MG4 vs BYD Dolphin 2024 Comparison Review: Which is the Best Cheap EV?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ค. 2024
- With electric cars becoming more and more affordable in Australia, we pitch two of the most attainable EVs in the BYD Dolphin and the MG4 51kWh to judge where best to park your money.
Both rivals offer decent tech, cost-conscious material choice and surprisingly fit and enjoyable drives. And neither is what you’d call slow.
But each has distinctively different approaches when it comes to chosen driven wheels and choices when it comes to upgrading performance and range.
Which is our pick as the best cut-priced electric? Watch on to find out…
Time codes:
0:00 - Intro
0:38 - BYD Dolphin interior
3:18 - MG4 interior
5:41 - Back seats
7:30 - Boot space
9:07 - Range and charging
10:23 - Driving the MG4
13:35 - Driving the Dolphin
17:17 - Verdict
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Hi Tom any idea when the Seal performance review is landing?
A harder suspension obviously means less body roll, so depending on your preferences
You pays your money and take your choice.
I was really impressed with the interior quality and design of the BYD Dolphin. It certainly feels like a better car inside. And if it drives like the big brother Atto3 it would the pick for me.
If only BYD would provide a less garish interior option for the Atto 3, more people would definitely buy. The current design inside is offensive to the sensibilities of many
Great review , I think if the 64 kw mg was the same lfp battery as the dolphin it would be 50/50 choice , but the Blade battery is the deal breaker , cheers
deal breaker ? you mean winner ? blade battery is superior to everything
I have test driven both cars over the past two weekends, and i preferred the dolphin with the limited time in each . The mg4 cut corners (manual passenger seat, cloth interior, wired carplay, narrower seats) and the dolphin just felt nicer to be in
Good comparison thanks Tom. Any rough guidance when you’ll have a review of the Seal out? Seems like deliveries are starting over the next couple weeks.
Side note, the MG4 in China now has a larger 12.3” screen with a better CPU, hopefully this comes to Australia ASAP
20 December for Seal review :)
We picked the dolphin up this week after test driving the Kia Nero and the MG4. The BYD just felt like better value with the extra safety and the 360 camera. We were looking at the mid spec 64 MG4 in the better trim but it was still a big step down from the Dolphin. The LFP blade battery was also a big one for us and as you could only get LFP battery in the basic spec MG4, it became an easy choice. I am also not sure why more reviews don't make a bigger deal about battery chemistry. You may need to check but in the video you have the AC charging of the BYD as 11KWs. We have only been able to get 6.8 in our top spec dolphin. I think it may be different in different markets with the UK cars getting AC 11 Kw and Aus / NZ only getting the smaller onboard AC charger. Cheers
Hi, thanks for sharing. I am also planning to get Dolphin sometime this week. Just wondering how is your experience so far?
Great review, Tom. I like both cars and would find choosing difficult. It’s good to see EVs getting better and more affordable.
Hi Tom, since you asked my opinion is ... I much prefer these head to head battles
"Comparing Cars " ( your new sub-channel perhaps ? ) yes single in-depth reviews are good at launch, but just personally prefer the ol school head to head battles. Im sure though work load increases by oooooh not just twofold probably threefold !
Of course not sure what TH-cam ratings are like & yes aware of megatests & car of year awards
and these cars... no idea! ( not for me ) never smelt, touched, explored, experienced, I leave that to the guns/experts/pro's
Josh
I'd really love to see BYD bring the Seagull into Australia. It looks more like a baby MG4 than a small Dolphin which is a good thing because while design is subjective, I think the Dolphin looks a bit goofy from the front. The Seagull would tick a lot of boxes for most folks looking to get into their first EV or in my case a 2nd smaller, more affordable EV to compliment our MG4 Excite.
Only thing to flag is that BYD should only bring the upper range of the Seagull. The base in China has an air cooled battery, while the upper spec importantly gets active battery cooling and heating
@@Clove_Parma yep, absolutely. Liquid cooled battery with a much longer range (400 something Kilometers) all the driver assist features and it's still only about $15k AUD before taxes and shipping and local dealers make their profit. Even when you account for all that it would still significantly undercut the MG4.
