Great comparison between both vehicles, to make it short, I ended up buying a 2020 Mini Cooper SE. However I've owned a petrol Mini before and like Minis in general, so it was more of an emotional decision (as it usually often is with Mini) rather than a logical one, because the i3, especially one with that bigger battery, would've suited my needs maybe just a bit better. Initially I really disliked the looks and design of the BMW i3, but have started liking it. It's a shame BMW discontinued it, it seems the demand for more compact cars isn't there anymore? In my opinion the i3 still looks modern and different, still sort of ahead of its time. It really shows how much clever engineering went into this car.
I find the MINI Cooper SE so much fun to drive! You have the different driving modes that are easy to toggle thru. It corners and hugs the road so well. I took an i3s to drive and would need to spend more time with it. I found it very different to the MINI Cooper SE…the visibility and how it felt on the road. The MINI feels like a car (I am coming from a 330e) and the i3 feels like its an electric car which, of course it is. Saying that… the SE felt more like a car I was used to driving, connected to the road, quick and agile while the i3 felt different. Also… the MINI’s screen is touch screen and closer to the driver so I find it easier to use. The i3’s is up on the dash and has to be controlled thru the iDrive as it does not have a touchscreen. The Harmon/Kardon stereo in the SE also delivers a great sound and is fun to listen too. The i3s also had the Harmon/Kardon stereo but, it did not have as much bass as the SE’s system.
I’m all in on the MINI Cooper SE. In full disclosure, I work for MINI. I prefer the FWd v the RWD of the i3. FYI: it is possible to remove the “world’s smallest package shelf” and it can be stored under the flat load floor for easy loading of cargo or pets.
Interesting to see the two side by side. If you didn’t know the history, you would think the i3 was the cutting edge new car and the Mini was the old technology.
I have the i3s for two years now. BMW gave me the Mini for the day when I had the two year service. What I liked on the Mini was the dual climate control, and the softer suspension. What I didn’t like was the cramped interior and boot space and the front wheel drive. You can floor the i3s without wheel spin even though it’s quicker than the Mini. I didn’t have it long enough to test the range although I know that the Mini has less.
You haven’t covered the option of having different tires in the i3, many people go for 18” wheels with tires that are wider, stickier and cheaper too! I would get an i3S, install 215/45-18 POTENZA RE-71RS put the car in roller mode and have fun at my local track! I honestly don’t know why you guys didn’t do that when you took your Gulf blue i3 to the track! Also let’s not forget the optional REX since it allows to take longer trips w/o range anxiety!
I'm expecting that the big plus for the Mini will be handling and road holding, especially when it's driven a bit harder. Having driven 50 miles home Friday night (with possible black ice) at an absolute snail's pace in my i3, I can appreciate what that means. However, my 94Ah i3 has the Range Extender and with my pretty high mileage and some unplanned journeys, it has been a huge help. It's supplied less than 10% of my miles but without it, there are journeys I could not have made and places I could not have reached.
From what I understand, the Cooper SE is pretty much a Mini 2dr hatch with the i3's 94Ah (or 33kWh) battery paired with the i3S 135kW (181hp) electric motor shoved in the front instead of at the rear. Kind of wished they used the newer i3 120Ah (42kWh) battery instead to give it just a bit more than 120mi range, but alas it is still more of a conversion car than a purpose built EV like the i3 was. Still a great urban runabout vehicle if you don't need 4 doors or road tripping range since the smaller battery makes it lighter and more nimble in keeping with Mini traditional handling character.
Thanks Martin for another very great video. Having had two MINI Cooper S’s then a 60ah REx before my current 94ah REx i3s I will be interested to hear your driving impressions. I still miss the Go Kart handling and the wonderful panoramic sun roof of my MINI’s but the i3 is an easier car to live with as the interior space and design is so much better albeit my MINI’s did not have a touch screen infotainment screen. The i3s is definitely a much more fun car to drive than the standard car and obviously performance much more akin to the ICE MINI Cooper S but with a faster take off and acceleration up to about 50 mph. To me the MINI is a bit low to be city car and begs to be driven but once you take it out into its true habitat the short range is too much of a compromise. Although these two BMW built cars have a lot of similarities I think they will generally appeal to different buyers which makes it all the more disappointing that there is not (yet) a EV version of the 5 door MINI hatch or Clubman or a BMW i1. I cannot see many i3 owners moving on to a Corsa, 208 or one of the Citroen/DS models.
