The best electric MINI yet? New MINI Countryman vs Volvo EX30 | Electrifying
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- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2024
- #minicountryman #volvoex30 #electriccars
Sometimes it can be tricky to keep up. We remember when MINIs were small cars and Volvos were huge. But in this video we are testing a Volvo EX30 that’s smaller than a not so mini MINI Countryman.
That may seem topsy turvy, but these two are both around the same price and are bound to be on your shopping list if you want a small electric family car and are keen for something a little more ‘premium’ than the average small SUV.
First, some background. The new Countryman is the largest MINI ever made. At more than 4.4 metres long, it’s bigger than well known family cars like the Nissan Qashqai. It’s almost one and a half original classic Minis long! Now that might upset some of the purists out there, but it does mean that someone with a growing family can still have a MINI. And there’s a lot about them to like.
The Countryman has a 64.6 kWh usable battery, which gives a range of 256 miles - that’s about 3.5/m per kWh. Which is ok, but not outstanding. Charging peaks at 130 kW on a DC point, which MINI says will get you a 10-80% rapid charge in under 30 minutes. AC charging is at 11kW unless you tick the options boxes again and upgrade to 22kW.
The Volvo also comes 64kWh but it can squeeze an extra 23 miles out of it to give a 279 mile range. Peak DC rapid-charging rates top out at 153kW, so a bit quicker than the MINI. It also gets a 22kW AC capability as standard to the top-spec Ultra too.
But which is the one to go for and which is the better car? Join Ginny and Nicky as they pitch the MINI Countryman and the Volvo EX30 head-to-head for the first time. Do you agree with their verdict? Let us know in the comments below.
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These ladies on electrifying channel do the best reviews of cars. All the info you need and none of the pointless rubbish from other channels. Nicola, Ginny and Nicky are the best. ❤
Just to point out a few oddities in the video…
The EX30 does have Apple CarPlay (it was added a month ago) and there were a lot of strong opinions on the optional decor which is one of 3 different available options…
Apple car play available now in the update of september
Nice review. However, the forthcoming Kia EV3 looks better value than both these.
Until you look at the spec list and realise you really need the one that will cost more than £40k hence in the "luxury" car tax bracket. Really torn, Would have bought a EX30 but can't do with the minimal "Tesla" interior. Hoping the EV3 price drops when it actually arrives.
That said, I think brand perception wise, Volvo > Mini > Kia
@@iantelinside brand perception from 10 years ago? I'd put the latest Kia models first.
BOTH of YOU are my favorite, Great video 🤩
£55,000 for the mini. Wow. Wait for the duel motor Kia EV3 and that will be fully loaded for a lot less
@@stephenclay6852 The Kia is more expensive than the Volvo tho…
Given the quality of the materials in the Kia EV9 I sat in, I don't think they are in the same league. It's also bigger.
With the Mini, I thought of the Kia EV3. We need these cars under the magic £40,000 to avoid the UK luxury car tax.
Common my love, you can do it with ya Range Rover in a thight country roads, that was simply funny 😂😂😂
The mini is basically the size of an Austin Maxi. I don't suppose 'maxi' has the same sort of market magnetism.
The Countryman (174" long) is a lot bigger than the Maxi (159"). The EX30 (167") sits between the two. The Mini and Volvo are both longer than the Austin 1800/2200 (165").
The real problem with all the £40,000 plus cars is that from April 2025 they will be subject to the luxury car tax as well as road tax meaning almost £600 a year!
The Mini Aceman will probably the more equal to the EX30, when it arrives in the next few months
The Aceman, Smart #1, and EX30 would be a good video
That’s literally exactly what I was about to say! 😂
Agreed
When I drive my TMER EX30 Ultra I keep smiling. 3.6 s to 100. It is WOW!
Ginny you can't complain about the speedometer being on the central screen in the Volvo and then fiddling with the Mini's screen looking at the hummingbird and the cheetah
And the speedo is in the centre display too.
14:41 the most british saying ever haha
And waiting in the wings to blow them both away ~ the Kia Ev3
The Kona is available now AND the infotainment system just works.
