Initial Driving Impressions

I put great weight on the opinion of one of my nephews - he has worked at a high volume body shop for 9 years. He basically said, "I have seen and driven just about every modern car out there, and this Mini EV is the first car that made me excited in years".

 

@miatadan I've only had my car for a couple of days but made some time yesterday to go find some fun roads. Here's my review of the Mini as compared to my 97 Miata:

TLDR (out of 10)
Handling Miata: 10 Mini: 8
Acceleration Miata: 3 Mini: 10
Brakes Miata: 10 Mini: ? (haven't really used the brakes but regen is awesome!)
Visibility: Miata: 10 Mini: 7 (-3 due to rear view mirror blocking right turns)
Comfort: Miata: 2 Mini: 9
Size* (feel): Miata: 1 Mini: 4
* 1=small, 10=large

Overview
This is just a subjective comparison likely only useful for a handful of people who have driven a Miata and are looking at the Mini. For everyone else there will at least be some pretty pictures!

Miata

I had my Miata for 6 years and put roughly $4000 into handling upgrades (suspension, wheels, tires, brakes, chassis stiffening, custom alignment). The engine is unmodified so the car is still as slow as it was from the factory!

Handling

This is my top priority in a car. Mostly just for fun driving but also helpful for safety (evasive maneuvers for animals/idiots) and helpful in inclement weather. The Mini has excellent handling but is not on the same level as the Miata for a couple of reasons:

Steering:

The steering feedback feels a bit dead. This is a common complaint with electric power steering so not an issue unique to the Mini but definitely something noticeable coming from a great example of old school hydraulic power steering.

I heavily relied on the steering feedback in my Miata when driving in rain and snow to alert me to any unexpected understeer from slippery patches. With the few other electric power steering cars I've driven on ice/snow, it's almost impossible to tell if the front wheels are slipping or not until you're sliding off your intended path. I'll reserve judgement here until this winter...​

Cornering:

Cornering in the Mini is fantastic! The factory alignment does seem to be slightly biased towards understeer at the limit but that should be easy to fix. Definitely better than my Miata was before modifications.

There is more body roll than my super stiff Miata but that is an acceptable compromise for the vastly superior ride quality (I must be getting soft in my old age of almost 30...). After doing some experimentation, it seems that Mini is using strong low speed compression damping in the shocks to reduce body roll rather than stiff sway bars. When going through a longer corner with gradual turn-in there is almost no body roll but if I do any quick steering movements (like going straight through a tight roundabout) it leans quite significantly.

If I'm being very picky, the Miata feels like it's center of rotation is exactly at the driver but with the Mini it feels like this center of rotation is in front of the driver. This is essentially due to the difference in weight balance (50/50 vs 60/40).

Acceleration out of a corner is quite different with the FWD Mini. It's less of a smooth transition to straight with increasing throttle and more of a fight with the steering wheel... It's honestly quite fun! There does seem to be some odd increase in steering weight sometimes when power is applied in a turn. It feels almost like the power steering is cutting out. I think this could possibly be Mini using the power steering motor to resist torque steer or just be some byproduct of high torque FWD (if the Mini has a large scrub radius, a right turn would have to force the right wheel backwards against the torque)​

Acceleration

The Miata and the Mini are exact opposites in terms of acceleration. The Miata is a whole process full of shifting, noise, and vibration all for very little result. All your sensations tell you you're going fast just without the physical shove. In the Mini, you floor it and you're at 60 before you know it! The speedometer can't even keep up! The 0-60 spec definitely doesn't tell the whole story either. There's a delay in acceleration from roughly 0-5 mph, then crazy acceleration from 5-45 mph, then it starts to flatten off a bit above 45.

Throttle Response and One Pedal Driving

This one definitely surprised me. I knew I'd like one pedal driving but it is so much nicer than I thought it would be! Definitely one of my favorite features is being able to come to a stop without using the brakes.
The throttle response in Mid/Green/Green+ is a bit vague in my opinion. There is a very large "dead zone" where there is no acceleration and no regen and I find it a bit difficult to gauge when the regen will start to come on strong when letting off the throttle. Sport mode however fantastic! Very precise throttle with no dead zone but sensitive enough to drive conservatively if desired.

