BYD Seal

rdhma

I doubt the dealer would be able to tell me yet. The Atto 3 had no towing capacity spec initially. BYD later specced it at 750 kg for AU/NZ, though seemingly not in EU.

None of the towbar manufacturers I checked had anything listed for either car.

rdhma

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128195#Comment_121128195

The brochure mentions only metallic paint. It shows four no-cost colours and two at extra cost.

BYD Ireland website says: "All BYD cars with a comprehensive 6-year vehicle warranty, 8-year battery warranty, and a 12-year Anti-Corrosion warranty."

As for the dealers, most opinions seem positive. https://ie.trustpilot.com/review/msl.ie

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128195#Comment_121128195

Not yet but have an agreed trade in price that will be honoured if I go ahead following test drive.

John arse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128637#Comment_121128637

Is that with MSL?, be interested to see how you get on with them?

Grumpypants

I'm waiting on a trade in price in cork. They don't take trade ins yet. So use a third party. But he said they have one that deal specifically with used EVs only.

BYD are building their own showroom in Cork that will be their first in Europe and will take trade ins. But that's prob 2 years out.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128676#Comment_121128676

BYD Navan Road.

MSL are the only importers for the few dealers.

djan

Having looked at a fair few reviews, they are pretty much really positive. Only gripe seems to be with the apparently terrible lane keep assist and the associated beeps and warnings (including speeding). Would be interesting to see if BYD has solved this issue once they go on sale. As these "assists" default to on when car started due to legislation, hopefully will be possible to turn them off via voice command rather than 10 menu clicks.

Fian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121129051#Comment_121129051

I have an atto 3. It does not beep for speeding though it does put a sign up on the driver screen when you exceed 120km/h. It also puts up what it thinks is the speed limit on that screen, which is often incorrect. Thinks limit is 50km/h on a motorway sometimes for example. But no noise or anything, just a small picture of a speed limit sign with the wrong number in it.

Lane assist is fine, no beep but it will "nudge/vibrate" the steering wheel to alert you if you are drifting out of lane. If you have the self driving on it will beep at you if it thinks you have let go of the wheel, which can happen even if you are holding wheel very gently.

I had read similar reviews on the atto about alerts, but none of them were a problem when I actually got it. Maybe it varies by jurisdiction?

One thing that is an issue - no automatic windscreen wipers and no option to turn on the window defogger from the app before getting into the car (you can turn on heating but I haven't figured out a way to turn on the windscreen defogger one). I think China must have different weather rainwise than Ireland. Also i find the cruise control brake earlier coming up behind a car than i would like, even when set to minimum distance. On a motorway I need to pull out to overtake a car ahead of me earlier than i normally would to avoid the car braking to keep distance from the car i intend to overtake.

Lack of automatic wipers is a little irritating, especially since you have to manually increase/decrease wiper speed as rain intensity changes. first world problems!

djan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121129124#Comment_121129124

Thanks for the detailed write up. Seems like given that many reviews are across various software and localisation builds, we won't know how it is until the first longer test drives here.

I don't mind vibration but nudges and beeping unless for emergency braking is a big no go for me.

Was surprised at the lack of some basic things expected in a car of this level such as the absence of rain sensing wipers and memory seats but can live with that.

McGiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121097842#Comment_121097842

In China, the average monthly salary is 29,300 Yuan (Chinese Yuan), equating to USD 4,214 (US dollars) per month according to the exchange rate in May 2023 (according to Salary Explorer).

The median salary in China is 26,800 Yuan (USD 3,855) per month. 

China isn't poor anymore. And given the purchasing power and the price in China vs here, the Chinese cars are much more expensive here than there! If you calculate average/median monthly salaries needed to buy the car.

McGiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121097920#Comment_121097920

Now that's a very decent job done with all the tech descibed there. Audi "Vorsprung durch Technik" is in a big trouble.

Hurrache

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128244#Comment_121128244

From personal experience I wouldn't be bringing any business to the MSL service centre on the North Circular Road ever again.

bf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128637#Comment_121128637

Are you happy with the M3P trade in price, presume it beats Tesla ones! Would you mind PM'ing me what you got offered?

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130033#Comment_121130033

No not happy at all to be honest.

No problem posting. €30k.

I was offered more from other large independent dealers. Just under €40k.

But even at that I don’t know what to do.

