MINI – that’s all in caps – are not so miniature any more.

Even though EV Rider’s 2025 MINI Cooper S Convertible is tiny by modern standards – 152.8 inches long, and 3,148 lbs. – it positively towers over my buddy Mark’s modified 1965 Austin Mini. The ’65 is 120 inches and 1,411 lbs. for a stock model.

Over 60 years – This MINI’s engine has grown to 201 hp from a turbocharged 2-liter four with 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, vs. Mini’s 74 hp from an 848cc engine with 4-speed manual gearbox.

Still, stock ’65 and ’25 models share some aspects. They’re both lightweight 4-seaters, and front-wheel-drive. Mark’s MINI has been modified with all-wheel-drive, 220-hp and the name of L’il Booger.

Related: 2025 MINI John Cooper Works EV

In fact, while MINI sold 26,000-plus of its entire line last year, and 33,000 the year before, the smallest is still rare. Only about 2,200 of the Cooper S models were sold in 2024. And outside of the 2-seat Mazda Miata, there’s no other compact convertible on sale stateside anymore.

Also, MINI has stopped importing the 2-door hardtop SE EV, even though in other parts of the world it now rides on entirely new platform, unlike the convertible, which shares some styling updates with the newest MINI 2-door hardtop EVs, but rides on the gas variant’s older platform.

2025 Cooper S Convertible Keeps That MINI Look

Gosh darn, it is cute – and has a new interior for 2025 along with some freshened exterior styling to compliment the EV’s styling in other parts of the world. Halo-rimmed LED headlights stay put when the clamshell bonnet opens. It hearkens back to the goggle-eyed look of the original. The lights flank a big octagonal grille with upper and lower grillework, separated by a bumper bar, and all framed in black. Being a Cooper S – one notch lower than the top-line John Cooper Works version – it adds a deep air dam.

Flared gloss black-flared fenders neatly wrap around P275/40R18-inch Pirelli Cinturato tires on forked 5-spoke silver and black wheels, decent-size disc brakes visible inside, with commendably short front and rear overhangs. Simply rounded sheetmetal gives the flanks and doors some shape over thick black sills.

Side bullet mirrors and smooth and big next to black windshield pillars and a fairly upright cloth top, a Union Jack imprinted – an option – on top. The back end is petite, half-a-Union Jack in each big taillight flanking a slim, bottom-hinged truck lid over black and body-color bumper with petite, almost hidden tailpipe. All in all, a foursquare, fairly low and nicely planted shape.

Stroll up to our MINI and the huge taillights – each LED array half of a Union Jack – does an animation as “MINI” projects groundward from those big bullet mirrors. Here’s a car that lasted pretty much in the same shape as Mark’s until 2000. Then 22 years ago, BMW revived the MINI — all caps now — a bit bigger, and with some big variations — think Countryman. But sometimes, the ways of the original are best, as it applies to this smallest fourth-gen, revealed just over a year ago.

Copper S Convertible’s Interior Gets Major Overhaul For 2025

Our 2025 model’s wheelbase is the same as the third-gen’s, but two-tenths of an inch shorter. There’s a cozy 2+2 cockpit under that black cloth top, its side bars high enough that there’s no reason to duck to plop into black pleather bucket seats — “MINI” embroidered on seatbacks – with gray cloth accents and comfortable support, plus manual adjustments.

A tight weave fabric with color woven in accents is on the dashtop and doors. The very thick rimmed 3-spoke wheel – the lower a cloth band – is stitched leather and very grabbable, with the usual controls in front and – no paddle shifters? Nope, a Cooper S with no apparent way to manually shift — more later.

There’s no gauges in front of that wheel, other than a simple head-up display screen. Instead, echoing the 1960’s Mini center speedometer, there’s a 9.4-inch diameter circular center screen, part of a radically-redesigned interior that says ta-ta to real buttons for the most part.