@@johnnyonline absolutely, it would slot right into that niche that used to be filled by the Mazda 2, Toyota Yaris, Suzuki Swift etc. would absolutely kill the MG3 even if it were $20-25k
how do they compare on real world efficiency - i,e motorway driving at 70 mph or 110 kph
I really like the Dolphin and I am an Atto 3 owner, but I have to say that MG really produced a fantastic looking car. (But i'd still buy the Dolphin if i had to choose)
The other big difference between these two cars is the servicing network structure.
MG has worked to establish a good dealer network.
BYD use Mycar (the old Kmart tyre and auto network). I've read they're working to establish more of their own centres, but I wouldn't hold your breath...
Also MG 2yr/40K service interval, BYD 1yr/20K service interval. (Grrr).
I really want the BYD but will wait to prove itself (reliability/warranty support).
It will give time for Tesla to produce the Model 2 to compare with (although I'm not holding my breath!)
I was suprised you mentioned the seats on the MG4 is more comfortable than the BYD Dolphin seats. I guess I have to see the MG4 in person to test it out because sitting in the Dolphin was super comfy.
Would love to see a comparison between the BYD Seal Performance and the MG4 Xpower
They are different cars with significant price difference.
Over the air updates for the BYD but not the MG.
Same in Europe with MG, we become in Standard equiped car only small battery, little onboard charger with 6 KW and no heat pump.
You really should talk about the all important battery tech. I believe the BYD blade batteries have some advantages over the MG's.
Yes with BYD can charge to 100% without thinking.
Id like either, but these models aren't available in the US market 😢🇺🇸
they look like perfect replacements for the departed Honda Fit.
the centre screen on the BYD seems much greater quality and responsiveness than in the MG
hey guys, the best cheap EV is for us a S/H Kona series ii, which we bought today. In the right place at the right rime. [ time will tell if we have cracked it] Yes, the wheel's did spin a bit on the GP from the lights, in Sport mode. But that's only happening on the demo run😅😅😅😅
There are hundreds of Dolphin Dynamic delivered already. The interior trim is practically identical to the Premium. The only significant changes are the battery, motor, rear suspension, wheels, and paint/colour choices. Performance is better than officially claimed, with multiple owners testing the 0-100 to be about 10.5-11 seconds (brochure says 12.3 seconds).
Correct! Convenience items are the same in Dynamic and Premium spec. Charging speeds differ though. Dynamic 7.4Kw AC & 60Kw DC, Premium 11Kw AC & 88Kw DC.
Hello Ben, Not sure about the 11kw for the Premium spec. Picked the car up this week and have used two different charger and can only get just under 7 kw. Would be happy to be proved wrong. Cheers
BYD Dolphin ticks all the boxes for me. Miffed about the yearly (and pricey) "servicing" requirements. Thanks for reviewing the Premium spec Mr Baker!
Not confident in the servicing arrangement with MyCar centres. Would prefer to see BYD selling their cars in Australia rather than an importer (EV Direct).
Will wait 12 mths to see how reliability and just as importantly warranty support is before purchasing.
Even so, I may purchase second hand in a couple of years (depreciation is sure to be savage and the poor quality OEM Linglong tyres will have been replaced by the first owner)
Will BYD have a XPOWER version of the Dolphin ??
No. There is a limited run (1000) of BYD Dolphin Sport model coming for a $5K impost over the Dynamic model ($50K + ORC), but it is mainly aesthetic and suspension changes.
It wont be quicker than the existing Premium spec, ~7 sec to 100km/hr, whereas the MG4X is 3.8 sec (& the $70K Ovlov EX30 is 3.6 sec!!!)
It's interesting here in Europe i've seen people criticizing BYD for the software bugs. Chinese car makers in general still have much to learn from European, Japanese or Korean car makers when it comes to reliability especially long term.
The Ora would have been great to include too!
The Ora has been recalled because it's the subject of a recall notice. 'If a driver tries to remove the charging cable from the Ora without first cancelling or stopping the charge process, an electrical arc between the charging plug and the vehicle may occur, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.'
However, the recall is just for the software update and then its done..@@davidperry3531
Why didn't you compare the MG4 Excite 51 with the similarly priced and likewise base-model Dolphin Dynamic? The Premium is $5,000 more and naturally more highly speced. Comparison with the underpowered Dynamic may well have given a different conclusion.
This was my thought too, he even said the premium is the same price as the MG4 base which is not true.
