Delivery Stories

Took delivery of our 23 iconic se yesterday. This is not my first MINI and I’m definitely bias towards BMW products. I really enjoyed tracking of the production and shipping, I already felt personally connected to the car before it had arrived. Yesterday I really only had the opportunity to pick up the car and drive straight home, mostly on the highway with some traffic. Not the most exciting drive other than the excitement of getting the car. Today, however I was able to get a mountain bike ride in this morning and decided to throw the bike on the SE and drive to the trailhead at the top of a twisty 8 mile road with about 2000ft of elevation gain. The SE was certainly one of the more entertaining ways to get to the top, especially as there was little to no traffic. I had it in sport with the AC on, driving a bit like a boy racer. Definitely brought back memories of my manual 2011 clubman JCW. When I parked I had about 75% battery left. On the way back I took a different route home involving a 4 mile descent of about 1650ft, again no traffic. I did the opposite, put the car in green, turned off the AC and took in the scenery. It was neat to see just how much I was able to recharge the battery. I take the estimated range with a grain on salt but whatever I added was enough to bump 1/8th back on the battery gauge. Really enjoyed the character of the car and can see why someone other than a MINI enthusiast such as myself would chose it over more practical options such as a leaf or bolt.

 

So I just took delivery of my 2023 Cooper SE, Signature in BRG. Immediately upon leaving the dealership it has a yellow warning light and a drivetrain error. Just spoke to my MA and he said this is fairly common. Still I just got it home and it was a delight to drive. I left my other car at the dealer so I guess I’ll just take it back for service in the morning and see what’s up. I just pick the car up from Mini of Alexandria, And the whole process was really straightforward but I feel like they may have known there was an error code when I drove off. Has anyone else had this error code before?

 

Took delivery of my BRG Signature trim Mini Cooper SE today. The experience was nearly as painless as picking up or Tesla M3 in 2020. We had done everything via phone and email, since I live 100+ miles from the closest dealer in Richmond, VA. I financed through my credit union, and came with a cashier's check matching the draft dealer's order to the penny. (Draft because I was working with the MA remotely.) The final order paperwork was exactly the same as the draft, and I got no extra pressure for more add-ons to raise the price. Can't recommend Crown Mini of Richmond highly enough.

The drive home was in two legs: First leg was all Interstate highway, 70+ mph, and I got 65 miles on 62% of a full charge. The second leg was a bit lower speed, mostly US Rt. 29 - mostly 60-65 mph. That leg was 85 miles on 68% charge (92% at start/24% at finish). I pretty much ignored the Guess-O-Meter.

 

We just took delivery of our 2023 SE, also in BRG and white roof/mirrors, and in Signature Plus trim. We had actually just placed our deposit and order a couple weeks ago, but the dealer had one where the original purchaser changed their mind and became available. It matched up with most what we wanted for ours, so we jumped on it now, rather than wait. Dealership was about 70 miles away and had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get the cashier's check, but everything else went very smoothly, and the drive home was great!

This will be replacing a 2015 BEV i3, so I already feel somewhat familiar with the car. Having driven them back to back, here are a few things I noticed. (Note I am not really a car guy, so may not have the right lingo. Also, the Mini is our 5th plug-in vehicle, 4 of which were battery only.)

- The i3 feels faster off the line. Probably a combination of the weight (carbon fiber and smaller battery) and the tuning. The power comes on almost immediately in the i3, while there is a short but noticeable ramp up in the Mini (even in Sport).

- The Mini feels much more planted, and fits more of what I think of as the stereotypical "BMW driving dynamics." The i3 always felt a little "floaty," especially over bumps and in wind, probably a result of it having the tiny tires and taller profile. The Mini has a much heavier steering wheel feel.

- The i3 is probably the more practical car. It has much more headroom and a noticeable larger rear seat, and more space behind the rear seat in the hatch. The suicide doors are quirky, but do make getting into the back much easier. The storage in the console is noticeably larger and I love the wood dash on the i3, especially the little tray area in the middle in front of the display. I used that area all the time for sunglasses, facemasks, and other random stuff I wanted at hand. Haven't found a great place in the Mini for such items.

- We love the look of the Mini (though I was also a fan of the unique i3 - my wife and daughter, not so much). Probably won't be making many changes to the outside - I'm not a heavy modder, and I'm not a fan of tinted windows. On the windows, forward visibility in the i3 is much better. The extra height really makes a difference - at many stoplights I have to crane my neck to be able to see them in the Mini, or else the roof line will block them from view. Rear visibility is a little better in the Mini, mainly better view out the rear quarter area.

- Torque steer is real. I get that Mini has a FWD tradition, but I sort of wish they had kept the rear wheel setup of the i3.

One question: Where do CA drivers put the HOV stickers that go on the rear quarter panel? The instructions say to put it behind the rear wheel wells, but there's no room there on the Mini. If you try to put it there, it will really be mostly on the rear bumper. Above the wheel well then? Or at an angle?

 

Not to knock the i3, but it cost $10,000 more than the SE and production of the i3 ended last July. Personally the look isn't for me, but it did seem like a good vehicle. And it is the progenitor of the SE.

