MINI Cooper SE road tests

I can't understand the language in this Serbian YouTube road test of the MINI Cooper SE, but I enjoyed watching the car being flogged on a race track (a race track with DC fast charging, even). It includes some nice graphics, too. I noticed the text on the instrument panel and on the infotainment system is English. I wonder how many countries get to have their own language displayed? Do German MINI Coopers use English text, too?

[soapbox] As a long-avowed opponent of hood scoops on electric cars (OK, long-avowed since the first appearance of the SE's hood scoop in July, 2019), I loved it when this reviewer did karate chops to the MINI Cooper SE's fake hood scoop. I wish I could understand what terrible things he was saying about it. MINI should have saved money and just put a peel-off photo-sticker of a hood scoop on the hood. Such a sticker would improve the car's aerodynamics while preserving that sporty ornament linking the SE to the MINI Cooper S (whose hood scoop is also fake). Everybody (me) would be happy. See my 7-second protest website. [/soapbox]

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MINI Cooper SE vs MINI Cooper S -- on a go-kart track

How many times have you heard that driving a MINI feels like driving a go-kart? This British video from RybrookTV brings two MINIs wearing the same "tyres" to a go-kart track and puts a seasoned MINI race-car driver behind the wheels to see which car is faster around this tight little track. We all know the S is faster in a drag race, but in this video the SE was a second faster around the go-kart track. Yay!
 
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The New York Times' Tom Voelk's Driven road tests are always good. His MINI Cooper SE road test is no exception.

He explains that American drive an average of 32 mile per day, so 110 miles of EPA range should be enough for those average people. To test the range drives the SE 110 miles, after which it tells him he could go has 12 miles further. He liked driving the SE so much that, "Truth be told, I had a hard time giving this car back. It's just tons of fun."

Tom reveals something I've not heard before about the Power Spoke (formerly Corona Spoke) wheels that (in the US) you can get only with the Iconic trim level: "The unique configuration means there's a special tool to balance them when it comes to mounting new tires."

At least I won't have to send my wheels to France like owners of the Bugatti Veyron do when they need new tires (and those cars can go through lots of very expensive tires doing 11-minute, 46-mile, 253-mph runs before the gas tank empties out).

A very complete review.
 
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My favorite car reviewer, Harry Metcalfe, has a YouTube channel, Harry's Garage. He was once a farmer who loved cars so much he became the Managing Director of Evo, a British car magazine. He invested in Evo and his guidance helped it become successful. When it was sold, Harry made some money and bought lots of cool cars. I'm happy that decided he wanted to take a look at the MINI Cooper SE. His YouTube review is 21.5 minutes long.

Harry's been a fan of the MINI Cooper for years, so he was keen to try out the MINI Electric. I laughed when he takes the time to explain where to position your knees to make an exit from the rear seat. After that he states what we all know, "Where you really want to be is in the driver's seat."

Harry is driving the Level 3 MINI Cooper SE, which is roughly equivalent to the Iconic trim in the US. I would guess this top-of-the-line model is the heaviest of the 3 trim levels. He put the car on his scales and it registered 1,349 kg, or under 2,975 lbs, which is much less than the BMW-specified 3,153 lbs that is a negative talking-point among reviewers who don't have their own scales. His scales also show the front/rear weight balance is 56%/44%.

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I enjoyed the way he phrases his initial driving impression, "It sets off in a bit of a hurry." This from a man who owns multiple Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars.

The operation of the MINI Cooper SE's brake lights under regen braking has been a concern of mine and Harry addresses what I hoped wouldn't be a significant downside. "I was following my son driving this car yesterday and it's quite off-putting because the brake lights are constantly going on even though he's barely braking." I'm sure BMW's lawyers had a hand in deciding when the brake lights would come on during regen braking.