@@bernardhilton3527 so does the Kia.
id love a modern volvo like the ex30 outside my house 😍 its sooo sleek
CarPlay has now arrived
I've said it before, if you want a better car than the EX30, get a Smart #1, not only has it got a HUD on some models, the shape of door pillar gives it a more open feel.
Volvo all day❤🎉
The Kia EV 3 has a better range than either of these two
The EX30 for me every day.
How much is that not so mini mini again🤨 and it seemed a bit one sideed
It's so interesting to me that I was incredibly excited for the EX30, finally a Volvo I might be able to afford! I've always wanted a Volvo. But after seeing the interior and the choices they made, namely the "everything on one screen" style... I've been put right off the EX30 and I'm looking at the Renault Megane E-Tech instead.
I have a 2025 Megane, great car love it
I don't know why BMW keeps messing around with hydrogen when they are legitimately good at making BEVs
The MINI designers looked at the front of modern BMW's and said: how can we make that front even uglier?
In terms of spacing, it gave me an earlier comparison between the first e Niro and the Kona electric. I did choose for the e Niro ofcours!
So if I may choose one of them, it has to be the Volvo EX 30....
NO, just joking around, ofcours the Not so Mini Countryman if I had the money....😮
No mode for me, just listening to music or a really nice podcast!
I ordered a Countryman SE in June and it’s in transit to Colorado. 🎉There aren’t that many AWD small EVs with okay (>7”) ground clearance on sale in the US. The Volvo is nice but the software glitches remind me of MyFord Touch from 2012.😵💫Also who knows when the EX30 will go on sale in the U.S. and what it will cost.
Having been in both these cars, I do think yous have been a little harsh on the Volvo, it's got a great feeling we'll together clever interior, its not going for the same lookas the Mini, it's sleek Scandi style. The Mini is a little more busy youthful and aimed more at being a fun interior. The Mini centre screen I found to be really laggy and not intuitive at all, having to press the home button just to escape sub menus. It was also really clear that Mini has a lot of extras fitted.
Its funny how we all have different tastes, i would have the volvo 100 times over, I just dont get minis personally. Shame the volvos too small for me!
so glad Nicky also found the bongs so annoying as it drove me mad during the test drive.
More than happy with our ex30 twin motor ultra.
Always the twin motor
Totally agree on the Range Rover comment!
Isn't this mini the topmodel of the brand compared to the smallest of the other brand? Size might be the only comparison. Ofcourse the mini is full of nice details, you expect that in the top model. You don't get that in the smallest model. I like the Volvo topmodels 😉
I'd take the EX30 over the mini any day of the week. Software issues aside, it's more efficient, a proper EV platform and its looks won't age like the mini's will.
That "mini" spec in Ireland is a smidge over €65k ... Nuts.
It's not a "Frunk", it's a "Froot" (FRont bOOT)! 😂
Love the mini getting one next year .great reviews girls
Talk about the car getting confused 20 minutes in? Er it’s an EX30 not an XC30 as you call it.
The Mini is just too expensive to be recommendable. Fine for buyers who don’t care and just like how it looks but for everyone else, there are much better options out there. The Volvo is too powerful and even the single motor is very quick and could catch out an inexperienced driver. It’s also taken the stripped back theme too far. The whole world has acknowledged that physical buttons are not only safer but what people want. A face lifted EX30 with the option of a HUD, and a row of buttons under the screen and a central volume knob would transform the car. It would need to be made in Europe to be on my shortlist though.
Apparently there's an OTA update (v1.4.2) that has literally just dropped for the EX30 that adds wireless CarPlay.
Depreciation on these washing machines will be epic.
I will take my BYD Dolphin anyday at GBP 23,000 in Australia - got all the specs of the top line mini and has great software (with wireless carplay).
Apple CarPlay is included in the latest sofware update - I missed my CarPlay in my Ex30 but it has now arrived!
Maybe you should include in your comparison test next time the Smart #1
It’s the Mini every time for me! 🤷🏻♀️
As good as that mini is that price is too much .
Really good review, thank you.
I would have to rule the Volvo out on the interior UI/UX and software. I think Mini have just done that so much better. My first car was a 1970s original Mini and so I wonder whether I now need as much as a full spec ALL4 given I do not need anyone except the dogs in the back seat. Of the cars you have reviewed recently I think the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce fits in here somewhere with great handling and decent boot space. It is also better value than a full spec Mini.
