2021 Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop

The Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop is the most faithful interpretation of Alec Issigonis's original concept. Sir Issigonis imagined a small car with a unique engine that was both fun to drive and economical. BMW's first-generation Mini, with its supercharged engine, got it mostly right, but the Mini just kept on getting fatter and more expensive. Eventually, we got the abomination that was the Paceman, but even Mini would like to forget that particular mistake.

The Mini Cooper SE is the new people's car. Retailing at just under $30,000, the Mini Cooper EV is the most affordable electric car available in the USA. And thanks to the compact body and power delivery of the 184-horsepower electric motor, it's massively entertaining to drive.

The 2021 Mini Cooper EV is a fine interpretation of the original. It has the famous round headlights, a modern take on the upright rear lights, and a wheel at every corner. Even the side mirrors are an updated version of those found on the original. It's nearly impossible not to love the Mini Cooper. To differentiate the electric version from the rest of the range, Mini uses yellow. It can be found all over the car, from the blocked-off grille to the thin yellow line on the outer rim of the model-specific alloy wheels.

The electric Cooper uses the same 98.2-inch wheelbase as the rest of the range. At 151.4 inches, it's slightly longer than the other models, but it matches their 68-inch width. The 56.4-inch height of the Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop is slightly taller than the standard hatchback. This model's big problem was always going to be weight, as an EV needs a heavy battery pack to work. The one in this model pushes the curb weight up from 2,767 pounds (Cooper) to 3,153 lbs. That's not as bad as we expected, but a Mini weighing over 3,000 lbs just feels wrong.

You can have lots of fun with the exterior. Mini lets you play around with the body color, roof, and wheels. You can choose between Chili Red, Midnight Black, British Racing Green, White Silver, and Moonwalk Grey in standard Signature trim. Mini Yours Enigmatic Black is only available when you opt for the Iconic trim. The roof color options are body-colored, white, and black. There are also a total of nine different and stylish alloy wheel options to choose from.

Instead of designing a new powertrain, Mini uses the motor from the BMW i3S. This is likely the main reason why the Mini is so affordable. Most of the development cost was carried by BMW years ago.

The power output is 184 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque, sent exclusively to the front wheels. Mini claims a 0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds, but it feels faster due to the nature of the power delivery. Crucially, it makes the Cooper SE a riot to drive, even though the top speed is limited to 93 mph.

Unfortunately, the Cooper didn't just inherit the old i3's motors, but also its tiny battery. According to the EPA, the SE will only do 110 miles on a full charge. That's less than half the Chevrolet Bolt's 259-mile range. On the plus side, the Mini is inherently more fun to drive. The Bolt is likely quicker to 62 mph (6.5 seconds to get to 60 mph), but the Mini's compact dimensions, sublime suspension setup, and wide track make it one of the most inherently fun platforms in existence.

The single electric motor in the Cooper SE delivers 184 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. Due to the nature of an electric motor, all of that power and torque are available from a standstill. This was another fun characteristic of the original. The original Mini was naturally aspirated, with 1,275cc being the largest engine available at the time. It wasn't fast, but its simple throttle linkage meant the response was instantaneous.

Naturally, it can't match the original in terms of noise. This also presents a problem for pedestrians, especially since the Mini is so heavily marketed as a city-bound runabout. To get around this, Mini includes an acoustic warning for pedestrians as standard.

This system is massively annoying. It sounds like a vast swarm of murder hornets making their way down the street. These hornets don't warn but rather scare innocent bystanders. Of all the historic noises the engineers could have gone with, why this? Have they even heard of the 1967 Cooper that won the Monte Carlo Rally? There's a noise we wouldn't mind hearing daily. You could even work in some real cracks and bangs when the regenerative braking system kicks in. Speaking of noise, the lack of an ICE highlights high-speed wind noise at high speed that was previously disguised by the alluring soundtrack.

The Cooper SE has two regenerative braking modes. The first applies the brakes ever so slightly when you lift off the throttle, while the second is more severe. Once you get used to regenerative braking, it's pretty easy to drive a Cooper SE without ever using the brake pedal.

Mini's "go-kart-like handling" is the biggest load of marketing hogwash ever fed to the motoring media. And the sad thing is, most people tend to gobble it down without a second thought. No modern Mini has go-kart handling, and neither did the original. The only go-kart attributes it had were an extremely low seating position and a penchant for oversteer if you lifted through a corner. So yes, most Minis handle brilliantly, but they're not go-karts. Rant over.

Because an electric motor is lighter than a turbocharged gas engine, the weight distribution is better. To make room for the battery, Mini added an extra 0.7 inches of height to the Cooper SE, but the location of the heavy battery pack actually gives it a lower center of gravity. The suspension is also stiff, and Mini fits high-performance summer tires as standard.

The Cooper SE is a tremendous amount of fun to drive. You can chuck it into a corner and power out like a hero. Thanks to the Goodyear tires, there's enough grip to turn it into a tripod.