If you love your i3s as much as I do you will find it very difficult to find a replacement. In a year from now the lease runs out so I’ve been looking for a replacement. I really think I’ve found one, the Smart #1. I’m going the whole nine yards and going for the Dual Motor 428 hp 543 Nm Brabus version with its 0-62 time of 3.9 seconds. The standard 272 hp 0-62 in 6.7 top speed 112 mph will do for most. 😮
Where is that video that you compare the driving experience between the two cars? It would be interesting to see how are dynamically compared the I3s with the mini se
We tested both and decided on the BMW I3s 💯👍🏻You can see in many ways that the BMW was developed as a pure electric car and not just an electric motor put into a combustion engine chassis.
That's why I have a classic mini & a 2017 i3, nothing beats a 600kg classic mini when throw around corners, and there's no other quirky sub-compact EV like an i3 (CFRP chassis, suicide doors, Rex)
Hello Martin, I’m a 2014 i3 REx owner and enjoying your channel (and my i3) very much. You had mentioned in a recent video that, since you are a small channel that you’re very likely to answer questions more readily. On that note, I have a question(s) about the i3 battery and cabin preconditioning. You state, and I’ve heard this on a few other channels, that a THREE-hour departure time is required for battery AND cabin preconditioning. However, there are other RU-vid channels that report only 1-hour is adequate..? When I bought my i3, I specifically asked BMW about battery preconditioning. They told me there is no battery preconditioning, only cabin conditioning. In retrospect, I do understand that most dealers, especially where I live were never very savvy with the intricacies of this car and I’m sure that you have researched this issue thoroughly. Why has no one ever shown any documentation from BMW which clearly states how this function operates? Do you know of any? Does the 3-hour requirement have something to do with the initial battery temperatures? Could the time requirement be smaller if the battery was at 60°F versus 30°F? Have you monitored pre and post conditioning battery temperatures to verify actual battery conditioning? I’ve owned my car for nearly 4 years now and this issue has always perplexed me. Thanks so much for your dedication to electric vehicles, especially the i3. You are most certainly my go to source for all things i3!
We will definitely need to make a video covering the HVAC system of the i3. Long-story short, everybody is somewhat correct. The battery preconditioning is a feature which only kicks in if you have a departure time set in the vehicle itself and it needs to be equipped with the winter package (have heated seats). It can take a long time for the battery to get up to temperature, but it's not something to worry about, as the car controls that - you just put in what time you want to have it ready. If you precondition from the key or phone app though, it's only the cabin heater (or AC) which is turned on for up to 30 minutes. Hope that helps.
We have a 2017 i3 for 3 years . Love the car, handling speed performance and reliability. Space in side is great and comfortable. Access to getting in and out of the front seats is good and ok for the rear which has doors. Bring 78 years old how low are the seats and ease of getting in and out??
I am okay with the tire size as it was designed for efficiency of the car. More tire brand varieties would be nice- similar to what Europe offers for the car.
Whilst the i3 is a great, practical choice for me at this moment in time, the firm ride is what lets it down. But, then again, I would hesitate to go for the MINI Electric simply because it's front-wheel-drive...! So, I'm at a bit of a loss as what to replace the i3 with next time around...! Interestingly, though, I watched a drag race between the 60Ah Rex i3 vs the MINI Electric on the InsideEVs channel from 2 years ago - with both cars almost identical in weight, I assumed the i3 would launch better with its rear-wheel-drive push... not so...! Basically, it got absolutely 'creamed' by the MINI...!! 🤣
The 2020 Mini SE is pre-facelift, starting with the 2021 model year, the incorporated the next F56 facelift for the SE as it is shown here: No dedicated fog lights and a slightly smoothed out interior.
