You can't beat a bit of comfort, there must be a gulf of difference between your mini and your BMW?

My MINI and the BMW are identical seating positions pedals and comfort. I get out of them just the same after 2 hours. Prefer then getting back in the MINI. Neither hurt my back. Electric seats in BMW, but I never adjust once set. Movable bolsters need at widest for me anyway.

Edited 11 July, 202511 Jul by Ootohere

8 hours ago, Ootohere said:

@lol0000 It was when i was at the local dealer that the salesman said it was an Exclusive i was in.

I did not want to change the setting that 'Kim' has on the car but her / his default is 22*o C heating.

So not max AC and not fast fan and low is OK in 24*oC plus heat just now. Windows a bit down.

Just driving in Core and default Reggen which seems hit or miss if one pedal or coasts.

But this accelerator is like an on off switch, very jumpy trying just to easy about at an average 12 mph in the 30 limit.

When i touch the brake pedal it is very long and soft. (I never touch my brake pedal usually except for a full stop.)

Sitting and putting the e-brake on then needs the way i have received the car the need to then foot on brake and switch to D / B to move. Not seemless like on my MINI which i foot on brake pedal or if on the flat just Switch on e-Brake and then moving off just use the accelerator.

If i do not buy a MINI SE or non Cooper S / JCW 2022 / 23 car i will be selling the Alloys & Maxxis tyres 195/60 R 16.

No wear on them.

I might take them off the car before this winter and put back on the Cars own 17" alloys and the Vredstein All seasons as they were only used for a few hundred miles.

The Maxxis AP3,s are damn good and a very good price.

I should have specced the wheels with the TPMS,s when i bought them i think it was only £155 option with My Tyres. These Alloys are very good & i almost went for 17" ones but glad i did not.

Just had a call from Sytner Mini and my lad's Cooper E Exclusive in BRG has arrived.

Odd as I thought it was not due for a month. Perhaps just a same car cancelled from a previous boat.

Think the finance has changed a bit as on the Cooper E it is 3.5% APR and not 3.9%.

SE is 3 9% and JCW MINI finance want 4.9% APR.

At a price of a nidge over £30k it seems a good deal to me considering how expensive Minis have been. With battery prices falling by 30% over the last year it is probably quite easy for Great Wall Motors to sell in the UK at these lower prices.

As with all EVs it will be interesting how much lower per kwh batteries will go and with even better finance deals down the road as central interest rates continue to fall should be plenty of relative bargains coming up.

Got the Cooper E and had about a week now.

Insurance for the 181 hp Mini cheaper than the 145hp Clio !! 0 to 60 in 7 seconds flat.

Charged to 80%, as recommended, last night after lad had done his commute from Worcester to Gloucester and back.

80 % charge showed 134 miles range, we have not done a reset yet, don't know how to bur using the YouTube videos as guides.

Yet to drive this British Eacing Green Cooper Exclusive. The Head up Display popping up out of the Dashboard is cool.

Guy across the road, big BMW and performance car guy, M3,4 ,5, recent Maycan etc now has BNW iX3 think it is. BMW guys, same garage as Mini of course, said OK to charge to 90% regularly. Will do more research.

I thought the smaller batteried Mini might use LFP chemistry like Renaukt do in there 40 kwh R5 but no it is all NMC apparently.

Pleased so far. Tell my lad he can and should use ECO as unlike Renault one is not spreed limited to indicated 65 like in the Zoe or 72 the in the Scenic.

Maxxis tyres OK but not the best. Ride not too hard but a little under damped I would say.

Edited 23 July, 202523 Jul by lol-lol

@lol0000 If the range from 100% charge is not needed then no need to charge to that, but then really i can not see the issue, unless buying and owning as a keeper.

.................

I want to buy and own a MINI Electric exactly as i am driving. For local / cheap use.

I am paying £77.15 a week for the one i have, so will pay at least £4,200 over the next year before hand back in August if i do not extend lease. Which i doubt i would unless i knew something was going to be getting leased from October that i want.