If only the fun lasted. While the Mini uses the upgraded electric motor from the i3S, it uses an older battery pack. It's worth mentioning that some reviewers found that sustained hard driving will eventually overheat the engine. Perhaps its limited range is a positive attribute from this skewed angle. It will run out of juice before the battery gets hot.

There are four driving modes to choose from, namely Sport, Mid, Green, and Green+. Sport mode works fine but overheats the car too quickly. Mid is a nice in-between, and Green will help you maximize range. Green+ deactivates a few creature comforts like climate control and seat heating to further enhance mileage.

Mini's biggest problem is range, which is a massive downside considering it's one of, if not the primary figure consumers look at when buying an EV. According to the EPA, the FWD Cooper SE consumes 31 kWh per 100 miles. That's not bad considering one gallon of gas is equivalent to 33.7 kWh. This gives it mpg-equivalent figures of 115/100/108 MPGe city/highway/combined.

While this consumption is good and on par within the segment, the estimated range is not. According to the EPA, the Cooper SE is good for 110 miles. That's just poor considering we now live in a world where the base Tesla Model 3 is capable of 263 miles. The Chevrolet Bolt is capable of 259 miles, while the entry-level 40 kWh Nissan Leaf can do 149 miles. These cars are within $5,000 of the affordable Mini and even less if you want the Mini in a decent specification.

On the upside, the Cooper SE had impressive charge times. At home, it can be charged to 100 percent in around four hours. At a 50kW DC charging station, it can be charged to 80 percent in around 40 minutes.

Mini interiors also feature one of the main throwbacks to the original Cooper. They all have a large circular center console meant to mimic the original's center speedometer display. The SE has the same overall design, albeit with smatterings of the same yellow hue used outside and a model-specific shifter. The Cooper SE also ditches the large single circular instrument cluster for a fully digital oblong display. Since it has more information to share about the drivetrain, a more comprehensive display was necessary.

Standard specification is good across the range, but genuine leather upholstery requires you to upgrade to the Iconic trim, which adds $7,000. That takes away the affordability factor, and that's all this Mini has going for it.

According to Mini, there's no penalty with regard to interior space. This is good, because the three-door Cooper wasn't exactly a champion to begin with. Front passengers should be fine with the 41.4 inches of legroom and 40.3 inches of headroom, but space is extremely limited in the rear. There, you'll find 30.8 inches of legroom and 36.9 inches of headroom. Kids should be fine back there and have no problem getting into the 2-door vehicle, but adults will get grumpy after a while. From that perspective, the 110-mile range is quite good.

The three-door Cooper was never meant to be a family car. Mini offers a few models that cater to that market, but the Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop hatchback is definitely not one of them.

All models get a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The base Signature trim comes with Carbon Black leatherette seats. Anything more interesting than that requires an upgrade to Signature Plus or Iconic trim. The former trim is available with Pearl Black leatherette paired with cloth inserts in either Black or Light Chequered. Cross Punch Carbon Black full leather is the third option.

The top-tier Iconic trim comes as standard with Chesterfield Satellite Grey leather, or for an additional $500, you can add the Mini Yours Leather Lounge in Carbon Black.

As mentioned above, space was never a main selling point for the three-door Cooper. Still, it is impressive that Mini managed to electrify the Cooper without impacting interior or cargo space.

With all seats in place, the Mini supplies 8.7 cubic feet of cargo capacity. That's perfectly fine for daily errands or a couple of carry-on suitcases. Since the rear seats are as helpful as a submarine with a sunroof, you can fold them down to increase the cargo space to 34 cubes.

Interior space is insufficient. The glovebox and armrest storage space is small, and there isn't any designated space for a phone. However, since Mini places the USB charging points directly in front of the dual cup holders, that's likely your best bet for storing your cell.

The Cooper SE comes standard with 16-inch low-drag alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, eDrive digital instrument cluster, two USB ports, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leatherette seats, heated front seats, and BMW's active driver assistant comprising blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning. Upgrading to the Signature trim adds a panoramic moonroof, premium upholstery, rear park distance control, and auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors. The Iconic trim gets premium leather upholstery, and piano black exterior accents, active cruise control, a parking assistant, a head-up display, and a wireless charging pad.

The standard-fit infotainment screen is smaller than we'd like, at 6.6 inches, but it does come with navigation, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, and E-Drive Services. The lack of Android Auto is notable. On Signature Plus and Iconic models, the basic sound system is upgraded to a Harman Kardon setup, while the top trim level receives the larger 8.8-inch display.

Mini hasn't recalled the Cooper SE yet. It also has a total of zero complaints lodged against it. The standard Cooper hardtop hasn't been part of the J.D. Power Ownership Survey for several years, so we don't know what it's like from an ownership perspective.

