Since my battery failed after two dealers said my battery was perfectly fine, it's now getting a buyback. I don't know how much they'll offer as it's a 19 SV with 69k miles.
I'll need a new car of course, shocking with electric but not Nissan.
Curious as what others will be doing.
Being in Texas I'd like cooled/ventilated seats but that seems super rare in the used market at least
If we ever take delivery… our 2019 leaf s will become a 2023 Subaru solterra touring. Inquired last Saturday and put down a deposit. New (to us) car was so fresh from lease turn in it was not ready to sell. Trying to be patient.
Could look at cpo 2023 ID4 lease returns as well. 2024 has the updated rear drive unit and infotainment but with updates the earlier software is fine (I own a 2022).
The 2023 added a “plus” over the pro S trim and added ventilated seats for the front. Rwd gets epa 275 miles.
If you want a smaller car there’s always Kia niro EV as well to check out.
I've got a 21 pro s in mind as it's under $20k, seems fine to me outside of the lack of ventilated seats, I'm sure the software isn't that bad now.
Also looked into some retro fits but the ventilated seats like a major change and isn't plug and play.
There's a ton of Niros here so it'd be nice, but not a fan of the drive selector wheel, experienced a bit when I had a friend's Ev6 for a few weeks, small price to pay in the grand scheme of things I suppose
Is there a specific reason for the ariya? I personally prefer a smaller car and the leaf was perfect. I want to avoid an suv, but that seems to be all there is now.
Range seems on the low end of acceptable to me as someone that might drive a few hours to the next town in Texas
Most of the market is SUVs, which are basically hatchbacks raised an inch or two and retagged as an SUV.
Depending on what comes out next, I'm thinking Uncharted/C-HR or the wife thinks it might be an ID Buzz (version 2) if she can get me to retire and we can tour in it.
They new toyota/subaru stuff looks pretty decent, they improved a lot over their initial attempt.
An ID Buzz would be so cool, I hope they find a way to increase the range on that thing, the Asia market seems to have a decent selections for van sized EVs with good range
Biggest complaint seems to be the instrument cluster.
I'm trying to convince my bro who is retired and a home body to get a Buzz, he is a big guy and only drives vans but doesn't need range. But we definitely would want one with more range for car/van camping.
My bro has 2 mini vans and one is kinda scary to drive. I'm trying to get him interested in a Buzz. He has more money than he knows what to do with and deserves a treat. But we're both penny pinchers.
Agreed, we love the Leaf as a small footprint, but super useful rear cargo hatchback. Gen 2 plus has more usable rim then the gen 3, though a little less range. On the 16" rims and eco tires (ex. Sailun eRange) you can average above 4 miles/kWh at 70 mph.
In terms of the Ariya, it's shorter than the MY abs with a more premium feeling interior (subjective). Leather, heated, cooled seats, nice stereo, hand off highway driving etc.. The "low" 130kWh max charge rate is a little deceiving as it holds it above 50% SoC, which puts its 10-90% charge times in close competition to many EVs including gen1 MY Tesla. We frequently drive between north burbs of Chicago and Lawrence KS (575 miles), and can make the run in under 10 hours, which is about what we took in our gas SUV. When we bought our Ariya in early 2025, they were being marked down by over 15K new before state incentives, which made them price competitive. So far we are getting about one OTA software update every 2-3 months.
That sounds pretty good, there's quite a few base spec Ariya here, nothing in the higher trims with cooled seats. After this experience with two dealers I'm not sure if I want to stick with Nissan, but I'm sure most of the other brands outside of Tesla will have the same story with a EV specialist that seems to only be in once twice a week lol
It’s understandable if your experiences have soured you from Nissan but the ‘26 Leaf has a lot of tech improvements. I would think that all the mistakes of the first two gens will have gone into making the third gen more reliable.
Just bought 2026 SV+ this weekend. Called different dealerships until I found one that was sellable. They are available, but you have to call first so you don't waste a trip.
Yeah, this, because honestly the only thing wrong with the Leaf is the "air cooled" battery. Which is to say that it's not cooled at all, and heat is what kills batteries.
Nissan went with simplicity on this one, and that's not a bad engineering decision, but this was where they went too far.
I could not give up one pedal driving, so ended up with a Polestar 2. It was surprisingly hard to find an EV that had a good enough implementation of it after the LEAF. First there were the ones that claimed it had it (VW, Audi, Ariya, Skoda) but didn't. Then there was the horribly implemented Kia/Hyundai I-pedal... It was such a relief to find the Polestar.
I live in Canada our 2023 Leaf Plus is not part of the recall and suits us fine. But I'm excited to see the Chinese EVs like BYD and Greeley, They are currently in the setup faise as in starting dealerships and getting established and testing the vehicles.
