I Recommend This Used EV for Stress-Free First-Time Ownership

The present Nissan Leaf is in its remaining lap, with a next-gen crossover set to take its place quickly. It’s been round since 2018 on this kind and, whereas it by no means lit up the gross sales charts, it’s quietly remained some of the essential and most inexpensive electrical automobiles on the market.

What’s at all times stood out to me is how approachable the Leaf is. It is not flashy, but it surely’s dependable, low-cost to run, and one of many few EVs I’d genuinely recommend to someone who’s never owned one before—particularly if you happen to’re procuring used.

That’s the place the Leaf actually shines. As a result of it began at such a low worth, used examples are extremely inexpensive—and in contrast to loads of finances EVs, you’re not sacrificing dependability or practicality to get there.

The Nissan Leaf Is Surprisingly Dependable—At the same time as a Used Purchase

According to iSeeCars, the Nissan Leaf earns a strong 7.3 out of 10 total, due to respectable marks for reliability, retained worth, and security. Its common lifespan? Round eight years or simply over 65,000 miles.

J.D. Energy hasn’t launched rankings for the 2025 mannequin simply but, however the 2023 version (which is mechanically the identical) provides us a reasonably good concept. It scored 76 out of 100 for high quality and reliability—comforting numbers if you happen to’re contemplating a used one.

The driving expertise is rated a bit decrease at 61, however resale sits at 71 and seller expertise will get a strong 83. Not excellent, however for a budget-friendly EV, these are reassuring stats.

2024 Nissan Leaf S True Value to Personal

When you’re on the lookout for a wallet-friendly EV, the numbers communicate for themselves. Edmunds estimates that over 5 years, the bottom Nissan Leaf S will value simply $2,201 in upkeep and $601 in repairs.

Depreciation hits round $18,989, and also you’re taking a look at about $2,852 in electrical energy prices to maintain it charged and shifting. All in, it’s one of many most cost-effective EVs to personal over time.

CarEdge backs that up with an identical complete value of possession—simply over $42,800 over 5 years. Their breakdown consists of $1,105 for upkeep and $2,080 for electrical energy, exhibiting simply how inexpensive this EV actually is.

Stable Reception, Rock-Stable Reliability

House owners on Edmunds give the Nissan Leaf a strong 4 out of 5 stars, which exhibits it is typically a satisfying EV to dwell with. It’s not excellent, but it surely’s earned popularity the place it counts.

One of the frequent positives? Reliability. Drivers repeatedly point out that it’s reliable and low-fuss.

That mentioned, a number of house owners level out that the Leaf tends to put on by tires faster than anticipated. However that’s not distinctive to this automotive—it’s a typical quirk of EVs, due to their prompt torque and additional weight.

The Nissan Leaf earns a 73 out of 100 from J.D. Power’s consumer-verified score, with highlights like strong reliability and a powerful dealership expertise. The driving expertise lands a bit decrease at 61, however resale worth holds regular at 71.

It’s by no means been the flashiest or most in-demand EV, and that hasn’t modified a lot in 2025. Nissan solely bought 2,323 items within the first quarter—however curiously, that’s greater than double what they bought throughout the identical interval final 12 months.

Since launch, complete gross sales have hovered round 15,000 items, which isn’t precisely headline-grabbing. Nonetheless, contemplating it’s been one of many most cost-effective EVs in the marketplace, it’s carved out a quiet however constant presence.

The One Massive Value You Ought to Know About

Nissan doesn’t listing the Leaf’s battery worth in its on-line components catalog, which makes it tough to pin down precisely what a substitute may cost. Curiously, they do listing battery costs for his or her hybrid fashions—however the Leaf stays a little bit of a thriller.

Primarily based on estimates from Recurrent and taking a look at comparable EV battery replacements, you’re in all probability taking a look at a worth between $8,000 and $15,000. The ultimate value is determined by what number of modules want swapping—the smaller battery (40 kWh) has 40 modules, whereas the bigger one (62 kWh) has 48.

A Sturdy Guarantee and Dependable Efficiency Give You Peace of Thoughts

From what house owners say—and Nissan assures—the Leaf’s battery ought to simply final over 15 years earlier than you see any actual drop in vary or efficiency. That type of longevity is an enormous plus if you happen to’re considering long run.

Nissan backs it up with a strong guarantee: eight years or 100,000 miles for the battery itself, plus 5 years or 60,000 miles for different electrical components. It’s good peace of thoughts for anybody new to EV possession.

Not the Quickest, however Impressively Environment friendly

The Leaf S packs a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery powering a front-mounted motor. The EPA estimates about 149 miles per cost, which covers most metropolis driving wants with ease.

Its environment friendly drivetrain makes use of roughly 30 kWh per 100 miles, preserving vitality consumption in verify. Over 5 years, the EPA says you might save almost $4,750 on gasoline, whereas electrical energy prices come to about $700 yearly.

That breaks down to simply $1.14 to drive 25 miles—a reasonably inexpensive technique to get round city.

2024 Nissan Leaf EPA Effectivity Figures

When you’re after a bit extra vary and don’t thoughts spending a number of additional grand, the SV trim may be price a glance. It comes with a bigger 60-kWh battery that bumps vary as much as an EPA-estimated 212 miles.

Vitality use solely creeps up barely to 31 kWh per 100 miles, which remains to be very environment friendly for its class. Even with the added energy and weight, it delivers the identical nice financial savings and low operating prices as the bottom Leaf S.

2025 Nissan Leaf Efficiency Specs

The Nissan Leaf received’t blow you away with efficiency, but it surely will get the job executed. The bottom S mannequin makes 147 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, sufficient for a 0–60 time of seven.4 seconds and a high pace of 89 MPH.

If you would like a bit extra zip, the SV Plus provides you 214 horsepower and 250 lb-ft. That drops the 0–60 time to six.7 seconds and nudges the highest pace as much as 92 MPH—not unhealthy for a sensible EV.

2025 Nissan Leaf Charging Speeds

For the reason that Leaf is a bit older in EV phrases, it tops out at a charging pace of 6.6 kW. When you’re utilizing an ordinary 120-volt Stage One charger, you are taking a look at roughly two and a half days to totally juice up both battery.

Swap to a 240-volt Stage Two charger and issues get significantly better—about 7.5 hours for the 40-kWh pack and 11 hours for the 60-kWh model. It’s the type of in a single day setup most drivers can dwell with.

As for quick charging, the Leaf caps out at a modest 100 kW. That’ll get the smaller battery from 10 to 80 % in 40 minutes, whereas the bigger pack takes round an hour.