The seal would have to be good for me to jump!

I haven’t tried Tesla 😂

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130185#Comment_121130185

Tesla will probably give you €20-25k I'd imagine?

Surely an easy private sale at even 35k though?

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130411#Comment_121130411

White car, white interior with EAP with extended Tesla ware until March 2025 I’ve already been offered more than €35k 😁

But I’ll decide what to do once I drive the seal. It will be hard to beat the performance, tech, reliability and efficiency of the Tesla if I’m honest.

slave1

I think it will be a test drive and a test drive only, hard to see a Seal taking out a P Tesla

carsfan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128195#Comment_121128195

I’d be amazed if it compares favourably to your i4 m50.

even more amazed if they offer you a decent trade in price.

rdhma

Why consider a Seal?

Exterior design and good quality interior.

It has V2L, heated and cooled seats, real buttons, real stalks.

Driving: Has decent steering feel according to reviews, lacking in some rivals. Refinement is good.

Warranty terms good. Priced less than rivals: Model 3, Ioniq 6, i4, Polestar 2, even if it is way more than Chinese market prices.

Will be a rare sight on the roads, for a while anyway.

Against it:

Depreciation unknown,

Dealer service (for the brand) unknown.

Towing capacity: None announced yet.

Doesn't have access to Tesla chargers (yet).

Badge prestige? Brand heritage? I don't think these are going to be any barrier in the new EV world.

horse7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121129735#Comment_121129735

Maybe you could pm me your experience with them.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130555#Comment_121130555

It’s the AWD Excellence with 530bhp one in testing.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131031#Comment_121131031

Interior is subjective. I don’t like the Atto3 so the Seal will be interesting to see. Buttons is meh, stalks are on both cars.

Warranty no better than its rivals, Tesla, MG etc

it is in no way a rival to an i4, polestar or ioniq IMO. Its a cheap mass produced Chinese car, similar to Tesla.

Its proved very close to Tesla, the AWD is €52k V the Tesla P @ 53k.

Having to deal with a dealer is a nuisance to be honest. The Tesla ranger service is one of the best things about a tesla for when you need them.

rdhma

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131169#Comment_121131169

The Tesla Model 3 refresh, which is not even on the Tesla Ireland website yet has swapped the indicator stalks for buttons on the wheel and put gear selection on the touchscreen.

I've got a BMW 4 series, so was quite interested in the i4, but going on €30k more than the Seal for similar specs is asking a lot.

Would be interested to hear any opinions here when test drives are available.

John arse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131462#Comment_121131462

Yeah same here-fancied an i4 but too dear imo and along came the seal with similar specs,was interested in the M3 Highland as well but nothing special there I think,test drives will be interesting alright. Have a 231 ioniq 5 ATM, good luck 👍👍👍

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131462#Comment_121131462

New M3 also has physical buttons for P, D,N & R in the centre console above your head. Similar to MS which has them on the lower console under the screen.

Stalks will be weird for many. I found them ok on the MS I drove in the USA.

i4 is great car but agree it’s not worth the money.

listermint

Wonder does the seal have the mirror light warnings built into most premium models warning of vehicles coming up their side. I only noticed the difference in traffic today on the motorcycle. Mercantile, audis, volvos, even an Ioniq 6 had it. Great indicator that warns the driver and anyone coming on the inside that the vehicle has picked you up.

Traditional brands consider these things. Passed 5 teslas and not one had it in their mirror.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131924#Comment_121131924

That mirror light is the blind spot warning for the driver. In many bmw (I have it on my 530e), new model 3 too. Driver still needs to be alert and aware and if I’m on the bike, it’s absolutely no guarantee that the driver has seen you, even if the car has! It’s a light signal, no audio sound and depending on the sunlight, you can miss it.

rdhma

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131924#Comment_121131924

The Seal brochure says it has blind spot detection, front and rear traffic alert. BMW are charging €2452 extra for this.

yllw.ldbttr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130641#Comment_121130641

Point A: Performance isn't really as important to me as it is to most on here, I'm more a fan of the tech, but I'll see when I test drive it.

Point.B: Trade in is fairly reasonable, in or around what I'd expect from a BMW dealership.

RainInSummer

As long as it's got decent mid range acceleration for over taking that'll do me.

Low range performance is great for pulling away from lights and looking like a dick.