Mat’s Car of the Day: save nearly £10,000 on the Mini Cooper Electric by buying used

The Mini Cooper is as close to an icon as small cars get, and the electric Cooper SE is a particularly good evolution of an old classic.

If you need a small, fun city car and aren’t too fussed about carrying people in the back seats or regularly doing 200+ mile journeys, it’s a great option. And I’ve found a brilliant deal on a used model that I think is well worth considering. Here’s why I think you should consider it, as well as a couple of potential reasons to steer clear.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Used Mini Cooper Electric deals

The Mini Cooper Electric range starts from just under £27,000, but that’s for the small-battery model – the SE is the one you want, and that costs just over £29,000, or £31,000 when you’ve added on the all-but-essential Level 1 options pack.

That’s a lot for a small car but you can save a useful chunk of change buying a lightly used model. I’ve found my ideal model for sale through Carwow – it’s a big-battery SE model, and it’s in the plush Exclusive trim with the Level 1 options pack. With less than 5,000 miles on the clock, it can be yours for less than £26,000. You’d pay nearly £33,000 for this exact model new.

Three things I love about the Mini Cooper Electric

1. It’s a riot to drive around town

The Cooper Electric is everything a small car should be – nippy off the line, with quick, accurate steering and a cheeky character. EV power suits the Mini perfectly in this regard, making it even more fun to chuck about than the petrol Mini Cooper.

2. The interior is surprisingly plush

Mini’s been really clever with the Cooper’s interior, using interesting materials like a woven fabric on the door cards and dash top. It’s not expensive, but it feels so much better than just having hard, brittle plastic there like you get on most small cars.

3. It just looks so cool

The Mini is a truly classless car – it looks just as much at home whether it’s parked outside a Skegness retail park or a fancy Kensington hotel. Everyone from new drivers to celebrities looks and feels at home in a Mini, and almost no other car has that much universal appeal.

Three annoying things about the Mini Cooper Electric

1. It’s not very practical

The Cooper Electric is one of very few three-door cars left on sale, and so it’s not very surprising that it’s not really the best for rear-seat passengers. Six-foot adults would be better off taking the bus, and even kids will find it cramped – plus, the boot’s really small too.

2. It’s not the best for long distances

The Cooper SE model with the bigger battery has an official range of just over 250 miles – which in the real world, we’ve found to be just under 200. It doesn’t charge particularly fast, either, taking around 30 minutes for a 10-80% top-up, so don’t expect to be doing many mega-mile road trips in your Cooper Electric.

3. The touchscreen takes some getting used to

The Cooper Electric has a super-cool circular touchscreen that evokes the old Mini’s central speedometer. It looks amazing but it’s a bit of a pain to use, especially the climate controls shoved down on the lower edges – and running Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is like putting a square peg in a round hole.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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