Was Buying The Shortest Range EV A Good Idea? MINI Cooper SE 6 Month Ownership Update 

Nice job going on video for the first time, Mike! Looking forward to more from you.

Would have liked to hear more about observed actual range, charging curve/times, onboard charger capabilities, etc. Seems like a great price though assuming you can actually find one.

Electric mini removes the most problematic part on a mini - the ICE drivetrain. We quite enjoy ours.

Instead of talking about color of the car for 5+ minutes, I would appreciate something that is actually more relevent, that is info about range, charging, driving expirience etc.

Love my Cooper se too. It has traveled quite a bit and makes it beyond the range as long as there are fast chargers nearby the destination. It also keeps it entertaining with the punch it packs down low and keeps me from going to jail on the highways. Haha. Always glad to see mini content.

I have 13k miles on mine already and love the car. Fantastic canyon carver, fun around town, and it even autocrosses well. I have a preorder for a Rivian, but I'm torn on whether or not to get rid of my MINI when it comes.

Welcome to team OOS Mike! Looking forward to all your awesome content.

I would say. Don’t hesitate to buy one. There is a 4-6 month wait. Unless you get lucky and find one that someone did not take delivery of. (Rare). After summer the British made German electric go cart will go away and it will be replaced by a Chinese British version with longer range and I am sure a higher price tag

Would have been nice if you elaborated a bit more on the range and charging. Do you have a 3mile commute or a 100 mile commute? How is it when it's colder out? Range is the exact thing that kept me from buying this mini. For me I'd eat up that 100 miles everyday and hopefully make it home. Forget about after the battery degrades a little or in the cold winter I'd never be able to take it unless it could get the stated range and then some with full heat or AC on in the dead of winter.

You said 5/6/7 times you like the green. When does the review start?

I didn’t even know this car existed but I’m glad to see it!

I am so glad you made this review. We drove one and loved it. We ordered a British racing green which is much more vibrant than the older version of the same color. I have been driving evs for 5 years and I know that for day to day use. This car is perfect. We also own a Tesla model Y. For long drives and for moving around kids and my big dog. However since my son is. Ow driving I may trade the Y for the next version of the electric mini in 2024 which will have a 50kwh battery and double the range

I'd get one but as a former Bolt owner I already know my range needs. People new to the EV world may shy away due to the range, especially the winter reduction, and go for the max range (or charging rate) they can afford. Or they'll still have an ICE for a while and just use this for almost free (fuel) running around doing local errands.

Gorgeous, but not quite BRG: it's a tad too bright. Yes, I know, there's no one definition of BRG, but we know it when we see it. Still, gorgeous!

Thank you for sharing. I ordered a '23 Signature March 19th in BRG. $29.9k + $850 destination - $7.5k credit = $23,250. Started production 4/28. Not sure I'll use it but they have a loan that excludes $7.5k where it's due when closing the loan. Compare $23.3k to 40% overpriced pre-owned BMW i3 or new ICE budget el-cheap-O cars. Love that it looks like a MINI, doesn't have to prove it's an EV with weird styling. Hard to beat the fun factor and quality. Big feature I really like on my utility/longrange car, '22 BMW X3 is Alexa which this has. Interesting to see if the MINI voice control is the same as BMW which is excellent for controlling navigation etc. Between the BMW voice control and Alexa, I turn off CarPlay. I control Amazon Music, my garage doors, etc. Would prefer 'classic' white top and caps but base is all the same color. Will see if a wrap is warranted - maybe one of the special edition. Will find the tint percent on the X3 for side/rear and use the same on the MINI. More than ample range for zip errands or driving to work once every couple weeks, downtown for shows, to the airport, etc. Alt Fuel tag allows HOV lane and free access to some of the PeachPass lanes. I'm with BMW on not needing the extra cost and weight - I'm under 30mi/day average by a long shot. Use the X3 for utility and roadtrips. $.11/kWh here, have a 14-50 plug in the garage for one of the new Grizzl-E 'mini' EVSE and a 50kW free station less than a mile if I really needed. Thanks again for sharing.

Wow, that is quite good value. For about 5 - 7 grand more you could have a Kona Electric with 258-mile range, but I understand the attraction of the Mini (we have a 2016 e-Golf as well as a '22 Kona EV; the e-Golf is a blast). I guess not-EV-from-the-ground-up EVs are better than reviewers have been painting them, and much better value, if not objectively as good as those on dedicated platforms.

Just got mine a week ago. Love it so far. 🚗🔌

If the incentives bring this down to about $25k that's a pretty good value as just a fun second vehicle for around town. Without the incentives unfortunately it loses its value. But I assume Mini will never sell enough vehicles to hit the incentive cap.

Well Done with your first review, great to hear your view on the mini, just proves that not all EVs need to go 300 miles… use case!

My Rav4 only goes like 80 miles. Its a great around town car. Lower range cars are great for secondary commuter cars

I also have 2022 BRG Mini Cooper SE I ordered in November and received in February (no mark-up above sticker if you order from the Mini website). It's a great second car (primary is a Tesla Model X Plaid). The Mini is not "Tesla" fast, but is still a blast to drive. Fit and finish are excellent with no rattles or squeaks (unlike the Model X). You can easily achieve the 112 EPA range driving normally with Cooper SE. For the price, there is nothing as fun or cool and the Mini Cooper SE!

