FORBES review

Thanks for the link. I think that review gives potential buyers a good idea of the car's strengths and weaknesses.

I agree with the reviewer's observation that "the SE can be a little harsh on rough pavement." For me personally, this is the biggest downside to the car, even more than range. As much as I enjoy driving my SE, I wish it didn't bounce me around so much. It must be that some people like the ride this stiff, but an adjustable suspension option like my GTI's Dynamic Chassis Control would have been nice.
 
Godfrey said:
Thanks for the link. I think that review gives potential buyers a good idea of the car's strengths and weaknesses.

I agree with the reviewer's observation that "the SE can be a little harsh on rough pavement." For me personally, this is the biggest downside to the car, even more than range. As much as I enjoy driving my SE, I wish it didn't bounce me around so much. It must be that some people like the ride this stiff, but an adjustable suspension option like my GTI's Dynamic Chassis Control would have been nice.
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I have both 16" wheels and 17" wheels for my SE. The taller sidewalls of the 195/55R16 tires provide a softer ride at the expense of a little cornering power. If you already have 16's on your SE, there aren't many other options to further soften the ride (I mean no options that wouldn't de-MINIfy your MINI).
 
Puppethead said:
That's common across all MINI models, and the JCW is even stiffer.
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Yeah, I should have researched a bit better about that. I'm among the 80% of SE buyers new to the brand and I didn't realize how stiff the ride was when I test-drove. Seems like if the SE is mostly sold to people who have never owned a MINI, that's even more reason to offer adjustable suspension on this particular model.

I am enjoying the car and I think it's a great value. It's just that when I talk to people about pros and cons, I put ride quality up there with range at the top of the cons.
 
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I'd like a stiffer suspension, personally. I much prefer the stiff suspension in my wife's JCW Clubman.
 
Godfrey said:
Yeah, I should have researched a bit better about that. I'm among the 80% of SE buyers new to the brand and I didn't realize how stiff the ride was when I test-drove. Seems like if the SE is mostly sold to people who have never owned a MINI, that's even more reason to offer adjustable suspension on this particular model.
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After decades of driving sports cars, I went "electric" with the gen-1 Honda Insight. When BMW revived the Mini brand as MINI in 2002, I loved the idea of a new, small sporty car, but I wasn't willing go to go full-ICE again to drive one. I had spent 3 years brainwashing myself to appreciate big MPG numbers more than sports-car handling.

I was excited in 2009 when MINI leased out around 500 MINI E electric MINI prototypes. Then nothing--except the strange, expensive BMW i3. It turned out that the i3 was a stroke of luck for fans of the MINI E, because the massive research and design effort to create that car made the MINI Cooper SE possible.

I kept driving my 2nd gen-1 Honda Insight, waiting and waiting for MINI to make the first (and still only) compact, sporty all-electric car from a major auto manufacturer. The wait was worth it.

In the 20 years since BMW revived the MINI, I'd never even been a passenger in one, so I'm one of the 80% of SE buyers new to the brand. Even though the streets of Ann Arbor are terrible, I'm happy to put up with the stiff ride (though not as stiff as other cars I've owned) as a trade-off for my MINI's great cornering performance. My SE is the finest car I've ever driven.

A used BMW i3 would be a more comfortable--and even slightly quicker because it's lighter--alternative to the SE. Unlike the SE, its mission was to be more practical than sporty.
 
Teddydogno1 said:
3,000 sold between Jan 2020 and Oct 2021 seems too low.

Rob
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The shutdown in March, 2020, followed by a slow return to production reduced the number of SEs produced last year. This year the parts shortages MINI experienced affected the available options, and shortages of other parts likely affected the number of cars produced. If that small number is accurate it makes me feel even luckier to own one of these great cars.

FWIW, without any supply-chain problems, Honda built an average of just 2,000 gen-1 Insights a year between 2000 and 2006.
 
chrunck said:
I'd like a stiffer suspension, personally. I much prefer the stiff suspension in my wife's JCW Clubman.
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Godfrey said:
Yeah, I should have researched a bit better about that. I'm among the 80% of SE buyers new to the brand and I didn't realize how stiff the ride was when I test-drove. Seems like if the SE is mostly sold to people who have never owned a MINI, that's even more reason to offer adjustable suspension on this particular model.

I am enjoying the car and I think it's a great value. It's just that when I talk to people about pros and cons, I put ride quality up there with range at the top of the cons.
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I just picked up my SE last week after 3 years with an ICE Cooper S. I had dynamic dampers in the S which was my favorite feature. It was the best of both worlds. More composed when in mid and stiffer when in sport. My biggest disappointment in ordering the SE was that dynamic dampers aren’t offered. For some reason Mini has really limited what we can do with the SE. There are very few customization options.
 
Speck said:
I just picked up my SE last week after 3 years with an ICE Cooper S. I had dynamic dampers in the S which was my favorite feature. It was the best of both worlds. More composed when in mid and stiffer when in sport. My biggest disappointment in ordering the SE was that dynamic dampers aren’t offered. For some reason Mini has really limited what we can do with the SE. There are very few customization options.
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I believe MINI has limited what you can do with any MINI Cooper these days. I'm too lazy to check, is it possible to order dynamic dampers on a 2022 ICE Cooper S?
 
insightman said:
I'm too lazy to check, is it possible to order dynamic dampers on a 2022 ICE Cooper S?
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I just checked, the dynamic dampers are options with the S and JCW models, but not the regular hardtop.

My first MINI (a Clubman S) had rear fog light and headlight washers. I miss those features.
 
I wonder if there are any trends on what people are switching from. I’d be interested is seeing if there are common brands, gas vs hybrid vs BEV, or if they are switching from SUVs, sedans, or what.
 
If my MINI dealer's parking lot is any indication, it's pickup trucks, though that seems unlikely. They could be overflow from the BMW dealer next door.
 
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