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Took a spin in an SE on Saturday, liked it. Dealer offered me 11900 cap cost reduction on a lease. Normally I wouldn't think about leasing but that was supposedly $2k more than the advertised $9900 that I'd seen elsewhere. Turns out it's now a universal deduction. 11900 means 7500 federal credit through the leasing loophole plus 4400 that MINI is putting in. Seems quite generous.
So why is MINI trying to move all the SE's with this deal?
For leasing aficionados MF is 0.0026875 or 6.45% which is a bit high and residual on a 10k mile/yr is 44%, quite a bit lower than the gasoline powered cars. Acquisition fee is $925.
Here in MA, there's another $3500 available so my overheated spreadsheet suggests about $5-6k savings over buying new by leasing and buying out at the lease end.
I wonder if the new electric J01 is going to get here sooner than expected.
I have free charging available at the public school across the road so am sorely tempted.
Maybe too many on lot and sales started to wind down on EVs overall.
Something to think about is the newer SE JCW trim package down the road. I dont like the rear taillights but i bet we will have some aftermarket options down the road
Maybe too many on lot and sales started to wind down on EVs overall.
Something to think about is the newer SE JCW trim package down the road. I dont like the rear taillights but i bet we will have some aftermarket options down the road
Could be. CarGurus tells me there are about 430 SEs country wide which doesn't seem that many.
Under normal conditions I think they are far too expensive for what one gets and would look at other vehicles at $38k msrp. Tesla Model 3s RWD aren't far off that but as I noted in my other post Teslas seem to be very expensive to insure.
I've also read that the J01 JCW will be trim only, which if true, is very disappointing.
Under normal conditions I think they are far too expensive for what one gets and would look at other vehicles at $38k msrp. Tesla Model 3s RWD aren't far off that but as I noted in my other post Teslas seem to be very expensive to insure.
I've also read that the J01 JCW will be trim only, which if true, is very disappointing.
cheers
MacMini34
Is there a better-cornering EV at any price? The extra poundage larded onto the J01 SE makes that car as heavy as a Tesla Model 3! This, from a clean-sheet design? MINI's association with the term "go-kart" will soon be fading. Buy an Oxford SE while you still can.
Interested in the same question. I am looking at the Mini SE for the first time and I am forum hunting for owner experiences. If all goes well, I intend to get it this week or next and I fully intend to lease it. I only need it to go to work and some weekend driving. The BMW I4 is the closest to fun driving I see in EV world and it is out of reach of my car budget.
The way I see it, the EV will no longer be made in England and would be moving to the China plant (has already moved?). So the England made batch is now limited and I figure Mini is trying to make space for the incoming new EV.
The way I see it, the EV will no longer be made in England and would be moving to the China plant (has already moved?). So the England made batch is now limited and I figure Mini is trying to make space for the incoming new EV.
Yes, production of the new J01 MINI Cooper SE (and the lesser MINI Cooper E) has begun in Zhangjiagang, China. HOWEVER, there is a 27.5% US import tariff for vehicles imported from China. For this reason, BMW hasn't given a firm date on when they will sell the Z01 in the US. If the Z01 costs more (and weighs more) than a Tesla Model 3, it will be a very tough sell in the US.
BMW has announced plans to build the Z01 in the UK at Plant Oxford, but that's years away and a Z01 built in the UK still won't qualify for any of the tax credits defined in the Inflation Reduction Act (unless the leasing loophole is still around). With the creation of the new Zhangjiagang factory in a joint venture with Great Wall Motor, it's clear BMW decided the J01 is a better fit in the Chinese and European markets than the truck/SUV-loving US market. It's disappointing, but BMW can't be blamed for Americans spending their bucks on the biggest vehicles they can get.
Get a lightweight, fun-to-drive, easy-to-afford, Oxford MINI Cooper SE while you can! I love driving mine every single day. My wife fights me for the driver's seat (and she always wins). It's the best of the dozens of cars I've owned in the past 50 years.
Last edited by eMINIman; Dec 18, 2023 at 11:00 AM.
Thank you all.
