Should you buy one?

Assuming space and practicality aren’t high on your list of priorities, the MINI Cooper electric is a fine small EV. It’s not quite as dynamically involving as the best petrol hot hatches out there, but it’s a more convincing sporty EV hatchback than the Abarth 500e and far more involving than the MG4 XPower.

Rivals such as the Peugeot e-208 provide a more comfortable ride and the usefulness of five doors for similar money, but aren’t as fun to drive or quite as pleasant inside. Speaking of money, the Cooper Electric looks very keenly priced next to its immediate rivals and has a good level of standard equipment, too.

What we like

Sharp handling and peppy performance with a decent enough range on Cooper SE models.

What we don’t like

The interior could be a little plusher, the ride is firm and it’s not very practical.