Lease a cooper se

Is there a hint that any other manufacturer is thinking of building a small, quick, great-handling, well-built car? Probably not, because Americans are clammoring for big crossovers and pickups, not small, quick, great-handling, well-built cars.

 

Renault and MG are both building electric hatchbacks. Although not as small as a Cooper, unfortunately. And not likely to come ashore anyway.

Volvo is making a small “city car” SUV, which is very nice looking, IMO.

Oh, and GM may rerelease the Bolt with their new and improved Ultium battery. I hope they do.

And I think that’s about it.

Yes, scarce is the word for electric city cars, which is what we really need to combat pollution, which is primarily a city problem.


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I like the Citroen Oli https://www.citroen.co.uk/about-citroen/concept-cars/citroen-oli.html. Unfortunately, it is a concept car and unavailable in the US.

Fiat has another electric 500 coming (https://www.fiatusa.com/500e-reveal.html).

 

"90 degree.windshield to repel the sun's rays."

Well there you go: justification for the MINI's rather upright windshield.

 

Oops! I forget about the revised 500e. Assuming it comes to US, that will likely be the only city car until the next electrified MINI Cooper maybe is imported from who knows where. The Fiat is planned in 3 designer flavors, but no Abarth. Disappointed, I am.

I love that Citroen Oli. Very interesting design. Focus on lightness. Wow, isn’t that novel. I’m looking at you, Hummer!


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We're so lucky North America was granted the sportiest EV. Even though both the Fiat 500e II and the Honda e are new designs from the ground up, neither can provide the driving fun our retrofitted MINI EVs can deliver.

 

With the Bolt now gone the Nissan Leaf is probably the only model close to the SE, and whoo boy is it the opposite driving experience.

 

The funny thing is as much as I’ve disliked the Leaf from Day 1, I’ve got an eye out for a used first generation (at the right price). Not with any major problems like Kyle Conners’ but who knows. Around here, i3s are still seriously overpriced.

 

And a friend of a neighbour kid just pulled up last night and a brand new (or low-miles) eGolf. That was originally going to be my next car a couple of years ago but the timing wasn’t right. I’m very glad it was discontinued before I found (and fell in lust with) the MINI.

 

I totally forgot about the eGolf, and I actually saw one charging a couple weeks ago! I don't know if the Leaf is worth considering, though, because of CHAdeMO charging. That's fading fast. I'd think a used Bolt or SE would be a better thing to look for.

 

This just in (the 500e is now old news):


Fiat Topolino

 

46 miles might be a little bit of a stretch to me, the range of the Topolino, but I can't agree more with this article: https://wapo.st/3NCjgBw When is enough mileage enough? And at what cost? I always figured if I had to take a long road trip and had to arrive quickly, I'd rent a car.