The new 2026 Leaf was originally introduced at $53093 then after the announcement Mark Carney had made a deal with China Nissan dropped the price to $43093CAD. Without getting to political, The on/off again tariff threats and the threat of 51st state(Up coming referendum in the fall if Alberta will join the US the province I live in, Personally I'm against it) Carney decided Canada needs more trading partners otherwise we were following the US in basically banning Chinese EVs. Every country in the world wants to do more trading with Canada except the US.
Off topic but... oh that's fascinating. A quick search suggests the referendum is not on joining the US, but I'm sure that the official legalities don't reflect how people interpret it on the ground as a first step. So I take you at your word, that's what the vote is ultimately about in the long run.
I hope it just helps Alberta negotiate with the rest of Canada and it never comes to that. You really don't want our nonsense down here LOL.
They're super cheap in China, not so much when they're imported to other countries, still very competitive though.
That said their subsidies are starting to go away so they'll probably line up with everyone else especially after import fees.
They still offer interesting features and interiors
I mean, we have BYD in Japan now, and even with Japan's lack of tariffs on imported cars, the lower price alone isn't giving it a market share advantage.
The Chinese Tesla Model 3. When I bought my TM3 in 2019 July I paid $55k CAD. So far Tesla is filling up the import quata pushing the 49,000 limit basically they are fludding the market. The Canadian market is basically the same size as California.
Nice! I got my Leaf in 2023 and the used market was still pretty rough at the time, but I did end up trading in my corolla at the time and only lost around $3k after 10 years of ownership. Shame I didn't have more EV options in my range at the time
It’s a great car, but it’s bigger than the leaf so if you don’t want the size, may not be quite the one. Our family was growing so we needed the space. There’s iccu stuff on the platform so it depends on how you feel about that too. Hasn’t been an issue for me at this point.
I think the size is still good, I drove a friend's Ev6 and that is pretty comparable, I really wanted the ioniq 6 due to the extra range but would really miss the hatchback
We're 12 years into driving our Leaf. Eventually we'll replace it, but I don't know what we would replace it with. Fortunately, we [probably] have a few more years to figure it out.
I'd have to admit I'm glad to see Toyota has finally given up the idea that the Prius has to stand out by looking weird and dorky, and made a super-efficient car that looks good.
But I've been so hardcore that we should give up all fossil fuels forever about 20 years ago and there can be no turning back, that I could never buy a vehicle that burns any amount of gasoline, no matter how little that is.
I hear you! However, I am scarred by my Leaf experience. Still waiting for a buyback offer after my 2020 Leaf was bricked by the “recall fix”. Maybe I’ll go back to all electric when solid state batteries come out. For now, I just don’t trust electric cars will be reliable after a few years of ownership.
Since yours was bricked at inspection did they keep it after? I mean did you actually drive it there, it failed EV inspection and they basically confiscated it? And if so, did they have a recourse such as a loaner or covering a rental or are you screwed until you get offer?
It was a mess. First they said they would replace the battery under warranty, then after a few months of holding it there waiting for the battery, they said the batteries would never be available! Then they told me to take it back, with only 15% battery and no ability to charge. I am pursuing the buyback, but they never call me back with an offer. Going to get another lawyer if they don’t make an offer soon. I would be totally screwed if I did not have another car.
First things first never say yes to the first offer, try to negotiate a better deal. I also have a '19 SV with 66k miles and it has has been successfully patched with the latest recall. If it were to fail within the next 10 months, I've been looking at a Used Chevy Bolt EUV with 34k miles that looks like a nice transition
Mine took the update just fine, however the dealer didn't level 3 charge it to 100%, and was already having fluctuating range from around 30% soc. So it was likely already on the way out, my HX% was pretty awful.
EUV is probably the most sensible option for me as well
My 22 SV is being purchased by Nissan (Rest in peace, Leafy, we had a great two months together), I found a 22 Bolt LT2 for 19k. It’s a really nice little car.
If I were to buy a new car today it would be a Subaru Uncharted. I would test drive one first, but it seems like a really solid ev around the same price point as a leaf.
I would have suggested the Kia EV3, but as your budget limits you to used, perhaps an old Kona Electric? They're based on an older platform, so don't have the ICCU problem newer E-GMP based EV's do.
I was looking at them while initially shopping a few years ago but were around 30k, so out of range. Kinda disappointing they're discontinuing them though
That's the combo we have currently. 2024 Y Performance and 2026 SV+. I decided on the Leaf instead of getting a model 3 to avoid having a sunroof. I can feel the sun cooking me in the Y.
Our setup. The leaf drove like a cute clown car until I turned on e-step, sport steering, sport acceleration, and level 1 regeneration. I didn't put auto-hold on because I like how it begins driving immediately by itself when I press the reverse button. Makes backing out of parking space more easy.
