonus question: do all early models of Leaf have the same two charging sockets?

Some of the 2011-2013 Leaf's have no DC charge port.

ELM327 · 01-04-2020 4:49pm

Although any originally sold in Ireland did, UK offered a lower spec than we did

bootser · 05-04-2020 5:58pm

Hi All, sorry to jump on this thread but im in a bit of a similar position. Interested in replacing my daily commuter with a BEV. My current commute is 40miles/65Kms one way and I have work charging, would a 24Kwh 2015 leaf get me there? Im looking at a 2015 for 9K which is almost 4 years fuel costs at the minute, so it would have paid for itself after that! What would ye think? (Also looking at buying new but still a bit pricey:eek:)

KCross · 05-04-2020 6:12pm

bootser wrote: »

My current commute is 40miles/65Kms one way and I have work charging, would a 24Kwh 2015 leaf get me there?

No problem, unless its all on motorway at 120km/h?

bootser wrote: »

...and I have work charging...

Are you guaranteed access to that charger for the entire day everyday?

unkel · 05-04-2020 6:20pm

Also, do you have home charging?

And what on board charger does the Leaf have that you are looking at, the standard 3.3kW charger or the optional 6.6kW charger? If the latter, 3-4 hours charging at work will fill the car up from empty to full. If the former, then KCross has a point and you will need that work charger for pretty much the whole working day in winter when your battery will be fairly empty when you get to work

slave1 · 05-04-2020 11:12pm

Your work chargers will fill up very soon, look to a Leaf 30 which will your work commute without work charging and if you do get some work charging then consider that a bonus

Homer · 06-04-2020 7:29am

What would the more knowledgeable users thoughts be if you were to double that budget to say €20k or slightly more.. could get a newer lower mileage i3 or leaf ... or a significantly higher mileage e golf? Or Ioniq

Best value 2nd-hand EV?

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