I think it's clear enough from the video that they haven't been able to get access to the base model Dolphin yet.
1. This was the Dolphin we could get - and it was worth bringing you this comparison, especially since the recommendation is that the Premium looks like a worthwhile upgrade, whereas the MG4 Excite 51 is the sweet spot for that car (in my view)
2. I don’t think I ever said the Dolphin Premium was the same price as the MG4 base model - what I said was that the Dolphin Premium is similar in price to the base *spec* MG4 Excite 64 (bigger battery but base spec)
With respect, the verdict should have highlighted the price difference. Price is central to people's decision making in this segment.
MG4 Excite 51 is $42K drive away with shiny paint.
Dolphin Premium is $46K drive away with two tone shiny paint.
Tom has review the best value cars in each range. (and the ones you should consider)
MG4 Excite 64 has inferior/less stable battery chemistry & Dolphin Dynamic has LESS than HALF the power of the Premium spec motor.
I was considering BYD as my next EV but after viewing China Observer post about BYD built quality, I will not consider BYD until they clarify the issues.
in the UK the tyres have been found to be poor in wet and BYD are now fitting Hankook tyres to the Dolphin range
i don't know about the Dolphin but the Atto 3 is great. It's comfortable, it's inexpensive, and it's less scary when people switch from traditional car to EV.
So after looking at economic cars you choose the MG4 based on driving dynamics? If you are really keen on getting a drivers car you wouldn’t buy either of these. Surely a Seal or similar would be more suitable for “drivers”?
That assumption would be wrong, because the MG4’s driving dynamics are (quite easily) superior to the Seal
One thing you don’t mention is ingress and egress in the MG, it is terrible and rear seat is horrible because the rear door body gap upto B pillar isn’t wide enough, thinks is floor design to fit drive rear drive train. In the front seat it’s hard to clear when you swing your feet out to exit. I’m 6’2’’ and got in , adjusted seats, got out and walked out of the dealership. It might be wider, but it’s tighter than the BYD.
Made me laugh when he clicked screen on dolphin and it didnt seem to load. :\
We never had the problem getting it into gear. Maybe you do not have an updated car?
We’ve had multiple MG4s now which struggle to get into gear because the brake pedal isn’t fully depressed to the firewall - which is more pressure than it should require
Hmm not our case. Maybe you need to wear correct shoes.@@chasingcars
I worked out what might be happening. If you try to put into gear before the car is ready then it will not work. When you get it and you are too keen it will not allow you to go into drive or reverse. So driver error not the car@@chasingcars
@@jasonrhll think people who drive different vehicles around for a living and drive around in track cars in their spare time, would have their foot on the brake when engaging gears.
The MG looks far better looking. Unfortunately it has some software issues/bugs. Hopefully they will fix the software issues shortly
any chance of the stats in miles
I bought the BYD Dolphin and one of my decissionmakers is not mensioned in this video. When sitting in the passenger seat of the MG I missed the comfort handle above the door. It felt unsafe and uncomfortable not being able to use a comfort handle to correct or stay in position The first thing I checked testing the BYD was if the comfort handels where availabje. .
so until the Dolphin has the MG4's drivetrain, I'll continue to sit on the sidelines
More attention could have been brought to the superior battery of the BYD range and also heat pump. I have just purchased a Dolphin and I can set my car to charge using the app (which MG can't do) to take advantage of the time of day electricity tarrif. Also it won't matter if I just leave it to charge to 100% with the LFP battery which is super convenient. Both cars are great to drive but the Dolphin had a lot of extra features.
The MG4 supports scheduled charging via the app (I have one). Jealous of that Dolphin interior though, and heat pump.
@@AlastairCunninghamthat's great. Both the MG and BYD sales people told me that neither supported timed charging, so it was a pleasant surprise that my Dolphin does! Hope you are enjoying your 🚗
Unfortunately when purchasing your vehicle in Australia, you have to ENTIRELY do your own research.
Don't take a salespersons word as gospel. Rarely do they know their product intimately.@@deannek7344
Given the same price point and predicted range, the BYD TROUNCES the MG4 on features. It's not even a fair fight.
