SEAT Mii Review

As is the way with almost every city car, the key factors determining if the SEAT Mii can fit in your life are the amount of space inside and the frequency of long journeys. 

As a first car it is a very appealing prospect if it falls within budget, and could even past muster as a small family car. The SEAT Mii is capable of long motorway journeys, but it’s not something you would want to do on a regular basis, just because the engine needs to be worked relatively hard to keep up.

The SEAT Mii compares favourably with its key rivals, although the Skoda Citigo tends to be a little bit cheaper and the Volkswagen Up has that stronger image, without having to pay much more either. If you need more space from your city car then the Hyundai i10 is probably your best bet.

The Skoda Citigo and Volkswagen Up are about as similar as you can get, sharing the same interior and exterior as the SEAT Mii, many of the same engine options and - unsurprisingly - drive in a similar way. When buying used it’s worth considering all three and choosing the best car within your budget.

The Peugeot 108, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo triplets are all worth considering too, as they offer a similar low-cost but big value approach. They should cost a little less than the equivalent SEAT Mii too. Another favourite in the city car sector is the Hyundai i10, which isn’t quite as nice to drive but is more spacious inside and is well-built. Similarly reliable is the Kia Picanto.

When buying a cheap car you can expect it to be a bit short on equipment and lacking in quality, but the SEAT Mii proves that doesn’t have to be the case. Sure, plump for the basic S model and you’re not overwhelmed with gadgets and luxuries, but the bare quality of the car still shines through. 

Some of the plastics may be hard but they feel tough rather than cheap, and the way the switches operate with a reassuring solidity gives off strong vibes that this is a quality product. The same goes for the seat coverings, regardless of trim level, reinforcing the feeling that the SEAT Mii is built to last.

As you’d expect things get a bit nicer further up the range. In SEAT Mii SE models you get leather on the steering wheel and gear lever, smarter seat fabrics and a coloured panel on the dashboard, while Sport models get their own versions of the seat fabric and dash panel. Later models like the SEAT Mii by Mango take this even further, with Alcantara (a synthetic suede) trim and bespoke colours. Unlike many rivals, you can actually make the Mii feel pretty posh inside which is definitely a good thing.

The infotainment in the SEAT Mii depends very much on what trim level you go for, but also the age of the car, as SEAT changed the provision towards the end production. Initially S models came with a basic FM/AM radio and CD player as standard, while SE Tech models and upwards (and the S as an option) had the SEAT Portable System. 

This was a separate screen that fixed to the top of the dash and provided Bluetooth for streaming and phone calls, satellite navigation and a trip computer. It was a good system, although the fact that it was removable meant it wasn’t as secure as a built-in system.

Later SEAT Mii models ditched this idea for integrated Bluetooth, a phone cradle and a dedicated DriveMii app, offering much the same features and more but direct from your smartphone. Of the two, the later system is preferable, as apart from anything it will benefit from regular updates and the ease of use. If you go for an earlier model make sure the seller includes the Portable System if it was originally fitted.

The SEAT Mii manages to disguise its box-like profile pretty well from the outside (the SEAT Mii measures 3557mm long and 1645mm wide), and with that magic trick successfully pulled off you can reap the benefits when you climb aboard. It’s almost a shock to discover how spacious it is in the front - tall drivers who might not have relished the idea of looking like Noddy can breathe easily. 

Any size of driver can get comfortable behind the wheel, even though the steering only adjusts for reach, with plenty of head and legroom. Shoulder room is decent too, despite this being a relatively narrow car. The feeling of space is helped by the slim dashboard and plenty of light entering the cabin.

There’s not quite so much space in the rear in the SEAT Mii, but it’s better than some of the competition. The rear seats are mounted a little higher than those in the front, so there’s a little less headroom, while legroom is understandably less plentiful. Still, there’s enough space here to accommodate willing adults for shorter journeys, and for most sizes of child you shouldn’t have any problems. 

Five-door models make access to the rear a good deal easier, although as long as you’re reasonably able-bodied getting into the back of the three-door shouldn’t be too difficult. It is worth bearing in mind however that the Mii is a strict four-seater, with a rear bench designed for two and a pair of seatbelts rather than three, which may rule it out for some buyers.

Boot space for the SEAT Mii is also impressive, with 251 litres on offer - a solitary litre fewer than the Hyundai i10 and more than the Renault Twingo and Toyota Aygo. Drop the rear seats and this can be expanded to a minivan-like 959 litres, and there’s an adjustable boot floor too so you can stash more valuable items out of site.

There’s a useful amount of storage space in the cabin too, including decently-sized door bins that can hold a 1-litre bottle, a cubby in front of the gearlever - with an insert designed to hold a smartphone if you wish - plus a larger than average glovebox all make it easier to live with.

All SEAT Miis are fitted with a tyre repair kit as standard, and a spare wheel of any variety is not available as an option.

There’s not much to choose from when it comes to engines and gearboxes with the SEAT Mii. You get a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine regardless - all you get to choose from is whether it has 60PS or 75PS. There’s not a huge amount between the two, with identical claimed combined fuel consumption and CO2 emissions whichever version you choose. 