I have just gone to all of MacMini34's posts because we have similar questions. I have found a car and would be closing the deal tomorrow if possible. Am I allowed to ask about lease questions/prices on this forum? I have some.
Thank you all.
I have just gone to all of MacMini34's posts because we have similar questions. I have found a car and would be closing the deal tomorrow if possible. Am I allowed to ask about lease questions/prices on this forum? I have some.
Some other forums I frequent have sections on prices paid and deals done, but I haven't seen much discussion here. Not sure if it is allowed or not. Plenty of internet sites will go over the ins and outs of leasing. All the information you need for the SE is available, basically residual on the Signature MSRP $35220 is $15497 for 10k miles per year and the money factor, I back calculated to be 0.0026875 (equivalent to a 6.45% interest rate). Set up a spreadsheet and play with the numbers.
Lease mantra is to not put too much of your own cash down and you'll see that by trying higher amounts in the calculations. Overall adding more and more cash down doesn't make much difference to the total paid, you reduce monthly payments with modest savings on taxes and interest but spend more upfront. The disadvantage of leasing to me has always been the acquisition and disposal fees which are $925 and $395 on the SE. The latter waived if you buy out at lease end. That's money for nothing in my view. Dealer will add on their not insignificant grab too. The very significant $11900 incentive offered here changes the equation.
eMINIman covered some pertinent information in his post, namely the tariff on cars built in China makes the new J01 electric a hard sell here. Will BMW assemble the J01 in South Carolina to get around this? - only they know. I believe the current SE (what's its designation: F56-E?) has done quite well in North America and so they must be thinking hard about how to get their new electric here and competitively priced. MINI overall has had severely declining USA sales; from about 72k in ~2012 to around 25-27k now and probably the bulk of those are the Countryman. Numbers I've seen don't break it down by model. Many pundits suggest the brand will disappear in due course.
So yes, The first J01 electrics supposedly rolled off the line in China last month, but when and if they come to North America is very hard to know. Why then is MINI putting such a big incentive on the SE to lease? MiNI are offering up to $2500 cash off a purchase on select models too, but the SE is excluded.
Sparking Silver over malt brown iconic with black wheels, roof and mirrors. Probably not my most ideal choice but I'm not sure I could get this deal on an ordered car.
Some undisclosed costs I didn't realize. MA taxes all fees and any cash you put down for capital cost reduction. Your state may vary, so check out the details.
Some dealer cash may be available.
Also I specifically asked was there a fee associated with lease buyout and was told there was only an optional dealer fee for paperwork handling .. or I can do it myself, however, I see a $300 buyout fee presumably from MINI tacked on which really irks me.
So anyone looking for an N18 engined pepper white 6MT MCS? Probably not the right forum to ask!
Photo below. Check out the multitone roof on the chilli red car behind (an option I'd have really liked)
Lovely buy. I love those seats. I am in CA and have found a red Iconic and Blue Signature. The red is optioned like yours is on the outside but it has some interesting checkered seats. Could you please direct me to those other forums? I would love to compare notes. I intend to only pay for TTL.
Lovely buy. I love those seats. I am in CA and have found a red Iconic and Blue Signature. The red is optioned like yours is on the outside but it has some interesting checkered seats. Could you please direct me to those other forums? I would love to compare notes. I intend to only pay for TTL.
has a very active MINI section on the SE. Much better than many of the other EVs out there and quite a bit more active than this forum.
I went for the iconic to get a non black interior and I like gimmicks such as the head up display. There's another interior called "black pearl" which is a mix of black-gray and might be cloth, which might be the one in your red one. If you go to MINIusa.com you can go through the build process and see the features.
I had been debating this move around August 2022 while the tax credit was still available but IIRC its availability became questionable at that time.
If I could have built one from scratch I'd gone for iconic in green with malt brown, multitone roof and roof rails.
Oxford is switching over to the F66 platform for gasoline cars, and based on the info from ECS above won't be making electrics until 2027. Still puzzles me why MINI put such a big incentive on the SE. It seems they'll be without an electric hardtop in North America for 3 years. I believe there's an electrified Countryman coming later '24, but they're likely to be in the $40-50k range
Let us know how you get on and pictures are mandatory!
