Is it worth it?

[rmay635703]

I have been looking at a bargain basement Leaf or IMIEV for some time to replace my fathers aging ZX40.

I missed out last year on one for $5000 and have found SEs for around $5800 on up and ES's for $5500 on up.

They are all dealer related so I can trade the dented and aging ZX40 EV and get some off the top for a more or less valueless car. (though I can likely negotiate the same amount off)

Now looking further 2011 Leafs are $5900 on up and likely have no more range than the MIEV due to degradation, the leaf is a LOT more car and has a lot more parts and mods,
but in my case I prefer small odd cars.
Obviously there is also a small chance of a new battery and all that drama but lets pretend it doesn't exist.

Looking private party, well there is nothing, not leaf and not MIEV and don't even get me started on the
$6700 volts that are around.

So is it worth buying an MIEV over a leaf when its only a few hundred different?
Is it worth buying an MIEV when a Volt (a full long range vehicle) is a grand more?
And what about think city, its only about $4k on up but requires a mod to leave the heat on and turn the car off.

I don't know, I see the auction values for MIEVs seem to be in the $3-$4k ish areas

I would like an MIEV just because its small but has the floor really fell out yet?
Would I ever find a private party person willing to sell for a realistic price?
(some trade their in for $3500 while also loosing the ability to negotiate)

Ah well, more and more it seems like I will be on the fence until one of the other daily drivers fails completely.

Cheers
Ryan

 

[jray3]

Well, an early LEAF will have i-MiEV range (or less very soon) and many won't qualify for a free battery replacement, so you're looking at a $5500 battery replacement while the i-MiEV batteries will be healthy for far longer.

A Volt for just a coupla k more than an i? Go for it. The volt battery should last longest of all, and could drive like a subpar hybrid for many years with a sick battery, IIRC.

 

[mdbuilder]

I suspect <6k leafs have really clapped out batteries. Even if the bars are there they have likely been tampered with, reset. Volts for slightly more? How, >100k miles?

 

[Don]

Now looking further 2011 Leafs are $5900 on up and likely have no more range than the MIEV due to degradation, the leaf is a LOT more car and has a lot more parts and mods . . . .

Well, if your Dad is interested in modding the car, you'd best buy the Leaf I guess. Equal cars for equal money, I'd take the iMiEV any day as it's the better car in many ways to my thinking - I bought one brand new for nearly $30K and then another one 2 years old with only 3,900 miles on it for $8700. I have zero interest in owning a Leaf

Looking private party, well there is nothing, not leaf and not MIEV and don't even get me started on the $6700 volts that are around.

If you can buy a used Volt that runs and drives for $6700, I'd jump on that - Sounds like a perfect compromise for your Dad . . . . do you know for sure that he'd be happy with a pure BEV as his *only* car? I LOVE my two iMiEV's, but if I could only have one car for all my needs . . . . it would have to be a Volt

So is it worth buying an MIEV over a leaf when its only a few hundred different?
Is it worth buying an MIEV when a Volt (a full long range vehicle) is a grand more?

Similar condition cars, I'd pay a grand or two more for the iMiEV - It will still be running when the Leaf is in the boneyard. A grand more than either for a Volt? I'd take that deal any day

Don

 

[mdbuilder]

I did a nation wide autotrader search and only found 2 under 10 or 11K,

This one @ 6,200 seems to be implying some sort of auction bid needed and is missing the rear left wheel if you click through the pics. I doubt you will be finding driveable volts under 10K...

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?endYear=2017&zip=20634&listingType=used&listingTypes=used&showcaseListingId=432935696&mmt=%5BCHEV%5BVOLT%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&vehicleStyleCodes=HYBEL&modelCode1=VOLT&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&startYear=1981&makeCode1=CHEV&showcaseOwnerId=1361346&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=0&listingId=434073496&Log=0

 

[PV1]

I just did a Volt search a couple of months ago. Cheapest was $15,000.

If you look at that car, the whole rear axle is messed up. Even the rear right wheel isn't lined up. Could be due to 2,000 lbs. pushing on that wheel, but it's going to need some work.

 

[rmay635703]

This one @ 6,200 seems to be implying some sort of auction bid needed and is missing the rear left wheel if you click through the pics. I doubt you will be finding driveable volts under 10K...

I have found at least 24 volts under $7000 this year, all were "repaired cars" which may or may not have had a title ding.
I didn't need to buy one that wasn't fixed to get in that range.

I test drove one for $6200 early this year and depleted the battery to see if it hicup'd, they did a good job, a volt is one car if its not fixed right you know almost instantly.

That said no warranty from GM, running right a volt doesn't need one anyway.