Harry, unlike the critics of front-wheel drive, doesn't disparage the MINI Electric's torque-steer when cornering. "This is a good thing." Then he switches the traction control "off" (actually, to it's lower setting) and turns another corner. "Who would have thought that electric cars could be...fun? The last fun electric car I drove was the [original] Tesla Roadster."

Harry doesn't like the MINI Electric's short range or its high British price, but he thinks it's lots of fun and dubs it "An old-school hot-hatch." His conclusion: "If it does fit your needs, you will have a ball with the MINI Electric."
 

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savagegeese has released one of his typically technical reviews,
Mini Cooper EV | Better With A Battery
He was a skeptic who had an epiphany when he drove this car.

Here are some quotes:

> Driving this around at first, I'm like, 'this is a straight gimmick.
> You know the range is a joke, you can't really use it.'
> And I forced myself to use it. I forced myself to even deal with
> the slow charger from just a standard wall outlet where it takes
> you over a day to charge the thing from [to?] full.
>
> Now that I've whipped it around, I've beat on it, I enjoy this so
> much and one of the reasons I enjoy it so much is because we've
> seen the decline in the fun-factor of 4-cylinder smaller cars.
>
> Every 4-cylinder now has to be compromised to meet emissions,
> fuel-economy, and they have all gone turbocharged, which adds
> so much complexity and most manufacturers are just like, 'how do
> we meet the target numbers?, how do we meet the spec sheet
> numbers?,' and they're just not all that fun to drive. They sound
> like crap now because you don't have any naturally aspirated motors
> left. Manual transmissions are dying. So what you're left with is
> essentially the most boring experience possible.
>
> This fixes a majority of all those problems with the modern internal-
> combustion cars.

Although savagegeese still misses NA engine noise and can't tell the difference between green from yellow, he's now an SE convert.
 
Like all reviewers, though, it seems saying the SE is a great car and leaving it there isn't good enough, there's always a need to point out "flaws". The range I get, but his going on about the "UK1" platform seems like ginning up a deficiency.

I did learn some things about the controls, though. I guess I've spent too much time driving to play with the system. I haven't even found a trip odometer yet, which I used to monitor mpg on my old MINI. That's just not necessary anymore.
 
I too am spending way too much time watching SE review videos. My favorite is Petrol Ped’s because of the sheer joy on his face and the fact he obviously knows Mini’s well. I enjoyed Johnny Smiths video as well. I also liked Forrest’s video.



Although his conclusion is a bit weak, he has some interesting range information.

There’s a guy from Norway that’s done several quirky videos and range testing. Most recently a couple guys from Ireland have posted videos that are good and very complimentary. The biggest criticism from both of them was the proliferation of Union Jack motifs all over the British right hand drive versions. I bet there’s more than a few Irish folks trying to get the US trim package! I’m okay with the taillights but I’m really glad they dropped all the interior Union Jack for US bound SEs.

One almost universal criticism that I absolutely don’t agree with is the lack of dynamic cruise control. Yea for Mini on not adding that. Maybe I’m an old crust but I don’t like all the driving aids. I like doing the driving myself, which is why I like the Mini Cooper in the first place.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
Norbu72 said:
I too am spending way too much time watching SE review videos.
Click to expand...
While watching TV, I spend every evening searching for new SE review videos. I wish you had included links to the reviews you mentioned so I could watch them, too. I don't think I've seen the Irish reviews, but I've seen the ones from Norway by Bjorn Nyland:

MINI Cooper SE Range Test
MINI Cooper SE Acceleration and Range Test
MINI Cooper SE Driving Test
MINI Cooper SE Wet Road Energy Consumption
And Bjorn's standard cargo capacity test: MINI Cooper SE Banana Box Test

For anyone who hasn't created a link to a YouTube video:
  1. Right-click on the YouTube video
  2. Select Copy video URL
  3. In your InsideEVs post, highlight the text that refers to the video
  4. Click the link icon (chain links) at the top of the comment window
  5. Paste (Ctrl-v) the copied URL into the dialog box that appears
  6. Click the "Insert" button
 
insightman said:
While watching TV, I spend every evening searching for new SE review videos. I wish you had included links to the reviews you mentioned so I could watch them, too. I don't think I've seen the Irish reviews, but I've seen the ones from Norway by Bjorn Nyland:

