Living with a BYD Seal 6 Touring: should you buy or lease this Chinese estate car? 

This is our BYD Seal 6 Touring, a plug-in hybrid estate car from China which James Drujon is living with for the next six months. It offers a lot of space and equipment for not a lot of cash, but is it better value to buy this car on PCP finance or to lease one?

To find out, we’re going to compare all the costs in full over a four-year term. It’ll be based on the entry-level Boost model, the same as James’ car, with a £4,800 deposit and a mileage limit of 8,000 per year.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Buying a BYD Seal 6 Touring: PCP finance

Buying a car using PCP finance allows you to spread the cost over multiple years, and it gives you the option to own the car at the end by paying a final “balloon” payment.

At the time of writing, a BYD Seal 6 Touring will cost you around £375 per month on PCP using the terms we outlined above, and including a £1,900 deposit contribution from BYD.

So over four years this will cost you a total of £22,700, and if you want to keep the car then you’ll need to pay the final balloon payment of £12,000. You also have the option to hand the car back and use it as a deposit against the next one, or you can just return it and walk away.

You can also save up to £4,290 on a new BYD Seal 6 Touring through Carwow at the time of writing, so make sure to check out the latest deals to bring that monthly price down even more.

Leasing a BYD Seal 6 Touring

Leasing a car is the best option if you value simplicity over everything else, and you want to jump into a new car every few years. There’s no option to own the car at the end of your contract, you have to hand it back and pay a fresh deposit to start again.

Right now, the cheapest lease price we could find for the BYD Seal 6 Touring through Carwow is £378 per month, so it’s ever so slightly more expensive than buying through PCP finance. Over four years it’ll cost you almost £23,000 in total.

This is unusual, as leasing usually works out cheaper per month, but there’s a good reason for this. The BYD Seal 6 Touring hasn’t been around for very long, it only went on sale a few months ago, so over the next few months we’d expect to see some much cheaper deals make their way through.

So make sure you keep an eye on our car leasing deals to make sure you don’t miss the latest offers.

BYD Seal 6 Touring PCP finance vs leasing: which should you choose?

If you’re looking to get a new BYD Seal 6 Touring right now, PCP finance makes the most sense. It’s slightly cheaper in the long run, and that option to own the car at the end gives you a bit more flexibility.

However, if you’re willing to wait a few months there may well be some much tastier lease deals available on this car, and leasing is the way forward if you’re certain that you want to change your car every few years.

But is the BYD Seal 6 Touring a good car?

If you’re after something spacious, well-equipped and affordable, yes it is. There are very few cars under £40,000 which offer this much tech as standard.

Our car may be the entry-level Boost model, but it still has a 12.8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, adaptive cruise control and 17-inch alloy wheels. You do have to step up to the Comfort model if you want heated seats and a 360-degree camera, but it only costs a few grand more.

However, alternatives are better to drive, largely because the BYD’s suspension isn’t great. It wallows around corners and crashes through bumps – a Skoda Octavia Estate is a nicer car to drive.

That said, the Seal 6 Touring is a spacious and practical family car which is more than up to the job of ferrying James’ eight-month-old son around. If you’re after a great value estate car, this is well worth considering

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.