You'd have to REALLY favour the styling and sportier dynamics of the MG4 to chose it over the Dolphin.
and if you're shallow and pick by exterior looks, it's obviously the MG4. The dolphin doesn't have a cool look. But, it doesn't matter. Cars aren't very important
It may sound strange but we didn’t even bother looking at a BYD Dolphin. The huge car dealership in Geelong has several car yards, sales and service centres with new cars from most major manufacturers available. They are well known and have an MG showroom. There is no BYD dealer here.The nearest one is in outer Melbourne. We just were NOT interested in a car we could not get from a local dealer. The servicing and support of an established dealership is vital. We liked the MG4 Essence.
This is not the only reason but it’s the actual deal breaker. If BYD did have a dealership I would have to pretend not to see the horrendous pink version and the ugly dash air vents. For me it would then come down to how well the car drives and how quiet the interior was at highway speeds. Based on all the comparisons so far these are weak points for the BYD, Dolphin.
Given time, BYD will spread its tentacles, but at present, they are not up to scratch.
I don't think that the colours are the Dolphins strong point. Hopefully, BYD will bring out some more sensible colours. VW has done that with the ID.3. This is what happens when arty people design cars.
The MG4 EV's colours are slightly better, but I do think that it looks good in red.
@@MrBenHaynes 😛 Maybe but local dealerships and service are essential. Once they have those and they drop the “weird” barbydoll design philosophy for the interior - then I will start to see the advantages of BYD. Until then they aren’t in the game for my demographic.
If you're comparing the cheapest EVs on the market in Australia, then why not throw in the Ora Good Cat too for good measure?
It's been recalled.
exactly..
MG4 Excite 51 is $41K
$42K with shiny paint
Oh, an Australian with Australian specs and Australian prices. That's new.
I understand these are so called budget offerings but lets be honest the build quality on the MG seems dreadful whem you think of the price of the vehicles. MG gives me the vibe of new car hype, how will they fair after 2 years of ownership? For example
MG just looks so much better, had the BYD been better designed aesthetically, it would win hands down. But as it stands, it’s a bit too fugly.
The dolphin looks fine to me on all angles except the front which is extremely generic and a bit outdated, with a facelift it could look very nice.
I'd get the BYD
I don't know why I am watching this, I have already bought one
Which?
So have I. The MG4 51 kWh Excite, in my case. I don't regret it.
Define cheap?
My MG felt less affordable when I came to sell it after 12 Months ownership and lost 50% of its value. 😢
Yeah you didn't sell an excite 51 after 12 months at 50% off. Anyone selling those at the moment are getting a good price.
@@serpserpserp in the UK, brand new Mg4 £30k, one year old , £16.5 k on Autotrader (so not what you''d be offered privately) ...... ok not quite 50% but not far off...so what is your point ?
What's with the BYD support all over the automotive industry review? Im sorry but no BYD cars are actually good looking and it doesnt feel as premium as the MG4. The sales speak for themselves: MG sells way more than BYD. I predict BYD will eventually pull out. Just look at any BYD yard, it's a sea of cars they can't sell.
Vote for MG4
And MG will sell 10 times more MG4’s than the BYD Guppie.
BYD Dolphin is already ranked no. 4 globally in terms of sales, MG4 is not seen in the top 5..
@@Aayush2614 Look at Electric Vikings video BYD sales in Germany for November, spoiler alert 350, 171,000 MG EV's sold in Europe this year BYD 6,000. And a EV maker that no ones heard of DR Autos sold 28'000 in Europe so come again BYD is what.
@@Aayush2614 Try looking at the Australian sales figures for the year, for November, for December.
Byd.
To me the MG design is sort of 2020 , outdated in 2024 and the interior looks pretty bad compared to the BYD, overall the BYD feels more advanced and refined.
LFP only on base MG4, extended range uses Li ion battery.... no thanks
also lots if not most of these cars won't see much B roads in their lifetime so i really won't worry too much about their handling
LFP -- LiFePO4 -- is a lithium ion battery, because the lithium in the battery is in ionic form.
But aside from me being a prick, yeah I get it. Those batteries are significantly more... volatile, and are more fragile too; MG strongly recommend not charging the Li-NMC battery above 80% while the LFP batteries should be charged to 100% to keep their longevity. So if you do the maths, you'll really only get 10km more range from the NMC battery than the LFP one so there's no real difference.
Except, of course, when you are on a longer road trip when you can charge up to 100% (96% is apparently a common choice) for added distance with no impact on the life of the battery. The recommended 80% applies to the normal everyday charge level. How often do you do a long trip? I admit it would like to see a choice of battery type available but both are usable options.