A cool colored pattern is projected onto the dashboard top cloth on either side of the big speedo display – different colors depending on drive mode. The passenger dashtop gets a blue cloth strap that does nothing but looks cool. When that center screen glows to life, it shows an initial animation of a swinging ‘60’s Mini, then lots of room for everything from speed, tachometer and gas, to mpg, dual-zone temperature control, big or small navigation screen, and more.

Below the screen, a toggle switch selects drive modes — Core, Go-Kart or Green, the display in blue, red/black or green respectably. Core is the start-up mode with navigation, media and phone status, plus climate controls, speedometer and range around the rim. There’s a touchscreen at the bottom with some key menu selections like climate control/fan speed, audio selection, Home screen, navigation and phone. It was sometimes a bit slow to appear when tapped.

Go-Kart opens with a “Whoo-hoo!” sound effect and a huge 160-mph speedometer, 7,000-rpm tach, horsepower and torque displays. There’s even a G-force meter. Green mode goes green with a hummingbird icon when you drive gently, or a leaping jaguar if you don’t. Go-Kart mode also adopts red accent lighting on the doors and dash. Green is — green.

There are three more Experience Modes. Timeless has a sepia-toned classic (as in 1959 Mini) central speedo and tach; Vivid adopts red accent lighting and is more media-forward. Personal mode allows custom display art. But there’s more — real buttons, on that small panel under the screen. Start/stop is a permanent key-like control. The gear selector is a small paddle, with a “Park” button. Double tapping it down accesses L mode to plant the gearbox in a lower gear when you go down a hill. It also blips the throttle on downshifts. Buttons below also handle some other basics like parking cameras and defrost.

The center console is a wide, rubberized tray to hold stuff. The center armrest is just that – there’s no storage space below.  Ahead, there’s a horizontal spot with clip to lock your phone into an inductive charger, along with cup holders and some USB ports. There’s a small glove box, skinny door map pockets, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

As for the back seat, it’s narrowed to fit the power cloth top. An 8-year-old fits if the passenger seat moves up but it’s a bit tight for both. The small (5.2-cu.ft.) trunk is boxy behind a bottom-hinged door. It’s floor dipped down for more room. Rear seatbacks split 60/40, and fold to expand.

That top’s a trick as well. Hold the top button a bit, and the section over the front seats slides back into a bit of a targa. Push again and the power top drops all the way down with the side windows in seconds. We love the glass rear window because it’s so big, minimizing lane change blind spots. Fold the top down, and its just breezy enough, although it stacks fairly high, cutting off rearward vision. Using the targa-like half roof makes it windier in the cockpit. But that Harmon Kardon sound system easily keeps tunes loud and clear even topless at highway speed.

Cooper S Convertible’s Performance, Handling Stays Sharp

A classic Mini Cooper S, and this MINI Cooper S share the same traits — both are small, agile and quick enough for their respective time periods.

Our 3,148-lb. MINI Cooper S Convertible’s BMW-sourced 2-liter 4-cylinder engine’s 201 hp gives out a maximum of 221 ft-lbs. of torque. Our 7,900-mile-old ragtop is almost 200 lbs. heavier than the Cooper S 3-door hatch. But while driving in Green mode, which claimed 10 extra miles, it was just fine for everyday driving, if a bit slower off the line until the turbo smoothly (but noticeably) joined in to hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds.

Set in Go Kart mode, we earned more exhaust snarl and a hint of front wheelspin, even a whisper of torque steer if the wheels weren’t straight as we zipped to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, each downshift was joined by a throttle blip. The 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox executed fine shifts. It was quick when we wanted to pass, doing so with ease, although the G-force meter meted out a moderate .55Gs on launch.

As for my wish for a paddle shifter to downshift? Well, that small gear selector paddle allows a double tap to access L mode, which drops the gearbox in a lower gear when you go want to tackle a corner – it also blips the throttle on downshifts. With all that fun, we averaged 31 mpg and saw an estimated 400-miles of range on a full tank. But auto-engine on/off at traffic lights is noticeable when refiring.

