Tesla Model 3 vs BYD Seal: which electric saloon is better value?

Consumer writer Siobhan Doyle has compared the UK’s best-selling electric car with its Chinese alternative to see which has the better equipment and offers the best value across new, used and lease deals.

The Tesla Model 3 was the UK’s best-selling electric car in September, finishing second overall behind the increasingly popular Chinese SUV, the Jaecoo 7. While the Jaecoo 7 isn’t a direct alternative to the Tesla, another Chinese car has also broken into the top 10 EVs list: the BYD Seal.

Both are electric saloons with large batteries and WLTP-rated ranges of well over 300 miles. Put them head-to-head, though, and you might start to wonder whether the UK’s best-selling electric car really is worth all the fuss.

To find out, I’ve compared the Tesla Model 3 Premium with the BYD Seal, looking at equipment, pricing and the latest new, used and lease deals to help you decide which electric saloon offers the better buy.

To keep things as comparable as possible, I’ve chosen versions that sit in a similar price bracket and have similarly sized batteries: 85kWh for the Model 3 and 83kWh for the Seal. The comparison uses the entry-level Model 3 Premium, priced from £46,290, and the entry-level BYD Seal Design, priced from £45,730.

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Which has better equipment?

First up, let’s compare their range and equipment when buying new. Both cars come with plenty of standard kit, but which one gives you more for your money?

Here’s a breakdown of what each car comes with:

Tesla Model 3 Premium	BYD Seal Design
466 miles of range 16-inch touchscreen Rear seat display No Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Nine speakers and single amplifier Dual wireless phone charger Heated steering wheel Heated front and rear seats Traffic-aware cruise control Eight exterior cameras Panoramic glass roof Rear wheel drive	354 miles of range 15.6-inch touchscreen No rear seat display Apple CarPlay/Android Auto 12 speaker Dynaudio sound system Dual wireless phone charger Heated steering wheel Heated front seats Adaptive cruise control and intelligent cruise control 360-degree camera Panoramic glass roof Rear wheel drive

As the table above shows, both models give you a similar amount of equipment, however you’ll get more range in the Tesla while the Seal comes with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a 360-degree camera.

Buying new

Next, let’s look at how much it costs to buy each car. As many buyers choose to finance a car rather than pay for it outright, we’ll use PCP finance for our calculations. This popular option spreads the cost of a car’s depreciation across monthly payments, rather than requiring you to cover the full upfront price.

To keep things fair, I used Tesla and BYD’s own websites to calculate the costs, based on a three-year agreement, annual mileage of up to 10,000 miles and a £5,000 deposit for each car. I’ve also assumed that you’ll return the car at the end of the agreement.

Note that, at the time of writing, the Tesla Model 3 Premium was available with 2.9% APR, while the BYD Seal was offered with 1.9% APR and a fixed annual interest rate of 0.98%. I’ve included the total amount payable for each car to make the overall costs easier to compare.

BYD was also offering a £1,881 deposit contribution and a £2,401.66 customer saving incentive on the Seal, at the time of writing. As these discounts don’t need to be repaid, I’ve factored both into the calculations.

Here’s a breakdown of all the costs you can expect:

Feature	Adaptive cruise control	Intelligent cruise control
Maintains a set speed	Yes	Yes
Adjusts speeds to traffic	Yes	Yes
Automatically brakes and accelerates	Yes, within system limits	Yes, within systems limits
Maintains a following distance	Yes	Yes
Steering assistance	No, not on its own	May be included
Lane centring	Not a standalone feature	Available on some systems
Adjusts speeds for bends	Not usually	Available on some systems
Uses navigation data	Not usually	May do so

The figures above show that the BYD Seal works out almost £4,500 cheaper than the Tesla Model 3 Premium when bought on comparable finance terms and with the same annual mileage allowance. Much of this difference comes down to the Seal’s lower APR and almost £3,000 in combined deposit contributions and customer savings.

It’s a good reminder to shop around for finance deals when comparing cars. Low or 0% APR offers and deposit contributions can make a significant difference to the overall cost, so it’s worth looking beyond the monthly payments and comparing the total amount payable, too.

Which is cheaper to buy used?

Buying used is another option worth considering. To see which model offers better value for money, we compared the two on Carwow, looking at like-for-like examples registered in the same year.

We found two used examples from 2025, both with less than 15,000 miles on the clock. Here’s how much they cost:

	Tesla Model 3 Premium	BYD Seal
Mileage	14,089 miles	9,005 miles
Used price	£37,990	£29,450

This shows that you can pick up a used BYD Seal for considerably less than a Tesla Model 3 Premium, even if you opt for one with lower mileage and is newer.

One thing to bear in mind is that there are far more used Model 3s on the market, simply because the car has been around for much longer. It’s been on sale in the UK since June 2019, whereas the Seal only arrived in November 2023.

That wider choice gives you a better chance of finding a bargain, so it’s worth shopping around and considering older models if you’re looking to save money.

Remember, too, that used-car prices and availability can change frequently, so you could find an even better deal depending on when and where you shop.

Which is cheaper to lease?

You can also consider leasing. As with the PCP deals, we’ve assumed a three-year lease, 10,000 miles per year and a 12-month initial payment. The figures are based on the entry-level versions of both cars.

Here are some leasing deals available on Carwow at the time of writing and how they stack up against each other:

	Tesla Model 3 Premium	BYD Seal
Monthly payment	£528.64	£327.19
Initial payment	£6,638.68	£4,274.28
Total cost	£25,141.08	£15,725.93

These deals show that you can save almost £9,500 by leasing the Seal over three years compared with the Model 3 Premium. You’ll also pay around £2,400 less upfront and around £200 less per month for the Seal. It shows that it’s worth considering leasing alongside PCP when looking for the best deal.

So, which one is the best value?

My calculations show that the BYD Seal offers better value for money across the board, whether you’re buying through PCP, buying used or leasing. That said, the Tesla Model 3 has been on the used car market for much longer, so there’s a wider choice of second-hand models available and potentially more bargains to be found.

The Model 3 does offer considerably more range, though. However, if you’re not too concerned about the badge on the bonnet, the Seal is certainly worth considering. Just remember to compare the overall cost, as well as the equipment and features that matter most to you.

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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