[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.