Who Has Preordered The BYD Seal or The New Tesla Model 3 and Why?

Wilson Wallace on 08/12/2023 - 10:27
Last edited 08/12/2023 - 11:28 by 1 other user

Hey All - With the BYD Seal now in Oz, and I’ve heard some people in QLD have taken early delivery. Who has preordered it? Why? I have had a look at it in person @ Chadstone - looks beautiful but the software was a bit meh but at least it had stalks.

I’m test driving the new Tesla Model 3 tomorrow and have also enquired about test driving the new BYD Seal, but they are giving first preference for people who paid a refundable deposit down.

Are you an old school Tesla owner looking into the Seal? Or looking at upgrading to the new Model 3? I’m slightly peed that the M3 LR still does not have an LFP battery, whereas the Seal Performance has an LFP battery.

Automotive BYD Auto Car Electric Vehicle Tesla Inc

Comments

  • Porker on 08/12/2023 - 10:56
    +4

    LR M3 LFP BYD…. QLD?? NFI! :p

  • geek001 on 08/12/2023 - 11:15
    +4

    My 2c. I am leaning a bit towards BYD Seal(vs Tesla Model 3), I will probably get an EV mid 2024, just to see what else plays out by then. Purely because Tesla has no Android Auto or Apple Carplay and also I like that you can control the air-conditioning etc using voice command. My primary concern moving from buttons/knobs to touch screen was safety, as it will take longer to change anything using a touchscreen vs button/knob control.

    On the other hand, I have heard that because Tesla has been in the EV game a lot longer than BYD, things in the car are more "polished" as in things work when they are supposed to.

    • richadam on 08/12/2023 - 11:56
      +3

      Tesla has been in the EV game a lot longer than BYD

      It seems that both companies started in 2003

      • geek001 on 08/12/2023 - 11:59
        +1

        Touche. That's what people tell me, that Tesla's interface is more polished.

        • richadam on 08/12/2023 - 12:02
          -7

          I think it comes down to US vs China made. BYD have been known for dodgy practices to boost their sales numbers

          • modsec802 on 08/12/2023 - 12:05
            +4

            @richadam: they're both built in China

            • richadam on 08/12/2023 - 12:07
              +4

              @modsec802: Yes but BYD is a Chinese company and Tesla isn't, it comes down to the perception that Tesla is therefore better.

          • geek001 on 08/12/2023 - 12:12

            @richadam: Sorry, I must be blind, I can't see any reference to BYD in the bloomberg article you linked to. The article talked mostly about China's generous EV subsidies had some unintended consequences. Startup companies were buying EVs, claiming subsidies and then renting them out to e-hailing companies. The EV graveyards were the result of those startup companies going bust. Is that not what you are seeing?

            • richadam on 08/12/2023 - 12:42
              -1

              @geek001: Sorry, I quickly googleed EV graveyard and linked the first article. From memory the main issue was that Chinese manufacturers, including BYD were buying their own EV stock, then pawning them out as ride shares to artificially inflate the sales of said EVs. Making them look better on the books. Then once technology got better, they dumped them in the fields/parking lots where they sit abandoned.

              • geek001 on 08/12/2023 - 12:56
                +2

                @richadam: I am not smart enough to judge whether this is dodgy practice, but it makes financial sense to me if I were BYD. Given the generous subsidies at the time, I would probably do the same as an additional revenue stream and also to build cost savings through larger manufacturing scale. I am sure if there were anything sinister or extremely dodgy, their most famous investor, Warren Buffet would have caught it before deciding to invest in BYD.

    • Euphemistic on 08/12/2023 - 13:15
      +13

      Touchscreen and menus for everything can go to hell. I want buttons and dials for AC. Vents that are moved by a person. Wipers and indicators on a stick. All the stuff you want to use without looking or waiting for a voice command to register. No one needs a glovebox that opens by touchscreen remotely.

      • this is us on 08/12/2023 - 18:05
        +2

        I agree… I hate that everything in most EVs is done through a kind of iPad. I am most definitely getting old but I do find buttons and dials much more reliable and easier to operate.