The 60PS unit is fine, and can still cut it on the motorway, but if you can stretch to a 75PS version it’s worth it if only to make life a little easier - it can hold a higher speed more comfortably and is a little quicker in acceleration terms too. 

Sadly the Mii is not available with the 90PS turbocharged engine that you can get in the Volkswagen Up,  which brings a whole other level of performance while still keeping fuel consumption low. The SEAT Mii is getting a second life as an electric car, petrol versions were discontinued so it is now electric-only. Read our dedicated SEAT Mii Electric review for more info. 

Like many of its rivals, the SEAT Mii’s engine options are three cylinder, and while that means a fraction more noise than four cylinder offerings it’s actually a more pleasant car to drive as a result. The three-cylinder unit spins happily away up front, will cruise with reasonable quiet and refinement yet is happy to be revved to the stars if you feel so inclined.

As for gearboxes, the standard five-speed manual is all you’ll need with the SEAT Mii. It has well-chosen ratios so it’s easy to get up to speed yet can cruise comfortably on the motorway. The automatic is actually an electrically-operated manual, and while that sounds like a good idea it actually spoils the driving experience - so much so it was binned off before production stopped.

Even within the limited expectations of a car this small, the SEAT Mii is remarkably impressive in the level of refinement it delivers. The solid build certainly helps - you’re in no doubt this is a car that is well-constructed from decent materials - and although the three cylinder engine will be busy most of the time, you get a pleasing thrum coming through rather than an excessive amount of noise. 

The three cylinder arrangement also helps to cut down on vibrations too, even if your ears might tell you that there’s a tuneful band going at it under the bonnet. Because they are mechanically identical too, there’s no noise difference with the 60PS over the 75PS version, other than you might not have to work the more powerful one quite so hard.

At low to medium speeds noise from elsewhere is limited too. Small wheels on the SEAT Mii mean skinny tyres so tyre noise is reasonably low on most surfaces, while wind noise isn’t an issue. At higher speeds the latter starts to make itself known, but not unreasonably so. You can take on a lengthy motorway journey without having to stop frequently to give your ears a break.

The SEAT Mii has two ratings from Euro NCAP - one from when the car was first introduced in 2011, and again in 2019 when it was relaunched as a pure electric model. It’s also important to note that the Mii itself was not tested, but the Volkswagen Up instead. Euro NCAP looked at the similarities in design and equipment and decided a separate test was not required.

In the 2011 test the SEAT Mii scored an impressive five stars. It achieved 89 per cent for adult protection and 80 per cent for child protection, and although pedestrian mitigation was quite low at 46 per cent - a result of being such a short car - it managed a high 86 per cent for safety assist. Standard equipment includes front and side airbags, seat belt pretensioners and load limiters and ISOFIX child seat mounting points, hill hold assist and tyre pressure monitoring. 

Initially SEAT Mii models were not fitted with ESC as standard, but it was available as an option that also include City Safety Assist, but this was changed later in the car’s life so ESC was standard with City Safety Assist the sole option. If you are looking at a used car check the specification carefully to see if your car is the right age for standard ESC or it has been fitted from the options list.

The SEAT Mii scored 8 out of 10 overall in the recent HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, which is a little underwhelming. That said, it scored pretty highly for reliability, achieving 9 out of 10, with most users taking issue with the repair costs and the car's performance. 

SEAT as a manufacturer came in 20th in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, with a satisfaction score of 85.9%.

Thanks to the strong safety performance and equipment, the SEAT Mii manages to squeeze down into seriously low car insurance groups. 

Most models drop comfortably into group 2E, making the SEAT Mii one of the cheapest cars to insure, while the most extravagant FR Line model with the more powerful engine is still only 4E. That means manageable premiums (probably) if you’re a new driver - it’s definitely one of the best choices for a first timer because of this. Older and more experienced drivers can enjoy insuring their SEAT Mii for peanuts alongside the miserly fuel bills.

The SEAT Mii is another victim of the endless VED tinkering that presumably gives someone in government a job to do while making choosing a car a complete headache for the rest of us. 

As with many small cars that hovered around the magic 100g/km mark, buy the right specification and the right age and you can enjoy very low or zero VED. Pre-April 2017 60PS SEAT Miis qualify for zero road tax, while the more powerful 75PS version is still only £20. April 2017 and on cars automatically jump to £150 a year, regardless of whether you go for the 60PS or 75PS engine.

From the original model range we would suggest passing over the SEAT Mii S model. It has the basics but nothing more, and is less attractive to buyers as a result. The ideal starting point is either the Ecomotive or SE models, both of which get air con, electric front windows and remote central locking, with the SE also getting a leather steering wheel and gear-knob, smarter interior trim and alloy wheels.

Of the models and special editions introduced later on, the Toca and the I-TECH that replaced it are recommended because they add the SEAT Portable System as standard. For the full luxury experience (kind of), the SEAT Mii by Mango is stylish and packed with tasty equipment.