Mini Cooper Electric long-term test
Can Mini's smallest electric car be the perfect answer for someone who lives in the city? We're living with one to find out...
The car Mini Cooper SE Exclusive Run by Eleanor Cooper, news writer
Why it’s here To find out if this cutesy small electric car is more than just a pretty face
Needs to Absorb the stress of morning stop-start commutes, shrug off pangs of range anxiety and slot into small parking spaces with ease
Mileage 1562 List price £32,105 Price as tested £34,655 Official range 247 miles Test range 247 miles
12 February 2026 – It’s what’s on the inside that matters
Although it's purely a subjective thing, I'd say that most people want a car that looks cool on the outside – and I’d say my Mini Cooper Electric does a good job of that, with its mix of modern and retro styling. That being said, like most of us, I don’t spend nearly as much time looking at the outside of the car as I do looking at the inside.
Recently while driving home in my Cooper SE, I was rear-ended while coming off the motorway. Unfortunately this has taken my Cooper SE off the road for a brief spell, but while my car is being repaired, my courtesy car is its petrol counterpart, the Cooper S. And while the technical underpinnings of the two cars are completely different, they are almost identical inside.
Indeed, looking at both cars from the driver's seat, I don't think most drivers could tell the difference, because there's the same host of physical controls as well as a circular touchscreen inspired by the speedometer in the original Mini Cooper. I’m a fan of the key-shaped switch that turns the car on – it feels more interactive than simply pressing an ‘on/off’ button, but it’s also easier than inserting an actual key.
It’s a shame that the climate controls can only be accessed via the touchscreen, though, because while Mini’s infotainment system is responsive, it’s not the easiest to navigate. The apps are clustered into one big menu, which means you sometimes have to scroll a fair bit to find what you’re looking for. The Renault 5, on the other hand, has an easy-to-use panel below the touchscreen with proper buttons on it for temperature controls, and its touchscreen is more intuitive.
My Cooper SE comes with wireless Apple CarPlay, which allows me to use my trusty phone apps. It’s a huge improvement on the auxiliary cord I use in my personal Volkswagen Up, though it can be a bit difficult to look at – instead of filling the 9.4in circular display, Apple CarPlay instead loads as a rather small rectangle. I can't help but think there must be a better way to integrate it into the Mini's setup.
On the brighter side, my speed and navigation information is shown on the head-up display which comes with my car's Level 2 package, so I don’t have to look over at the touchscreen while I’m driving.
It’s no secret that screens are the future, and I think we’ll be seeing them on our cars for a long time – but the Cooper SE has found a solid middle ground with its physical knobs and switches. In fact, it’s a prime example of the fact that tradition and technology work best when they’re partnered together.
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