How is BYD better than Tesla width
BYD Seal v Tesla Model 3 2024 Comparison
BYD Seal v Tesla Model 3 2024 Comparison
Can BYDs new Seal electric mid-size sedan topple Teslas mighty Model 3?Review LocationMelbourne, Vic
The electric car wars are underway in earnest. The Tesla Model 3 along with its Model Y sibling has been king of the EV pile but the BYD Seal has its eyes on the throne. The Chinese giant overtook Tesla as the worlds biggest producer of electrifed cars in 2023 and its Seal Premium offers more range and power than the Model 3 for less money. Teslas baby, however, has just undergone a substantial facelift and will be a tough nut to crack. Battle on.
How much do the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3 cost?
The reason weve thrown these two together is they are battery-electric four-door mid-size sedans costing around $60,000. The 2024 BYD Seal Premium has the edge at $58,798 plus on-road costs, especially as the only cost option is an Ocean Blue interior at $1500.
The 2024 Tesla Model 3 RWD lists at a still-reasonable $61,900 plus ORCs, but there are a few more ways to enhance that price tag than with the BYD. Our test car scored 19-inch Nova wheels ($1800) and Ultra Red paint ($2600) for a total of $66,300 as-tested.
Theres also grey ($2300), black or blue (both $1500) paint, a black and white interior ($1500), enhanced Autopilot ($5100) and a whopping $10,100 for the erroneously titled Full Self Driving Capability. Newsflash, folks, it cant drive itself.
What equipment comes with the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3?
Both the 2024 BYD Seal Premium and the entry-level Tesla Model 3 come stacked to the hilt with equipment, such as electric-adjust heated and ventilated front seats, keyless entry and start (though the Tesla doesnt need starting at all), LED lighting, powered boot operation, auto lights and wipers and a glass roof.
The Model 3 goes further with triple-zone climate control to the BYDs dual, heated rear seats and steering wheel, and the new ambient lighting that encircles the cabin is a nice touch, too.
Where Tesla comes up short compared to its competitors is its warranty offering of just four years or 80,000km, though the battery is covered for double that.
BYDs warranty looks a lot better at six years/150,000km but is heavily conditional, with some major componentry only covered for three or four years so read the fine print. Its battery warranty matches Teslas.
Teslas servicing is condition-based in terms of intervals and cost while BYD recommends a tune-up every 12 months/20,000km at a total cost of $2390 over eight years/160,000km.
How safe are the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3?
The devil is in the detail here and there are some important distinctions to be made between the 2024 BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3.
On paper, both EVs have all the active safety equipment under the sun, cameras and sensors looking every which way in an attempt to keep occupants out of harms way.
The BYD has a five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded in 2023, scoring 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 82 per cent for pedestrian and other vulnerable road user protection and 75 per cent for safety assist.
Technically, the new Model 3 is unrated but given the pre-update version was one of the safest cars ever tested at the time scoring 96, 87, 74 and 94 per cent respectively for the aforementioned criteria (based on 2019 protocols) its safe to say the facelift is plenty safe, especially as its been upgraded with measures like doors that lock into the body structure for greater impact protection.
Where the Tesla really gains the upper hand, though, is in the real world. Its systems certainly arent perfect it loves a phantom collision alert and the lane-keep assist can occasionally be up for a wrestle but its vastly superior to the Seal, which needs a lot more calibration work.
Frequently when driving on two-way roads the BYD will be spooked by oncoming traffic and aggressively steer away not ideal when there are cars in the lane next to you.
Likewise, the lane-keep assist can be overbearing in its reactions, often in situations that require no input whatsoever. Its by far the cars biggest shortcoming.
What technology features on the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3?
We arent just talking about smartphone mirroring here. Arguably the most eye-catching feature of both the 2024 BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3 are their enormous central infotainment screens that have enough computing power to go to the moon.
The Teslas giant screen thinner and higher resolution than ever is initially daunting, especially as it controls EVERYTHING, but the speed and layout means it really doesnt take long to become familiar with the main functions.
It makes every other car manufacturers infotainment seem quite old hat thanks to its speed of response, resolution and feature list. The games might seem like gimmicks though I bet your kids disagree but the ability to stream Netflix and Disney+ and YouTube (in the front AND rear now) is a game-changer.
The obvious use is while charging, although thats realistically usually going to happen at home, but waiting to pick the kids up from school, or for an appointment, or even just while having some lunch on the go, youd normally watch on your phone, so why not have a quasi-television?
Its also extraordinarily easy to set up, the car providing QR codes that you scan to link all your various accounts in seconds. In contrast, logging into Spotify with the BYD Seal, for instance, requires your email and password (and god knows what that is!). Though admittedly, once logged in youll be fine.
It is one example of how the BYD Seals infotainment is good, but not quite to the same level. Its not as clear and can be difficult to see in direct sunlight, it isnt as responsive, nor laid out as intuitively, but, again, with a bit of familiarity it works quite well.
You just need someone to tell you that swiping left gives you a much more useful home screen and swiping down allows instant access to a variety of frequently used vehicle and assistance functions.
Its not all sunshine and roses in the Tesla, though. Over the test period the Model 3s sat-nav progressively thought it was further and further away than it was. It was initially fine, started thinking it was a street away and by the final day of filming driving along Beach Road the car thought it was in the middle of Port Phillip Bay.
Unlike the BYD Seal, which has wired Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, theres no smartphone mirroring in the Tesla as a backup, either.