        • Euphemistic on 08/12/2023 - 18:19
          +6

          Best thing about buttons is being able to feel your way there. Touchscreen you HAVE to look before you press.

          • LFO on 09/12/2023 - 10:22
            +1

            @Euphemistic:

            Touchscreen you HAVE to look before you press.

            Buttons & sticks you HAVE to take one hand off the steering wheel.

            Realistically most modern cars will activate wipers when "needed", will turn lights and switch beams as "needed", will control air conditioned temperature as "needed" … and so on, so manual activation is, for those modern vehicles, not an issue.

            Yes it is very different, no I don't like the idea … probably because I don't have one of those button-free vehicles … not yet … future experience will tell.

            • Euphemistic on 09/12/2023 - 10:40
              +5

              @LFO:

              Buttons & sticks you HAVE to take one hand off the steering wheel.

              I guess you’ve never driven a manual vehicle?

              It’s a completely normal thing to do to remove one hand from the wheel for a short time And that doesn’t involve distracting your vision from what’s in front of you. Can activate indicators, wipers and hi beam without removing my hand from the wheel, just repositioning it slightly.

              My car has lots of physical controls, but have had touchscreen audio for quite a while. I cannot ‘feel my way’ to the touchscreen to change radio station. If I do that all sorts of things happen. I have to look to find where to press then also hope there not a bump in the road to move my finger off where it’s supposed to press. I’ll admit it’s rare that my hand moves due to a bump before the press, but not uncommon to hit the wrong button because there’s no tactile feel to position a finger before pressing unlike physical buttons.

              • LFO on 10/12/2023 - 23:02
                -1

                @Euphemistic:

                It’s a completely normal thing to do to remove one hand from the wheel for a short time

                Absolutely!
                Like holding and answering your phone whilst driving … what all that fuss about it??

                Realistically, once familiar with a touchscreen peripheral vision is all that is needed. Most Infotainments are just fine.

                As I said before, it is new and I don't tried yet. Will post back …

                • Euphemistic on 11/12/2023 - 05:54
                  +2

                  @LFO:

                  Like holding and answering your phone whilst driving … what all that fuss about it??

                  Yeah, nah. Answering a phone is a whole nother level of distraction. There’s a reason that’s illegal while changing gears isn’t.

                  Realistically, once familiar with a touchscreen peripheral vision is all that is needed. Most Infotainments are just fine.

                  Yeah, nah. That’s the whole point, I’ve learned from touchscreen infotainment. Touchscreen is terrible for having to take your eyes away from the road. You
                  Can reach for a physical button and feel your way there and press when you find the right one. Try that on a touchscreen and you will activate whatever your finger is near. Yesterday mine activate when my finger was not even touching the screen, I was just pointing to a point on the map (while parked)

                  • LFO on 11/12/2023 - 10:37

                    @Euphemistic: Agree to disagree seem the only way to go here.

                    • Euphemistic on 11/12/2023 - 12:17

                      @LFO: Fair enough. I’m basing my experience with existing touchscreens for infotainment. I really don’t want it to extend to AC.

                      Heck, I even hate volume buttons, a dial for volume is easier to operate when you want to operate the volume quickly. Buttons are OK for small incremental adjustments, but generally you’ve got to wait a second for the repeat mode to kick in before it’ll run up or down quickly.

          • this is us on 11/12/2023 - 19:23

            @Euphemistic: On top of that, I also find the new cars without a proper dashboard quite ugly/empty/unfun. I've been reading about, trying a few EV models, and haven't found my EV car yet. I wouldn't buy a Tesla for the reasons above, but the others are following the same "centred iPad" idea. Maybe in 2024…

      • skillet on 11/12/2023 - 23:49
        +1

        Fully agree! I paid money for the car and I expect hardware, knobs that I can twist and switches I can toggle. Even better, the ones that engineers and designers spend days and nights trying to perfect not just the design but the best tactile feedback and most assuring click sound. All these also requires some wiring looms and waterproof connectors. These are parts that cost lots of money.