I test drove the MG and found the interior extremely underwhelming, ended up getting an ICE vehicle this time around
The other issue is the battery for the 2 higher specs in the MG is only recommended for regular charging to 80% which kinda makes the range no better than the base model LFP MG4, I would say the dolphin is a better buy but I don’t like the look of that one either 😁
If you run an EV on a flat tyre long enough and the rim/ wheel contacts the road/ground, it will EARTH out and stop on you.
The rubber insulation of the tyre stops the discharge of the battery
You’ve misunderstood how power earthing works. This might be the case if the car was powered by a very long mains cord that is mains-referenced to Earth, but the battery is an electric car has no galvanic connection to ground and so no current would flow.
@@philcrawley I was only being a smart ass, I’ve been in the Automotive repair as a Mechanic for 29 years 😂😂😂😂😂👍🏻
Thanks for the laugh Benamino! I needed that. 🤣
Let's be house there both awful but u get what u pay for xx
Why not compare apples to apples? The rubbish, gutless base model Dolphin should be the model put up against the base MG4.
Because this is the Dolphin I got my hands on, the Dolphin Premium is the one to get, and the MG4 51kWh is the one to get. So here you get to see my two recommendations.
not the fault of the reporter, its what's he is supplied with from the manufacturer/dealer [ ie: availability]. but yes I agree.
Even though the dolphin is the premium model, the mg4 sill drives loooaadds better. Kudos to mg4 to beat the pants off a premium dolphin.
@@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834 really I'm making the oblique point that BYD shouldn't be given this free media when they are playing shenanigans with their "Australia's cheapest EV" tag line (by meeting that price point with a gutless phantom). MG deserves the title.
@sch-corp ah, well, I have given up on waiting for the new KONA, so we bought a used series II Kona Highlander ext range for about that price point. We will see how it goes, still 5.5 years left on the battery. we do about 15km per year atm.
both EV's are made in China Lemons
a Used JDM Import NISSAN LEAF is ten times better value and better looking and more fun to drive and more reliable
The new style yes.
Yabbut, what about Rapidgate?
I'd hate to travel far in a Leaf during this heatwave.
I went to my local Nissan dealership and sat down in a Leaf for few minutes. Didn’t think i’d ever want one before that and having a good look at it only reinforced my opinion about it being absolute dogshit. I have premium spec Dolphin on order now.
Leaf is an industrial waste
@@xxxx-dh9pk No it's not
Both looks bad. Wish they were hatchbacks.
They are hatchbacks.
The MG4 is pretty ugly looks outdated. BYD is the winner 👍🏼
MG is more British. So there you go the big winner 🏆
What a pointless review.
Why don't you do like for like.
😁SYNTHETIC PETROL WILL RULE 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Lol no. Synthetic Jet fuel maybe, even probably at this point, so the whole thing isn't a complete dead end but its not going to be for road vechicals.
@@narvuntien GUESS THEIR IS A 100 MILLION DOLLAR SYNTHETIC FUEL PLANT IN TASMANIA ALREADY BUILT BY PORCHE AND SEIMENS FOR THE ASIAN MARKET THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ADVERTISE THIS AND CITIZENS ARE DUMB PLEASE INVESTIGATE ITS FOR CARS 🤯🤯🤯
Only people who drive Porsches will be able to afford the price of synthetic petrol.
Not expecting much difference from both cars when both are produced and made in China
Your iPhone made in china… your point being?
Likewise. Not expecting much but pleasantly surprised by the BYD Premium Dolphin.
it is where most of our cars in the future will come from
How low can Chasing Cars go to review these two Chinese made beer fridges. Sad.
These cars are good for lower socioeconomic people. Not all reviews need to be for middle and upper income people.
These are good cars
@@rhys6165 I’d like to add that even higher socioeconomic people would consider these as a second or 3rd car for their households.
@@copaloadofthis I agree. Or a first car for a kid.
@@copaloadofthis true these are both good value cars that do the job I guess @stevep9041 is only used to premium cars above most people’s price bracket.
WTF would BYD put the middle man rip off distributor between them and the customer when Tesla has proven the direct sales model?
Whats the resale value at 5 years when the batteries are 2 years away from a 30k+ invoice?🫠