I can order a new car from May on but i do not think i will be doing that unless there is something very special on offer.

If i returned to Motability and leave the scheme that is a £250 penalty i have to pay.

Maybe not allowed on the scheme any time in the future, no issue there.

I would like to buy the MINI i am driving but in a year it is unlikely the supplying dealer will buy it from Motability to sell to then sell it to me.

I think they would if they did buy it want to price it as a Approved Used MINI. So that is after i pay £4,000 more.

Price to buy unknown.

I can buy one pretty much the same as the one i have now for £15,000 or less.

That will be a lot less in 1 years time.

I am just thinking just now what to do. Because i have seen a few of the ICE models that i want.

So, Buying a 2023 5 door Cooper S 2.0 Petrol auto is what i am considering and having as a keeper, return the MINI and not spend the £4,000 on it.

Later on if i still want an Electric one i can buy when the prices are really right down.

Just waiting to see what will be will be.

I have not driven a Abarth 600-e yet, & am waiting for the Peugeot e-208 GTI just out of interest.

An Abarth might just be what would suit me,

and maybe in a year there will be ones that dealers are desperate to get sold.

...................

New MOT on BMW but there are advisories i knew about and it needs some spending on if keeping, or even selling.

No rush though.

Edited 23 July, 202523 Jul by Ootohere

34 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

I am paying £77.15 a week for the one i have, so will pay at least £4,200 over the next year before hand back in August if i do not extend lease.

??

77.15 * 13 = £1003.

May be end of the year beginning of new year is the best time to get a pre-reg EV as dealers want to get rid of ZEV mandate stock.

August 2026, 54 weeks @ £77.15 (Goes up in April.) £4.166.

@wyx087 I do not want a New Car & certainly not a New EV.

I want a pre 2024 MINI, Oxford built if an Electric. I do not want any new legislation stuff.

Leather Seats as i have & sun roof,

the most comfortable and correct position of any pedals and steering wheel i have ever had or driven. Not cloth and not Alcantara & no JCW suspension.

Anything from 2021-203 really is OK control / screen wise .

No piano black plastic exterior or interior.

If i did really like an Abarth 600-e it would maybe make the annoying stuff bearable.

What ever i get does have to have buttons to operate stuff and not just a screen and a few token buttons.

& easy off Lane Keep assist and Speed Limit warnings.

Edited 23 July, 202523 Jul by Ootohere

Ah, sorry, a week! Most car finance is per month so I only multiplied by months.

That's quite a lot of money for 1 year. Cheaper to just guy a second hand one outright.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertising-location=at_cars&exclude-writeoff-categories=on&homeDeliveryAdverts=include&make=MINI&maximum-mileage=40000&model=Electric%20Hatch&postcode=al2%201bx&sort=price-asc&year-from=2021&year-to=2022

@wyx087 Indeed. But a level 3, and within warranty or with an extended warranty.

& One that has had the AC fixed as not wanting landed with not clearing the screen or an over £3,000 bill.

Just the same with an ICE though.

Edited 23 July, 202523 Jul by Ootohere

79 pence a kWh, but seeing as the airport chargers are hopeless and everyplace is busy then simple. Except those not managing to get chargers started and getting in and out of here.. airport hotel Polestars always here.

Edited 6 August, 20256 Aug by Ootohere

MFG EV Power current have taken 5 x £45 in Authorisations & the £14.02 for charging.

I was trying to stop the charge @ £13 but it kept charging and need Authorisation Confirmed to stop the charge hence 4 of the £45 taken.

1 hour ago, Ootohere said:

MFG EV Power current have taken 5 x £45 in Authorisations & the £14.02 for charging.

I was trying to stop the charge @ £13 but it kept charging and need Authorisation Confirmed to stop the charge hence 4 of the £45 taken.

One wonders just would what would have been the result in you never had enough left to cover the subsequent £45 charges after the first one?

2 hours ago, Ootohere said:

MFG EV Power current have taken 5 x £45 in Authorisations & the £14.02 for charging.

