VSETT MINI vs Xiaomi M365 - Has the Newcomer Just Outgrown the Legend?

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The VSETT MINI is the better overall choice for today's urban commuter: it feels more modern, better equipped, and genuinely nicer to live with day to day, especially if you care about comfort, features and low maintenance. The Xiaomi M365 still makes sense if you're on a tight budget, love tinkering, or want the proven "classic" platform with huge community and parts support. Choose the VSETT MINI if you want a compact, well-suspended, almost zero-maintenance city tool; pick the M365 if you prioritise pneumatic-tyre comfort, modding potential and can live with flats and a harsher chassis.

If you want the full story-with all the trade-offs, riding impressions, and some light myth-busting about both icons-keep reading.

Electric scooters have grown up since the Xiaomi M365 first rolled into our bike lanes and changed city commuting forever. For years, it was the default answer to "Which scooter should I buy?", and to be fair, it earned that spot. But the world moves on, and VSETT looked at that old formula and said: "Nice... now let's actually make it ride like something built this decade."

That brings us to the VSETT MINI: a compact, full-suspension, NFC-secured little troublemaker aimed squarely at the same rider segment the M365 once owned. One is an icon; the other feels like what the icon should have evolved into.

If the Xiaomi M365 is the sensible, well-worn hatchback of scooters, the VSETT MINI is the fresh city car with better suspension, smarter security, and fewer quirks-without demanding a "performance scooter" budget. Let's dig into where each one still shines, where age is catching up with the Xiaomi, and which one should actually end up in your hallway.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

Both scooters sit in the lightweight commuter class: easy to carry, easy to store, fast enough for bike lanes, and priced so normal humans can justify them without selling a kidney. They're aimed at city riders doing modest daily distances, often combining scooters with trains, trams or buses.

The Xiaomi M365 has long been the "default" answer for first-time buyers: simple, proven, and with a legendary modding community. The VSETT MINI, meanwhile, is a newer, more feature-rich challenger with proper suspension and a more premium feel, yet still in a similar price bracket.

If you're comparing them, you're probably asking: "Which one will make my commute smoother, easier and less annoying over the next few years?" Good question-and exactly the right comparison.

Design & Build Quality

In the hand, the difference in design philosophy is immediately obvious. The Xiaomi M365 is minimalist and understated: matte frame, smooth lines, barely any exposed cabling. It looks like consumer electronics on wheels-clean, unfussy, slightly conservative. It still doesn't look like a toy, which is why rental companies loved it.

The VSETT MINI, on the other hand, wears its scooter DNA proudly. Bright colours, sharper angles, integrated display and NFC pad, visible suspension hardware-it looks more like "a small serious scooter" than "a tech gadget with a handlebar". The welds feel robust, the deck rubber is thick and grippy, and nothing rattles easily. You get the sense it was built by people who've spent a lot of time fixing broken scooters and wanted fewer things to fix next time.

Frame quality feels at least on par with the Xiaomi, and in some areas more confidence-inspiring. Where the M365 has that now-infamous stem latch that can loosen and start to wobble, the MINI's cockpit and stem feel tighter out of the box and stay that way longer. The Xiaomi counters with a slightly cleaner aesthetic and better hidden cabling, but in daily use I'll take a bit less visual minimalism in exchange for a scooter that feels tougher.

If your heart loves elegant understatement, the M365 still charms. If your hands value solidity and modern touches-NFC, integrated display, dual suspension-the VSETT MINI clearly feels like the newer, more thought-out product.

Ride Comfort & Handling

This is where things get interesting. The two scooters take opposite approaches to comfort.

The Xiaomi M365 has no suspension at all. It relies entirely on its air-filled tyres to soak up bumps. On good asphalt or smooth bike lanes, it glides nicely; the tyres give a soft, bicycle-like feel and do a good job filtering out the buzz. But once you hit patched-up roads, tram tracks, or cobblestones, the charm evaporates quickly. After a few kilometres of rough surfaces, your knees and wrists write polite complaints to management.

