[carrrl]

Hi all - I've had a Fiat 500e and currently a Chevy Bolt. Don't get me wrong, the Bolt is amazing, but I am just not willing to deal with its issues right now. I'm usually interested in the technical details, tinkering with CAN bus, 12v mods, and the like. Pleasantly surprising is the attention to detail MINI/BMW pays to the driving experience. So many little things you discover and think "woah, why doesn't every car do that?"

Anyway, I am looking at the MINI SE as a replacement. It seems to fit nicely between the two. A solid driver, good enough EV tech, serviceable range, and apparently a ton of fun. Very much approaching this as a small EV buyer, not (yet) a MINI super fan, but it sounds like the latter is contagious

Pretty sold on it, joined here to get into the nitty gritty.

 

[fmini]

Hi carrl, so far i like mine, i got it this year

 

[Greencarman]

Hi all - I've had a Fiat 500e and currently a Chevy Bolt. Don't get me wrong, the Bolt is amazing, but I am just not willing to deal with its issues right now. I'm usually interested in the technical details, tinkering with CAN bus, 12v mods, and the like. Pleasantly surprising is the attention to detail MINI/BMW pays to the driving experience. So many little things you discover and think "woah, why doesn't every car do that?"

Anyway, I am looking at the MINI SE as a replacement. It seems to fit nicely between the two. A solid driver, good enough EV tech, serviceable range, and apparently a ton of fun. Very much approaching this as a small EV buyer, not (yet) a MINI super fan, but it sounds like the latter is contagious

Pretty sold on it, joined here to get into the nitty gritty.

I am also coming out of a Chevy Bolt with an order pending for a Mini SE. On paper other cars might make more sense (like a Leaf), but they don’t seem as fun to drive. I hate that I can’t find anywhere to test drive one so I am going in blind. The main thing I didn’t like about the Bolt (other than battery issues) was the poor handling. I think that EV’s are so heavy that they lose some handling around corners. I needed a car with a reputable battery (CATL produced prismatic for the Mini), a liquid cooled battery for longevity, a heat pump to keep range on cool days, and better driving feel. I don’t quite understand the huge following that Mini has, but hopefully I will understand once I drive it.

 

[fmini]

I am also coming out of a Chevy Bolt with an order pending for a Mini SE. On paper other cars might make more sense (like a Leaf), but they don’t seem as fun to drive. I hate that I can’t find anywhere to test drive one so I am going in blind. The main thing I didn’t like about the Bolt (other than battery issues) was the poor handling. I think that EV’s are so heavy that they lose some handling around corners. I needed a car with a reputable battery (CATL produced prismatic for the Mini), a liquid cooled battery for longevity, a heat pump to keep range on cool days, and better driving feel. I don’t quite understand the huge following that Mini has, but hopefully I will understand once I drive it.

So Mini has a reputation for being a great handling car and fun to drive. And like you I went in blind when buying my mini se. and I was looking for a ev as a commuter car and actually test drove a golf e first and was considering buy one,but then I heard Mini was coming out with one and I said that's what I want. So after multiple YouTube videos reviews on the car and weighing the pros and cons the car fit my needs in the terms range and fun to drive.

 

[Greencarman]

So Mini has a reputation for being a great handling car and fun to drive. And like you I went in blind when buying my mini se. and I was looking for a ev as a commuter car and actually test drove a golf e first and was considering buy one,but then I heard Mini was coming out with one and I said that's what I want. So after multiple YouTube videos reviews on the car and weighing the pros and cons the car fit my needs in the terms range and fun to drive.

That’s great. It does seem like they are intentionally not trying to market or sell too many electric cars yet. I wonder if they don’t have the battery capacity. I have yet to see one on the road in Nor Cal area and there are none for test drive or for sale anywhere. It seems like they could sell a ton of these with just a little bit more supply. The local dealers told me March 2022, so I actually went with a dealer in LA since they said I can get it before the end of the year. I placed my order in early September, so now I just need to wait.

 

[ghost]

I was lucky to find one to test drive in San Diego. I had an egolf and loved it. The SE has better specs on most performance-based metrics. It was much more fun to drive. Mine is due next month.

 

[TomFromNC]

I just picked up Min last without ever driving it before hand. It drives great and handles very well. You will enjoy it.