My wife and I took a 2021 Mini E for a test drive twice. What a fantastic car! However, since we are both over 70 years old we were disappointed in the firmness of the ride. Enough to not buy the car. When we asked our salesman why the ride was turned to be so firm he said that it had to be the stiffer Cooper S suspension due to the weight of the battery. Having been a car nut and owning more than 70 cars in my lifetime I knew that the Mini development team could have tuned the suspension for a softer ride. But they didn't.

So my question. Did they soften it for 2022? I believe there is a huge older audience out there that would go for a mini if the ride was better. The short miles capability is usually not a problem as we don't drive very far when we do. So 115 miles is not a big problem like I'm sure it is with the younger drivers.

 

It's nothing new, people have been complaining about the harsh ride in Minis since they relaunched in 2001/2002. A comfy highway cruiser it ain't.

Sorry it's a deal breaker for you. You could go down the aftermarket suspension route, but that could be a bigger headache.

 

I have taken Mini's for test drives in the past and as I recall, the ride on the base model was much softer.

 

The SE has the same suspension in all three trim levels and it isn't much stiffer than the S. The rear springs are stiffer than the S and the fronts are a little softer. The weight distribution is closer to 50-50 in the SE.

I think the OEM suspension is a little too soft but not too bad for a stock setup. You are going to get a rougher ride in any car with such a short wheelbase.

Maybe a Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona, or the new VW ID 4 would be a better fit for you.

 

I have a JCW with DDC and an SE and the SE rides much smoother than the JCW. I'm 70 and do not find it to be uncomfortable at all. In fact, I find it to be an almost perfect balance between comfort and responsiveness.

 

Did you drive an SE with 17-inch or 16-inch wheels? The taller sidewalls of the 16-inch tires make for a noticeably softer ride (though not a Mercury Marquis ride).

 

I have 17" tires and find the ride to be quite reasonable. Granted, it is a bit stiff, but it's a MINI and to soften it too much would take away much of the car's character and handling.

 

Do you believe then that MINI should not offer 16-inch wheels? What about MINI's 18-inch wheels? Do they invalidate the experience of driving with 17-inch wheels? Perhaps driving on pot-holed Michigan roads clouds my judgement.

 

The ride would probably be better with 16" wheels, but the 17's aren't bad. I don't particularly like the 18" wheels because they are heavier and the ride suffers. Personally, I think the 17" inch wheel is the sweet sport for both ride and handling, but others will differ. Our roads in Florida are reasonably smooth, although there ae some rough stretches so I can't comment on Michigan roads. Tires can make a huge difference as well.

 

Oddly enough, I've owned a 2002 Cooper S and a 2016 Countryman S. I just got a 2022 Cooper SE and have found that to be the most comfortable ride of all three. I suppose it's all relative. Ditching run flats makes a big difference no matter what model you ride.

 

I have my OEM 16" wheels for sale with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 Plus all-season tires. These tires definitely soften the ride because they aren't run-flat tires and offer way more grip. They are practically like new too.

 

I have a 2019 Mini S w/ the DDC. 17" Enkei RPF1' and Conti non-runflats. I have the DDC set to softer suspension (10% softer than normal), and the car rides pretty well. Still a but jittery on rough roads, but overall not bad. I take it the DDC isn't available on the SE.

We are waiting for the 2023 Mini SE redesign to see if an engineered SE EV will offer more range and options than the current model. The current SE is basically an ICE Mini car with batteries instead of a gas tank and motor. New model will be engineered as an EV from the bottom up.

We are also considering a Bolt EV as a competitor (not the EUV). Having sat in the Bolt EV, the fit and finish is very good (almost to Mini standards), and in the same overall size range.

Hoping BMW puts a battery pack that is bigger the 40kW in the 2023 as the rebate proposal by Congress (if passed will drop the $7500 down to $4000 on EVs with smaller battery packs.) The Chevy Bolt should qualify for the full $12500 rebate under the new rebate proposal.

Personally, I'll pay more for the Mini as we like them a lot (and have the cash to afford them). If looking for the best deal you can't dismiss the Chevy Bolt EV (loaded Bolt after new rebate rules $24060 ($12500 off)- current Iconic Mini SE $29400 ($7500 off), if new rebate rules are passed Mini SE $32900 ($4000 off).. Presently both the Bolt and Mini get the $7500 and are priced within hundred$ of each other, so it's basically a wash with pricing as of today.

Only laying out some options....................not picking winners or losers.

 

The Chinese replacement for the MINI Cooper SE will be a shortened version of Great Wall Motors' Ora Cat. So it will have the big, heavy battery you want under the car, making it taller. I think MINI did a great job with the current SE by cramming in a battery without affecting the interior space or adding half a ton.

 

Interested to see the Mini offering as so little is known at present. I saw this:
Mini also released the first – albeit extensively camouflaged – photographs of its next-generation three-door Hatch, which is expected to be built in both pure electric and combustion engine forms at the UK plant, as well as in electric-only format in China.

So wondering if the underpinnings and power plant will be supplied by Great Wall Motors to the UK for assembly using a Mini car body designed in the UK. Doesn't look to be a re-badging of a current Chinese vehicle.

Rumors say that the new Mini will be more upscale than the current model. Not sure what that means other than a higher price.

 

F56 much softer then the R56. R56 was softer then the R53.

Yes the r53 for most people was too harsh. But its the most go-kart like.

 

I missed the news that the replacement for the MINI Cooper SE would be manufactured both at Plant Oxford and in China. I thought only the ICE MINIs would continue at Plant Oxford while Great Wall Motors would make a MINI-designed version of their Ora Cat EV in a new factory BMW and Great Wall Motors are building together. I doubt a version of the Ora Cat would--or even could--be built in Oxford and it seems unlikely MINI would build two different replacements for the MINI Cooper SE, with the market for compact cars continuing to dwindle.

 

I've read that the China produced Mini will be based on the ultra compact version "Rocketman".
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/07/11/...tman-electric/

This seems to confirm that the standard 2023 Mini SE will be produced in England with some underpinning provided by Great Wall Motors accounting for the slightly smaller exterior dimensions than the 2022 model. Likely way less expensive for BMW to adjust body dimensions to fit an existing chassis than to re-design the Mini as a full EV from the bottom up.

Should be interesting to see more as info is leaked.

 

I bet Mini won't bring that smaller car to the US but I hope I'm wrong. It is like the Honda E or the VW ID.1 which aren't for sale here. :(

 

I read the "Rocketman" version will be a China only sales option. Personally, I like the smaller cars, and yet their sales numbers are not good in the US. Seems the desire here is to have bigger and bigger vehicles. About the only small EV vehicle options are the Mini (152" Long) Kona (164" long) Soul (165" long) and Bolt EV (163" Long) and there is talk about dropping the Bolt EV and only keep the larger EUV. Everything else is 180"+.

 

I was just reading about the reliability issues with the Chevy Bolt and the recalls.

https://jalopnik.com/the-chevrolet-b...fro-1848102194

The Bolt is too tall. It looks like a slightly larger Smart Car.

 

I've been tracking the Bolt issues. Thinking that once GM get their issues sorted out any new production cars should be fine. (operative word being SHOULD)

 

I have an R53 with Koni active shocks. Those are a fantastic compromise between ride and handling. I also have an SE. I would say the SE has the worse ride. The has significantly lighter wheels and tyres. With it's winter Justa 15s, ride and handling are great on the R53.
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^^ yep, people really like the KONIs on the Gen 1 MINI