I was trying to stop the charge @ £13 but it kept charging and need Authorisation Confirmed to stop the charge hence 4 of the £45 taken.

Had this with Shell chargers. Would rather use Tesla than that shower.

Money burning a hole in my pocket and just looking at buying or leasing something pretty new.

I was looking at vans / Crew cab vans.

I was = seriously considering leasing a Maxus T60 4x4 Diesel Pickup,

but then i found out how cheap a used Maxus T90 EV can be.

No rush & i am going to take for a drive, as well as trying used Maxus EV vans.

3 hours ago, Ootohere said:

Money burning a hole in my pocket and just looking at buying or leasing something pretty new.

I was looking at vans / Crew cab vans.

I was = seriously considering leasing a Maxus T60 4x4 Diesel Pickup,

but then i found out how cheap a used Maxus T90 EV can be.

No rush & i am going to take for a drive, as well as trying used Maxus EV vans.

Incredibly cheap leases but very crude is gather which is odd as the Maxus vans get better reviews. DPD bought loads of them but still use the diesels for the deep in to the countryside runs ie over to the Welsh Borders I gather.

Edited 6 August, 20256 Aug by lol-lol

Crude, or basic, or rugged will do nicely thank you.

I will take one out tomorrow and see if it drives as i expect and for where it will be getting used which is not as a City Car or as a Luxury Double Cab lifestyle pickup.

"modern hero" youtube channel returned on early for horrible interior climate control. Worth double checking you can live with the binary nature of it.

@wyx087 Cheers i will watch them. (I had seen the first 1,300 mile vid.)

He maybe has not run Pre Defender Land Rovers through winters or Suzuki Jimny,s including Challenge Trucks or even motor bikes (& sidecars.)

The MINI Electric had non operating demisting last winter and i thought because it was just crap, not wrong from the factory. Worked in the Pithing Rain and hot weather last week, but only when the AC was on. Otherwise steamed up.

I have my interior heating at 16*oC or less and have a jacket on.

& in Winter in Scotland if sitting about in a vehicle maybe have the heating up high while charging or sitting about in the car, but Wind Deflectors needed when off the road, parked etc and trying to stop snow building up, icing up etc.

Location location location. & dressing for the out of doors and getting out of a vehicle and in dressed for the climate.

Ford Range /VW Amarok drivers have other issue to worry about with their vehicles.

There are ones at 'Much Cheapness' prices from different years, and reliability being the issue with those.

With the Fords you want ones that got the warranty work done.

(My neighbour is a Master Tech that was out on the Road with the Full Quipped Service van for Ford commercialw and light commercials..

The commercials company he works for now has bought the local Ford car Dealership and also owns the Maxus Dealership up in Inverness. They sell / lease lots of them because there are plenty about that like cheap and reliable and know the value of money.)

Edited 7 August, 20257 Aug by Ootohere

44 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

Crude, or basic, or rugged will do nicely thank you.

I will take one out tomorrow and see if it drives as i expect and for where it will be getting used which is not as a City Car or as a Luxury Double Cab lifestyle pickup.

I recall he got some of the worse miles per kwh of any EV. Bjorn Nyland too i recall.

Must admit I wad tempted too for a less than £100 a month lease deal.

Just an antithesis ie Red Neck bug pickup but an EV, possible a hoot or is that a Ute as the Aussies say.

@lol-lol Not to worry if getting 1.5 miles to a kWh and a 85 kWh battery if charging at 6.7 pence a kWh.

120 miles for just under £6.

If getting 2.5 miles then at least 200 miles.

Public charging would be stupid expensive,

much like running a diesel getting 30 mpg. For occasional long distances you pays your money and make your choices. Especially as a private user paying out of your own pocket and not getting Tax Breaks as a Business driver.

52 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

@lol-lol Not to worry if getting 1.5 miles to a kWh and a 85 kWh battery if charging at 6.7 pence a kWh.

120 miles for just under £6.

If getting 2.5 miles then at least 200 miles.