I take it they forgot about the Volvo EX40 which is a more direct competitor size wise and similarly priced! Sigh
Yeah I agree
the MAXI is built in Leipzig, Germany. The Volvo is a Chinese refugee, seeking tariff asylum in Ghent Belgium. Both cars are failing to acknowledge their own lineage. Just scrambling to appeal to crossover crowd, instead of driving the market to what we should be buying, cars. I realize the car industry is in extreme peril. They're struggling to find profit in cheap cars, and there is too much pressure to race to the bottom.
Build cars with high quality, and charge what you need to. Battery size is the luxury item, but new EV buyers don't understand that.
But if the manufacturers build luxury EVs extremely few will be sold. Aka Bankruptcy
@@Harrythehun right. They need to be long lasting and valuable to be sustainable. Disposable car design is one of the many reasons our world is witnessing a human made climate catastrophe. They need not be luxurious, but they must retain their value to be used for decades. So simplicity and repairability are hugely important. Neither trait is on display here.
Mini is not a mini anymore, they should change the name of that brand
It’s the Volvo over the Mini for me.
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EX30 now has Apple car play….update arrived a couple of days ago.
Thanks for the review of these big 4-door EV's.
Next time . . . . a comparison of 2 smaller EV's, maybe with 2-doors. . . . ?
That Mini if F'in HUGE! 🤣 Bring on the EV3...
45 grand for a mini, you are having a laugh, this puts it in the luxury class for tax purposes, I would rather have an MG ZS EV long range for 33K
It’s not a mini, it’s a maxi
I agree with the conclustion. Mini all the way if you can afford, or basic spec Volvo if you need a city car. My only question is why you are comparing a car that family of four can travel in across the continent with a car with a space for two adults with overnight suitcases and maybe two puppies (because if you say 'kids' you will have to accept the fact that you just run out of luggage space)
The Mini does have more charm. The Volvo is more sterile, it's interior plastic trim reminds me of DuPont Corian, a counter-top plastic made to look somewhat like stone. But I would not want to be a child, much less an Adult sitting in the center position of the Mini's back seat. If 2 kids or less, I'd say go Mini, otherwise consider the performance specs and then make a choice based on that. Build quality and quick update support is important. Both of these are made in China, so I wonder what part that plays in it. My Hyundai Ioniq 5 has had routine updates every year that support all of the yearly editions, so everyone gets the latest fixes and bells and whistles.
Do the cars have frunks? I fancy a car with a frunk. I'm probably more interested in frunkeration than acceleration tbh.
updates too slow and software too glitchy and still ongoing. That's why I cancelled my order for the EX30 and sounds like I made the right decision
I'd buy the Volvo. And if someone gave me a Mini, I'd sell it and buy another Volvo 😝
I'll stick with my Skoda Enyaq sportline 85x.
Nice
IMO Smart #1 is worth a look against these two . Perhaps not as up market however, all the options and performance. Especially the Brabus. Grab a demo car 6-12 months old and they are 25-30% less than list (Now good value v an ICE for home charging) . I did (just 2.7K miles), very happy .
Sorry, but neither of these are MINIs! The next contender for the original mini replacement, I would say is the Casper and its coming electric brother the Inster.
They come the closest to the original design brief of Sir Alec Issigonis out of any car since the original mini stopped production in 2000.
Got my hopes up that mini made a EV that can tow I guess 1200kg should not complain but it's nothing on the ex30 1600kg ☹️ guess the smart #1 is going to be our next car with 1600kg as well 🤔
Mini looked cool though and mini make fun cars.
Sorry but what is wrong with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or the Kia EV6, both nicer than the base Volvo and thousands cheaper than the Mini Countryman.
Exactly, but both are now 3 years old. However I'll take my Ioniq 5 over either of these any day.
@@johnnodge4327 Both the Ioniq 5 and EV6 have just been updated. Some small body changes and updates to the batteries and the range. But as you say.... even the older models are far better than these two. Not looking at price or space... Better just on the 800v architecture. Plus built from the ground up to maximise floor space etc.