This was to be the mini that I would pick. But I got distracted. Right across is the BMW dealership. I ended up with an M50 I4. I figured with no kids yet, I might as well enjoy myself to the fullest. I would have loved the zippyness. But, I am where my heart wants to be.
Congrats. An i4 M50 is in a whole different league from a MINI SE though. 0-60 in 3.7s - expect to go through some tires!
Unsurprisingly, MINI and BMW seemed to be joined at the hip dealer wise. My SE was on the 3rd floor. This creation based on an M850 was in the BMW section:
PS You'll need to change your name from Iwantamini to IwantaminibutgotaBMWinstead
Hahahaha. I just tried to follow this recommendation but its not letting me. I totally would. I Love a good sense of humour.
MacMini...two different worlds yes. But sometimes it happens...cross shopping two apparently unrelated cars. I have always debated that go kart, easy to park and generally maneuver feeling but with top notch equipment (which this years Mini has enough of). I have also wanted to have power at my finger tips (that I do not necessarily need), AWD, well appointed cabin in a sporty sedan. Since I was looking to lease and I was still in my budget range (with a lease), I decided to go bigger.
I would have been smiling either way. But I decided that I'd smile more with the M50. Its a dream and I am loving it. Would post pics but it would stray from this wonderful forum. Heading over to Bimmerpost to rejoin the party there as New2Bimmer.
Purchasing a car at a good price is always a pleasure. I personally prefer leasing, considering that it is quite a good deal, but the choice is yours. It looks like you can achieve significant savings by carefully considering your payment methods. Personally, I choose only reliable payment methods. Also, given my interest in gambling, I have found Pay by SMS Casino to be a valuable resource that provides a promo code that can lead to significant winnings while increasing your savings. It was thanks to the successful victory that I was able to afford a new car. And regarding your mention of free charging, that truly is a stroke of luck.
Last edited by Matthew_Graham; Feb 1, 2024 at 12:44 AM.
Purchasing a car at a good price is always a pleasure. I personally prefer leasing, considering that it is quite a good deal, but the choice is yours. And regarding your mention of free charging, that truly is a stroke of luck.
Yep, 38kW in December and 116kW so far this month, all free. At our elevated rates here in MA that's about $48 saved. It's been a cold January and I'm seeing 3.0 miles/kW. That also represents about 30 gallons of gasoline not burned too.
My $3500 MA rebate is in the mail too!
But the biggest bonus is my wife enjoys driving "Eddie the EV". She never mastered the MT on the R56.
I hope the wait for the 2027 release will be worth the increased range.
The J01 is supposedly quite a bit heavier than the F56 so will see how it handles. I've searched Youtube to see if anyone has a proper impression up but so far nothing. I thought the car went on sale last year in China and maybe Europe?
I'm hoping for 2 things if I still have this SE in 6-8 years time: 1) a replacement battery that is solid state and denser so maybe 50kW available for the same weight and 2) it's affordable.
Have you seen the issue with Ionic 5s in Canada that have damaged their battery packs and Hyundai want more than the original price of the car for a replacement battery? - absolutely crazy.
The J01 is supposedly quite a bit heavier than the F56 so will see how it handles. I've searched Youtube to see if anyone has a proper impression up but so far nothing. I thought the car went on sale last year in China and maybe Europe?
I'm hoping for 2 things if I still have this SE in 6-8 years time: 1) a replacement battery that is solid state and denser so maybe 50kW available for the same weight and 2) it's affordable.
Have you seen the issue with Ionic 5s in Canada that have damaged their battery packs and Hyundai want more than the original price of the car for a replacement battery? - absolutely crazy.
cheers
MacMini34
The HUD would make it easier for me to tolerate the Spartan interior of the Chinese J01 MINI Cooper SE. However, the J01's significantly greater weight is a deal-breaker for me. How long will it be before I can buy another sporty EV weighing less than 3,150 lbs? I hope my wonderful SE keeps going until that happens.
A quick way to stay current on all things MINI is revorg's International Mini Cooper News website. It does all the searching for you: https://1revorg.org/mini.html
