4th Report: Infotainment issues
It has been another busy month for our Cooper SE, starting with a comparison with one of the first UK Acemans, although the mid-size Mini crossover was in entry-level E spec, with the Exclusive equipment grade the same as our hatch.
Highlights of two weeks spent with the Cooper’s bigger brother started with the five-door practicality. My tall 14- and 11-year-olds like riding in our Mini, but neither appreciate being shoe-horned into the back! An extra pair of doors stopped access arguments, but neither thought the Aceman’s angular design looked as cool inside and out.
Like the Cooper, I enjoyed driving the Aceman. Even in E specification, it felt quick off the mark – in fact with 184hp, it’s not down much on our Cooper SE. I’d go as far as to say the performance is very willing. Despite the taller shape, the handling seems as keen as our Mini, too.
The downside of the keen drive in our Cooper SE, is the hard ride – which seems to be getting more noticeable, the more miles we do in the car! I think the Aceman’s taller, longer shape equals a slightly more comfortable ride – but if you don’t buy into the Mini keen driving formula – rivals might offer a more comfortable solution.
However, the biggest problem I found with the Aceman E, was the range. Officially rated at 192 miles, the longest we went between charges, was when we picked it up from the Cotswold launch event, with a claimed 160 mile range. Admittedly, the weather got colder during the time we had the car, but the second charge on my 7kW Ohme home charger equalled a range of 120 miles, before topping out at just 100 miles for the next couple of charges! Yet our Cooper, on the same charger, is still achieving over 180 miles to a charge. Apart from the weather, in the Mini’s defence, the Aceman had only delivery mileage. Still, where has this Mini’s charge gone; 100 miles just isn’t enough!
The Aceman E’s limited range was the main reason I probably didn’t go as far as I’d have liked in this Mini. However, the range hasn’t stopped me using our Cooper SE – starting with a busy week at the start of December, with a Sunday evening drive to Gatwick Airport. A miserable drive around the M25, with the wipers, headlights, and heating on, saw me with 122 miles when I arrived at the short-stay car park.
I enjoyed the drive and had enough range for the trip home, but when I got back behind the wheel, and tried to fire up the OLED display an infotainment, I was greeted by a black screen! Then when it did wake up, and I entered my postcode for the way home, there was an error message I’d not seen before! It was telling me the navigation was off-line. Finally, it refused to connect to my phone via Bluetooth, for calls and my music.
Annoying as it was, I was more bothered about my phone connection than the navigation and music. So, I stopped at Pease Pottage services, shut down the Mini, got out and then locked it in the car park. It might sound odd, but this stop and restart partially worked, as I now had navigation and working Bluetooth, so I could make and receive calls. However, another screen I’d not seen before, told me Bluetooth audio was disconnected.
More driving and trips followed the same week, and whilst the infotainment seemed faster and sharper, it still wouldn’t let me listen to my music through the excellent Harmon Kardon system! Then, on the weekend after all this, suddenly I was able again to play my own music through this Mini.
The only thing I can put these faults down to, is that our car, along with all the other new Minis, received an infotainment update. I know this, as my own recently purchased Countryman C suffered similar issues – typical!
| Model | Mini Cooper SE |
| P11D price | £38,645 |
| As tested | £39,220 |
| WLTP Combined Range | 250 miles |
| Test consumption/Range | 3.9 miles/kWh |
| Mileage | 2,700 |
3rd Report: Road tripping – no stress!
I’m a Mini fan, but I don’t just like current models like our Cooper SE – I like early cars, such as the first R50 hatch, launched in the summer of 2001.
So, when the opportunity arose for a couple of tickets to catch up with friends in The Y Register, at the Lancaster Classic Car Show, the Cooper SE seemed the perfect car for the trip North to the National Exhibition Centre.
Despite my previous home charger playing up, I was thankful the Mini was at 100% on the morning of our trip. This equalled 170 miles of range according to Mini’s app. With the total trip to Birmingham equalling 105 miles, I knew I’d need the public charging network on the way home, for a quick ‘splash and dash’.
It was a cold, early start for a Sunday when I twisted the Cooper SE’s starter. The heated steering wheel and seat presets were welcomed by my daughter and me – although I was concerned how much these would affect the efficiency – but they quickly turned off, and the heat they gave to the faux leather trim was noticeable.