The VSETT MINI goes the other way: solid tyres, but proper front and rear spring suspension. On paper that sounds like a compromise, but on real city streets it works surprisingly well. The suspension takes the sting out of curbs, expansion joints, and typical urban abuse. You still feel the road, but you're not doing a full-body percussion performance every time you cross a worn-out intersection. Over a few kilometres of mixed surfaces, the MINI simply leaves you less tired.

Handling-wise, both are nimble and easy to throw around. The M365 feels a bit more "bicycle-like" under you thanks to its pneumatic tyres and slightly longer deck, and it's very predictable in dry conditions. The VSETT MINI feels a touch more compact and agile-great in tight bike traffic and for dodging phone-zombies stepping into the lane without looking.

The caveat: in the wet, the M365's air tyres give more confidence, especially on painted lines and smooth stone. The MINI's solid tyres demand a little more respect and gentler cornering when the road is shiny. The suspension helps with stability, but rubber is rubber.

Overall comfort crown? For real-world city abuse, the VSETT MINI's suspension setup wins. The Xiaomi is fine on good surfaces, but if your city is more "Eastern European patchwork" than "fresh Dutch asphalt", your body will thank you for the MINI.

Performance

Neither of these scooters is trying to be a racetrack refugee, and that's a good thing. They live in the "quick enough, not terrifying" zone-exactly where commuters should be.

The Xiaomi M365 uses a front hub motor tuned for gentle but surprisingly lively acceleration. It won't yank your arms, but from a traffic light you get a smooth surge up to its regulated top speed. In flat cities, you can happily mix with bikes and casual e-bikers without feeling under-gunned. Hill starts are fine on mild inclines, but on anything more serious you'll feel it bog down, especially if you're close to its rider weight limit. Expect to help with a few kicks on the steeper bits.

The VSETT MINI packs a slightly stronger motor, and you can feel the extra punch from the bars. Off the line, it steps off more decisively than the Xiaomi and keeps its pace better on modest hills. It's still a single-motor commuter, not a hill-climbing monster, but if your route includes a few bridges or rolling terrain, the MINI copes with less drama. In regions where you're allowed to unlock the full speed, that extra headroom is noticeable; at the governed limit, it just feels a bit more eager.

Braking is another place the two trade blows. The M365's combination of rear disc and front regenerative braking is still a solid setup. The lever feel is quite good once bedded in, and the scooter sheds speed with confidence. However, the mechanical parts and cabling can go out of tune and need occasional love.

The VSETT MINI relies on a rear mechanical disc plus motor braking. Stopping power is perfectly fine for the speeds it reaches, and the rear disc is easy to understand and maintain. The brake feel isn't exotic, but it is reassuring: pull lever, scooter slows, no drama. Thanks to the suspension, the chassis stays more composed under emergency braking on rough surfaces than the bouncing Xiaomi.

If you're light, live somewhere flat, and don't mind helping when hills appear, the M365's performance is still entirely acceptable. If you're heavier, or your roads involve more vertical storytelling, the MINI's extra punch and calmer chassis make the ride less stressful.

Battery & Range

On paper, the Xiaomi M365 has the larger battery and the longer advertised range-and in ideal conditions, it does indeed go further on a charge than the VSETT MINI with its internal battery only. In real life, ridden enthusiastically, you're typically looking at enough range on the Xiaomi to cover a decent daily commute with a bit left in reserve.

The VSETT MINI's internal pack alone is more "inner-city and last-mile" than "cross-town tour". For many riders that's actually fine: ride from home to station, from station to office, plug in under the desk, repeat. Where the MINI gets interesting is with its optional clip-on external battery. With that attached, suddenly it plays in the same distance league as the Xiaomi, while keeping its portability and suspension benefits.