Public charging would be stupid expensive,

much like running a diesel getting 30 mpg. For occasional long distances you pays your money and make your choices. Especially as a private user paying out of your own pocket and not getting Tax Breaks as a Business driver.

Don't know about other companies but my recent employer, we were taken over by a much larger logistics company ie one of the top 5, was happy to give us fuel cards but not EV charge cards. Never got an answer as to why, as we were suppose to be going greener, suspect it was due to filling with petrol fuel one could be seen on the forecourt but charging an EV one could be charging any EV one was tucked away from validating eyes.

Tesla being the one marque that was different as the individual car talks to the public charger and validates car identity.

Cut up my Fuelcard last week as have no ICE car anymore, 3 EVs on the drive, including the Cooper E which I find stunningly quicker than my Scenic, partly the Go-Kart effect but a real hoot.

Travel ban at the moment so no more Business miles. Told HMRC and have adjusted my Tax Code accordingly.

Maybe I need to ignore much cheapness and just wait untill more sweetie money saved up and get a Raptor or whatever. Maybe a Ford E or PHEV commercial even.

@Stirling on my way south. Favoured charger at SEPA hq now no longer available to the public. 55 pence. Came to the Park and ride and the 3 rapids are all without power. I was going to the Osprey rapid / ultra rapids that even at a discount are 74 pence a kWh. But a Tesla came off the original charger which is still working. 65 pence. 40 mins max and I need all of that to 99 %. Other wise is would have been 11 kW AC chargers here which seems to be working.. 90 minutes required on them. EDIT. Done in 34 mins. Roasting here.

Edited 17 August, 202517 Aug by Ootohere

47 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

@Stirling on my way south. Favoured charger at SEPA hq now no longer available to the public. 55 pence. Came to the Park and ride and the 3 rapids are all without power. I was going to the Osprey rapid / ultra rapids that even at a discount are 74 pence a kWh. But a Tesla came off the original charger which is still working. 65 pence. 40 mins max and I need all of that to 99 %. Other wise is would have been 11 kW AC chargers here which seems to be working.. 90 minutes required on them. EDIT. Done in 34 mins. Roasting here.

I have yet to teach my lad the process of public charging in his mini Cooper E.

He is not bothered, caring to play the hypermiling game, just wants to drive it without focusing on ecodriving techniques.

Whilst the range of the new Cooper E is comparatively low to many similar priced EVs it is lots of fun to drive.

I did notice a hyper Eco icon appear on the lovely OLED screen which offers to extend range by about a third. Think it said it limits the speed to 60 mph plus does aircon think etc presumably. Mini modes ie Go-kart, Core and Eco still allow full speed ie 100 mph indicated, I use Scenic ecobto keep speed legal as it will show 72 mph but that is actually 70 mph and legal.

Nice feature the hyper eco ie if one get sent down a long diversion but it will be dull compared to the normal zingy modes.

Is a bit of a pain charging it every night after son does his drive to and from work, compared to the Zoe which easily does two work journeys ie 150 miles.

Love the Mini just wonder how cheap per month it will get with the EV grant and lowering interest rates.

@lol-lol first 70 miles today 3 6 miles to kWh. Sport occasionally but mostly in Green + with roof tilted and window occasionally open, no heating or cooling but car fan blowing in air cool enough. Cruise control on. Then next 95 miles 3.8 miles a kWh. More than half motorway. Still using Green + and CC and it moved quick still if the accelerator needs pushed. Nothing like the efficiency of your MINI E though. PS. I pushed EC0 on the Chinese MINI and there was no limited to 60 mph. Just limited power on the power needle. Give it a try please. PPS, there will be no EV grant on Chinese built MINI,s surely Shirley. I have been looking at what I want to buy. I am thinking maybe just seeing next May if Motability still have the fantastic advanced payment on the Ford Explorers. Big battery, most power RWD with a towbar fitted. Order then if available or wait and see in the next Quarter. No point buying something if I need to stop driving in the next 3 years.

Edited 17 August, 202517 Aug by Ootohere