        They took it all off and buried it in the big ipad. Now when you drive you have to look where you finger is sliding or touching instead of the big/small knob you can reach out easily with just a quick glance. For fulltime autopilot then it of course it won't be a problem. For me, I like all the knobs, switches (moderately so), the blings and tastefully done cockpit.

      • TiredKitty78 on 12/12/2023 - 15:23

        I wonder if it's intentionally annoying to get you to use voice commands.
        I need physical buttons that i kinda know where they are so i don't take my eyes off the road.

        • Euphemistic on 12/12/2023 - 16:29
          +1

          Could be to head towards voice command, but I’d imagine that would be frustrating too if you’ve got passengers in conversation or if they are sleeping. I’d much rather silently reach over and use some buttons or dials to adjust the heat than start calling out ‘hey car, my feet are cold’ or ‘hey car, volume down 6 points’

      • Anthropomorphised on 13/12/2023 - 20:27

        The Seal’s vents are controlled in the screen GUI, I test drove yesterday

  • Drakesy on 08/12/2023 - 11:25
    +1

    Cool,
    In other news, who's preordering the latest Mercedes CLE AMG!?!?!?!.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 08/12/2023 - 11:31
      +12

      Thought you had to be in the Westpac Graduate program to be eligible such investment vehicles.

      • Drakesy on 08/12/2023 - 13:19
        +1

        One can only aspire to be on the money they're on.

    • Nugs on 08/12/2023 - 11:53
      +3

      If I win the lotto that I never enter… must say though, despite the performance being mental I'd still want something that sounds better at cruising speeds and revs. V8 or 12 would be preferable
      .

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 08/12/2023 - 11:30
    +2

    I wish BYD would release the Seagull here (no pun intended). It's being made in RHD for Thailand and would be a perfect replacement for the wife's aging Honda Jazz.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 08/12/2023 - 11:42
    +1

    For those interested: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BYD_Seagull

    • nephilim on 08/12/2023 - 11:44

      You linked to wrong one, seal is the sedan that's slightly longer then Telsa 3.

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 08/12/2023 - 11:45
        +2

        I was linking to the Seagull in relation to my previous comment.

    • Rashed on 08/12/2023 - 12:01

      How about this one: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangwang_U9

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 08/12/2023 - 12:02

        The wife would say that it's too hard to get her elderly mother into the passenger seat for the run to the shops.

  • Thaos on 08/12/2023 - 17:54
    +4

    Preordered the Seal. The Model 3's lack of physical buttons and stalks is a deal breaker. That being said, the Seal's crappy ADAS (may or may not be improved via OTA updates) and BYD's untested (at least in Aus) warranty and after sales service is a bit of an unknown and something I'll have to gamble on.

    • Wilson Wallace on 08/12/2023 - 23:57
      +2

      Congrats - keep us posted on your delivery and share your thoughts / reviews when you drive it!

  • sa-ozzie on 08/12/2023 - 19:53
    +3

    Heidi Klum has blown a seal

  • thrillhouse on 09/12/2023 - 07:24
    +1

    Yes, ordered a Model 3 LR. I’m in a position now where buying an EV makes a lot of sense.

    I was never going to even look at Tesla (Elon Musk is insane) but decided not to write them off just because of a mad man CEO.

    The car is great, I was pretty blown away. Excited to take delivery.

    The Seal wasn’t available to view / drive at my local dealer - and honestly - whilst on paper looks like a great car, I’m not into the design both inside and out. It’s just over styled to me (I guess that’s not a surprise given I liked the Model 3s minimalist experience).

  • gyrex on 09/12/2023 - 08:44
    +1

    I received my Tesla Model Y in the first shipment over a year ago now and while I like the car, it's definitely got some issues - phantom braking and the stupid wipers which come on all the time to name a few.

    With Tesla deciding to remove the indicator stalks, this is the last straw when it comes to stupid decision making by Tesla (Tesla keeps removing sensors and relying on unproven cameras which devolves the car) and this will be the last Tesla I own. If our car got written off in a crash tomorrow I'd buy an MG4 - there's more competitive options coming out now and that's a good thing.

