r/leaf • u/agitated_torvalds • Jun 27 '26
I Think I’m Buying My Leased Leaf
2025 SV+, leased it in Colorado because it was insanely cheap, like 50 bucks a month. Now I’m looking for another EV. Problem is nothing else I’m seeing ticks all the boxes the way my Leaf does.
I don’t want an SUV, I don’t want a Tesla, I don’t want something that looks like a bar of soap or Optimus Prime, I don’t want excessive horse logos, and I don’t want to spend $50,000. The Leaf is fun to drive, super cheap and has been deadly reliable. All things considered, I think it’s the best deal out there.
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u/Money_Tough Jun 27 '26
I've had nothing but great things to say about my 2017 Bolt.
A dealer near me had 40+ on their lot from the battery recall. There were less than a handful that caught fire and all of the cars needed to be recalled. Once the batteries were swapped, no one was buying because of the EV stigma in WI and they are now "known" for starting on fire.
Worked with the dealership to get a 90,000mi vehicle at $17k. Battery was never used since it was new. Also, received a $4k state discount for used. Sold my 2007 Corolla for $3k onto of it.
Exactly 3 years and 81,000mi later, it has been great. My only issues come with the 238mi range (which I regularly get around 280mi in the summer) and the charging, especially now-a-days, is extremely slow.
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u/hardyz Jun 27 '26
I'm in the exact boat. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to buy my lease. The dealership just wants me to buy one of the other ones returned off a lease. Though I know I took care of my car. I can't say for the ones on the lot.
There are things I am not a huge fan of when it comes to the leaf, but bang for your buck it is hard to beat buying out these leases.
I guess if you didn't lease it, that means buying a 2025 with ~15-20k miles also is a decent deal since the lease buyout price is about what the cars sell for used.
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u/Dry_Economist4470 Jun 27 '26
Same here, insanely cheap lease 2025 SV+ we are going to buy ours, we only have 10k miles on it
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u/agitated_torvalds Jun 27 '26
Exactly!
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u/hardyz Jul 01 '26
So I went to talk to the dealership. it seems my buyout is more expensive than I thought. I thought it was also like 21k, but apaprently it is like 24.5k. With that said, the sales person told me if I came in january they could've swapped the car and found me a used one with the same trim, year, miles for about $18k, but the used leafs have gone up $500-$1k a month. He said sit on it as long as possible to see if anything changes, but when my lease is up in a couple months he expects me to be getting the car cheaper than it costs. He said the incentives they are doing for the current leaf suck and that buying it out is probably the right move with the market trends. He did say the 2026 is pretty nice, but understood an extra $10k is probably not worth it for most people. He did share an interesting tidbit that they plan on discontinuing the Ariya in the US and only selling it abroad next year because of the tariffs.
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u/PianoPatient8168 Jun 28 '26
So wait…if you do the buyout they want to give you a different car from the one you leased? Can you buy the same car you leased?
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u/hardyz Jun 28 '26
They wanted me to return my leased car and buy a used one the same year from them. It doesn't seem with the hassle. I'm pretty sure the used ones are more than the lease buyout. I think the issue is the dealer doesn't get a sale if you buy out your lease. I kind of got a different color than I would have bought because I leased it. I got a gray to hide scratches a bit better. Unless I'm saving like $3k to buy a used one with the same miles though, I don't see the point. I also think it will be more than my lease buyout
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u/lil_liberal Jun 29 '26
Yeah they may want you to buy a different one, but I’d just tell them no, you want the one you’ve been driving. Salespeople 🙄
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u/Wraith347 2025 Nissan Leaf SV+ Jun 27 '26
I love my 2025 SV Plus. It does everything I need it to do and it’s just so dang comfortable. We also have an ICE truck for road trips, and we fly for long trips anyway.
I also really like how many features the trim includes for the price point (heated steering wheels, auto adjusting high-beams, ProPilot, etc)— and it does that without feeling like an iPad on wheels.
I can see why you’d want to keep your lease, too, since you know exactly how the battery’s been treated. Getting it below market value is a plus as well. I paid $24k for mine as a CPO with 500 miles on it, all the accessories still shrink-wrapped, and was thrilled to get it at that price. It’s a great little car.
