Cannot decide between SE and Golf 8 GTI…

P

Pierre Racine

New Member
Arghhh…torn between the 2!

In fact I prefer the Mini SE BUT I am worry about reselling it in 3 to 4 years which I always do on my leases with a good profit (48 months leases). Example: I will probably grab a 4 000$ CDN profit on my 2017 Jetta which only has 10 O00 km. And I need those profits as down payment on new leases to decrease the monthly payments.
What will be the market for 3 to 4 year old SE in 2025? No one knows… The residual after 48 months on my new Mini SE would be 16 300$ at that time. So I would need to sell it 18 300$ at least to make a reasonable profit.

In favour of the Mini:
Design (I hate the GTI front bumper), still more fun than GTI, less plastic interior, more compact, less fuel expenses, lower seating (I love that).

Against the Mini: the wife thinks I am too old for that car (70 years old), resale value and comfort (noise?).

Any thoughts?

Pierre Racine, Canada
 
I doubt an EV with 114 miles of EPA range will appreciate in value in the coming years. I hope you get a chance to drive a MINI Cooper SE to experience the real reason to get one.

I'm 71 and I've never had more fun in any of the small sports cars I've owned in the last 53 years. I enjoyed a couple of early Rabbits, too, but none hold a candle to the SE. Also, my wife experienced an unexpected joy-of-driving revelation when she started driving our SE. Now I find myself being a passenger more often than not.
 
My humble opinion, the MK8 GTI will depreciate less for the following reasons.

1. The engine is already designed to exceed any EPA standards for a long time.
2. If you get a manual it will inherently be rare as manual transmission cars are... rare.
3. It has 4 doors, a small family can work the GTI into their life with minimal compromises.
4. In the united states prospective car buyers are obsessed with range and we all know the Mini is crossed off many car shopping list due to this reason. Just look at the used I3 market for proof of this.

I have owned a MK5 and MK6 GTI and now an the SE. I hear VW worked some miracles with the GTI's dynamics at the limit, reducing understeer and including a real mechanical limited slip differential ( think standard). In terms of fun I really don't think your giving up much with the GTI. The Mini has instant torque and better weight distribution and a more traditional interior controls. I love my mini and strangely love it way more than I ever loved my GTI(s) but it is outgunned when it comes despeciation.

This is a great review on the MK8 that reviews all the pros and cons:


Review from the same reviewer of the SE
 
It seems like we're at the end of the beginning of the EV era, and the next few years should see a massive swing of popular opinion away from ICE (example: the Ford F-150 Lightning). How soon and how quickly that happens is the big question, which also will have an impact on resale values. EVs theoretically should depreciate slower than ICE vehicles due to the increased durability. As for the range issue, my personal opinion is longer range will go away (primarily to drive down vehicle cost) as the charging infrastructure improves. And there is not likely to be a longer-range MINI BEV any time soon barring some magical battery technology, since MINI values handling over everything.

I guess those are my reasons to say: get the car you enjoy the most. Take them both for a test drive if you can. I personally would put driving pleasure above everything else, as I'm someone who puts on a lot of miles. One thing you can say about MINIs, there are a huge number of enthusiasts who are enthralled by just about every model from every era, so someone will always want to buy a used MINI.
 
Pierre Racine said:
Arghhh…torn between the 2!

Against the Mini: the wife thinks I am too old for that car (70 years old), resale value and comfort (noise?).
Click to expand...

Warning, don't get the Mini!!! Your wife might take over driving. Just rode in passenger seat to the rec center and back. We are 78 and 77 and love the car. Our corvette without the hassle of getting down into it. Ps. comfort is great - wife loves the sport seats.
As insightman said"
insightman said:
Also, my wife experienced an unexpected joy-of-driving revelation when she started driving our SE. Now I find myself being a passenger more often than not.
Click to expand...

Let 20 year old grand daughter drive it yesterday to celebrate her 20th birthday and she loved it.
 

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I agree, get the car that you enjoy most! I actually have been able to drive both recently and I personally would chose the Mini, but I have a thing for them.

Selling down the road is always an unknown. I did get $3k more for my ICE Mini than expected this year.
 
chrunck said:
Does Canada have any EV tax credits? That's another factor if so.
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Yes, 13 000$ from both provincial and federal.The SE PDSF is 40 990$, residual on 48 months lease (3,99% interest rate) is 16 300$ So 32,6% after four years.
A GTI has a whopping 68% residual on 36 months here.
 
I would also add the convenience factor to the SE. Your garage becomes your “gas station,” and you don’t have to worry about oil changes. In fact, Mini’s service schedule requires almost nothing.

As for noise and comfort, that’s a very personal thing IMO. You would need to test for yourself. In my opinion it is very quiet around town, and OK on the highway. Comfort is better than I expected, but keep in mind it’s a sporty car. On smooth roads it’s a wonderful place to be.
 
I don't know if this is truly helpful, but I looked around to see what a used SE is presently worth. Obviously not a lot of examples out there, but carfax lists a dozen:

https://www.carfax.com/Used-Mini-Cooper-SE_t14824

What strikes me is that the cars seem to be priced as if no tax incentives are available. IOW, overvalued if you can take advantage of the latter, but seemingly reasonable if you cannot.
 
CuriousGeorge said:
Obviously not a lot of examples out there, but carfax lists a dozen:

https://www.carfax.com/Used-Mini-Cooper-SE_t14824

What strikes me is that the cars seem to be priced as if no tax incentives are available. IOW, overvalued if you can take advantage of the latter, but seemingly reasonable if you cannot.
Click to expand...
Only a couple mention their trim level. You have to know that only the Iconic trim was offered with the Power Spoke rims and the descriptions for those cars omit the HUD. They all have spoilers (I guess the front one counts). One of those says it has both 17" and 16" wheels! As @CuriousGeorge said, the prices are high; higher than some people pay for a new MINI Cooper SE in California with all the available incentives.
 
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