I was hoping for a bit more range after flicking to ‘Efficiency’ mode but after sending the route to the car via the app, sadly there was no change! To make the most of the range, and quiet Sunday morning roads, cruise control seemed the best solution. The car chose the A1, A14, and M6 for its route, so as soon as I hit the A1, I set the limit at 70mph and let the Mini do everything but the steering and braking.
Still, we were able to enjoy the comfort of the sports seats, and the punchy performance of the Harman Kardon stereo that’s included in the Level 2 pack that’s fitted to our car.
Two hours and no dramas later, the Cooper SE rolled into one of the NEC’s many car parks, with 66 miles left of the range, which I was a bit disappointed with. The only excuse was the weather appeared to turn the closer we got to Birmingham. With the need for windscreen wipers and lights by the time we got there.
When parked next to my own R50 Cooper, the latest J01 Mini dwarfs it, but a Lamborghini Urus parked behind, makes the Cooper SE look small for once!
My daughter and I had a fun day catching up with friends, but knowing I’d need a charge, we decided to head for home mid-afternoon. After previous experience with the similar infotainment system in the BMW iX1 on a trip to Leeds around a year ago (which was mostly successful!), I sent the route again to the Mini via the app, and let it work out the trip home – including the necessary charging stop.
This time, it routed back via the M6, and the charging spot wasn’t long after we joined the motorway. The Mini’s navigation chose Corley Services, and I quickly spotted the bank of Instavolt fast chargers at the back of the car park. Thankfully there was a free one, just one tap later and the Cooper was charging – too easy!
More useful, was the app was telling me a charge to 71% in 15 minutes would be enough to get us home. It even buzzed my phone to tell me when it had reached this figure, which helpfully coincided with us finishing our warm drinks while waiting.
£18 charge later, the next 80 miles home passed without problem. This was without doubt the easiest electric car trip yet. Good day, good car, more please!
| Model | Mini Cooper SE |
| P11D price | £38,645 |
| As tested | £39,220 |
| WLTP Combined Range | 250 miles |
| Test consumption/Range | 4.3 miles/kWh |
| Mileage | 2,250 |
2nd Report
It is 4:15am, still the middle of night in my opinion – but that’s the time I edge the Cooper SE’s nose out of my drive to head for Heathrow for a very early flight to the South of France. Not many new cars would get me out of my bed this early, but when it’s our ‘One to Watch’ winner at this year’s Business Car Awards, and key rival to the Mini, the Renault 5 E-Tech, it’s key that I get to the airport on time.
Just over 200 miles is showing on the range – so nothing to worry about there. So, I engage ‘Green’ mode, put the airport postcode in the nav, flick the wipers on as it’s raining, and make my way to the M25.
Traffic is light, but the keen drive is keeping me awake and entertained. The finish to this Mini’s interior, which with the clever use of fabric on the dash and door trims, along with central circular OLED infotainment – still feels special every drive.
Then there’s the comfort on the move. Rear space might be compromised in this Cooper SE thanks to my tall frame, but space in the front, and the driving position is excellent. The one-piece sports seats are sporty and supportive.
Anyway, I arrive pleasingly unstressed at the car park three-quarters of an hour later – in plenty of time to check into the flight. More impressive is the 3.7miles/kWh efficiency, equalling 180 miles range – which is plenty for the trip home.
So, what’s the 5 like compared to the Mini? Similar to the Cooper, this Renault respects its past in the design. The Mini and 5 both look fantastic. With this Renault almost having the want factor of the original 2001 R50 Mini hatch. Then there’s the extra practicality of four-doors that the Mini doesn’t have…
Inside both the Mini and Renault continue with the retro-modern design. The 5 has its modern interpretation of the 70s original’s interior, but the third-generation Mini moves even closer to the 60s original – with the circular OLED screen, and lower switch panel. The woollen panels cleverly hide the hard plastics – better than the Renault!
There is no doubt that this Mini’s stiff ride adds to the sporty character, but the Renault feels more comfortable and composed. The 5’s steering surprises at how precise it is – although I feel it’s not quite as sharp as the Mini’s! The Cooper SE has the sportiest handling, too.
The Renault’s handbrake is annoyingly fiddly and it’s not as sporty as our Mini, but the 5 is a promising start – it will be interesting to see how the incoming Alpine A290 can move things on.
Then there’s the range and pricing. Range-wise, the 5s on the launch seemed a bit down on Renault’s claims of 250 miles for the bigger 150hp version we drove. It was more like 200 and puts the 5 again on a collision course with the Cooper, which has been largely seeing the same figure in our hands. An estimated £27,000 price for the rang-topping Techno, is also considerably cheaper than this Mini.
