2024 Tesla Model 3 RWD Highland Update vs BYD Seal Premium Australia

Comparison between BYD Seal Premium variant in Australia against 2024 Tesla Model 3 RWD "Highland" Update including exterior, interior, storage, software, ADAS advanced driving assistance features, autopilot, parking charging and ride quality by Tesla Tom aka BYD Tom of Ludicrous Feed in Sydney Australia January 2024
2024 Tesla Model 3 RWD Highland Update vs BYD Seal Premium Australia

Correction: BYD Automotive are now offering multiple delivery points in Sydney

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Financial Disclosure:
- No payment was received from Tesla or BYD for the production of this video
- I was not a BYD shareholder at the time this video was posted
- I was a Tesla shareholder at the time this video was posted

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00:00 Introduction
00:49 Financial Disclosure
01:12 Exterior walkaround
02:53 Ground clearance
03:26 Boot size
04:33 BYD Seal Interior lookaround
05:05 BYD Seal Glass Roof
05:30 Tesla Model 3 Interior lookaround
07:22 Door closure noises
07:59 Seal Infotainment
08:54 Model 3 Infotainment
10:27 App differences
10:59 Model 3 Drive
20:48 Seal Drive
32:04 Suspension and Cabin Insulation
32:45 Model 3 Parking
35:10 Seal Parking
37:15 Bonnet Frunk Comparison
37:53 Model 3 Child Restraint issue
38:37 Dashcam and Sentry mode
39:55 AC Charging and V2L
40:43 DC Charging
41:42 Delivery Day
42:28 Service and Warranty
43:06 Final Thoughts

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ABOUT LUDICROUS FEED

Ludicrous Feed is a Sydney-based YouTube channel that started in 2018 after Tom purchased his Tesla Model S. He wanted to show the reality of Australian daily life with his family and an electric vehicle. Tom provides straightforward candid insights into key issues around EV adoption such as vehicle range, charging infrastructure and road trip planning. The weekly live stream is an opportunity for industry guests to directly engage with audience members from the EV community. Tom also has a Tesla Powerwall 2 coupled with rooftop solar and has reviewed many other electric vehicles for the channel including brands such as Tesla, BYD, Polestar, Volvo, MG, Hyundai, Genesis, Kia and Cupra.

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[LudicrousFeed]

*Correction: BYD Automotive are now offering multiple delivery points in Sydney
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[kitxxxxkit]

Gotta be honest here, when I just encountered your channel whilst searching for EV reviews, I just thought...another Tesla fanboy channel. Well I was wrong, you have proven to be a fair and unbiased EV journo and your polite and kindly manner has really grown on me! Happy to have come across your channel!

[davec]

absolutely agree with Tom's assessment here. went and tested the M3 then the Seal before we made our purchase. the split screen on the road noise is just fantastic! why aren't your channel over 100k subs by now with this amount of quality content!?

[AY-dwom]

Watching all of your Seal videos and this one is WTF, what a great comparisons, never seen such a professional Job. You are nailing down the differences in a way others never do.

[kennyobe]

Well Tom I think this initial review and comparison is one of the best I have seen in ages. Congratulations! Eventhough you have been an avid supporter of Tesla for many years what you did here was completely unbiased, thorough and well choreographed. I trust your judgment on these two cars more than any other reviewer and I agree with all your comments and conclusions. For me what is really great here is that Tesla (which is an acquired taste) now has some real competition for those that have different tastes and overall EV’s win.
Both cars are great and so are you Tom.
Thank you.

[marcsavic]

Just came across your channel. Thanks for the honest videos and the in depth analysis. Truly appreciated. It’s also nice to get information from a fellow Sydneysider…rubbish roads, traffic and all. Keep up the great work Tom!

[philipkeane]

Another good real life review. Excellent conclusion - look at the strengths and weakness of each and then select which best suits your needs. I notice you gave a price difference of $3000, but it is actually closer to $5000 as Tesla has a $400 oder fee and a $1400 delivery fee, whereas BYD does not have these fees. Also as you said BYD includes some cables, roof shades and a tire repair kit which will cost extra if you buy Tesla and want them.

[benyu]

Today I took a seal premium for a test drive in WA it was 38 degrees today, the roof was not hot to touch nor did it radiate heat, the air con however struggled a bit, as to be expected on such a warm day, but was very impressed, it’s certainly more comfortable than the model 3 and Y. Looking forward to you long term review of the BYD as I’m considering one in the future

[christopherhunt]

Thanks for the comparison! After 3, 000km I’m not regretting the Seal Premium being my first EV purchase. Tesla charging compatibility and the ADAS are valid concerns. These must be addressed quickly. Once fixed though, your comparison must surely be affected. I’ve done two long range trips. Charging is an issue, but that issue diminishes over time. Given the $80m NSW government investment into projects in flight, and the $200m allocated overhaul, the next 12 months should put concerns owning a non-Tesla to rest.