For comparison, a 2025 Cooper S hardtop I tested a year ago hit 60 mph in 6 seconds in Go-Kart mode. It also averaged about 28 mpg. And a 2021 MINI Cooper S Convertible I tested with a turbocharged in-line four with 189 hp and a 6-speed manual with rev-match engine blips on downshifts – saw 60 mph in 6.9 seconds. We got an observed 31 mpg.

More MINI Coverage

Top 10 EV Rider Videos Of 2024

MINI Debuts 2025 John Cooper Works EVs

Countryman SE ALL4 Elevates MINI’s EV Game

2021 Mini Cooper SE 12,000-Mile Owner Review

Under that rubber-at-each-corner body lives front struts and a multilink rear suspension with a comfortably taut yet supple ride that can get a bit choppy on rougher pavement due to that short wheelbase. On smoother roads, it’s a joy to toss around; with a ride that easily handles bumps with a tightly-done rebound that’s buffered at full compression. In the real world, we had a very neutral and fairly flat ride around curves with serious stiction under power as we played. We got a very nice 1.03Gs in our steady-state skidpad, and a fine .99Gs powering up an interstate entrance ramp -whoo-hoo, it’s almost a go-kart.

Power steering is super direct in any mode, with great feedback and a firmer, more direct feel in Go Kart mode. It is so easy to point and shoot it into corners or even lane change, full of feel on any road. We had a hint of understeer when we pushed in the skid pad, but easy to steer and go. It’s almost twice the weight of the original MINI, but still carving corners with aplomb.

Our 13.2-inch front/11-inch rear disc brakes gave us immediate bite and precise whoa-down ability, stopping short and straight with minimal nose drive and no sign of fade after heavy use. It had a very good 1.18Gs under full braking from 60 mph, and no evident fade after a few hard hits. Lane-keep was gently firm in keeping the MINI in line, while cruise control handled speed and distance to a stop.

The base 161-hp MINI Cooper C Convertible starts at $34,600. Our MINI Cooper S Convertible based at $39,600, with lots we had standard except: $1,700 Iconic Trim with smart cruise, Harmon Kardon audio, keyless entry, navigation, wireless phone charging and more; and $600 Union Jack soft-top -final is $38,295 with destination.

Bottom line: The Cooper S convertible is still a tight, squared-off package that says MINI immediately, with short overhangs, rubber at each corner, and cute nostalgic hints with a wonderfully updated interior. It’s still a joy to drive – a go-kart for two and stuff.

2025 MINI Cooper S Convertible Specifications

Vehicle type – 2-door, 4-seat compact front-wheel-drive convertible
Base price – $39,600 (As driven – $38,295)
Engine type –16-valve in-line four
Displacement – 2-liter

Horsepower (net) – 201 hp at 5,000 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 221 at 1,450-4,500 rpm

Transmission – 7-speed/dual-clutch automatic

Wheelbase – 98.2 in.

Overall length – 152.8 in.

Height – 56.4 in.

Width – 77.6 in. w/mirrors

Front headroom – 39 in.

Front legroom – 40.4 in.

Rear headroom/legroom – n/a.

Cargo capacity – 5.2 cubic feet

Curb weight – 3,148 pounds

Fuel capacity – 11.6 gallons

Mileage rating – 26 mpg city/36 mpg highway

The post 2025 MINI Cooper S Convertible Is A Smile Machine appeared first on EV Rider.

It’s always fun to see what EVs attract the most viewers so we’ll end the year with a roundup of the Top 10 videos produced this year on EV Rider, based on viewership. 

Number 10: Kia EV6

Coming in at number ten, Kia enthusiasts were obviously excited that the EV6 was getting a mid-cycle refresh for the 2025 model year.  

Among the improvements: A jump in range to more than 330 miles per charge for the rear-wheel drive version and a new front end that includes daytime running lights and an LED light bar. 

Number 9: Model 3

Tesla’s Model 3 also got a mild-overhaul, which generated lots of interest as the ninth most watched video. Commonly referred to as the Highland edition, the latest Model 3 includes an upgraded interior, quieter cabin, and revised exterior styling. 