Battery life is a concern for potential first-time EV buyers, so Mini includes a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and an eight-year/80,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has had the opportunity to provide reviews of the Mini Cooper Electric yet. The closest rating we have is the 2021 review of the ICE Cooper two-door, which scored a good rating in all departments, except the quality of the headlights. Since the SE has LED headlights, this criticism is not applicable.

An EV does come with its own unique challenges. In the event of a collision, all electric connections are immediately severed. The main components are also cocooned within their structural compartments, further decreasing the risk of fire.

All Cooper SE models get a basic forward-collision warning with automatic braking, lane departure warning, and blind-spot assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Signature Plus adds rear park distance control, while the Iconic upgrades this to front and rear, and further adds a parking assistant. The traction and stability control are specially tuned for this model, and it has the same front, side, rollover, and knee airbags as the standard 2-door Cooper hatch.

The Mini Cooper SE had the potential to be a great car. An epic one, even. Back in 1999, the original Mini was named the second most influential car of the century. This wasn't some silly made-up award, either. Instead, it was a two-year global process involving 133 respected automotive journalists.

Mini's first electric car could have made history again, but instead, it's just another standard Mini product weighed down by outdated battery technology. It's an iPhone 4 in an iPhone 12 world. We now also know BMW has the technology to build the i4, which has a claimed range of 300 miles.

Let's forget about the excellent handling, impressive packaging, and iconic design of the original for a second and focus on what made it so special. The first mass-produced car was the Ford Model T, but Mini refined the process to create an enjoyable, lovable, and practical car everyone could afford. In addition, it offered freedom of mobility.

With the latest Cooper SE, Mini got the price right, but that's about it. The 110-mile range doesn't offer freedom. If anything, that's going backward.

The Mini is the most affordable EV currently on sale in the US. The 2021 Mini Cooper Electric car has a price of $29,900 MSRP. The Signature Plus trim adds $4,000 to the price, while the Iconic trim adds $7,000. These prices exclude the $850 handling and destination fee. However, it is worth noting that most states will offer federal EV credit incentives that help to bring down the overall cost of owning one of these sparky speedsters.

The Cooper SE is front-wheel drive, and shares its electric powertrain with the BMW i3S. It has a single electric motor with specs of 184 hp and 199 lb-ft, and uses a single-speed transmission. Mini sets it apart from the rest of the Cooper range with a model-specific yellow color found on various interior and exterior surfaces. There is only a single model, the Cooper SE, but it is presented in three different sub-trim configurations.

The base model is equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and fog lights, and aerodynamically enhances bumpers. Inside, the cabin is dressed in leatherette with heated front seats, and standard features include a 6.5-inch infotainment display with navigation, Apple CarPlay, and E-drive services. You also get a digital instrument cluster, a rearview camera, keyless entry, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an active driving assistant with forward collision warning.

The Signature Plus sub-trim upgrades the sound system to a premium Harman Kardon setup and replaces the interior and exterior mirrors with auto-dimming variants. Larger 17-inch wheels and a panoramic moonroof give it a classier appearance, while the rear park distance control makes parking easier, not that such a small car needs help.

The most expensive sub-trim, the Iconic, gets access to unique styling options from the Mini Yours palettes, as well as a larger 8.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless charging for your phone, a head-up display, and a parking assistant with front and rear park distance control.

There's only one package available for the SE, and it's a driver assistance suite. The cost is $750, and it adds active cruise control and a parking assistant. This isn't required on the top sub-trim, since the Iconic comes with these features included.

There is only one model, but you can add the Signature Plus trim for $4,000 or the Iconic trim for $7,000. We'd stick with the base Signature SE, though. Adding either of the packages increases the price too much for the Mini to make sense. Both the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3 offer double the range at nearly the same price. You'd have to be a serious Mini fanboy to justify the purchase.

From a price point, the Cooper SE and Nissan Leaf S 40 kWh are incredibly close. However, the Nissan is a lot more practical and offers an additional 40 miles of range. In addition, it has seating for four grown adults and a proper trunk. The Leaf is essentially a grown-up hatch that just happens to be electric. It also has a more comprehensive safety suite, which adds intelligent lane intervention, rear auto braking, and adaptive cruise control.

Still, we can't deny that any Mini purchase has some emotional element attached to it. Unfortunately, the Leaf can't match the heritage nor the sheer grin-inducing fun that goes along with owning a Mini.

Given that most Mini customers want some style as standard, the Hyundai Kona is a better match for a rival. It's not as iconic as the Mini, but since Hyundai didn't have to work within the confines of heritage-inspired design, the Kona is good-looking and practical.

It's also good fun to drive, nearly matching the Mini's talents. Furthermore, it also gets a 19.2-cubic-foot trunk, usable rear seats, a seven-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an impressive array of driver assistance systems. The final nail in the Mini's coffin is the Kona EV's range of 258 miles, making it worth the much higher starting price.

To put it bluntly, the Kona EV is what the Mini should have been.