And IMHO the Seal looks better on the inside and out!

[royfitz]

Great comparison. My first EV will be the Seal. The plush look of the cabin, road noise and indicator stalks are the differentiaters for me.

[masonmcmanus]

Great comparison. I picked up my Seal in Perth late December and drove it across to Brisbane last week. No issues with finding a compatible charger along the way. So while I agree it may be easier to charger the Tesla, it’s certainly not hard to find public chargers for the Seal.

[Paul-owdd]

Today (Friday) was an interesting day for me. I had a third test drive of the Model 3 RWD, then paid the $400 and ordered a white with dark seats. I chose the white mainly for ease of touching up the inevitable stone chips with a toothpick and a steady hand. We recently had a Golf 7 wagon and Polo with standard white and they have proved fairly easy to keep looking ok with a few touch-ups. Although I liked the red (+$2600) and blue (+$1500) Model 3's.

I then went up the road and cancelled my order for either a Seal Premium or Performance. Kudos to BYD for refunding my $1000 deposit to my bank account within a couple of hours. I really wasn't expecting the refund to happen for several days at least.

I've driven both the Seal Performance and Premium. I was blown away by the performance with its incredible power. I also found the Premium to be more than adequate in the power arena. It may have been the Premium demo but, I found the performance to be a little smoother with less road vibration through the body and steering wheel than the Premium, but honestly would have been happy with either, as they are good value for money - better I think than the Tesla. But I do like the Tesla software - never having owned the brand before, and I'm sure I'll accept the indicators on the steering wheel, and I even think I'm already liking the minimalist layout of the Tesla.
The seats in the Seal are noticeably plusher than in the Model 3. The Model 3 seats are better than in the Atto 3 but don't come close to the Seal. The glass roof in the Seal is definitely cooler than the roof in the Model 3, but down here in Tassie, I'll put up with a few days of extra heat on my head.

Then why did I buy the Tesla M3? One main reason! The Seal's low(er) ground clearance is a major flaw in its design. It is a VERY low car. On my steep driveway where is joins to the flat concrete car port area, I only had 2 centimetres of clearance at the front leading edge of the bumper. This was with no one (including the driver) in the vehicle - it was fully unladen. My Volkswagen Polo which is a bit low has 5 centimetres clearance at the same point and the Tesla M3 has 6 centimetres. Unfortunately, EV's (the ones I've looked at) don't have a sacrificial plastic strip hanging down about 3 centimetres that many ICE cars have. This strip is a great warning of low clearance as it scrapes without damaging the bumper. When an EV scrapes, you've damaged the bumper. The demo Premium Seal with less than 600 kilometres on it had scrape marks on the underside of the bumper. That's my concern I said to the salesperson. There are numerous other road conditions that will likely prove problematic for the Seal as well - Higher than standard speed humps and less maintained unsealed roads etc.
Good luck to all who have bought or are considering a Seal. Just be aware of its low clearance. I was considering a towbar on the Seal, but I think that could also be problematic due to the rear diffuser being quite low.

The Model 3 should look good next to our Atto 3 as well. 🙂

[sanvy]

What a review. Thanks man. I take delivery of my M3LR soon. LOVE the comment at the end. Props for including that.

[mahonjt]

Another great video and a genuine real world comparison between two comparable vehicles. Thanks so much.

[steveurhegyi]

Hi Tom, great, detailed, real world content. Thank you. I've just ordered a Seal Excellence, the AWD and quicker variant (there are only two variants here in the UK, the other being the RWD Design). After many many ICE cars over 48 years of driving this will be my first EV. I have a charger at home and my wife has a 2021 Audi SQ5 so we have all the bases covered. Like you I thought the Seal to be more compliant than the alternatives and I was very impressed with the refinement. I will though be turning all of the ADAS systems off until they either improve OTA or I get used to them over time. Keep up the good work.

[rlc]

Love the comparison at the end. Having dB readings would be helpful as the BYD sounds very similar in level but is a lower pitch coming through?

[rodsevler]

Excellent review Tom. I have watched many other YouTube channels that compare both cars and I have to say you are the best. Very knowledgeable and honest review. Thank you.

[thevanchung]

I like your impartial comparison. Well done, looking forward for another vlog.

[Peter-vnue]

I took a BYD performance seal for a test drive today. It was 36 degrees, and the sunlight intrusion wasn't noticeable at all.

I drove in eco mode, and it was responsive and refined with no ADAS issues.

I briefly tried normal mode, and my lord was it responsive and quick.

I will leave sport mode testing until I have my own vehicle as on this test drive in Adelaide you need to agree to paying the first $2, 500 if you have a crash, by signing the test drive page on their tablet.

[marcusgeorge]

A diagonal measurement of the boots would’ve been beneficial for future reference. Especially for the golf players as it’s an important aspect to be able to fit your clubs in without having to drop one of the back seats. Nice comparison.