Maybe subjective but neither are lookers and both are on the large size
It's hilarious that the current software version 1.4.2 has Apple Carplay 😂😂😂😂 and your car isn't on the latest software version
We’ve had Mini’s and Volvos. All the Minis have underdelivered … unreliable, bits breaking off and surprisingly expensive. Volvos have been better than expected… better long-term and the dealers far superior. Never buy another Mini. Sorry.
The Mini is so overpriced in Australia - not sure how they think they can charge so much. Give me an EV3 over both of these.
Sorry either model without going into detail I'm afraid are no match to the Smart #1 on all counts!! asperously a brilliant car.
Interesting video and really interesting choice of cares to compare.
Both of these cars were on my list as options to replace my Volvo XC40 BEV.
I'll be honest, were looking at having a slightly smaller car than the XC40 and thought the countryman would be a reasonable alternative. This is why your choice was interesting as the Countryman is actually the same size if not slightly bigger now than the XC40 so not really a direct car you would compare with the EX30?
Now, the EX30..... , coming from a Volvo I expected really comfortable and supportive seats but it might just be me but they really are not supportive and like Nikki and I suspect Ginny, the focus on just the central screen and minimalist design is really not for me which is very disappointing as I was 100% certain it would be the car replacing my current Volvo. Nope, niet, not a chance!
Anywhoo, I dont think these two cars are actually cars in the same category. Maybe like @jedoka mentions the Aceman may be a better comparison?
£45k? Skoda Enyaq
The Volvo dash is the same as Portaflek. The paint finish in factory toilets. Mmmmm. 😮
I prefer a Sports wagon/Tourer/Touring/Avant/Estate.
Smart #3 or EV3 would be a better buy then either of these EVs IMO.
EX30 😉
Sorry but Mini went in the wrong direction increasing the size of that thing... some people actually want Mini/small cars, but here they go and blow it. Sigh.....
They do still have the normal small mini, and one in between.
No switches and buttons for the heating controls........... Then the Volvo can't cope without having lines on a road to follow........ No thanks to either.
What have Suzuki done to the Swift? It's put on a few lardy pounds. Saw one today, the backside is dull. Both of these cars vastly overpriced. Both got fiddly screens and lack of physical controls. Pass.
SUVs? EX30 is smaller than an ID3
I have a strong opinniin on the Volvo. I do not think it ticks the box for a so called ”premium” at all. I would say the new Kia EV3 is way more premium than that Volvo. Min has the ”zaaz” with the mixture of materials and fit n finnish.
Old brands are getting away with the brand work theyve done. I dont think many of their products really live to the names and reputstion of being a ”premium” if tou really look into it.
The mini has character. The volvo is blah.
Nice video! You to are really good🙏 kia ev3 base spec is better then both this one i think. 👍
If you like the maxi, buy a bmw suv
If you like the Volvo, buy an XC40
It’s a mini made by BMW. So it’s BMW v. VOLVO
🤣 NO !!! And do not dare to call that thing a "Mini" again !
Did you realise the annoying boing of the Volvo is in Swedish 🇸🇪 😂😂😂😂
The mini is fugly.
The look and shape of that mini are terrible. Why do these companies buy a heritage brand and then throw out everything that’s made it last for as long as it has.
The Volvo looks good, but has by far some of the most buggy and impractical software of any modern car.
Volvo looks a few thousand percent better.
I prefer the Volvo. I do not like the looks of the Mini Countryman.
That is not a mini! Sorry but mini have completely lost their essence of their being. The hradlights are wrong, the look is wrong and it's just too gimmicky.
I remember hoonimg around in my friends original mini as a teenager. Basic small and fun.
This is overcomplicated big and like a disney castle, you can kind of see it's based on the original, but a fake version of it.
It's also far too expensive. BMW have ruined mini for me.
Sorry! This is a terrible review. Two different vehicles that should have NEVER been compared.
Minis plug ugly!! And so far from the original concept of a real mini as you can get! Shrink it back down by a meter and you may appeal to me- the Volvo is far better asthetically
Mini is not for me far too big sorry.
They cant call this Mini the Maxi because of how rubbish the original Maxi was. Give me the original countryman copy please BMW.
the Mini is so overpriced! BMW like extra shopping list - oh sorry it is made by BMW.
The countryman is ugly, cannot say is good looking….. massive and heavy. Volvo is way more nicer