The Cooper SE is still my favourite, and the car I was very happy to be tackling a busy and damp drive around the M25 on the way home. However, I was surprised and impressed at how close this comparison was – I look forward to driving right-hand drive versions in the UK to make a definitive comparison.
Elsewhere, after highlighting the fact that the parcel shelf strings are too long, the shelf itself jammed this month as I was opening the boot. As a result, I found out later that one of clips on the tailgate, where the string is usually located, is now missing. Interestingly, after speaking to another owner, Mini have appeared to fix this on customer cars. Is this worthy of a visit to the dealer for a fix?
| Model | Mini Cooper SE |
| P11D price | £38,645 |
| As tested | £39,220 |
| WLTP Combined Range | 250 miles |
| Test consumption/Range | 3.7 miles/kWh |
| Mileage | 1,805 |
1st Report
We’re not usually lucky enough to be running the ‘Business Car of The Year’ at the same time it’s announced – but this a happy coincidence.
This is not my first experience of the all-new JO1 electric Mini, as following the UK drive at the end of June, I spent three-weeks in the range-topping ‘Sport’, after giving back our long-term BMW i5. I wasn’t totally convinced by the sporty ‘John Cooper Works’ body additions, but it was great fun to drive, and the range was a big improvement over the last electric Mini.
I was sorry when it went back but looked forward to the arrival of our own car at the start of August. Having visited the dealer on launch weekend and witnessing this colour, it was a no-brainer that I was going to go for a car in ‘Bursting Blue’ (a £550 option), when it was offered. This meant our car would be in the more luxurious ‘Exclusive’ specification, with what I thought was more a classic modern Mini style, that in my opinion looks great – with the white roof and mirrors. I was also a fan of the 18in Slide Spoke wheels (another £550 option), so was very pleased to find these also fitted.
Inside, I wouldn’t have chosen the beige colour of the Vescin faux leather trim, as like the light woollen interior and dash trim, I think they will both mark. In fact, with just 650 miles when delivered, our car’s door cards were already marked by previous dirty fingers! Still, the seats themselves, are the JCW sports seats upgrade (part of the £2,000 Exclusive pack), which have proved to be comfortable and supportive.
Highlight of our Mini’s interior must be the central circular OLED infotainment screen, which despite a couple of kinks, in general has worked well. I say generally, as after a McDonald’s breakfast pit stop on its first long trip to Brighton, it didn’t want to log into my profile or connect to my phone – which was frustrating after what otherwise was an easy trip. It has done the same a couple of times since, and I now have a set routine when starting to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Talking of the drive, as you’d expect of a Mini, it’s a highlight. I thought the Cooper’s steering was too light at first, but after spending time in other cars, I’ve changed my mind. Instead, it’s precise and has a good weight. The same is true of the handling, with a keen turn-in, and a lack of body roll in corners the real highlights. Although you can feel the weight of the battery – especially at low speeds. With 218hp, it’s a punchy performer – yet is reasonably efficient – unless driven hard. This is difficult, as its linea acceleration is already becoming addictive.
Gripes? Despite selfishly enjoying the sportiness of a two-door hatch, offering the Cooper SE as a five-door would certainly help me when I’m transporting my kids around. Our Exclusive spec has a glass sunroof, but unlike ICE models (based on the previous third-generation Mini) it doesn’t open – which is a shame. We were told this was because of the weight of the mechanism. I appreciate a sunroof that opens, so would happily do without it! Finally, the strings of the rear parcel shelf are too long – meaning the shelf itself doesn’t lift when you open the boot.
Overall, a good start – as I’ve fallen for this Mini big time, and I’m looking forward to spending more time in our Cooper SE over the coming months.
| Model | Mini Cooper SE |
| P11D price | £38,645 |
| As tested | £39,220 |
| WLTP Combined Range | 250 miles |
| Test consumption/Range | 3.0 miles/kWh |
| Mileage | 1,250 |
Standard equipment: LED head and taillights, 16in alloy wheels, Mini OLED display, DAB radio, Mini Driving Modes, two-zone automatic climate control, dynamic cruise control, parking assistant and rear camera, Apple Carplay and Android Auto integration.
Optional equipment: Blazing Blue paint (£550), 18in Slide Spoke alloy wheels (£550), Exclusive trim (£2,200), Level 2 Pack (£2,000)
Why we’re running it: To see how our 2024 ‘Company Car of The Year’ works for fleet.