 

100% agree - I should have clarified that we purchased the i3 used and it was a pretty good deal at the time (and is now apparently worth more than what we paid for it 3 years ago). The i3 as a new car was way overpriced.

 

I think the price is due to the carbon fiber body and the BMW logo.

 

I got a fresnal lens at the suggestion of one of the other users here. Works great.

https://www.cravenspeed.com/highlight-for-mini/

 

Handy, but is it a distraction for taller drivers?

 

I don’t have first hand experience there, but I doubt it. Much less of an issue than the rear view mirror. It is less than 2 inches wide and sits at the top edge of the windshield. If you find the sun visor distracting if it is placed all the way forward then it might be an issue. As it is, you can’t use the lens unless the visor is in the stowed position.

My town has a lot of traffic light that sit in the middle of small intersections. I have to duck my head to see them in a normal car. In the Mini I would need to put my head over the steering wheel if I didn’t have the lens.

 

I took this picture at a light today. I held the camera to be close to where my eyes normally would be. The stoplight is easier to read through the lens that it appears in the photo. Without the lens, I wouldn’t have been able to see it without ducking my head.

 

Man you're killing me. I love the pictures of these new MINIs that people are getting. But a drivers POV picture is just too hard to take!

 

Perfect. I do believe I'll be ordering a fresnal lens. Thanks!

 

I paid the deposit for my '23 Iconic SE on 10 March. Had to order from a dealership 260 miles away near Chicago, rather than the one much closer in Missouri because the new Illinois EV Rebate Program requires purchase from an Illinois dealership. Production began on 20 April. Dispatched from factory on 13 May, arrived at UK port on 14 May. Left port on 22 May, arrived in Baltimore on 31 May. In transit to dealer on 12 June and arrived to dealer on 14 June. Because the program didn't start until 1 July, I didn't come get it until then. Not bad - three months from order to dealership arrival! No heated steering wheel (bummer!) or alarm system (don't care), but did get the hk sound system.

This is my first EV, so I didn't quite know what I was doing on the drive home, and accidentally passed my first planned charging station. Didn't realize it until I was doing the math for the next available station, comparing my distance to it vs. the distance remaining on the GOM. I did make it, but only after going to green+ and driving 55 on the highway for 25 miles or so when the speed limit was 70. My husband was following me and called to ask if everything was ok. *snicker* I didn't tell him how tight it was until after we got there - no point in him sweating it out, too!

The car couldn't find a charging station in range, nor could any of the apps I had installed, but Google Maps came through for me! An itty bitty level 2 charger in some random strip mall parking log. Whew! I had *two* percent left when I pulled in, hoping that the station was functional and finding that it was. (Whew!) Weirdly coincidentally, it was in the same parking lot as the restaurant we stopped at for lunch the day before on the way to the dealership! What are the odds?! So, we ate lunch there again (love us some Moe's!) while we waited for the level 2 to get us to 10 miles, then drove to a level 3 station further up the road.

Charged up to 90% there and hit the road. Didn't miss the next one (won't likely make that mistake *ever* again!), charged up to 90% again, and made it home no problem.

Realistically, though, I won't be using public charging stations much. I telework, so rarely need to drive into work (which is well within range anyway). Everything I need to drive to is close to home. I did get an outlet installed so I could use the level 2 charger it came with at home, but I'll likely only need to top it off once a week - maybe even less.

We have a great road trip car we'll use for longer drives (Subaru Forester), but the Mini is my fun car. The first one bought for *me* since we started having kids 23 years ago. I've let everyone drive it to check it out, but now it's *mine.* No messing with settings or seat/mirror placement any more! The back seats will live in the down position, as I can't imagine putting anyone back there. And I've already told the family that the dog will *not* ever be in this car!

I've already replaced the antenna with the CravenSpeed stubby. I've got all-weather front floor mats, the boot luggage mat, and those cool door handle cubbies on the way. Maybe down the road I'll add tint and stripes (envisioning black bolts with yellow edges - see inspiration photos below), plus the black beltline... But for now, I think I've spent enough...

 

Congratulations! And quite the adventure on your first drive. I bet you'll find excuses to go on errands.

I kept the dogs out of my SE for almost a year, but it got too difficult because when I have to go somewhere I always choose my SE. It pains me to drive ICE cars now, and the price of fuel makes the choice even simpler. As soon as the right type of EV comes along to replace our Clubman, it's happening.

 

Took delivery of my SE last Friday. First EV, First Mini. This is so exciting!

The order date was Sept 30th. The dealer said it would take 3-4 months and that it could be faster. I expected to wait 4 months minimum. The car showed up only 9 weeks after the order date, exactly one month after the production date. It is a Premier 2.0 model, as we have it here in Canada. We went for an all-black look. The car came with the 17" Tentacle Spoke wheels and summer tires. I put my hands on winter tires mounted on some nice 16" Victory Spokes wheels. Sadly the dealer didn't want to install them (said they would not fit), but I got them installed by a local shop (thanks @SameGuy). Let me know if you have any question!



Yesterday while going grocery shopping I got my first Rule #1, with another SE!

 

Ça, c’t’un beau bolide! Félicitations!

 

Triple black! Our cars were built on the same day and were together on the ship