Number 8: Karma Kaveya & Gyesera

Karma is finally showing off new EVs after being reincarnated from the ashes of the first Fisker car company to go out of business. EV Rider was possibly the first media outlet to post video of the unveiling of the Kaveya and Gyesera EVs at the 2024 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, along with design summaries from former GM design chief Ed Welburn and Karma President Marques McCammon. Neither car has made it onto the production line yet. 

Number 7: Eli Zero Micro EV

Coming in at number 7, EV Rider viewers were obviously excited about the possibility of a $12,000 micro EV called the Eli Zero. When we interviewed  U.S. head of operations James Seargent  II, he predicted this tiny EV that’s meant for neighborhoods, urban cores and campuses would be on sale in the U.S. by the end of 2024. 

Although the Eli is on sale overseas, so far there’s no indication that the Zero will make it to American shores as soon as originally forecast. 

Number 6: Vinfast VF8

 A new entry that has made it to the U.S. is coming on strong if EV Rider video views are any indication of interest. The Vinfast VF8 road test that debuted several weeks ago is quickly climbing the viewership ladder. 

And why not? The car company from Vietnam could well end up being the next Kia when it comes to success stories. Formed in 2017, Vinfast already has a full model line-up, including the VF8 SUV EV. 

It appears Vinfast also appeals to high-tech viewers. The 3D spatial version of the VF8 road test was the number one EV Rider video for immersive virtual reality headsets like Meta Quests and Apple Vision Pros. 

Number 5: MINI Countryman All4 EV

MINI fans have something to cheer about with the arrival of the all-new Countryman ALL4 EV. It’s a huge step forward over the last-gen Cooper SE EV and given Americans tend to like bigger vehicles, it’s likely to sell better than MINI’s last EV to be imported to the U.S. 

Number 4: Fisker Ocean

Coming in at number four is an EV manufacturer that flamed out in 2024 after appearing to have a bright future in 2023. 

The second incarnation of Fisker declared bankruptcy in 2024, but not before delivering thousands of Oceans that thrilled many owners before the bad news hit. It’s a shame. Fisker’s Ocean was a nicely styled entry. 

Number 3: 2025 Zero Motorcycles Lineup

EV Rider’s motorcycling audience paid a lot of attention to Zero Motorcycle’s expanded 2025 lineup. The California-based company debuted two new models in the low end of the market: the XB and XE. Both are lightweight, off-road dirt bikes, although they are street legal in some parts of the world.  

Zero also showed off it’s Neutrino concept, which could shake up the market currently dominated by Honda’s Grom. 

Number 2: 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe

The number two video produced in 2024 shows just how popular Jeep is despite stumbles by its parent company Stellantis this year. Our long-term road test of a 2021 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe plug-in hybrid was the most watched video produced during 2024. 

Number 1: Canoo

And the number one video with more than 40,000 video views at last check was EV startup Canoo’s first quarter earnings call. Canoo actually had two videos produced in 2024 hit the top 10, likely driven by investor interest.

Canoo has been burning through cash and still hasn’t managed to reach any sort of meaningful production numbers despite having a multi-billion dollar order book that includes high-profile customers like Walmart. 

At the time of this post Canoo had idled it’s Oklahoma factory and had furloughed more than 80 employees to conserve cash, saying it is “in talks with various capital sources.”  

In an effort to to get back into NASDAQ compliance and prop its stock price back up, it announced a 1-for-20 reverse stock split effective December 24. 

2025 will likely be the sink or swim year for Canoo. 

Happy New Year to all of you. Here’s hoping 2025 will be the best year yet. 

The post Top 10 EV Rider Videos Of 2024 appeared first on EV Rider.

Sometimes it seems like Europe gets all the fun stuff first.

Previously EV Rider told you about the MG Cyberster EV sports car, along with the Ford Capri and Explorer EVs that aren’t coming to the U.S.

Now it’s MINI’s turn. This week MINI unveiled its all-new John Cooper Works Electric line of EVs that won’t be coming to the U.S. for at least a few years.

