Favorite SE reviews

Light weight and cornering have been what prompted me to buy all the small sports cars I've owned (the Miata copied them). It was fun to rocket to 60 in 6.2 seconds in my housemate's 1967 Shelby GT500, but my Fiats and Porsche 914 2.0 could outcorner it easily. And now my great-cornering MINI Cooper SE is as quick to 60 as that awesome GT500 (which seems much less awesome these days with multiple 800-hp cars on the market).

 

My car history includes a 77 MG Midget, 82 Avanti, 74 Porshe 914, 02 Miata Special Edition, 10 Mazda RX8 and now a 23 MINI Cooper SE.

My wife declared the other day that as far as she is concerned, the MINI SE is the funnest car we have ever owned. She also completely agrees with the review from Malaysia that this car MAKES you drive like a hooligan.

 

Even though it looks like a MINI, so it is expected to be fun and sporting, it’s just so unassuming because it makes no noise. I find myself passing cars more than I really expected I would, and even shaving apexes a little more consciously than in a regular car.

 

Not a review. I just didn't think this photo deserved a new thread. A commercial email I just received from my local Mini dealer in South Carolina. I just found it humorous. They still don't seem to understand the SE. From calling me to schedule my first oil change, to sending out ads like this.

 

I assume the dealership got the photo from MINI because why would the dealership go to all the trouble to create one themselves? Still, good to be advertising the SE, even if you can't get one with a red "S" on the grille.

I've never seen an F56 with a white gas cap before.

 

White headlight trim rings, white MINI logo…

 

I think that's one of the new trim styles, at least for ICE version. I saw one at my dealer last week. The white headlight trim rings look really nice in person.

 

À chacun son goût…

To each their own.

 

Does white waistline trim cost $600 extra?

 

The photo in OP's ad is from the photoset MINI released to introduce the Multitone Edition. (expand the photos down at the bottom, and it's in Set 3)

I've been thinking I might try whiting-out my MINI, but have only been able to find part numbers for the headlight & taillight trim rings so far. No luck yet for the white badges, white trunk lid grip, white door handles, etc. ... and I do hope these new "aspen white" parts are the same shade of white as my existing mirror caps & roof.

 

I’m not at all keen on the same car having both white trim and black trim. One or the other, please.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

A new review of an older model:

 

White is the new black?

20 years from now, chrome is going to make a comeback.

 

Motoman on youtube . Saw this video when first came across se. Got me hooked to find out more. Savage geese and Voelk driven runners up

 

This Autoweek Quick Spin podcast actually too lame to list in the "Favorite SE Reviews" thread, but I listened to it and perhaps can save a few forum members from making the same mistake.

The reviewer spends too much time comparing the sales of all MINI Coopers to a bunch of irrelevant ICE competitors--then admits he has no idea how many MINI Cooper SEs have been sold. More lameness when he claims the range of the 2023 SE is only 110 miles, not realizing the 2022 and 2023 models are rated for 114 miles.

The reviewer likes the toggle switches and volume knob (without noting how the volume knob was improved in 2022 by keeping the center logo from rotating with the knob). "The steering is neutral," doesn't echo my understeering experience--why not describe how the feel changes in Sport mode?

Performance: "The car goes good." Shifter: "You can get your fist around it," I have never needed my full fist to shift my SE. Sound: "It has that nice battery-electric whine to it." Is he talking about the almost silent motor or the pedestrian-warning sound?

The reviewer opines "MINI is the perfect platform for its corporate owners, of course, BMW, to put a lot of affordable battery-electric cars on the road, and it just seems like a perfect fit to have battery-electric propulsion and MINI styling, MINI handling, the whole experience just seems to go hand-in-hand." He wonders what new electric offerings MINI will be bringing out. Too bad he doesn't read this forum.

At the end, the reviewer concedes the SE feels like a MINI, then wonders how long this particular MINI will stay in the market, again demonstrating his lack of research.

 

Still waiting for Autoweek Quick Spin to do the electric Honda Civic review before the end of this decade...

 

If this reviewer's involved, it will probably be a review of an ICE Civic that he thinks is electric.

 

Just wait until they try to charging a Korean E-GMP vehicle and find out the J1772 plug is overheating after 40 minutes. Clearly wouldn't be an issue with 24kW home DC fast charging.