  • saltypete on 09/12/2023 - 08:45

    Have a Model Y on the way, but mainly for the SUV shape and access. Could have pre-ordered a Seal at the time but decided a sedan wasn’t going to work for us.
    Have just been in China for 3 weeks and there are Seals a plenty on the road there, along with a few other brands that have 4 door sedans of very similar shape. They do look OK and they are an attractive price, but they just look a bit meh after a little while. Saw the updated M3 in red at a shopping mall (where EV car sales seem to be now) and it is a completely different beast to the Seal.
    Saw the Seagull and that looks to be a decent, practical vehicle in and out.

    Have to say that going to China is like seeing OZ when EV sales are further down the track and it is an eye opener. The sales statistics don’t tell the full story as ride shares are ALL EVs. So in the cities about 1/4 of cars on the road are EVs. A lower percentage of Teslas than I was expecting. There’s heaps of choice and some nice looking cars, riding in some there are some quite decent ones and some are sh@t. I don’t think anything coming to OZ will be sh@t.

    The stand out for me was a brand called Hilphy and the new Tesla Model 3 in red. I’m going to have serious moments of envy when I see those on the road here, just hoping they don’t look as good in the MY shape….

  • urahara on 09/12/2023 - 08:49

    Its like comparing Apple and Samsung
    If you think you can get your value for $$ from BYD then thats the better bet vs Tesla
    Feature wise Tesla has better range, more features and faster charging rates but is that worth all the extra $$
    At the end both the cars are targeted for different set of users.

    • LFO on 09/12/2023 - 10:28

      But still they are both just smart phones cars …

      :-|

    • Anthropomorphised on 13/12/2023 - 20:38

      Difference is that the iPhone doesn’t have more features for the money. Its MO is that even if it isn’t cutting edge, it’s a more polished product. Don’t think I’d call the Tesla a polished product in comparison. My mate’s Tesla has failing clear coat and is only a year or so old

  • ReneeB24 on 09/12/2023 - 21:27
    +3

    I've ordered a BYD seal, I'm just waiting to take delivery (Hopefully next week). For me, I chose the seal because I found the features enough for me (I'm currently in a 2011 car) and the price point was right.

    • Wilson Wallace on 10/12/2023 - 13:47

      Let us know how you go. ADAS still has not been reviewed yet on the Seal.

  • Brick Tamland on 10/12/2023 - 10:54
    +3

    Seal is a no brainer. Cheaper, bigger battery, better styling and an interior thats actually designed with human to machine interface.

  • lahmad on 25/12/2023 - 09:23

    I have test driven both the new model 3 Highland and the BYD Seal, and I am unable to decide which one to order.

    Tesla

    Driving a Tesla is a bit of a learning curve where I must look at the screen for speedo and other functions. Turn signal buttons are on the left-hand side, and the position of the buttons changes if the steering wheel is already turned. I cannot get the live feed from the front camera on tesla I can still get the still image, though. Tesla is also lacking some other features like rear cross traffic alert/braking, Android Auto, Apple Car Play, and V2L. Tesla implemented blind spot monitoring indicator lights on the inside corner of the door and then covered it with fabric, so it's not very clear if the indicator is on unless you are looking for it, and at that point, it becomes easier to just look at the screen. I have a feeling Tesla Vision will struggle in the dark, but I will have to see when it is widely available on the road.

    BYD

    The BYD drive was comparable to the Tesla Model 3. It was a big improvement over Atto 3. seal ticks every box, which I complained about Tesla, but BYD has its own quirks: lack of one pedal drive; reviews complained about lane assist, but I did not encounter this on my short test drive (the feature may have been turned off due to it being a test drive car). The overall infotainment system was more polished in Tesla, so BYD needs to do some more work on the software side.

    • Wilson Wallace on 25/12/2023 - 09:54

      I test drove the Tesla twice which then I made up my mind after that. I went for the Tesla for the following reasons

      • Technology
      • Minimalist design
      • Comfort
      • After sales support
      • Audio system (it’s actually amazing)
      • Charging network

      The seals ADAS warning systems were too much for me. Always chirping at at me if went 2km over, lane keep assist was dangerous at times. Even on the heads up display, it displayed the incorrect speed limit as I went into a new speed zone. Then when you turned those systems off, they auto turn on again when you start the car.