MINI is showing off its John Cooper Works 2-door hatchback and Aceman. The Aceman is a compact 4-door hatch that is another EV the U.S. won’t be seeing anytime soon, although both are expected to arrive in European showrooms in March 2025.

The John Cooper Works adds a boost button that provides an extra 27 horsepower for short bursts of acceleration. Boost buttons are becoming somewhat common among high performance EVs. For example, EV Rider’s 2023 Kia EV6 GT test car also came with a boost button.

MINI says the John Cooper Works can scoot from zero to 62 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds. It also has JCW-specific suspension tuning to up the thrill factor in the turns.

Black side skirts, aero blades and few other tweaks make sure the MINI faithful know this one is a John Cooper Works.

For the MINI faithful that say, “it ain’t a JCW without a manual,” those days are over, regardless of whether you want gas or electric.

MINI has dropped the manual for 2025.

Right now the MINI 2-door hatchback Cooper SE EV is being made in China, which means we won’t see it for a while in the states since Chinese imports face a 100% tariff. But, MINI does plan to retool the Oxford, England plan to be able to build EVs again, beginning as early as 2026. At that point it is expected that the Cooper SE EV will return to the states.

Given we do expect the latest generation of Cooper 2-door hardtop EVs to eventually make it statewide, there’s hope we’ll see the John Cooper Works trim eventually make it over as well.

The next question is whether we’ll see an EV version of the Cooper convertible. The answer is: probably.

Sources tell MotoringFile.com that it’s looking like an EV Cooper convertible will be built at Oxford in 2026 and speculates it would be imported to the U.S.

Motoring File has a pretty good track record with its sources. It makes sense that MINI would want to continue its tradition of building convertibles as it moves toward becoming an all-electric brand.

If you can’t wait that long, MINI does have another EV option that’s available right now. Here’s a road test of the 2025 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 EV.

Additional John Cooper Works EV photos

The post MINI Debuts 2025 John Cooper Works EVs appeared first on EV Rider.

MINI is upping its game in the EV arena. 

In the video above you’ll see the brand new 2025 Countryman SE ALL4 next to a 2021 Cooper SE EV. MINI’s made quite a few advancements over the last five years, since the last MINI EV debuted. 

Let’s start with the old Cooper SE’s biggest disadvantage, its range. The 2025 Countryman has an estimated range of up to 212 miles, which is close to double what its older sibling is capable of. 

Post your MINI Countryman comments or questions here.

The good news doesn’t stop there. MINI has practically tripled the Countryman’s charging speed as compared to the old Cooper. The Countryman SE has a peak rated DC charging speed of 130 kW. That’s fast enough to take it from 10 to 80% in 29 minutes in ideal conditions. At home it can AC charge at up to 11 kW. 

_{Got VR? This episode is also available in 3D on YouTube VR.}

The Countryman is MINI’s biggest EV so unlike the outgoing 2-door Cooper EV, there’s plenty of room in back for two additional passengers, or you could fit three across in pinch. 

For MINI fans another jump forward is up front where the primary center screen has been replaced with the auto industry’s first fully round OLED display. 

But just because MINI has embraced the digital age doesn’t mean it’s forgotten about its heritage. Just like the classic Minis we all remember; the Countryman can display a very retro looking speedometer.

Unlike those old analog MINIs, the redesigned 2025 models have a ton of additional tricks. And, after all these years MINI has finally embraced wireless Android Auto in addition to Apple Car Play. 

The Countryman EV is a software powerhouse that includes multiplayer video gaming and the ability to stream your favorite TV shows via Pluto TV. 

Up to 50 third party apps are currently available. So when you’re on a road trip with a few spare minutes at a charging station there will be plenty of multimedia fun available, including support for two player gaming, using your smartphones as controllers.

The gauge cluster display is highly configurable thanks to different driving modes: Green, Vivid, Core, Timeless, Balance, and a customizable mode called personal. 

Perhaps best of all, Mini has fully embraced its best-known handling trait with a mode called Go-Kart. 

