Automakers are introducing more electric vehicles into the market every year, and as a result, there are many options for EV shoppers to choose from. Although many of the most popular EVs may be high-tech, high-powered, or have a very long range, the most satisfying one is none of those cars. Here’s a look at the 2023 Mini Cooper Electric and why it was picked as the most satisfying EV to own.

The 2023 Mini Cooper Electric was the most satisfying EV to own

J.D. Power recently did a study about electric car ownership, and according to Ford Authority, that study found that the Mini Cooper Electric was the most satisfying EV to own. The survey asked just over 7,000 EV owners to rate their car based on 10 categories, and there’s a maximum score of 1,000 points. Those categories were related to multiple aspects about owning an EV.

The categories included the amount of real-world range that the EVs got, the enjoyment that drivers got from driving their car, the EV’s interior and exterior styling, the EV’s quality and reliability, and more. After all that data was added up, the Mini Cooper Electric received a score of 782.

That put it a few points ahead of the Kia EV6, which had a score of 762, and the third-place Ford Mustang Mach-E, which had a score of 742. For comparison, across all the EVs that were rated, the average score was 730.

A closer look at the 2023 Mini Cooper Electric

It’s surprising that the Mini Cooper Electric won it all since, on paper, it doesn’t hold up to most of its rivals. The compact EV has a single powertrain option, and it gets 181 hp.

The car’s single electric motor is paired to a 28.9-kWh battery, and that only allows it to go 114 miles. That’s a terrible range for an EV, and the other EVs that were part of the study had better range numbers than that.

For example, the Nissan Leaf got 149 miles of range with its standard configuration, and it was ranked as the least-satisfying EV to own thanks to its score of 698. That said, asides from the low range number, the Mini Cooper Electric is a fun car to drive. Its electric motor also gets 199 lb-ft of torque, which allows it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds.

It’s also a fairly affordable EV to buy as it starts at just over $31,000. The automaker also gave the tiny EV a nice interior, with an 8.8-inch touch screen and a 5.5-inch digital gauge cluster display.

That said, since it’s a small car, it won’t have much cargo capacity. It maxes out at just 34 cu. ft. However, the seats are comfortable, and synthetic leather upholstery is standard.

Why the 2023 Mini Cooper Electric may have scored so well

While it’s difficult to know precisely why EV owners rated the Mini Cooper Electric so highly, the reason that it did well may just have to do with how the study works. Since there are 10 categories to rate, the Mini Cooper Electric may have done well on most categories, and that was enough for it to win. 

As a result, even though owners are likely unsatisfied by the EV’s low range number, the car’s other areas could’ve made up for it. For example, the Mini Cooper Electric, like other Mini’s, has a unique and eye-catching exterior style. Owners may be delighted by how their car looks, while owners of other EVs were less satisfied by their cars.