I've done the full EV journey from a Volt to Bolt to Model 3. I took a detour and got a big value on a used Leaf along the way very similar to @cwerdna in late 2015 that I'm still holding onto for similar reasons.
Based on my experience and your frugality, I'd still recommend the Bolt at the $20K price point. I think there's a lot of value with a used Bolt Premier and there aren't any driving factors that will make it unsaleable in 3-4 years if you decide its time to move on. I think it has the most upside on potential resale value a couple of years out - minimizing your % lost.
I would love to jump at a used i3 Rex (in place of the Leaf), but can't based on the maintenance nightmare stories I've heard along the way, broken motor mounts, etc. The reliability of the Leaf and Bolt were too good. I'm not sure there's a price point where it makes sense.
At $10K, either a Gen 1 Volt or Spark EV would work, and neither has glaring downsides that aren't immediately visible, mainly the short EV range.
Based on my experience and your frugality, I'd still recommend the Bolt at the $20K price point. I think there's a lot of value with a used Bolt Premier and there aren't any driving factors that will make it unsaleable in 3-4 years if you decide its time to move on. I think it has the most upside on potential resale value a couple of years out - minimizing your % lost.
I would love to jump at a used i3 Rex (in place of the Leaf), but can't based on the maintenance nightmare stories I've heard along the way, broken motor mounts, etc. The reliability of the Leaf and Bolt were too good. I'm not sure there's a price point where it makes sense.
At $10K, either a Gen 1 Volt or Spark EV would work, and neither has glaring downsides that aren't immediately visible, mainly the short EV range.