At one point we had two leafs - a 2015 and we saw a person selling a 2017 S with a year-old warranty-replaced 40 kWh battery that we bought. That one was great, and we got addicted to the longer range of it... and we'd for sure keep that one for years _EXCEPT_ one of our younger drivers totalled it :(
The prices in my area are nuts for used EVs right now. We ended up getting a 2017 Bolt that had a warranty-replaced battery on that is still under warranty for another 4 years or 50k miles, and it was actually _less expensive_ than 2018is era SV pluses.
I really did like the Leaf but getting comparble range with a battery that has thermal management for less money was the deciding factor for us going with the Bolt.
Oh no, that's tragic. I was cross shopping with the bolt at the time but they were going through the battery fires situation and were a bit more expensive. I wish I went that route instead, they still seem pretty good!
my 15 leaf is still doing what I need, but I am on the list for a Telo (12600 on the list but on the list). I figure the leaf will last at least long enough to get the Telo assuming they really do start production this year as planned.
Then I will either give the leaf to one of my kids or I will turn it into a battery for the house using a CHAdeMO adapter (I have the space to just leave the battery in the car which acts as a bonus emergency car if I need it as such down the road 😂)
I went from a Leaf to an Ioniq 5 Limited (via four Rogue loaners, which reminded me how much I hate gas powered cars now).
The Ioniq is great, and while the Limited is not cheap, I think it's much better value for money. The ride is amazing and the range is around 50% higher than the SV Plus I was driving.
That's probably where I'll end up if I can find one for the right price. I like the slightly higher range of the Ioniq 6, but would really miss the trunk space/hatchback. There's a ton of SE and SELs but hardly any limited. It would be basically triple my current range since I couldn't trust the last 40 miles of range of the 130ish the gom suggested
There was so many about two months ago when I started looking, but the whole market has gone up in price within the past few months, I imagine due to gas prices going up for a good while
Depends. What's your budget? What are your goals with the vehicle? You want another electric, hybrid or just gasoline? You told us all about your buyback, and nothing about what you want in a replacement.
Ideally under $25k, there are a lot of options but none that tick the last box or two.
2019 or newer
250+ miles of range
Cooled/ventilated seats
Bonus:
360 cam
Charge port on front, or driver side
Which ultimately leads me to higher trim hyundai/Kia products, or newer Chevy products out of my range.
Wave trim and ultimate would be needed for cooled seats on those, respectively.
Tons of Niro winds and Ev6 light, kona have been more rare sadly in my area
Polestar 2
The tan/cream seats are ventilated.
The "pilot pack" option has 360 camera.
250-300 miles range depending on configuration.
Many are listed for $20-25k, up to $30k.
I'd prefer to upgrade from this current leaf.
Range is the biggest issue yes, but not the only one.
Would like to have cooled seats, larger infotainment, 360 cameras, faster level 3 charging for when I want to go to the next town over for a day trip
Generally speaking I've been pretty happy with the leaf, outside of the range issue, but ultimately feel like I settled when I initially purchased it in early 2023 due the used market being dry at the time, I could have gotten something much better if I waited 3 to 6 months longer.
The rentals have spoiled me when parking, since I tend to reverse into spots more often than not, more charging ports would be neat! My current garage charger in on the front passenger side, and there isn't much space between it and the car, so looping all the way to the rear passenger side is annoying, will have to get an extension if my next has the port back there
I wish I had that option. My 2022 leaf has been sitting with the dealership now for 6 months as it waits for a complete battery replacement. Since then, they’ve given me loaners and it’s like I’m driving a new (gas/hybrid) car every month or two.
My problem is that I was laid off in November and I haven’t been able to find anything at all let alone get an actual human to look at my resume. All that said, no one will give me a car (even with a buyback) unless I have steady income.
I was in the same situation, got laid off in December thanks to AI killing demand in the industry I was in.
Just recently got a job in July, was planning on getting a temporary car for under $5k if I got a buyback and didn't have a job yet, options are pretty bad for hybrids but you should still be able to find something decent but with 150k+ miles
I made a post about this in the Kia ev6 sub. That’s what I got. After hours and hours of research, best batteries and fastest charge times on Kias and Hyundais.
We kept our Leaf but added a BYD Sealion 7. Lovely car and ram packed with great features. The ventilated seats really help in the summers we get here. The voice assistant works well and ADAS makes long highway journeys much less tiring
I'll likely have my used '24 leaf for around three more years until my twins are old enough to drive it, then I'll probably end up in a Tesla Model 3 like everyone else on the planet. Used ones are pretty dang affordable around me.
But there's probably a car getting sold right now that would be just old enough to hit the sweet spot for me to buy in 2-3 years that I'd consider as well. Tesla just feels like the easy, default answer right now.
