Is anyone holding out for the new version?

I've been considering it, especially since my car has been stuck in Quality Check for 6 weeks to date. I think I would be all in if it was still an all BMW product. I'd love to have the additional range, but also love the idea of having a Mini made in England and looks more like what I have seen the last 20 years. Very curious what the interior styling will look like, as the sneek peek pictures looked more minimal and the center round display looked like a makeup mirror. The longer my car is stuck the more I will consider it lol.

 

New version should have more range, but I'm worried that it won't be quite the same to drive and that the drive train will be more "boring," so I went for 2023 rather than wait.

 

There is no hard info on any characteristics, other than it will be physically smaller than the current SE. Considering the lead time to build a new vehicle these days, it could be almost two years before the first one is delivered considering it hasn't even been officially announced yet.

It's a lot like computer equipment—there is always something better coming "soon", where "soon" is never as quickly as everyone thinks. I learned long ago to get what works for you now, you can always upgrade to an available new model in the (near?) future.

 

I was torn. Then I read that even though the EPA/IRS guide lists BMW, Rolls Royce, and Mini, or VW, Bugatti, Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini etc as seperate companies the limits for the Federal incentives lump all of BMW and all of VW's companies as one. I'm not sure how close to the limit they are. After the limit is reached, do I have an arbitrage situation if I like the new one better, and want to sell mine for less than MSRP but more than the net rebate amount and order a Great Wall model?

 

According to the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/businesses/irc-30d-plug-in-electric-drive-motor-vehicle-credit-quarterly-sales), by the end of 2021 BMW/MINI had sold 136k qualifying vehicles, so still had 64k to go. At 24k sold per year, the tax credit theoretically wouldn't be halved until mid-2024. However, sales of EVs are accelerating (and BMW is now delivering i4s and iXs), so it will presumably be sooner than that.

Supporting this conclusion, EVAdoption estimates that Nissan will hit the 200k mark during the 3rd quarter of 2023 (https://evadoption.com/ev-sales/federal-ev-tax-credit-phase-out-tracker-by-automaker/). They don't have as far to go, having already sold 164k vehicles by the end of 2021. However, they are also selling at slower rate. My guess is therefore that BMW/MINI will catch/pass Nissan in the not-to-distant future, such that they will both hit the 200k mark at about the same time.

Combined with uncertainty regarding the MSRP of the 2024 SE, it struck me as too much of a gamble, so I recently ordered a 2023.

 

If you qualify for the federal and state tax credits this year, I can’t see the 2023 as a losing proposition. My base Signature is going to cost me mid-$20K net, so even if it doesn’t work out and I decide to sell it in a year, I don’t anticipate losing much financially, if at all.

 

For a real eye opener, look up the prices on used SE’s. There are 24 right now on CARS priced from $34K to $44K. Of course, that’s list price, not sold price.

I will be anxiously awaiting the comparison videos that are sure to be documenting this move from UK to China. I think those of us with Oxford cars will be quite pleased with our decision.


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I could definitely see myself trading up in the next couple years if the next generation SE really has more range, more power, shorter body, more interior space, longer wheelbase, and similar weight, as promised in the teasers. That’s a big “if”, but it’s not hard to see how an EV-specific platform could be a big improvement on the current design. And I haven’t seen any evidence that the next generation SE won’t have the same or better build quality than the Oxford-built cars.

 

I think if you want a good example of what a Chinese-built Mini Cooper would be like, check out the Ora Cat, which is produced by Great Wall Motors. The Ora Cat was practically a clone of the Mini, so it probably made a lot of sense to partner with them.

That said, I ordered the 2023 SE.

 

In an earlier post, I listed just 3 specs--I'll be surprised if the new SE can better all 3: Will it be lighter, quicker, and offer more range? I'm partial to the clas

 

This is just more of the eternal struggle. You buy a new car, and within a year (or maybe even sooner), the newer version has upgrades and enviable changes. That's good for selling more cars. Most of us have said (or thought) "wow, that's a neat new feature - I want that!"

 

I somehow didn't finish my sentence saying I'm partial to the classic look of the original Mini, which, admittedly, has evolved over BMW's ownership.

 

Why not both?

I was planning on skipping the F56 gen all together, but I'm glad I did my "EV trial" with the SE.

Now just to wait and see if a nice EV JCW is in the cards for a trade-up. The incoming EV S would have to be a pretty significant step up to make the move.

 

The only reason for us to have waited would be more range. Anything else, some “feature”, is not a deal breaker. Even if it inevitably has things like blind spot monitor which I would like.
The current one is a known quantity, the build quality is known, the look is known, the drivetrain is known (i3), the driving feel is known, the price is known (and we got $10k in credits/incentives so it’s dirt cheap.

And importantly the current range is more than we will ever need from our second car.
So if the new one went 50% further (doubtful) but cost more than the $20k we paid, why pay for it when we don’t need it?

But everyone’s situation is different…

 

Agreed. Even with the 114 mile range (EPA), I put 95% of my miles on the SE, and less than 5% on my ICE car.

The only possibly compelling attribute of the new Mini (to me) would be “more fun to drive,” such as better handling or acceleration. Otherwise, my F56 is all I need.

 

My concern is the opposite, that the driving experience will be homogenized and it will be much more “generic EV” to drive. Perhaps they will think that would make it appeal to more people - prospective customers who think a Mini driving experience is specific to enthusiasts and not suited to their own driving style and needs. Obviously this isn’t the case, but there are lots of examples of cars seemingly designed by committee and the bean counters - with non ideal results.

Either way, it’s a moot point for me as my Tesla lease would have ended before the new model is out, and I am certain I’ll love the current model, regardless of what the new model does or doesn’t bring to the table.

 

I just ordered a 2023 se knowing that the new one is coming for the 2024 model year because I trust the reliability of the current model since it's based on two platforms that have been around for a long time and have been proven to be reliable. The bmw i3 has been around since 2013 and the 3rd generation mini cooper has been around since 2014. I work as a mini cooper dealership technician and the only times I see the se in the shop is for tires. Also with where used car prices are I'd pay about the same for a new se as a used one so it seems more worthwhile to get a new one and I'm afraid that I may not like the new model when it comes out then being stuck having to get the current one used. I'm also afraid of what reliability the new one will have since it usually takes a couple model years for the bugs to be worked out. If the next generation electric mini proves to be a wonderful car then I'll trade in and upgrade in a few years while saving money not paying for gas in the meantime.

 

Welcome to the forum! It's great to hear a MINI technician vouch for the SE by buying one. I'm sure you're going to get many questions from other forum members.