MINI Cooper SE Range Test
MINI Cooper SE Acceleration and Range Test
MINI Cooper SE Driving Test
MINI Cooper SE Wet Road Energy Consumption
And Bjorn's standard cargo capacity test: MINI Cooper SE Banana Box Test

For anyone who hasn't created a link to a YouTube video:
  1. Right-click on the YouTube video
  2. Select Copy video URL
  3. In your InsideEVs post, highlight the text that refers to the video
  4. Click the link icon (chain links) at the top of the comment window
  5. Paste (Ctrl-v) the copied URL into the dialog box that appears
  6. Click the "Insert" button
Click to expand...


I was just being lazy. [emoji3]

Here they are:










Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
Thanks! I've already posted another of my anti-hood-scoop rants below the video that incorrectly states the pedestrian warning noise comes from the fake hood scoop.
 
insightman said:
Thanks! I've already posted another of my anti-hood-scoop rants below the video that incorrectly states the pedestrian warning noise comes from the fake hood scoop.
Click to expand...

I wonder how that rumor got started? You watch enough of these videos and you become aware of several untruths about the SE that are being passed around.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
Norbu72 said:
One almost universal criticism that I absolutely don’t agree with is the lack of dynamic cruise control. Yea for Mini on not adding that. Maybe I’m an old crust but I don’t like all the driving aids. I like doing the driving myself, which is why I like the Mini Cooper in the first place.
Click to expand...

I tried out the dynamic cruise control in a loaner Countryman I had from the dealer and hated it. It kept turning itself off if traffic got too congested. The SE has a collision sensor (although I need to find the setting for it, it defaults to too close) and I find disengaging the cruise control and letting the regenerative braking take over works better than MINI's dynamic cruise control.
 
Norbu72 said:
I wonder how that rumor got started? You watch enough of these videos and you become aware of several untruths about the SE that are being passed around.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Click to expand...
It's not hard to look under the hood to see that there are no wires going to the hood-scoop opening.
 
Puppethead said:
I tried out the dynamic cruise control in a loaner Countryman I had from the dealer and hated it. It kept turning itself off if traffic got too congested. The SE has a collision sensor (although I need to find the setting for it, it defaults to too close) and I find disengaging the cruise control and letting the regenerative braking take over works better than MINI's dynamic cruise control.
Click to expand...
I was disappointed that MINI would have a dynamic cruise control, but not include it on at least the top Iconic trim. However, even if it was included, I don't expect I'd use it much because I won't be doing many long drives on the expressway. It's easier to accept the absence of the dynamic cruise control after you've told me it's not very good on the Countryman. Thanks, @Puppethead.
 
Mini Cooper SE Electric - Range, Consumption, Best Speed Test
This YouTuber, BatteryLife, specializes in EV "RaCoBe" (Range, Consumption, Best speed) tests. He describes in the video how he drives each car at different speeds, charges them, then records the kWh used at each speed. Unsurprisingly, as the speed increases, the MINI's power usage goes up faster than more aerodynamic EVs. An asterisk in the sporty MINI Cooper SE's favor is it has a more powerful motor than the others in this list. The MINI Cooper SE likely would have won this comparison if it had a tiny motor. I'm glad it doesn't have a tiny motor.

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Are smaller/weaker electric motors any more efficient than larger motors? Isn't the real culprit the SE's conventional shape/aerodynamics (ignoring the closed-off grill and Power Spoke wheels)?

In any case, do we really care? :) As I see it, it isn't how far you can drive between charges, but how many smiles.*

*Just reading on another forum about someone who replaced their Bolt with a Miata, in large part because driving the Bolt was boring.
 
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