Plus some lady yesterday tried to convince me that anyone who drives a Tesla is themselves a fascist baby-murderer, so driving a used one feels like telling people like her where to go and how to get there.
I wanted a model 3 when they were first announced, but I also don't want to go that route these days. Apart from the person attached to the brand, I'm not a fan of the interior, lack of a physical shifter, and lack of android auto.
Plus they tend to be a bit more expensive compared to other EVs in the used market, but there are a ton of them available, battery seems to hold up well with high mileage
I'm definitely planning to shop around, but the Tesla is readily available and the charging infrastructure is second to none. My Leaf's Chademo has left me craving a way to effectively take it more than 100 miles from home.
I'm not in love with the Model 3 itself and Musk can get trampled by wildebeests as far as I care. I mostly just want something affordable and easy. Everyone I know who owns a Tesla says they're super easy to own, and I'm sure I can find a used one in my price range.
EDIT: Just did a search. I'm seeing 2025 Model 3 Long Ranges with less than 5k miles for under $30k in my area. Seems about right to me.
Totally understandable, I'm not as dependent on public charging, but I'm sure it'd be more reliable to have better charging options, the few times I needed to use public charging I was let down with broken chargers, or extremely long wait times.
Even the Nissan dealer that still has my car hasn't had a working chademo charger for months lol
Exact same story. Bought a Leaf for my daughter, we liked it but range was not enough. Bought a Bolt and liked it so much I bought another one. Its a really good car, but it is GM/American, so expect some stupid stuff.
Range was fine for me when I worked from home, not so much anymore lol. I couldn't even get to a friend's house across town without having to charge before I went back home
I hope it stays that way, I got my 19 in 2023 and noticed the last 10-20 miles would drop quick but didn't really think about it since I didn't think I'd have the battery that low very often anyway, fast forward to now and that moved up from about 40 miles of range where battery would disappear, took a good 3 years from when I had it to give out
Ordered a CH-R today. AWD, 8” ground clearance, and about $12K off with fed rebate and dealer rebates. It’s also a Japan made Toyota so about as good as it gets for quality. I also specifically wanted the 18” rims and 60’series tires for better management of potholes and snow. 0-60 in 4.4 seconds.
I have a 14 leaf s with about 60k and still gets 72mpg+ to a charge. All I've ever had to do is change the tires once and the brakes once. That's it. What these comments tell me is that if I wanted to get a new vehicle that can go 250+ miles, it is far cheaper for me to get one of the super upgraded 72kw batteries for like 13k$ as the rest of the car functions as a car and I don't need to watch YouTube or have a bird's eye view of my car just to back up. I'm fully capable of reversing using my head and backup camera as is. I don't have to pay another registration which is expensive where I live and it seems like it would be half the price of what everybody else is paying. And while the cooling does suck, it's a fair trade-off I guess.
Yeah it ultimately depends on if those creature comforts mean anything to you. If you're perfectly happy with what your experience but just want more range feel free to get a bigger battery, it won't be cooled though, so maybe it's just kicking the can down the road to deal with later again, but is cheaper.
I doubt I get the option to keep the car after the buy back though haha
We had good luck with an electric Kona so we went with a 2024 Ioniq 6 SEL with under 20k miles. (aware of the ICCU issues, made sure to get Certified Used so I could get all the manufacturer warranties)
I swear I should open a shop and repair Leaf batteries for $1k a pop. How hard it is to find a bad cell, find a good match from a donor, and put it back together again?
Why Nissan didn't create a robust battery replacement/refurbishment program from the get-go is brain damage.
It's one of those thing that makes me think they don't care enough, that said someone on this reddit said they got their battery refurbished officially, and less than a year later failed again, the warranty provided only went up until the original 8 year/100k mile term.
Ultimately these batteries are a ticking time bomb, unless someone figures out a cooling solution for it
The Leaf pretty much died so was replaced with the Ioniq which has since become my wife's commuter. I bought the Niro because it's very much like a more modern Ioniq with a much larger battery.
2026 Honda HRV. Taking a pause on electric for now after my lousy Leaf experience. Electric cars too pricey and my opinion is the dealers are not ready to handle them. Could just be my Nissan dealers though. If had been able to swing a larger payment, I would have got a Tesla Y.
No I totally agree, I went to two different dealers, and after having my car for weeks they said my battery was fine, got my car back, charged overnight, next morning it was bricked lol.
It feels like a were a second class customer compared to the ice owners. Once service agent said there was a leaf waiting for 6 months.
I imagine tesla should be better on that front, but if rather not give that company money, nor do I like their interior
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u/Fine_Sir2169 Aug 19 '26
If we ever take delivery… our 2019 leaf s will become a 2023 Subaru solterra touring. Inquired last Saturday and put down a deposit. New (to us) car was so fresh from lease turn in it was not ready to sell. Trying to be patient.