The electric Countryman fills your senses with a variety of fun sounds depending on what mode you choose. If you don’t like any of them, you turn the sound effects off. 

One thing some fans may miss is the outgoing Mini’s gauge cluster above the steering wheel. But that probably won’t be missed by many since all U.S. Countryman EVs have a heads-up display for 2025 along with that huge center readout. 
 

The Mini Cooper S has also been redesigned for 2025 but the EV version currently isn’t expected to be available in the states until 2026 at the earliest.  

It’s likely to come to the U.S. once Mini’s Oxford plant is retooled to start cranking out electric 2-door Coopers again. Right now the 2025 EV MINI Cooper SE is built in China, although the 2025 gas Coopers continue to be built in the U.K. 

MINI has been developing EVs for a longer period of time than most people probably realize. It’s first publicly available EV was the extremely limited production MINI E, which was built between 2009-2010.

Back to the Countryman SE, thanks to all-wheel-drive it should be fine when the weather gets sketchy. For nicer days the Countryman includes an opening sunroof here in the U.S.  

Once you get it out on the road that famous Mini go-cart handling makes the transition to the bigger EV just fine in moderate conditions, although the suspension is tuned a bit more softly than the Cooper, meaning it does a better jobs of soaking up the bumps. Due to its larger size and weight it’s not quite as sharp in the corners, but for an SUV it’s quite responsive.

The Countryman has all the tech goodies drivers have come to expect; including lane assist, adaptive cruise control and parking assist. 

The Countryman SE ALL4 starts at $45,200 and is very well equipped so you should be able to get it out the door in the low 50s.  

When it comes to storage you’ll find plenty of nooks and crannies; including wireless charging, a center console, glove box and side pockets.  

There’s no front trunk as many EVs have but out back it’s got up to 56-cubic-feet of storage with the rear seats folded. 

Our AWD dual motor Countryman has 308 horsepower and 364 lb-ft of torque, making it good for a 5.4 second 0-60 mph run, according to MINI.

For driving impressions, a full tour of the interior and more, be sure to watch the video at the top of this post.

A big shoutout goes to the Tom Bush family of dealerships in Jacksonville for loaning out our slate blue Countryman SE ALL4. 

The post Countryman SE ALL4 Elevates MINI’s EV Game appeared first on EV Rider.

We’ve had our Mini coming up on a year-and-a-half, racking up about 12,000 miles, and here’s a spoiler alert: we love it.

Anyone who follows Mini knows reviewers raved about it with one glaring exception: and that’s the range. The 2021 Mini had an EPA estimated combined range of 108 miles per charge from its 32.6 kWh battery.

Post your Cooper SE comments or questions HERE.

The good news here is Mini under promised but over delivered on the EPA’s range estimate. We’ve exceeded 108 miles multiple times with 5% or more of charge left, doing primarily interstate travel, which the EPA rated at 100 miles.

The usual EV caveats apply. Your range will vary, depending on driving speed, driving mode and weather conditions.

EVs do see range losses during colder months, although that’s not a concern most of the time here in sunny Florida.

The Cooper SE’s limited range hasn’t slowed us down. We usually make a 215-mile round trip from Jacksonville to New Smyrna Beach twice a month in the Mini.

Our longest road trip so far has been 538 miles over the course of a holiday weekend.

Likely because of the battery’s small size, Mini capped the DC charging rate at 50kWh. It takes about a half-hour to get from a 5% to 80% charge at a Level 3 charging station.

As with most EVs, the SE’s charging speed slows down dramatically after 80% to avoid damaging the battery, resulting in most road trippers only charging up to 80%, unless they need the full 100 to get to their next fueling stop.

Urban Powerhouse

Now that we’ve got the Mini’s weak points out of the way, here comes the good news: it’s every bit as fun to drive as a gas-powered Mini, and maybe even more so.

Let’s start with around town charging.

On a 7.4 kWh Level 2 home charger it takes under five hours to fill the battery, meaning you’ll leave the house each morning with a full charge. It’s a great feeling never needing to make time for a gas station run on a busy day.