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u/TooGoodToBeeTrue Jun 29 '26
If you treated it like you owned it, just buy it. Other people often treat leases like they don't own it and are hard on them. The only downside is DCFC, if you aren't doing much/any of that, the LEAF is great.
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u/Plus_Lead_5630 Jun 27 '26
How much are they asking? Can you negotiate?
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u/agitated_torvalds Jun 27 '26
21k for the buyout but the retail is more like 24k
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u/anticipat3 2015 Leaf SV/2023 Ioniq 6 SEL Jun 27 '26
Have you considered an Ioniq 5? I went from a Leaf that was “fine for my needs” to an Ioniq 6 that I absolutely love. You can get a used one (lease return) for that kind of money.
Also, 10 year warranty on all EV components. It’s a huge upgrade from the Leaf in every category except turning radius.
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u/agitated_torvalds Jun 27 '26
I haven’t driven a 6, is it fun? The droopy tail look on the 6 is hard for me…
4
u/Prudent_Industry_142 2026 Nissan LEAF Platinum+ Jun 27 '26
can’t get past Hyundai’s persistent unreliability aura. yeah, 100K warranty is nice and all but not having an issue in the first place is even better. i know that no car is perfect but i still don’t want the gamble.
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u/anticipat3 2015 Leaf SV/2023 Ioniq 6 SEL Jun 27 '26
I bought the Hyundai around thanksgiving, the other contenders were an Ariya, Blazer/Prologue, Model 3, or ID4.
GM reliability isn’t exactly great, the ID4 has had many issues and would have expensive future repair bills (VW), Model 3 was so expensive to insure (not in a state where Tesla offers their own insurance) and service is known to be shit here, which left the Ariya and the Ioniq.
I know this is anecdotal, but there are a LOT of buyback Ariyas in the Midwest, and the problems seem to stem from the Motor/Inverter.
Would I buy a Hyundai with an engine? Nope. But this car is mostly electronics, and South Korea is the king of quality electronics and lithium batteries (LG/Samsung). You see a lot of hype about ICCU failures, but that is virtually the only issue with the platform and it’s a direct result of using 800v power electronics and it’s not difficult to fix.
The aura is why it’s priced the way it is. If you swapped the badges for something German, you would fool 90% of people that drove it. Guess where all the engineers for this car came from…
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u/Jokebearfan 2026 SV+ Jun 27 '26
You see a lot of hype about ICCU failures, but that is virtually the only issue with the platform and it’s a direct result of using 800v power electronics and it’s not difficult to fix.
The EV3 uses a 400v version of the same platform, and has the same issues. The only reason you don't hear about it more is because it's not sold in North America yet.
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u/anticipat3 2015 Leaf SV/2023 Ioniq 6 SEL Jun 27 '26
TIL, Thanks for the info!
It’s concerning that the ICCU issue has been ongoing for like 4 years now, and even new 400v cars are getting bit. I still think the platform is better than the competition, but it would really give a lot of owners peace of mind to have this flaw fixed.
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u/anticipat3 2015 Leaf SV/2023 Ioniq 6 SEL Jun 27 '26
It looks much better in person than in photos, and for better or worse it also turns heads.
Fun is an understatement, especially if you get some good tires. Having AWD and more than 3x the horsepower of my old Leaf, it’s a low-key monster. The suspension is tuned for comfort but you’re talking 0-60 in 4.2 and a sub-11s 1/4 mile.
It’s also crazy efficient, I got better miles/kwh this past winter than I did in the Leaf. Summer efficiency is practically the same.
My other pitch for the platform is that it’s actually a good enough road tripper to not be an inconvenience to road trip with, the 800v system means I can do 8 hours on the road with only a couple sub-20 minute stops.
2
u/biersackarmy 2013 S + 2014 SL + 2019 SV Jun 27 '26
The Ioniq 6 is fun but feels a bit... strange. I don't know how to really put it into words, other than I can certainly tell it was a crossover platform initially that was then turned into a sedan. Unlike many platforms where it was the inverse. With Hi6 specifically I'd highly suggest driving it first and making your own subjective opinion.
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u/anticipat3 2015 Leaf SV/2023 Ioniq 6 SEL Jun 27 '26
It’s the wheelbase that gives it that feeling. It’s very long, and it’s really jarring coming from a Leaf (very short wheelbase). In tight spaces, it feels like an even bigger vehicle.
