[chargedup]

Hi all, I'm considering (and leaning towards) a MINI SE and I would love some advice. A few questions:

1) Has anyone tried negotiating below MSRP for a new build? What price did you end up with? Any tips?

2) Resale price of the SE: It doesn't seem like there are too many used SEs out there (I know they're still new, but hopefully that's a good thing!). Does anyone have any concept of what a MINI SE would re-sell for?

3) If anyone's willing to offer situational advice: I was very sold on the MINI SE for budget, cute-ness, and fun-ness. 110 mile range is fine for my day-to-day but it does make me a little nervous about weekend trips and things like that. However, I got an offer for $23,000 for a 2020 Bolt and now I'm conflicted. The Bolt is the more practical option for range and it's a bigger deal off of MSRP than I would get for the Mini (I live in California so I would be paying ~$19,500 for the base model of the Mini). Do I go for range and practicality or quality of the car and the drive?

4) How on earth did you choose a color!? I'm driving myself crazy over here!

Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks all!

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I can't help you on pricing. I paid MSRP (minus state/federal incentives). Nor with resale. Like you said, it's so new that it's really hard to know for sure. That 110 mile range may really hurt in a few years when the market is flooded with 250+ mile EVs. I bought and intent to keep for the long haul, so it wasn't a concern of mine.

The Bolt is much more practical, and while it is no Mini, it is not boring to drive. It is as quick as the SE and handles well, although it's nothing like the SE in handling.

All of the colors offered look great, I understand your dilemna! Rest assured, though, whatever you decide on will look good. I went with BRG because I have always wanted a green car, and it's such a classic color for the Mini.

 

[chargedup]

I can't help you on pricing. I paid MSRP (minus state/federal incentives). Nor with resale. Like you said, it's so new that it's really hard to know for sure. That 110 mile range may really hurt in a few years when the market is flooded with 250+ mile EVs. I bought and intent to keep for the long haul, so it wasn't a concern of mine.

The Bolt is much more practical, and while it is no Mini, it is not boring to drive. It is as quick as the SE and handles well, although it's nothing like the SE in handling.

All of the colors offered look great, I understand your dilemna! Rest assured, though, whatever you decide on will look good. I went with BRG because I have always wanted a green car, and it's such a classic color for the Mini.

Thank you for the thoughtful response!

I did decide to go with the MINI in the end. I got a great price on an order that someone else backed out of, and it should be here any day! They ordered the Moonwalk Gray with white roof/white caps and I'm happy with that.

I do still have mixed feelings about the range, but considering I haven't owned any car in the past 5 years and my partner has a gas-powered car, it's not going to be a huge problem. It's more of a mental hurdle than anything else.

I wish it would hurry up and get here!

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Congratulations! You are going to love it.

 

[Greencarman]

Hello. I am deciding between a mini SE and the low range 2022 Leaf (140 mile range). I have a Bolt that I am in the process of GM buyback due to fire risk so I am attempting to stay away from any LG batteries. It seems like the Mini is conservative with range estimates and I anticipate little battery degradation with its liquid cooled battery (I live in a hot climate). What are others thoughts about the range 6-10 years from now? The Leaf seems to make more sense on paper, but I don’t like the CHAdeMO charger and I fear that it’s battery range loss will be more severe, making it less appealing over time. To the best of my knowledge (Google) neither the Leaf or the Mini/BMW I3 have had any fires or severe battery issues. I really want to be able to charge in my garage again!

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Kind of a delayed response, but here we go.

The Leaf has a poor track record for battery longevity. BMW has a pretty good history with the i3. I have found that the Mini's range is closer to 125 miles; it is very efficient. And you will probably have close to 125 miles still in 10 years. The Leaf is less efficient on the highway. A friend had a 40kWh version and was getting 130 miles on the highway. So already the range is tantalizingly close, when new. After 10 years, the Leaf will likely have closer to 100 miles of range.

I'm sorry to hear you are selling back your Bolt (I still love mine!), but I'm glad you are looking for another EV.

 

[SandyUT]

So far no issue or concern with range.
We ordered in Oct and took delivery in Dec. Loaded up with everything, moonwalk grey, white roof and mirrors and roulette wheels. LOVE IT!
We did negotiate below MSRP.

Late to post...

 

[Zundeep]

Hi, I have been driving my mini electric since January 1. I needed a new car after 15 years of driving the same one, I wanted to go electric, and when I looked at electric car prices, I was very disappointed that everything seems to be geared towards people who can drop 50K or more on a vehicle. There are not enough cheaper electric vehicles available yet, and I believe the first company that makes a decent $20,000 electric will be the winner. With time maybe.

So I did an Internet search of the cheapest electric vehicles available right now. Mini Cooper came up along with the other regulars. Hands-down, you will not find a more fun car in this price range that is electric. I commute 20 minutes back and forth from work. I drive around the city. I know my driving habits well, I do not believe range will ever be an issue for me (we have a gas family SUV for long trips). If the range can work for you, and you will not be regularly in anxiety mode. This is a no-brainer. If you will constantly be checking and calculating, I would go with something else. The psychological distress will not be worth being in a cool car. I would choose practicality over anxiety in that case.

I stopped paying attention to different range tests etc. And I also do not really ever pay attention to the battery range indicator on the console, it bases things on estimates etc., taking into account your driving behavior also. I monitor my car like I use my phone battery. I like to know what exact percent the battery is at. You can toggle information so it shows you the little battery symbol and exactly how much battery is left. So just like on your phone, if you use a bunch of apps, or apps that are high energy consumers, your battery depletes quicker. Same thing in the mini electric, the more stuff you have running, the quicker your battery depletes, and that impacts range.

After driving it for a month or two you will quickly understand how the range will work for you. I usually drive in mid Setting. My advice to most people is to use the first green setting, if you're just doing normal everyday driving. When I compare my mid setting driving, to my green setting driving, there is a significant difference in depletion. The mid setting has quite a bit of punch that is unnecessary, And the sport mode is overkill for me on the regular. I never really use green plus, but I bet the car could run forever on that (city driving ). Last thing, when I go to work, I have the option of jumping on a short highway, or doing city driving all the way to work. Highway driving because of no regen opportunities and high speeds, depletes battery quicker. My drive takes about six minutes more, but I actually use less battery by doing city driving to work.

 

[Zundeep]

Thank you for the thoughtful response!

I did decide to go with the MINI in the end. I got a great price on an order that someone else backed out of, and it should be here any day! They ordered the Moonwalk Gray with white roof/white caps and I'm happy with that.

I do still have mixed feelings about the range, but considering I haven't owned any car in the past 5 years and my partner has a gas-powered car, it's not going to be a huge problem. It's more of a mental hurdle than anything else.

I wish it would hurry up and get here!

If you live in a building or somewhere where you don’t always have a plug available, or you have to make plans to charge your vehicle, I would not buy this vehicle. I have a plug available at work, and I have a plug available at home. You will read all kinds of things about battery care, ignore all advice and just keep it plugged in. I plug mine in every other day. If you are trickle charging, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.