The electric Cooper SE feels as light on its feet as its turbo-powered Cooper S sister. I recently had a chance to drive a new Mini Cooper S convertible with a six-speed.

From a seat-of-the-pants perspective the EV Mini feels quicker since there’s no turbo lag or RPM drop-off during shifts as is the case with the manual Mini. Motor Trend measured a six-second 0-60 time on a 2020 SE it tested.

Mini’s famous go-cart handling remains. In my opinion, the shorter-range battery was an acceptable trade off to keep the price and weight down.

Build quality is excellent. No squeaks or rattles have cropped up during our ownership. The Cooper SE still feels as tight as the day we bought it.

The nearly white seats and floor mats are also holding up nicely.

The only service we’ve had done so far is a tire replacement after picking up a nail.

While it’s not showy, the Mini’s infotainment and ergonomics are excellent. The Mini’s center stack includes an optional 8.8-inch touchscreen, although you’ll probably won’t use the touch-feature very often thanks to its jog-dial set-up and physical buttons.

Unlike the trend toward big touchscreens controlling just about everything, the Mini’s jog-dial and buttons will become muscle memory, allowing you to quickly go from things like navigation to media without taking your eyes off the road. Same thing for the climate control.

In our case we got a fully loaded car, so a heads-up display is also part of the package. With redundant steering wheel-controls you can quickly change HD Radio channels without taking your eyes off the road. While there is no adaptive cruise control available the traditional cruise is quick and easy to operate, with steering wheel controls to nudge the speed up or down.

Alexa is on board for voice commands and in my experience does just as good a job with navigation commands as Google Assistant.

The built-in navigation isn’t the prettiest but gets the job done with one silly faux pas. In addition to showing charging stations it also displays gas stations.

Mini, if you’re reading this, it’s time for an over-the-air update that removes those pesky gas stations.

The car has four modes: Sport, Mid, Green and Green-Plus. The modes adjust the throttle response and climate control. In Green-Plus there is no heating or A/C, just the fan. The car defaults Mid-mode, which is the everyday mode.

One pedal driving or coasting is also available with a quick toggle switch.

One of the wonderful things about one pedal driving is it basically simulates the feel of a downshift and sends regenerated power into the battery.

As with most modern EVs, the Cooper SE comes with an app that can do things like open windows and pre-condition the car remotely. Most importantly, you can check charging progress remotely. It will also send charging update notifications to Apple and Wear OS smartwatches.

At the time of this video’s publication the Cooper SE didn’t have any direct competitors in the United States.

It was the only available two-door hot-hatch EV currently being sold in the U.S.

If you want an open-air EV, the Cooper SE is also one of the few choices available.

There’s a big trend toward fixed glass roof EVs that don’t open. But thankfully Mini is bucking that trend, offering a full glass sunroof that does open to take full advantage when nice weather is in the forecast.

With the exception of range, the Cooper SE remains every bit as practical as its gas-powered cousin.

It had a more spacious back seat than the convertible I drove and the car’s rear hatch has the same 34-square-feet of storage space as a Cooper S with the seats down.

One thing you don’t get is a frunk. That area is taken up by the Cooper SE’s inverter and other electronics. So don’t expect extra storage space because it’s an EV.

Circling back to the whole range thing, can you really live with a car a range of just over a hundred miles?

In our case, absolutely. It’s our second car so for road trips in-excess of, say, 150 miles one-way in a day, we’ll take the other car to avoid losing time to charging.

We have done several overnight trips in the Mini. We usually leave home with a full charge and then charge at our destination, or if the trip is beyond the Mini’s range, we plan a lunch stop or other break along the way.

For families with a second car, the Mini is a strong, affordable option.

For one person or a family with a single car, there are better options out there, although it will be tough to find one with as high a fun factor at the Mini’s price point. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t do long road trips, then a Cooper SE still might work.

If you’ve got any questions about our Mini, just let me know in the YouTube comments page for this video and I’ll do my best to answer them.

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