British Racing Green has been around since the 50s on MINI Coopers. It went away for a while and was reintroduced in 2019 on the 60th anniversary.

Very interesting spec with the pedal spoke wheels and the roof rails.

Nice job! I have a short range EV, i.e. Fiat 500 great little car only use it for when we go into the city or small errands so super practical. Have my LR Def 110 (2020) for family outings and off-roading. Depends on ones needs, but short range EVs are great for the city no emissions, easy to park as there are DC chargers all over the place here in 🇱🇺. No regrets!

Love this car! Cooper S are forever!

I love my Cooper SE as well. Got the 7,500 incentive, plus another 2,500 from Colorado.

That’s a gorgeous color for sure Mike, and use case makes the vehicle.

If you can charge at home and your commute doesn't typically go far out of town, that range is plenty.

Minor correction - the Mazda MX-30 is the shortest range "conventional EV" for sale in North America new. Only 100 miles EPA range.

There must be some way to design roof rails such that they are flush with the roof when not in use.

Just got ours in BRG with the black roof. They didn’t have the white roof available in the iconic package that we wanted. Loving it so far

I thought that strip mall looked familiar, then I saw your plate! I've not long picked up my own green SE from Winston Flow. Mine showed up with two other green SEs. You are exactly right about the colour, everyone loves it. Maybe I'll see you around!

Great car and a great video for your first video.you did good with the white roof. I also have a Dizzey green here in the UK

Tks for commenting on the short range. I work from home, wife has the gas-SUV, I drive about ~6k miles a year in very short commutes. VALUE is where is at for me! As well.

Cool looking Mini. Collected my Rebel Green Mini JCW last month. Considered the electric Mini for a minute before ordering the JCW, but the small battery/short range was a deal breaker for me. The official name of your colour is British Racing Green IV. The Rebel Green is more true to the most common iteration of BRG.

Wish you would have spoke more about the range he gets

Good job Mike.

Have you tracked how much money you have spent on charging? How many miles have you driven? In my efficient I.C.E car I have spent $1000 on gasoline for 6000 miles in the last 6 months.

Without all the rebates it’s expensive for the range you might get in a Canadian winter, I understand the Mini appeal but it almost makes owning two cars a must.

In March I bought an Iconic level 3 in all black with all the trim blacked out and it has the pedal spoke wheels like yours. I have owned a JWC hardtop and a Countryman All4 Turbo prior. This car is an absolute blast to drive and for me personally the battery range falls well within my day to day driving. We have a home charger installed which makes it easier to own. As Mike mentioned there are no squeaks or rattles at all. Its a very quiet drive depending on the road surface.. I have saved $160 a month in gas easily compared to my previous Mini. The tax rebate next year will be a bonus..

More Mini SE content please!

I agree from my perspective of 2 months with my 2023 SE EV.

I just built a mini ev on the website 5mins ago and it looks like exactly the same as yours! The green body with white top and same rims!

It depends on your needs. Hopefully prices on cars drop again where you can adjust your needs accordingly. Is yours AWD?

PLEASE DO A RANGE TEST ON TESLA M3 SR+

I love mine too, range not an issue! You don’t need 400 km range in every live, and you lug that weight around…

In my 20 plus years of driving I don't think I've ever driven more than 100 miles in a day unless I was taking a trip somewhere which is rare for me. I wouldn't mind it if I had home charging but I would also like to keep a cheap ice car just in case it's needed.

I have a 219 Soul EV Luxury with 30KWH battery about the same range and could not be a better local driver, but even did a road trip with it from Vancouver, BC to Edmonton Alberta Canada, no issues and charged quickly for such a small battery. My second car is a 2020 Kia Soul EV Limited with 64KWH battery, that one is current rad tripper, just wished the seats were as comfortable as the 2019.

As the owner of a 2019 Leaf with 149 miles of range that cost $26,000 after incentives, the Mini seems to be in the same class as the Leaf. It provides an EV at an affordable price for those who can't, or don't want to, spent upwards of $40k on a car. We do 95% of our driving with the Leaf. But we own a home with an EV charger which is a must and we know the limitations of the car. Most people don't drive more than 40 miles a day so you charge every night and wake up in the morning with a car that has 125-150 miles of range for that day. But don't expect to go on a 2,000 mile road trip unless you have the patience of a saint and you have meticulously mapped out all the charging stations along the way. Even a Tesla requires hour long charge stops on a long road trip. And don't take a 100 mile round trip in the winter if the temperature is 25 degrees and you are blasting the heat as you cruise along at 70 miles an hour...you will at some point realize you won't make it back home. You will have to turn off the heat and drive the last 30 miles home at 45 MPH (been there, done that). However, if you own more than one car, a low range EV will be the best second car you will ever own. And probably the one you will drive the most!

What percentage is the window tint? Looks nice.

I'd take this over any Leaf, any day, even with the range (or lack thereof).