Visibility

Visibility in the Miata was great at the cost of safety. The A pillars were very slim but definitely couldn't support the car in a roll over. The Mini has great visibility for a modern car. My only complaint is the rear view mirror. When I adjust the seat height where I want it (so I can see a bit of the hood) the rear view mirror is right in the way of many right hand turns (anything with roughly the curvature of a cloverleaf freeway offramp). I am learning to lean over a bit to see but its really my only annoyance with the car.

Comfort

Compared to a 24 year old car there is no contest. Comfortable was not a word I'd use to describe my Miata. The Mini is very roomy and the seat has a pretty good amount of adjustability. The seat back has a bump near my upper back that pushes it out a bit which is slightly annoying but not too bad. As others have said, the back seat is actually pretty roomy! I'm also a big fan of the floor mounted pivot on the gas pedal.

Size

My first impression when getting into the Mini after driving 3 hours to the dealer in my Miata was "this feels like an SUV!". I had never actually been in a Mini before I picked mine up so it was a bit of a surprise. It's so small on the outside but the square-ish shape and upright windshield make it feel quite large on the inside. Not a bad thing at all but definitely a change from the Miata's close front windshield and wrap around rear hardtop window.

Overall
I don't think the Mini will ever match the raw, precision feel of the Miata. There's a reason the Miata has the reputation that it does and is the most raced car in the world. However, I've wanted an EV since the original Tesla Roadster and have no regrets in my decision to switch to the Mini SE. The Mini is a way better car to drive and is just as much fun with a bit more practicality. To anyone on the fence: as long as the range meets your needs, go for it! It's almost impossible to not smile every time you rocket away from a stop sign in pure silence.

 

Thanks for your post - well thought out comparison! I found myself happier when I lowered my seat just enough to keep the mirror from blocking my right hand view. It was bugging me, as well.

 

Can you still see the headlight bulges on the hood? I did try lowering until the mirror wasn't in the way but it felt weird not being able to see any of the car past the dashboard.

 

One of the best review's I ever read. I have owned in the past the 2002, 2005 and last Miata was the 2007 which I had the longest.
Handling is also the most important aspect for me as well. I preferred driving the Miata over the Mustangs because of how fun they are to drive. There is a lot more to fun car than just the 0-60sec aspect.

This review of the ID4 by Out of Spec Reviews / Deep Driving Analysis shows aspects important to me


Short list of EV's that may have the driving dynamics I am looking for

ID4
Mini Cooper SE
Mazda MX30
Tesla Model 3

Dan

 

I just went and checked:

• My eyes are about level with the knob on the bottom of the rearview mirror
• The right-hand headlight bulge is just out of sight
• The right-hand wash fluid nozzle is in sight
• The left-hand headlight bulge is in sight

 

Great review, It was really helpful to read your comparison with driving dynamics as the main point of comparison.

Quick question:
Have you experienced any ecu thermal management cutting power after prolonged spirited driving? I think motor trend and Kyle from Out of Spec experienced this. From my limited research (google) I presume the thermal management system is reducing power when the battery is at a lower state of charge. I would love to hear real world feedback from actual owners that have taken their Mini's on a few back roads. I am also car enthusiast coming from GR Subaru STI.

Thanks for the great review and pictures, I think our cars are spec'd the same, My Mini is a signature with black door handles and badges with victory spoke wheels.

 

You have to be hammering the SE very hard, such as on a track, to induce the car's power-limiting disappointment. I'm happy it's never happened to me, but my fast driving comes in bursts, not sustained hooning.

I believe the limitation is the due to the car preventing the battery from overheating, not a low-charge problem. I'd love to know what MINI did to their Formula E pace car to overcome this limitation. If MINI makes an electric JCW, I assume it will have to bear the weight of not only a larger motor and battery, but a larger cooling system, too.

 

The issue of power-limited due to thermal management system is not unique to BMW/Mini. I have seen articles with Tesla having same problems.

It is not difficult for EV to outperform ICE sports cars in drag races but if racing on an road course with many laps, than thermo management comes into play.

Would love to know some of the techniques used in Formula E racing. This is why I follow Formula E racing as it shows the limits of EV's and what is done to overcome issues such as over heating.

A lot more variables in EV's where cold temperature , hot effects EV's differently than ICE vehicles.

Dan

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. 99.9% of time I will most likely not be bumping into the thermal management in day to day putting around.