Tesla Model 3 vs BYD Seal | Tesla battles a new rival!

It's been 11 years since Tesla burst onto the market with the Model S. And let's face it, before then, most electric vehicles were fairly terrible. But now, over a decade on, other manufacturers are looking to muscle in and disturb the established order. And one of them is BYD. Actually, that's not entirely true. See, BYD has been around for a while and sells huge numbers of cars in China, as well as selling batteries to EV makers, including Tesla themselves. As such, they're looking to bring this success to Europe with cars such as the BYD SEAL. It's almost exactly the same size as the Tesla Model 3 and, in this spec, has similar performance and range. We've driven it before and liked it a lot, but don't think the Tesla is about to give up its market share that easily. It's recently modernised the Model 3 with an updated cabin, technology and drive, presumably because cars like the BYD are trying to steal its territory. It's not good news for Tesla, but it is good news for us. So the question is, which car is best? Well, we'll start with the interiors and, more specifically, the Tesla Model 3 interior. So by and large, this updated Highland version of the Model 3 isn't that different on the inside to the pre-facelift model, but there are a few little changes I want to point out. So we've got some very snazzy ambient lighting included now. That's nice. You can set that to any colour you want. There's also a new material up here, which looks and also feels quite interesting too. I like that. That's very impressive. There's apparently a thinner bezel around the centre screen. Can't really tell the difference, but Tesla reckons that there is a difference. They will believe them. There's 17 speakers rather than 14 speakers, so you've got a little bit of an upgrade on the audio. We've also got a screen in the back for the rear seat passengers where they can see the climate settings. They can also watch things like YouTube and Netflix as well. And the chargers are actually 65 watt USB-C chargers, so you can charge larger devices like a laptop on them, not just your phone. That's very good. There's also a new steering wheel and the big difference here is that there's no stalks at all. So no wipers, headlights, cruise control, any of that. It's all been moved onto the steering wheel in the form of haptic feedback buttons. So you've got left turn signal, right turn signal, the headlights, the wipers, cruise control, all on the wheel. If I'm being honest, especially in the case of the turn signals, it's not a very good idea at all. Tesla for years has done a brilliant job at dressing up cost cutting as innovation, and this time I can't help but think they've taken it a little bit too far because, for example, with the turn signals, it's fine when you've got your hands at nine and three. You can just press them there. That's not too bad. But the moment that you turn the wheel around, which you do a lot in the UK, we've got lots of tight roundabouts, 90 degree corners, you lose where the turn signals are. So you need to take your eyes off the road, put it on the wheel and check where you're turning before you just have a stalk that stayed where it was and isn't complicated. So that's a bit of a backward step, unfortunately. As for the rest of the cabin, it is standard Tesla fare really, and some people will either love that or hate it. I reckon there's an argument to say that it's too austere in here, it's too bland, it's too plain, but also it's nice and simple and pared back and clean, and actually the material quality isn't too bad at all. It's not the best, but could be a lot worse. I think I'm on the side of liking it rather than loving it because I do like the design, I do like how it's nice and simple, but there are some bits where I reckon it takes it a little bit too far, such as the central screen. As good as it is, as responsive as it is to use, and honestly it's just like an iPhone but larger, it does have a lot of functions behind it which ideally you'd like a better shortcut for, and having to go into the screen and use it is not really ideal to be honest with you. I think the indicators are just an extension of that. Tesla interior done, it's time to try out the BYD. Honestly, I don't think this interior could be any more different to the Teslas. In that, you are hard-pressed to find a button anywhere, whereas in this, well they're everywhere. Look, buttons here, buttons there, buttons around there. The good thing though with this is the crucial functions such as the lights and the indicators and the windscreen wipers are actually nice and easily available, and even if the wheel is turned you can still activate the indicators. So there may be a lot of buttons but they do come in use in some places, and actually beyond the buttons there's some really nice materials in here. So the steering wheel is a nice leather-like material, you never quite know these days if it is leather or a fake kind of leather. It feels like suede on the side here, that's nice, good stitching, nice and detailed, and also I've noticed that the door, when you close it, feels very premium and solid, that's very very impressive. And also the armrest, nice and soft again, good quality gear lever, feels like a genuinely premium product. Obviously you've got a pair of screens, so a 10.25-inch digital dashboard display, which isn't bad, maybe a little bit cluttered, too many icons and details, but it does the job all right. And then the 15.6-inch central entertainment screen, which looks pretty big, it's got good functionality, it's not quite as crisp as the Tesla's, especially in the graphics department, but it does have a little party trick, because if I press this button here it rotates and becomes vertical, very nice, and then you can switch it back to landscape. It's a bit of a gimmick, not sure if it's entirely necessary, but it will entertain passengers in the back for the first time, and you can see that BYD is pretty proud of it, because they've actually, yeah, they've reserved a steering wheel button for it, so that's a nice touch. And actually this infotainment system has got Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, which of course the Tesla doesn't have, and in my book, and in a lot of other people's book, I reckon that is a huge plus point. Anything else in here? Well, we have got two wireless charging pads up front, just like the Tesla, that's nice and useful, there's plenty of storage space. I have noticed that the stalks actually, it's got them, but they're the wrong way round, so the indicators are on the right-hand side and the wipers are on the left-hand side, so you might see some of these cars driving around the UK with the wipers going on for no reason, you'll know why, but otherwise, this is a nice cabin. It's hugely different to the Tesla's, but it's not bad at all. I like sitting in here, it's a good place to spend time in. As for practicality, the Tesla is clearly ahead, thanks to more rear seat space and a boot that's 25 litres bigger. The claimed range on this single motor rear wheel drive seal design is however