I've been debating getting a Leaf myself. My current commuter car is a 1997 Toyota Corolla LE, 107,000 miles, great condition. It was a rental car for a year, and then I bought it reconditioned from a dealership for $15k in late 1997. It's been a sturdy beast. My commute is currently about 20 miles RT, though for most of my career, it was closer to 10, and I often worked from home.
There's nothing wrong with my car, but it won't last forever. Its annual maintenance costs are already increasing. I wouldn't mind getting in on some upgraded safety features, not to mention an all-electric car. My Corolla also currently has no collision insurance, but collision insurance might make sense for a newer, more valuable car, so that would be another extra expense.
Kelly Blue Book says my car is worth maybe 1-2k, but Craigslist in my area shows similar cars on offer for anywhere from 3-5k. I generally just drive cars into the ground, so the idea of buying while I could still get some money out of my current car is appealing.
To me, the essence of Mustachianism isn't not spending money, it's being sure that the trade-off between time and money is conducive to the greatest happiness payout. I honestly can't figure out whether keeping my old warhorse makes more sense than spending thousands of dollars on a new(ish) hotness. I'll have to get another car eventually, and used Nissan Leafs seem surprisingly affordable, especially compared to used Corollas. But buying any car would push back my FI date; there just aren't many good options for less than $10k in the Seattle area.
Any thoughts?