Quick Spin: 2020 Mini Cooper SE Hardtop

2020 Mini Cooper SE Hardtop

Miles driven: 151

Fuel used: NA

CG Report Card

Room and Comfort	C
Power and Performance	B
Fit and Finish	B+
Fuel Economy	A
Value	B-

Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup.

Big & Tall Comfort

Big Guy	B-
Tall Guy	B

Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester.

Drivetrain
Engine Specs	181 horsepower
Engine Type	Electric motor
Transmission	Automatic
Drive Wheels	Front-wheel drive

Real-world fuel economy: NA

Driving mix: 40% city, 60% highway

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 115 MPGe city/100 highway/108 combined

Fuel type: NA

Base price: $29,900 (not including $850 destination charge)

Options on test vehicle: Iconic trim, Touchscreen Navigation Package ($7000)

Price as tested: $37,750

Quick Hits

The great: Peppy acceleration; nimble handling; fun, expressive styling inside and out

The good: Upscale interior trim; competitive pricing for a pure-electric vehicle

The not so good: Maximum driving range is subpar compared to most EV rivals; stiff ride quality; cramped rear seats are best suited for small children

More Mini Cooper Hardtop price and availability information

CG Says:

We’ll get the bad news out of the way first. The Mini Cooper SE Hardtop—Mini’s first regular-production pure-electric vehicle—doesn’t offer a particularly generous driving range. The EPA estimates that the Cooper SE will travel 110 miles on a full charge. Compared to similarly priced EV rivals such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV (estimated range: 259 miles), Hyundai Ioniq Electric (170 miles) Nissan Leaf (150 or 226 miles), the Mini comes up short.

Here’s the good news, though. The Mini Cooper SE is, well, a Mini Cooper. Like all Minis, its neo-retro styling is fun and exuberant inside and out. And like all Mini Coopers, the SE feels tailor-made for being driven briskly through curvy, winding roads—the conversion to a pure-electric powertrain hasn’t sullied the host car’s nimble, athletic character. The 32.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is mounted in the chassis, underneath the seats, so the car’s center of gravity stays low, and the Cooper Hardtop’s sporty suspension tuning and accurate, communicative steering feel carry over intact. Unfortunately, the ride quality—already quite taut in performance-focused gas-engine Cooper Hardtops—gets even stiffer in the SE. Also, EV batteries are heavy, so the SE ends up a bit porkier than its siblings, though not outrageously so—its curb weight checks in at 3143 pounds, compared to 2841 pounds for the Cooper S and 2951 pounds for the high-performance John Cooper Works Hardtop.

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The Cooper SE has a 135kW electric motor that makes 181 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque—comfortably above the hp rating of the base Mini Cooper’s 131-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder, and a shade below the sport-tuned Mini Cooper S’s 189-hp turbo 2.0-liter four. The “instant-on” torque-delivery characteristics of an electric motor benefit the SE’s satisfyingly quick acceleration. Mini says the 0-60-mph time is 6.9 seconds—not far off the gas-engine Cooper S’s quoted 6.4-second time—and if anything, that figure feels a bit conservative by the seat of our pants.

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Cooper SE cabin — Handsome Chesterfield leather upholstery in Satellite Grey helps give the Cooper SE’s cabin an upscale feel, as does the diamond-pattern stitching on the seat inserts. The cramped rear seats are best suited for small children.

Like almost all electric vehicles, the Cooper SE uses a regenerative braking system. The brake-pedal feel can take some getting used to if you’ve never driven an electric vehicle before, but most drivers will acclimate in short order. The SE’s level of brake regen can be selected by the driver—the most aggressive setting enables virtually “one-pedal” driving, meaning that the car can be brought to complete stop in some situations by simply lifting off the throttle pedal and not using the brake pedal at all. The brake regen helps conserve the battery’s power, but when the battery is depleted and it’s time to plug in, the Cooper SE can be recharged in about four hours on a Level 2 charger, or 24 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet. A 50kW Level 3 fast charger can charge it up to 80-percent full in less than 40 minutes.

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Considering that regular gas-engine Mini Coopers reside on the high end of the price spectrum for a subcompact-sized hatchback, the base Cooper SE’s starting price of $29,900 isn’t too hard to stomach. Our test vehicle was fitted with the Iconic Trim package and Touchscreen Navigation Package, which are bundled together and added $7000 to the bottom line. Included in the Iconic package are power-folding/auto-dimming exterior mirrors, auto-dimming rearview mirror, panoramic sunroof, Harman Kardon premium audio system, head-up display, Park Distance Control, and Parking Assistant. The Touchscreen Navigation Package adds Apple CarPlay connectivity, Mini Connected remote-access capabilities, wireless charging, and a navigation system.

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Add in the $850 destination fee, and the final price of our tester was $37,750. That’s at least in step with the pricing of nicely equipped gas-engine Mini Cooper Hardtops, and comfortably below the $43-45K price tags of the Chevrolet Bolt EVs and Nissan Leafs we’ve tested. And, the Cooper SE is still eligible for the $7500 federal tax-credit rebate if you qualify, as well as other state and federal incentives.

Though the SE was added as a mid-2020 model, it carries over with no major changes for 2021 or 2022—Mini is even holding the line on that $29,900 base price. Clearly, the Mini Cooper SE is not a road-trip machine, but if you’re looking for a daily commuter that doesn’t drink any gas and delivers genuine driving fun and spunky styling that other EVs don’t match, the Cooper SE is worth checking out.

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