      I felt like the Tesla was more of an EV. Perhaps go for another test drive again. Good luck

      • lahmad on 25/12/2023 - 22:30

        Forgot to mention Tesla insurance cost was double than BYD as well.

        • Wilson Wallace on 25/12/2023 - 23:19

          Fake news. Dont know how old you are or your driving history but I quoted the BYD seal Premium at 1600 per year, and and the Tesla model 3 RWD (highland) was the same price.

          • lahmad on 26/12/2023 - 04:40

            @Wilson Wallace: I am 37 with 5 plus year no claim bonus. And I cannot get Tesla insurance quote for under 2k.

            Do you mind telling which insurance did you get 1600?

            • Wilson Wallace on 26/12/2023 - 08:00

              @lahmad: AAMI - if you also tell them the car is under finance then you’ll pay a higher premium.

              • lahmad on 26/12/2023 - 19:52

                @Wilson Wallace: ok that must be the reason I wanted to get car on novated lease.

                • Wilson Wallace on 26/12/2023 - 21:06

                  @lahmad: Then don’t add insurance - get the insurance through the novated lease which the company will setup for you, at least some of it comes out pre tax.

  • DarkOz on 28/12/2023 - 07:53

    There was a video in the UK on Tesla M3 (£40K) vs BYD Seal (£45K) vs VW ID7 (£55K).

    The ID7 being the most expensive was the worst in everything and I was surprised the Seal was £5K more expensive than the M3. The M3 won hands down but considering that the Seal (Premium) is about AUD$7K cheaper than the M3 (SR) in Australia that's about AUD$16K better in value when compared to the UK.

    We are due for a new EV sometime in 2024/2025. Right now BYD Seal Premium would be our choice unless Tesla M3 gets a price reduction of another $3K.

    • Wilson Wallace on 28/12/2023 - 08:59

      That’s because Australia removed the 5% tariff for imported EV cars. The EU and the UK still have it in place. Furthermore, Chinese state gov subsidises the cars I believe to make it cheaper.

      I believe there will be a price drop on the m3 soon.

      • DarkOz on 28/12/2023 - 09:23
        +1

        That's exactly what I meant. The BYD Seal is much better value for money because of the tax/subsidies and it's not far behind the M3 in quality.

        Love it or hate it you must love the fact that BYD/MG forced Tesla into reducing their M3/MY pricings now that consumers have options.

        • Wilson Wallace on 28/12/2023 - 09:39

          I agree mate - I’m glad there’s now more of a competitive market for EVs to make it cheaper for people to transition. Not only that, the likes of Volvo, Polestar, BYD, Hyundai have made it extremely easy for people to transition to EVs. We are heading into the right direction, and can only get cheaper and better from here (I hope)

  • Cliche Guevara on 28/12/2023 - 08:08

    Seal Premium (in white) with current incentives (no stamp duty and $3k NSW EV rebate) means it was <$57k for me. The value is hard to beat!

    • Wilson Wallace on 28/12/2023 - 09:41

      Vic gov decided to pull the EV incentives. If I could purchase in NSW and avoid it I would

  • whyisave on 01/01/2024 - 14:52

    Tesla Buyers Left Waiting as Australia Sends “Biohazard” PCTC Back to China
    https://maritime-executive.com/article/tesla-buyers-left-wai…

  • drprox on 03/01/2024 - 14:56

    Hopefully joining the fray 2025 ish but if I were choosing this instant it would be the Byd and I wouldn't even need to test drive either.

  • Australianpickers on 13/01/2024 - 10:28

    Please look at the torque and kw values of the bus seal when comparing to a Tesla.
    The bus seal entry level is cheaper for a reason… so if you are climbing up hills in the thing it might struggle or each more juice.

    • Euphemistic on 13/01/2024 - 13:21

      It’s unlikely to ‘struggle’ it just won’t be silly fast.

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