The 2024 MINI Cooper SE: Extra Vary, Much less Enjoyable?

Once I drove the F56-based MINI Cooper SE a couple of years in the past, it left me grinning nearly as a lot because the combustion engine Cooper S. You might flip off all of the traction and stability aids and have a superb time on a twisty highway. If that twisty highway was greater than 80 miles away, you’d have to cease and cost the automotive on the best way there (and once more on the best way again), however while you ultimately arrived, all of it made sense.

Having just lately pushed the brand new 2024 MINI Cooper SE, which isn’t associated to the ICE mannequin, I solely skilled a part of the enjoyment I felt within the older model—among the enjoyable has been misplaced. The brand new automotive is a a lot better EV with extra vary, and it gained’t require charging en path to your favourite highway, however when you get there, it’s not as a lot enjoyable because the outdated F56 EV. After spending a weekend with the J01 in Cooper SE trim and driving it briskly on numerous roads, I’ve quite a bit to unpack. The expertise left me torn between wanting the automotive to really feel extra like its predecessor and appreciating what it does higher now.

Extra Highly effective, Longer Vary

My tester was a 2024 MINI Cooper SE, so it had the extra highly effective motor and bigger battery. This gave it 218 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque, however it additionally weighed nearly 1.7 tons, or about 3,700 kilos. The 2021 to 2024 Cooper SE borrowed its motor from the BMW i3S, making 184 hp and 199 lb-ft however weighing about 1.44 tons, or 3,175 kilos. Regardless of having much less energy, it felt faster to speed up, and in contrast to the brand new automotive, it allowed you to drive with out digital aids, which is invaluable for fanatics.

Setting off in each vehicles, the traction management gentle will flash because the entrance wheels battle to place the ability down. Nonetheless, within the J01, it appears like energy is being held again at low speeds. Whenever you flooring it, you get about 70% of what it will probably ship, and as pace builds, the acceleration strengthens.

That is most likely the extra smart and environment friendly strategy, translating right into a faster 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 6.7 seconds. But, the outdated automotive one way or the other felt faster and extra keen, regardless of its larger claimed time of seven.3 seconds. I’ll concede that accelerating at larger speeds feels faster within the new automotive, with the next high pace of 105 mph in comparison with 93 mph within the older mannequin.

Barely Larger

The 2024 MINI Cooper SE (J01) has a barely longer wheelbase (99.5 inches vs. 98.2 inches), however I didn’t discover it any extra comfy than the electrical F56. To MINI’s credit score, the suspension feels equally stiff and a bit bouncy, regardless that the J01 is constructed on a very completely different (and non-BMW) platform from China’s Nice Wall Motor (GWM).

This platform additionally underpins the Ora Cat, an electrical MINI rival accessible in some European markets. Nonetheless, whereas the Ora has a beam connecting its two rear wheels, the MINI will get absolutely unbiased rear suspension, providing a extra refined trip befitting a premium automotive. It’s stiff however well-damped, very like different fashionable BMW or MINI merchandise.

The Driving Expertise

The steering was a spotlight of the F56 Cooper SE for me, no matter powertrain. It was simply as sharp and responsive within the electrical mannequin, giving the automotive nearly telepathic steering—corresponding to some supercars on this respect. There was additionally loads of suggestions, permitting you to precisely gauge the entrance axle’s grip, letting you push the automotive proper to the sting of understeering however not past it. The J01’s steering was the largest disappointment for me. It’s nonetheless fast for a contemporary automotive, and there’s some suggestions, however it felt significantly extra inert. There’s loads of precision, and it’s correct, however it one way or the other makes the driving expertise really feel extra indifferent than within the F56. Drive the 2 vehicles again to again, and the distinction of their steering setups is evening and day.

Although they give the impression of being related, these vehicles really feel fairly completely different. The J01 is certainly the higher EV, with about 70% extra vary per cost, faster charging, and an fascinating inside with one of many coolest infotainment screens within the trade. You’ll love driving the J01, however if you happen to’ve pushed the electrical F56 and beloved it, you’ll really feel like one thing is lacking within the new automotive.

Not Coming To America. But

MINI nonetheless has time to enhance the J01 earlier than it reaches North America. With the mannequin being constructed completely in China by a three way partnership with GWM, importing it doesn’t make monetary sense proper now. Nonetheless, MINI has confirmed plans to begin manufacturing of the J01 at its UK plant in 2026, and by then, the mannequin will obtain a mid-lifecycle refresh that may hopefully restore among the driving enjoyable.

If there’s one space of the J01 that I can’t complain about, it’s the design. Its smoother, extra monolithic look is best than the F56 (and the brand new F66). With an extended wheelbase and roughly the identical total size as earlier than, in addition to a barely wider observe, the J01 has a greater stance and appears extra planted.

There’s one thing about its proportions and the simplicity of its design, which, other than the fake entrance grille, lacks any pointless particulars. The 18-inch wheels on my tester suited the automotive completely, and I’m keen on the brand new rear gentle design—I do know it’s probably the most polarizing a part of the J01 and F66’s design.

General, I appreciated the 2024 MINI Cooper SE quite a bit, however for very completely different causes than the electrical F56. If you’d like a extra usable, grown-up, tech-packed EV, the brand new automotive is the best way to go. It’s higher and simpler to stay with every day. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re a driving fanatic, there’s no substitute for the electrical F56, which stays probably the most participating front-wheel-drive EV ever made and probably the most fun-to-drive EVs to today.