Let's see some more videos of the MINI SE !

Just ordered mine a few months ago and I will get it this month most likely. They are not offering the 7,500 tax refund anymore, but if you lease the car you can get $9,900 right off the top of the car. You can then buy it within 90 days. Almost 10k off the top of the car is an amazing deal.

112 miles that is low. I have been managing well with my 17’ Ioniq with 124 miles range. Ideally i would prefer 150-180. That would cover 100% of my needs in all seasons (-20 C here in winter)

Love the roof rails, too.

116 miles of range? LOL good lord, $35k? Trying to envision the context of "second car" here so as to appreciate this POV, but BMW didn't exactly bank on this car having any use otherwise, it seems. Preferences aside, I'm really happy this car makes you happy, Mike, I suppose I can appreciate this as a grocery getter, but wouldn't a ~5yr old Honda Fit or something be a better value? Seats are nice, though!

How long is your commute? do you have a commute? Do you get software updates? Can it play RU-vid?

Too much about the car color. 1 1/2 mins if that about "smaller range ev". No comparison to similar vehicles by range/price/mfg/resale/potenial repair costs/battery life/charging times/range anxiety due to weather/road terrain

How did you even get the roof rails? Dealers say it's a 9hr job and it's not an option from the factory here.

That green is beautiful!

This type of ev is good. Can any company make 2 door ev similar to this one at the price below 20k? That will fit us market very well for sure.

We should meet up at Cars & Coffee (Page Rd Durham) and compare notes. Mine has the green roof.

You forgot to say what the real world range is on the car! Is it more or less than the EPA range? What is the efficiency?

Green looks so good!

Mini forever! I love my eletric rocket car.

Great little review, thanks.

So you like BRG. What about range, utility, practicality?

Great video! Did you add any tint?

How far do you drive? 5 miles a day?

Configurator for this car is all messed up on the mini website. I ordered one and they won't even tell me what MSRP is.

I commute 3 days a week 30 miles and 3 days a week 55 miles. This less than 100 miles rangecar when cold is good for small town in town commutes in South only.

Thanks for the video. You are obviously a “Mini” fan. They are a cute looking car but a little small for my liking. Also, remember the tax incentive you got is not free. Tax payers are paying for your tax incentive. I don’t believe the gov’t should give incentives for buying products. That said, I’d like to see more videos on the “Mini EV”. What’s the equivalent MPGe. What’s the charging curve/time look like. It’s a good size car for around town, but definitely not a road trip car. I live in an area (Twin cities in MN) where it’s not hard to put on 100 miles a day on the weekends if you are visiting friends, going to grandkids events, etc. How does the price compare to the “Mini” ICE?

So do you like the color?

9 and a half minute video, with 60 seconds of information relevant to the title..... waste of time.

I've owned three MINIs/ I've regretted every one. I will likely buy one of these electrics when they come out with a Clubman or Countryman. BOHICA!

How many miles do you drive a day? Love the looks but 112 seems so few. I have a VW ID4 & I never get close to the stated 240 range unless it’s perfect real world conditions

I gonna order this mini exactly like yours. I just took other wheels and took white stripes on the hood. My interior is in brown leather and I ordered all the other stuff.🤩! I love this color and the white roof! But it costs around 43.000€ (in Germany). But the state subsidies 9000€.

Not worth the investment when you have such a short range unless this is your second car. Better options avaliable when it comes to price and range . Hyndai Ionic 100 times better with 200 miles range

Was there any dealership mark up on the price?

Did u have an hair transplant in the middle.of the video 😂

How fast is it from 0-100KM ? How many seconds?

wait doesn't the honda e have less range then the mini cooper se

I just wish the Mini was built from the ground up as opposed to modifying the ICE Mini to make it an EV.

Nice color and great looking car. But it is not one of my choices.

A bad idea in America, the ultimate short range trip hopper worse than a 30kwh leaf, if you only do a 40kw mile trip your be fine but anyone doing road trips forget it

Best of both worlds, German quality and EV reliability. Nice 👍🏻 too bad they haven’t updated that Mini with the bigger i3 battery, ~150mi

Who tf is this? Kyle?

I like this car but jeez that lack of range is just pathetic.

There should never be government incentives for anything. It is for any purpose an invalid use of taxpayer dollars. Government should never be in the business of selecting winners and losers, that is the province of the economy.

FORWARD TO 7:50 FOR ANSWER. Yes. HE RECOMMENDS it. He talks way too much about everything else.

Not in my opinion it would worth.

Nice color but needs to have 150 miles minimum.

Not British racing green! Racing green is darker and not metallic!

The front looks like a bug-eyed man with a beard. Its cute anyway though.

Range su x

34k for such a small car with such short range is a waste of money. I hope they are very reliabe including the suspension on it, at least. Because if it ends up being a typical BMW money pit then it goes from being one of those spoil yourself purchases to being a dumb purchase.

Big Dork!

I would rather have a smart convertible all electric that only get 60 miles of range .

Wow, grossly overpriced.

Please show the attachment to Mike to explain why his SE is green en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_auto_racing_colours