Range anxiety feels different on each. On the M365, once you drop below half, you start to feel the motor losing enthusiasm, especially uphill. On the MINI, you get a fairly linear experience until it's really ready to call it a day. Charging is straightforward on both; the MINI's smaller internal pack tops up noticeably faster, which is nice if you're doing a midday "desk charge" between legs of your commute.

If you want maximum range in stock form and don't mind a bit more maintenance, the Xiaomi still has the edge. If your rides are shorter-or you're willing to invest in the external battery-the MINI catches up while feeling the more modern package.

Portability & Practicality

Here the battle is tight, and it comes down to what "practical" means in your life.

The Xiaomi M365 is slightly lighter on the scale and still one of the easiest "real" scooters to carry up a flight of stairs. The folding mechanism is quick, and that clever bell-into-rear-mudguard latch makes it easy to lift by the stem and shuffle through train doors. Folded, it's compact enough to sit under most office desks or disappear into a small car boot.

The VSETT MINI is a touch heavier, but still very much in the "one-hand carry without swearing" category. The folding mechanism is reassuringly solid and fast, and once folded it forms a neat, compact package that's easy to swing into a hallway or up onto a train. One practical advantage of the MINI: the solid tyres. No flats, no Sunday afternoon wrestling matches on the living room floor with tyre levers and a YouTube tutorial.

For daily life, that no-flat reality is a big deal. The Xiaomi is wonderful right up until the day you hit a bit of glass, and suddenly your fun little commuter becomes a small rubber-and-aluminium life lesson. Run tyre sealant and keep pressures high, and you'll reduce the risk, but you'll never quite banish the thought.

If your commute involves lots of carrying and stairs, the Xiaomi's slightly lower weight makes it marginally nicer. If your idea of practicality includes "I never want to change a scooter tyre in my life", the VSETT MINI wins hands down.

Safety

Safety is a mix of braking, stability, grip, visibility and general behaviour when things go wrong.

Both scooters have competent braking setups and decent lighting. The Xiaomi's dual braking with regenerative front and rear disc is still very good in this class, and the E-ABS helps keep the front from locking in panic situations. The VSETT MINI's rear disc plus motor brake is simpler but more than adequate, and the chassis stays nicely planted under hard stops thanks to the suspension.

Tyres are a double-edged sword here. The Xiaomi's air-filled tyres give better grip in most conditions and are more forgiving on sketchy surfaces. Hit a wet manhole cover or painted zebra crossing, and the M365 will still make your heart flutter, but you generally have a bit more traction to play with. However, blowouts and sudden deflations are an undeniable safety concern-especially at speed, on the front wheel. That's not hypothetical; many riders have stories.

The VSETT MINI's solid tyres eliminate that risk completely. You can ride through debris with far less worry, and you'll never have a surprise deflation mid-corner. The downside is less mechanical grip, particularly on wet smooth surfaces, so you have to adjust your riding style and be gentler in the rain.

Lighting-wise, both have stem-mounted headlights and rear brake lights that do a reasonable job of making you visible in normal city use. The MINI adds a bit of that VSETT lighting flair and good rear signalling when braking. In very dark environments, with either scooter, an extra helmet or bar light is still highly recommended.

Stability at speed is nicely predictable on both, but the MINI's suspension and solid stem feel reduce jitters over rough patches. The Xiaomi's low deck helps with planted feeling in corners, but that infamous stem latch can become a safety issue if neglected.

Overall, the M365 has an edge in pure tyre grip and predictable "bicycle-like" behaviour, while the VSETT MINI counters with puncture-proof reliability and a calmer, less skittish chassis over broken surfaces. Which you value more will depend on your roads and your tolerance for tyre drama.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

Neither of these scooters is outrageously priced, and both sit in that sweet spot where the scooter pays for itself after a few months of skipping public transport or short car journeys.

