This great lease deal makes the BYD Dolphin Surf look way more appealing
Car changing is a big deal
The BYD Dolphin Surf is a funky-looking small electric car with a spacious interior and loads of standard kit. It’s not without its faults, but for less than £150 per month they’re easy to look past.
This is the BYD Dolphin Surf, and it’s the smallest, cheapest model that the Chinese brand sells in the UK. You might be considering it if you’re also looking at cars like the Leapmotor T03 and Dacia Spring, but there are a couple of reasons that the BYD makes a better buy.
BYD Dolphin Surf: three good things about this small electric car
There’s a lot to like about the BYD Dolphin Surf. Here are three reasons to make this your next car.
1. It looks cool
A lot of modern cars look pretty similar, but the BYD Dolphin Surf isn’t one you’re going to lose in a car park. The sharp headlights and chunky stance help it to stand out, and the full-width rear light bar is a nice touch that you usually expect to see on more expensive cars. Go for it in the bright yellow paint and you’ll have a real head-turner.
2. It’s spacious inside
For such a small car, the BYD Dolphin Surf offers generous interior space. It may only have two seats in the back, but they offer generous headroom and kneeroom, and fitting a child seat is easy thanks to the large door openings and easy-access ISOFIX points.
3. You get loads of standard equipment
You wouldn’t guess that this is a cheap car based on the equipment you get as standard. All models get adaptive cruise control, a 10.1-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, vegan leather seats and keyless entry. Mid-spec Boost models add electric front seats and automatic wipers, while range-topping cars get a 360-degree camera and heated front seats.
BYD Dolphin Surf lease deals: the big reason to choose this car
The BYD Dolphin Surf starts from just under £19,000, rising to £24,000 for the top-spec model. That makes it a few thousand pounds more expensive than a Dacia Spring, but leasing is a different story.
You can get a mid-range BYD Dolphin Surf Boost for just £145 per month. This is over four years with an upfront payment of £2,140. Over the full term, this will cost you just under £9,000 in total.
By comparison, a Dacia spring will cost you £157 per month over four years with a £2,170 upfront payment, meaning it’ll cost you £9,500 all-in. The Spring isn’t as well-equipped either, with even top-spec models doing without adaptive cruise control or electric seats.
Both of these deals come with a mileage limit of 5,000 per year, but these aren’t the sort of cars you’re going to be covering huge distances in. They’re city-friendly runarounds, so 5,000 miles a year should be plenty for most people.
Three annoying things about the BYD Dolphin Surf
The Dolphin Surf is by no means perfect, but these three niggles should be easy to overlook for the price.
1. The range isn’t great
The Dolphin Surf will do up to 200 miles on a charge according to official tests, but you’ll see closer to 150 miles in the real world. This is plenty for most people’s daily commutes, but this isn’t the right car for those who need to cover longer distances on a regular basis. It’s a great second car for families, as long as you have easy access to charging.
2. It’s not that comfortable
Even if you could do long distances in the Dolphin Surf, you wouldn’t want to spend hours behind the wheel. The suspension is quite firm and jiggly, and the seats don’t offer much support. It’s fine for short trips, but long schleps are not this car’s forte.
3. The boot is an awkward shape
The 308-litre boot is an okay size on paper, but loading it is a pain. The angle of the back seats eats into space, and there are weird plastic bits jutting into the load area. A Renault 5 has a more useful boot, and you can lease one of those for around £220 per month.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
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*Savings are made up of the maximum dealer discount off RRP – subject to dealership, location and trim. Prices correct at the time of writing.