2023 SE Resolute Edition Owner Impressions

J

Jawad Malik

Member
Just took ownership of my 2023 SE Resolute Edition which was ordered in March so took 4 months from order to delivery. I used to own a 2015 Mini JCW and while this car does not equal JCW in terms of handling or performance, it still has the go-cart handling of a Mini and is not a boring car to drive.

This is my first EV and in anticipation, I already had a 240V NEMA outlet installed in my garage and was going to get a GrizzlE charging unit but fortunately, the 2023 models come with a 240V cable already so I just had to hook it up and was good to go. Thanks, Mini/BMW!

Over the weekend I put on 400 miles on the car. I live near Denver at 5800 ft elevation. For my first range test, I started from my home at 100% charge and drove some back roads to 10000 ft then came down to around 8000 ft then got on I-70 for some highway miles then drove over and down the other side of a 11300 ft pass and then returned back to my home. I drove 132 miles and had 19% charge remaining when I got back home. This is fantastic. While the energy consumption takes a big hit going up, coming down is free, and then regenerative braking recoups some charge back into the battery. In my observation, if going up a mountain uses 20% of the battery, going down the same mountain the car regenerates back about 5% - so the net to go up + down is 15%. For this test, I was in Green mode and my regenerative braking was set to "Low".

My intended use for this car is everything except long-distance trips. So the SUV is only going to leave the garage if we are going on a road trip. My initial impressions are very positive.

As to the Resolute Edition, when I was ordering in March, I noticed some announcements about it and decided to order it. I like the Resolute Edition cosmetic treatments. There is no mechanical or electrical difference, it's just cosmetic but I like it.
 
I don't have the grandeur of testing elevation changes in the Rocky Mtns (I used to live in Colo Springs with Pikes Peak looming on the horizon), but here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of SC I saw approximately the same return on regeneration going up and down. Pretty cool.
 
I imagine people in East Texas can probably only content themselves with riding up and down their infamous mixmasters, but oh what fun rounding those interchanges would be in a Cooper SE!
 
While East Texas does not have the twisties, it does have nice pine-lined back roads which can be a lot of fun. When I had my JCW and lived in Texas, I took it to the famous 3-Sisters in Hill Country. What a blast that was. My wife still remembers it and reminds me of it. Fun roads are everywhere :)
 
Nice what route did you take if you don't mind me asking? I live in the Denver area as well and just picked up our base model Friday. Thanks for the up down percentages that's good to know.
 
Ericwc said:
... what route did you take if you don't mind me asking?
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Congrats on your new SE!

My Route:
From Golden took Golden Gate Canyon Road to Hwy 119 North of Black Hawk
South on Hwy 119 to Black Hawk then took Central City Parkway to I-70
I-70 west to Empire and then over Berthoud Pass to Winter Park
Back from Winter Park to Empire
Then back to Golden via I-70

I was driving in Green mode with regen set to low.
My speed was mostly 5 above the limit for most of the trip. I was at the speed limit going up Berthoud Pass .. so not aggressive at all.
 
Why is everyone driving highways with regen on low? Am I missing something isn't the highway the least efficient type of driving. Or is high regen a moot point here?
 
zedzag said:
Why is everyone driving highways with regen on low? Am I missing something isn't the highway the least efficient type of driving. Or is high regen a moot point here?
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I use high regenerative braking always, and it's very useful on the freeway. I keep cruise control (non-adaptive) active as much as possible, and disengage with the button when I see traffic slowing down ahead of me. I rarely need to use the friction brakes, but they do come in handy when traffic stops suddenly. I think my driving style is pretty good as I am getting well over 5 mi/kWh with all my freeway driving at high speeds.
 
zedzag said:
Why is everyone driving highways with regen on low? Am I missing something isn't the highway the least efficient type of driving. Or is high regen a moot point here?
Click to expand...
Speaking for myself, I put mine on low regen on the highway because it drives smoother. I have not yet mastered right foot modulation and there are times I just let off the gas. In high regen, it feels like I am hitting the brakes hard.
 
zedzag said:
Why is everyone driving highways with regen on low? Am I missing something isn't the highway the least efficient type of driving. Or is high regen a moot point here?
Click to expand...

I have been driving mostly in high regen setting. I think it’s perfect for day to day city driving because it essentially makes brake usage a rare thing and in sporty canyon carving it acts like down shifting into second gear before entering a curve and exiting with a lot of torque. So high regen is great.

For my range test the other day, I was driving gently and felt low setting allowed me to coast a little, while still regenerating a lot of energy. High setting felt like I could not coast at all and had to use the accelerator pedal even on considerable downhill slope. Both settings serve a purpose. But most of the time I will keep it in high regen.
 
Posting a few photos:

p517491109-5.jpg
 
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