What powers the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3?
Both the 2024 BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3 power the rear wheels via a single electric motor.
The BYD has the edge in power and torque with 230kW/360Nm to the Model 3s 208kW/350Nm, but the Tesla is substantially lighter by almost 300kg.
Acceleration is lineball at 5.9sec for the BYD and 6.1sec for the Tesla so in the real world the two feel very similar in terms of their response and overall power.
How far can the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3 go on a charge?
Range anxiety shouldnt be an issue with either of these two as both the 2024 BYD Seal Premium and the Tesla Model 3 sit towards the upper end of EV range estimates.
The Seals substantially larger 82.56kWh battery gives it the edge at 570km but the Tesla is more efficient, eking 513km out of its 60kWh battery.
As usual, these numbers are not particularly representative of the real-world figures but nor are they a million miles away. With some soft feet, near-500km should be achievable, but regardless, both cars should manage an easy 400km.
The Tesla also has the charging upper hand with a max DC rate of 170kW to the BYDs 150kW. A smaller battery and faster charging means much quicker recharges around 20min less from 10-80 per cent on a 50kW DC charger, for instance.
What are the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3 like to drive?
From a macro view a quick drive around the block, for example the 2024 BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3 feel quite similar. Reasonably quick, impressively responsive, quiet and comfortable.
As distance increases over a wider variety of roads, however, the two diverge.
The Seal is good. Active safety calibration issues aside, its a pleasant car to drive, to a level that any prospective owner should be happy, especially if their driving isnt too strenuous.
Under the microscope, however, there are some issues. The steering is fine around town in its normal weighting mode, but at speed and in particular under load can feel strangely wooden, though this is more of an issue in the Seal Performance that encourages sportier driving.
The suspension is also underdone. Again, in general its comfortable enough but can fidget on poor surfaces and the dampers will slap into their bump stops over large speed humps, unable to sufficiently control the weight.
These issues are brought into sharper focus by the presence of the Tesla. The Model 3 was already quite a well-resolved car, but the facelift has improved it in most areas.
Tesla prioritised improving comfort and refinement and its done an excellent job, the new Model 3 riding with more finesse with lower noise levels.
It also remains impressively agile though the super-quick steering wont be to all tastes and, while it isnt intended to be a performance car, it can certainly put a smile on a drivers face.
What are the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3 like inside?
Your favoured interior may well come down to whether you prefer the conventional (BYD Seal Premium) or the avant-garde (Tesla Model 3).
Of all the many ways Tesla does things differently to traditional auto-makers, the interior is probably the most radical.
There is no instrument display, no buttons or dials and, now, no column stalks, either. The indicators are now push-button on the left-hand steering wheel spoke and the gear selector is a swipe affair on the right of the central touch-screen.
The latter actually works very well, every bit as fast and convenient as a traditional lever, though the challenge is the swipe up for drive and back for reverse orientation. Perfectly logical, but the opposite to most other cars where you pull back for drive and push up for reverse.
Less successful are the indicators, primarily I think due to being on top of one another rather than side-by-side, or on each side like they are in a Ferrari. It adds another level of mental gymnastics if the wheel is inverted halfway through a turn and either the indicator self-cancels or you need to make another input. Not a major issue, just a little bugbear.
The Model 3 cabin is otherwise very impressive. Theres a perceivable lift in quality that makes it feel much more like a $60,000-plus car, Tesla is still peerless in taking advantage of the space efficiency of an EV platform with storage galore and theres plenty of room front and rear. Boot and frunk space is also superior to the Seal.
This shouldnt detract from the qualities of the BYD, though. Many will feel more comfortable in its conventional cabin and its comfortable seats, quality materials and dash of design flair make it an impressive interior for this price.
Hop in the back and this is even more the case. The extended wheelbase gives it limousine levels of legroom and material quality carries over from the front this isnt a car where the rear occupants must put up with a sea of hard plastic.
Storage, whether in-cabin or luggage, isnt as good as the Tesla but by most standards its still more than adequate.
Should I buy a BYD Seal Premium or Tesla Model 3?
The 2024 BYD Seal Premium is a good car and the pick of the three available models. Lots of range, loaded with equipment, a spacious, quality interior and itll drive well enough for most people.
For those unsure about the Tesla way of doing things, the Seal is a worthwhile option, though its driver aids are in urgent need of attention.
If you can get along with its quirks, however, the updated Model 3 is truly excellent. It takes a benchmark electric car, in terms of efficiency, technology and charging, and adds a level of refinement and comfort that mean it genuinely deserves to be described as premium.
Its not as cheap as the BYD, but its equipment list and driving experience make it an absolute bargain. The Model Y will no doubt remain more popular because its an SUV, but the new Model 3 is a much nicer car to drive and be in.
When it comes to electric cars, the Tesla Model 3 remains the benchmark others must match.
2024 BYD Seal Premium at a glance:Price: $58,798 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowPowertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motorOutput: 230kW/360NmTransmission: Single-speed reduction gearBattery: 82.56kWh lithium iron phosphateRange: 570km (WLTP)Energy consumption: 16.6kWh/100km (WLTP)Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2023)
2024 Tesla Model 3 at a glance:Price: $61,900 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowPowertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motorOutput: 208kW/350NmTransmission: Single-speed reduction gearBattery: 60kWh lithium iron phosphateRange: 513km (WLTP)Energy consumption: 13.2kWh/100km (WLTP)Safety rating: Not tested
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