MINI Cooper Electric review

Overview

The MINI Cooper Electric is an electric hatchback with 4 seats, a 54.2 kWh battery and a quoted EPA range of 195 miles. On paper it suits drivers who want a straightforward everyday electric car. Prices start at around $34,750, with leases quoted from about $309 a month.

Its headline specification point is straightforward: the most fun small EV to drive. The sections below break the published figures down and set them against the other electric cars in our Your state database.

Design & practicality

Bodystyle is a hatchback with 4 seats and 210 litres of boot space. Against every EV in the database that puts it among the weakest for outright carrying capacity, and among the weakest among other hatchbacks.

Boot volume is modest, so this is a car best suited to one or two people and light loads.

Range & charging

The quoted EPA range is 195 miles from 54.2 kWh of usable-plus-buffer capacity — among the weakest in the database for distance between charges. Real-world figures are typically 10–25% lower in cold weather and at sustained motorway speeds.

That is a mid-size battery with mainstream rapid-charging speeds. As with any EV, the running-cost picture depends far more on whether you can charge at home overnight than on the charging speed itself.

Performance

The published 0–60mph time is 6.7 seconds, which puts it among the weakest for acceleration here and makes it brisk by the numbers. Electric drivetrains deliver that pull instantly from a standstill, so town-speed responses tend to feel stronger than the figure suggests.

Tech & features

We score cabin technology at 8/10 based on published equipment levels, which is below average across the database. The specification highlight is that the most fun small EV to drive.

Expect a large central screen, over-the-air updates and driver assistance as standard on most trims.

Price & value

New prices run from $34,750 to $38,750, with three-year-old used examples from around $20,000 and leases quoted from $309 a month. That sits at the affordable end of the electric cars in this database, and the affordable end of the hatchbacks specifically.

Our value score, which weighs the price against range, space and equipment, is 6/10. Whether it works out cheaper than your current car depends on your mileage, fuel price and charging setup — the cost calculator does that maths properly.