What name would you like to appear in the Test Drive Review?
Anthony Hunt
What make and model did you test drive?
MINI SE Level 2 2021
What dealership did you have the test drive at?
Broad Oak MINI, Ashford, Kent.
How long did it take the dealership to contact you after you made your initial enquiry?
Under 1 hour
What date did you have your test drive?
08/07/2021
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What was your dealership experience like?
The staff were polite, friendly & helpful. They brought me coffee & a bottled water for my son. Salesman was enthusiastic and was happy to show us some used models, even though they were not ready for sale.
Rate your dealership experience out of 5 Stars.
4 Stars: Good
What were your first impressions of the car?
The MINI SE looked and felt very familiar, as I currently drive a 2016 MINI Cooper. However, the interior was more refined and a major tech upgrade from what I had. My feeling of the car was it was like someone had done a really good makeover on my current car.
Positives – List 3 or more things you liked about the car.
- The car was quick & responsive. Part of the reason for a test drive was to see if an automatic would dull the driving experience. It didn’t. It’s a rocket.
- Secondly the MINI SE handled better than my current MINI Cooper, which was a surprise as it is heavier but the lower centre of gravity made it cling to the road on corners and roundabouts.
- Finally, I did a short motorway run to see how it performed because with the top speed of 93mph, I was curious to see if the MINI SE would start to run out of steam as it got close to top speed but it didn’t. It leapt up to 86mph (had to slow down) and felt like it was ready to punch for the horizon, there was no sign of ‘topping out’.
Negatives – List 3 or more things you didn’t like about the car.
- I am not a fan of three-door cars. The doors are oversized and difficult to open in narrow parking spaces. Not having a five door option was a negative.
- The arrangement of options meant the only way to get leather seats was to buy the level 3 (another £4,000) when I’d rather have leather seats as an option to the other two levels (as are active cruise & tinted windows). I cannot think of anything else that I didn’t like about the MINI SE or how it is offered.
Rate the EV out of 5 Stars.
5 Stars: Excellent
Did you purchase the make & model you test drove or another EV from the same manufacturer?
Yes.
What specification did you go for?
I went for the level 2 as it presented the best set of options for the money. I also opted for the dealer to add bonnet stripes as the MINI SE looks a bit plain without them!
How did you purchase the vehicle?
Trade-in + cash + HP in equal amounts.
When do you expect to take delivery of your EV?
1-2 weeks
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