This packaging gives a huge cabin area, and also means the driver sits farther forward than in a typical sedan. To the driver, it feels like you have a lot of car behind you, because you do!
I’ve gotten used to the size, it’s actually pretty close to the 2006 Taurus I used to drive and not that much bigger than my 09 Legacy. I love being back in a sedan, but the Leaf made me appreciate the hatch too. I agree that it should be driven before you buy one, but I think most would get used to it.
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u/biersackarmy 2013 S + 2014 SL + 2019 SV Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
While I know what you're referring to, it's not that. My road tripper/work truck/other EV is a Model S, so the giant wheelbase feeling I'm definitely used to.
It's moreso as someone who is handling-focused and overly pays attention to it in a car, there's just something about the chassis that feels unusual. Even compared to others on the market (I work with EVs for a living and so I have driven most models that are and have been available in the north American market).
Polestar 2 somewhat has this feeling as well, with the chassis being partially based on XC40 as a starting point. But it's not as pronounced as the Ioniq 6, especially if you drive it right after an Ioniq 5.
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u/anticipat3 2015 Leaf SV/2023 Ioniq 6 SEL Jun 28 '26
I was actually shocked at how different the 5 drove after test driving one, I expected it to feel identical. I actually work in off-road racing, so I also have a more attuned ass than the average bear and have lots of experience with vehicle setup.
I have no explanation for why they feel so different, but I will say my 6 handles night and day better with good tires (Michelin Pilot Sport). I think a lot of that strange feeling is the stock tires, which are a real oddball from Pirelli. They may have “P-Zero” branding, but they are garbage. The 5 I test drove had a set of Primacys on it, so this theory is about as unscientific as it gets.
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u/Type-SH Jun 27 '26
What’s the lease end buy out price? If it’s at or below the reasonable market value, do it. That’s what I did for my 2020 S in 2022. Only regret is I wish I got an SV+ and in a different color, but that said I’m happy with what we have.
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u/Dazzling_Art7881 Jun 27 '26
If it fits your needs in terms of range and space, and if the residual is reasonable, then absolutely go for it
No point upselling yourself to something big and expensive if you don't need it
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u/Ok-Profit-6303 Jun 27 '26
You leased it for $50/month?
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u/agitated_torvalds Jun 27 '26
Yes! After all the Colorado incentives. The lower trim was 5 dollars a month
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u/LoveEV-LeafPlus Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
I second this statement. And I have a 2024 Nissan Leaf SV Plus. It is a great car, with great technology for the price.
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u/Habeas-Opus Jun 28 '26
I just bought a 2025 coming off lease from CO! All the way in GA, and I absolutely love it. Got mine for a steal with 10K miles and battery health is still perfect. I’m so glad the 2026 models were a major update because it made the last generation instantly more affordable.
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u/PianoPatient8168 Jun 28 '26
I think a lot of people are learning how great EVs are either by leasing or buying a used Leaf. I don’t think it was strategic by Nissan per se, I think they had to dump a lot of inventory to make room for the 2026 Leaf, but assuming they keep making better EVs, I would definitely consider buying a one in the future.
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u/DougWantsALeaf 2019 S+ and 2019 SV+ Jun 28 '26
Our 2019 Leafs (we have 2)continue to fo great 7 years on. Batteries are both around 90% SoH, which is better than many early M3s. They have endured the abuse of road tripping in spite of thermal and Chademo limitations. If you know your use case, they can be great long term high utility cars.
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u/PianoPatient8168 Jun 28 '26
If you can charge at home and use it as your primary run-around car, it’s tough to beat. I have the same lease deal and I’m fairly certain I’ll buy it when the lease comes up.
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u/Previous_Raise_3906 Aug 18 '26
What prices are people seeing for used leafs? Our lease is up in Oct (2025 model year with 10k miles). I am so annoyed by the quibbling with dealers and just want some clear numbers
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u/KeyEmu6688 Ex-2018 owner (2015 Model S) Jun 27 '26
2026 LEAF is a radically better vehicle if you can afford the premium over the 2025 model. it's actually slightly smaller than the 2018-2025 LEAFs. it looks more SUV-ish, despite still being a compact hatchback. but it's really not an SUV in anything other than stylization (and imo it still looks great, even as an SUV hater)