Potential Mini SE Owner

First time MINI (and EV) owner with couple months of ownership. I’m glad I chose MINI over other EVs. I would certainly buy it again and I’ve been recommending it to others as a best (premium quality, economical on wallet) commuter car that changes daily boring commute (and errands) into fun drives.

Range could be an issue, but can be mitigated by having a level 2 charger at home, especially when all household drivers want to take it out for a spin same day.

 

I would not recommend the MINI Cooper SE to most people, but it is a fantastic EV if you can make it work. Many of the pitfalls of the MINI is a non-issue with multi-vehicle households.

The approximate ICE equivalent is if you can get around town with a 1/4 tank of petrol everyday then you are fine.

 

I've had mine for almost 18 months and would have no doubts whatsoever in getting another if mine suddenly disappeared. Like you, 95% of my driving is in town (suburban and freeway). I charge once a week. I occasionally go up the coast - a return trip of about 220km, which I can make if I am careful. If you have time, then a road trip planned well is easily possible in the MINI. As others have said, the MINI is hands down the most fun EV that a mere mortal can buy (afford) at the moment. It is a joy to drive, and still gives me a smile after a year and a half. I also charge at home on a domestic plug. Overnight gives me a full charge - no need for home chargers or anything fancy.

 

I have had my SE for a month now, and I really do like it. It is a blast to drive, and for my purposes range has never been an issue (taking into account I had a BMW i3 previously which had 70 miles of range on average). I agree with what everyone has said, but let me give you a few more downsides other than range to see if you care.

1. Chip shortage is making the front parking sensors difficult to get, also affects the adaptive cruise control (missing)
2. There are really no tech safety features. No lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and forward collision warning did not test well in several reviews
3. Compared to its cousin the BMW I3 the trip computer and general statistics on efficiency aren't present or spread over several screens making it non-intuitive. Frustrating when you go to a 2-3 screens that are mostly empty, clearly it could have been put on one screen.

 

I think all of us should think about the way we say things before we post, so as not to say something that might be offensive. I understand some things made in China might not be the best quality (though many are excellent quality), but was it really necessary to say "chinesium"? Why not just say rubbish?

 

Agree. The "Chinesium" should be blamed on the companies that are supplying the specs to the manufactures to build at a lower quality for cost savings. Things get built by how much a company wants to spend on quality.

 

Likes

• It is basically a hot hatch. Lots of utility but still fun to drive.
• The instant torque is great. For example, going from 30 to 60 is pretty quick because there is zero lag and the amount of power doesn't overwhelm the tires.
• Cheapest electric car in the US but still a quality car. It isn't like driving a cheap ICE car like a Honda Fit.
• Quiet
• Proven chassis. The F56 has been out since 2015 so the problems in the chassis have been resolved.
• Proven electric car. This is based on the BMW i3 which has been out for a long time too.
• No maintenance cost for first 2 years and the first maintenance is only to change the brake fluid which is pretty cheap.
• Very cheap to operate. Way cheaper to drive this than an ICE car.
• I've owned the car since August of 2020 and had zero problems.
• I have the Signature model so it doesn't have a sunroof. I love the slick top.
• Lots of customizations available from mirrors, floor mats, mud flaps, vinyl, wheels, etc.

Dislikes

• The seatbelt is not adjustable so shorter drivers, like my wife, hate it. I'm really surprised by this.
• Under the hood, water gets just about everywhere with lots of little places to trap water. It is pretty time consuming drying it after washing the car.
• The diff is open.
• The stock ride height is slightly higher than the Cooper S.
• I wish removing the rear seats would allow a flat floor. It has a welded in mount for the rear seat backs. If this had bolts so it could be removed, the rear hatch area could be completely flat with the seats removed.
• Not a fan of the runflat tires that come with the car. They are too loud.

Would I buy another?
Yes, definitely.

Anything I should be aware of before ordering one?

• The current federal EV rebate is $7500 but this might go down. Congress has been talking about reducing this for non-American made cars.
• Use Autotrader to search for cars and if you see one in stock that you like, contact that dealer. I didn't wait months for my car and I found one several states away and the dealer shipped it to me. I think I looked for about 1 month before finding my car.

 

Your MINI Cooper SE came with runflats? Mine didn't--it includes a tire fix-it kit. I thought the SE was the only MINI Cooper that didn't come with runflats (probably to increase EV range over what runflats can offer).

 

Yes, it has runflats. I thought all Minis now come with runflat tires because there isn't a spare tire.

 

Except the SE, which comes with the MINI road repair kit (compressor and bottle of tire goo). You're the first person I've heard say they got runflats. Everyone else has had regular summer tires on their SEs, not even all-season even if delivered in the winter.

 

I have 17in summer performance runflats but I also had 16in winter runflats (w/ TPMS) thrown in as part of dealer discount.

 

China can manufacture goods to whatever standard you like, and the price they charge reflects that.
If a western company contracts them to build something they are given pricing and options for upgrades for various pieces.
Companies like Apple only want the best and have stringent quality control.
Companies bringing dollar store junk over just want the item as cheap as it can be made to maximize profit while having the lowest possible retail price.
In some cases the absolute best quality is only available from Chinese companies as western ones have abandoned the market yet they have invested.
Frankly I couldn’t care less where an item is made, only it’s quality. Just because something is made in the USA (or Germany or wherever) doesn’t mean it’s any good. I have bought stuff labeled ”proudly made in the USA” and it’s utter garbage. I’ve also bought stuff that says Made in China and it’s been superb. But the inverse has also been true.
If the Mini made in China is of lower quality that’s BMW’s fault.
As for Tesla, it may be uncomfortable to hear but the cars made in China are demonstrably
better put together than the ones made in the USA. If given a choice I would have taken a Shanghai Model Y over our USA Model Y that is an absolute rattle trap.
And as for referring to things as Chinesium… I remember when the same was said about the Koreans, and the Japanese before that. And I’ll take Sony over RCA and Kai over Chevrolet any day of the week… However the Chinese will be blamed for “stealing” jobs when the reality is that western business owners laid off their workers here and farmed the work out to China to increase profits and the US consumer didn’t care as long as they could keep buying more and more stuff they don’t need at the cheapest price possible to fill their garages and basements with ever expanding mounds of stuff.
It’s not China’s fault, they’re doing exactly what any capitalist business is supposed to do, we only have ourselves to blame.

 

The Signature model came with 16" wheels and all season run flats. They were Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season tires. I also got my car in 2020 as an early 2021 model year.

 

I have a signature w/ 16" wheels and got the Hankook, non-runflats.

 

I'm wondering if your dealer swapped the tires before you took delivery. Did you receive a tire fix-it kit with the goo-dispensing compressor? AFAIK, the SE with go-flats is the only MINI Cooper that includes this kit.