The Xiaomi M365's value proposition has always been straightforward: you get a decent battery, proven motor, and solid base hardware for a very fair price. Even now, it remains a strong deal if you can find it at good discounts or on the used market. Add the enormous ecosystem of cheap spare parts and community knowledge, and its financial case gets even better over the long term.

The VSETT MINI usually lands in a similar ballpark, sometimes a bit lower depending on promotions. For that money, you're getting dual suspension, solid tyres, NFC locking and a very tidy chassis. When you consider the cost-in money and sanity-of dealing with punctures and wobbly stems over years of commuting, the MINI often ends up feeling like the better lived value, even if its raw battery capacity is smaller.

If you only look at range per euro on a spec sheet, the Xiaomi will tempt you. If you look at "how much hassle will this scooter give me for the money?", the VSETT MINI starts looking like the smarter buy.

Service & Parts Availability

This is the one category where the Xiaomi M365 is still almost unbeatable. Because it has been everywhere for years, you can buy literally every component-from controller to kickstand screws-online for pocket change. There are repair guides for every imaginable failure, and many independent shops know the M365 inside out.

VSETT, while not a no-name brand by any stretch, doesn't yet have that same "every corner shop knows it" presence-especially for the MINI. That said, VSETT's distribution network is decent in Europe, and key wear parts like tyres (well, tyre units), brakes and fenders are not hard to find. The brand's reputation in the enthusiast world is strong, and their bigger models have proven robust, which bodes well for long-term support.

If you want the comfort blanket of a giant global ecosystem, the Xiaomi wins. If you're okay ordering parts from established VSETT dealers and doing occasional DIY, the MINI is still perfectly manageable-but the M365 clearly has the edge in sheer parts ubiquity.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

The Xiaomi M365 deserves all the respect in the world. It normalised scooters for adults, it still rides decently on good tarmac, and if you like tinkering, there is no better playground. As a platform, it's a classic-like an old hatchback you can fix with basic tools and a forum login.

But if you're buying today, with your own money, for real-world commuting, the VSETT MINI is simply the better package for most people. The suspension, the solid tyres, the modern controls and NFC security, the overall solidity-all of that adds up to a scooter that's easier to live with, kinder to your body, and less likely to ruin your Monday morning with a flat.

Choose the Xiaomi M365 if you want maximum community support, plan to mod and repair it yourself, and your routes are reasonably smooth with modest hills. Choose the VSETT MINI if you want a compact, grab-and-go commuter that feels like a "mini proper scooter" rather than a legacy design with known quirks. For the typical modern city rider who just wants something that works, rides well, and doesn't ask for constant favours, the MINI is the one I'd park by my door.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics show, in pure maths terms, how efficiently each scooter turns euros, kilograms, watts and watt-hours into usable performance. Lower "per something" values mean you get more for less-be that price per unit of battery, weight per unit of range, or energy usage per kilometre. The M365 wins on energy efficiency and weight-related ratios, reflecting its lighter frame and mature tuning. The VSETT MINI, meanwhile, punches harder for the money, charges faster, and offers more power per unit of speed and per kilogram, underlining its more modern, performance-oriented design.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the VSETT MINI scores 6 points against the XIAOMI M365's 4. In the Author's Category Battle, the VSETT MINI gets 27 ✅ versus 12 ✅ for XIAOMI M365.

Totals: VSETT MINI scores 33, XIAOMI M365 scores 16.

Based on the scoring, the VSETT MINI is our overall winner. For me, the VSETT MINI is the scooter that feels most in tune with how people actually commute today: it rides smoother, demands less maintenance, and quietly wraps clever features into a genuinely compact package. The Xiaomi M365 still has its charm and a well-deserved place in scooter history, but as a fresh buy it now feels more like a good "project" than the most sensible daily tool. If I had to live with just one of them for the next few years of city riding, I'd take the MINI's calm, comfy, low-drama personality every time.

That's our verdict when we try to stay objective – but hey, riding is mostly about emotions anyway, so pick the one that will make you look forward to your commute every single day.