MINI Electric review: reliability & safety rating
The MINI Electric should be reliable and safe thanks to a suite of safety systems
As of July 2023, the MINI Electric hasn't yet been evaluated by the independent crash-testers at Euro NCAP. However, despite their diminutive size, MINIs have a good reputation for safety and reliability, so we don’t expect the Electric version to be any different.
MINI Electric reliability & problems
It's hard to accurately measure the MINI Electric’s reliability, as it’s such a new model. In the 2023 Driver Power survey, the brand came in 15th place in the manufacturer rundown of 32 major brands, which isn’t quite as the maker’s ninth-place ranking last year. That being said, the MINI Hatch (available with both petrol and electric power) finished 24th in the list of 75 best new cars to own. All of which bodes very well for the MINI Electric, especially as EVs are generally more reliable than their petrol-powered counterparts.
Safety
The standard MINI hatchback received a four-star Euro NCAP rating back in 2014, with reasonable scores for adult (79%) and child (73%) occupant protection. It didn’t fare so well for pedestrian protection (66%) or safety assistance (56%), however.
Equipment has improved since then, though – the MINI Electric in Level 2 spec gets the Driving Assistant pack, with speed-limit and traffic-sign information, city collision mitigation for pedestrians and high-beam assistance. There's no room for a space saver tyre, though, as is the case with all of the MINI's rivals.