slightly more impressive than the rear wheel drive entry-level Model 3 on 18-inch wheels, with 354 miles versus 344. That said, the Tesla has a higher maximum charging speed, 170 kilowatts versus 150, and a faster 10-80% charge as a result. The BYD is also more expensive in rear wheel drive form than the Tesla, coming in at £45,695 versus £39,990. Question is, is the gap obvious from the driving experience and will the Model 3's age show through? So now I'm back in the Tesla and it's bad news for the BYD because Tesla has made some upgrades to the driving experience that have definitely made a difference. The Model 3's aerodynamics have been improved and panel gaps supposedly tightened up, plus there's now acoustic glass all round. The result is that the driving experience is much quieter and more refined than before. Also, the suspension has been overhauled with new springs, dampers and geometry, plus more comfort-focused tyres have been fitted, this all resulting in a far better ride quality. The changes have worked. This is an improvement over all the previous Model 3s I've driven before. It just feels smoother, more polished, more refined. For example, the refinement. There's less intrusion of noise into the cabin, so I can hear less wind noise, there's less tyre noise, and that makes a really big difference in an EV when there's no engine to cover it up. There used to be Michelin Pilot Sports on the Model 3 as standard, they're now Hankook tyres and they definitely make the car more refined, it's quieter, and they also make the ride comfort a bit better as well. What is important is that the whole driving experience is just more relaxed. Although, saying that, the powertrain still has a very good turn of speed about it. Tesla's are, for me, the masters of EV powertrains because you think they're all the same, but they're not because it's the way that this thing so smoothly delivers the power. It's so instant, the throttle mapping is perfect, so you know when you put your foot down just how much forward motion you're going to get. It sounds simple, but it's not that easy to put it all together, but yeah, Tesla knows what they're doing here. This is really, really good. As for actually having fun with this thing, well, it's still an EV, so it's still very heavy, there's not a huge amount of feel through the steering and obviously you haven't got much noise to entertain you, but once you move past all of that, it's actually quite good fun in the corners. There is enough directness in the steering so that it feels reasonably sporty and you can also change the steering modes and the steering weight and it's pretty agile as well. Something that I really, really like about this car is that the windscreen is nice and low down and that means that you can see a lot of the bonnet and it makes the car feel very, very narrow. I mean it's not that narrow, but it makes it feel it and it means that you can place it really confidently. There are a few things that are annoying me that I need to point out. We've spoken about the lack of stalks behind the steering wheel and lack of indicator stalk. Don't get me started on that again. Also the lack of Apple CarPlay. That's a shame. Means I can't sync it with my phone properly. Another thing is this new bit of sort of silvery trim that goes around the lower part of the dashboard. It reflects up onto the windscreen, which seems like a really simple oversight that they really should have caught in the testing phase, but they didn't. Or they did and they just didn't care because it's quite distracting. But other than that, other than that little minor thing there, this is definitely a step forward from the pre-facelift Model 3 and that wasn't a bad car to begin with, so this is a very good benchmark. So indicators and windscreen reflections aside, the Model 3 is a step forward. But what's the BYD got to offer in response? Now climbing into the BYD Seal after being in a Tesla and immediately it feels more comfort focused. It feels heavier, it is supposedly heavier, about 250 kilograms worth and it's just a more relaxed, less alert feeling drive. I don't think the refinement is quite as good. There's a bit more wind noise from what I can tell, but otherwise this is a really relaxing car to just cruise around in. That's what suits it most, I think. However, there are a few examples of where Tesla has judged the controls better than BYD. So we'll start with the steering. It's got a weird weight to it, especially around the centre point. Feels a bit stodgy and then it lightens up. It's quite difficult to predict and it feels unusual. It's not going to be a disaster, but yeah, it's just not as straightforward as the Tesla's. Also the powertrain. Now when you're going from a standing start, this accelerates almost like a petrol car off the line. It feels like there's a delay, like you've got clutches at work and you've got a slightly smoother start. Whereas in the Tesla, it can be really snappy and straight off the line. It feels more like a traditional electric car. This is quick once you get up to speed, but you are losing that snappiness straight off the line. And I think that's a bit of a shame. It's one of the reasons why you get an electric car, because you want it to be quick and responsive. And then once you get up to speed, yeah, the throttle response is not as crisp and it's not as predictable. What also isn't predictable are the SEALS driver assist systems. Almost every car has these and they can be difficult to get along with at the best of times, but the SEALS feels overly intrusive and can only be switched off by delving into the menu system. Otherwise, the core driving experience is comparable. It's not hugely entertaining behind the wheel, but it's very safe and sure-footed, even with just rear wheel drive traction. For once, it doesn't feel like an EV that's overly focused on performance or thrills. Otherwise, the core driving experience is pretty good. It's not hugely entertaining, but it's very safe and sure-footed, even with just rear wheel drive traction. You could do big miles in this car and not come out feeling tired on the other side. For once, it doesn't feel like an EV that's overly focused on performance or thrills. As a result, it offers a pleasingly different experience to the Tesla and doesn't necessarily try to beat it at its own game. And when it's often hard to really identify key differences in how rival EVs drive and handle, that's a commendable decision. This is the first mid-sized luxury saloon the BYD has sold in Europe and I mean on the whole it's very good. There's no shame in not having a driving experience up there with the Teslas and having a cabin which arguably is actually better. No doubt this is the strongest BYD model we've seen yet. Its interior and overall quality is impressive and the drive really isn't that far off the Model 3. If they were the same price, it would be a narrow win for the Tesla, but because of the sizable price difference, it has to go down as a more definitive win. That said, it's a very promising first attempt at toppling Tesla for BYD and one that should set the tone for future models.