Best EV Car – New Electric Car Reviews

NEW BYD Dolphin Surf vs Renault 5 vs Citroen eC3 review – what’s the BEST small electric car?

What's the best little electrical vehicle? View our new BYD Dolphin Browse (aka the BYD Seagull) vs Renault 5 vs Citroen eC3 evaluation to learn. We compare this trio of EVs in every location and even put them head-to-head in a drag race!

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Video chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:02 The vehicles
06:14 Interiors
13:39 Charging
15:27 Usefulness
17:39 Driving
20:54 Drag race
23:34 Journey costs
27:02 Ownership costs
27:59 Decision

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Comments

58 responses to “NEW BYD Dolphin Surf vs Renault 5 vs Citroen eC3 review – what’s the BEST small electric car?”

  1. @andrewschembri7657 Avatar
    @andrewschembri7657

    Sad to not see the inster in this review

    Reply
    1. @whatcar Avatar
      @whatcar

      We did think about including the Inster – but Hyundai could only provide us with a range-topping version (the entry-level model hadn’t arrived in the UK at the time of filming) which would have been too expensive. We’ll have more Inster content in the future though!

      Reply
    2. @Whyunounderstand Avatar
      @Whyunounderstand

      Instead is overpricing 40k in Australia rubbish

      Reply
    3. @localreviewking134 Avatar
      @localreviewking134

      More the Ouster?

      Reply
    4. @stevenjones916 Avatar
      @stevenjones916

      @@Whyunounderstand Excellent channel name. It suits you perfectly 🤣

      Reply
    5. @PJWey Avatar
      @PJWey

      @@whatcaras though they don’t want to sell the cheap one😢

      Reply
  2. @peterarmstrong3853 Avatar
    @peterarmstrong3853

    Byd definitely underestimate their performance. I have the dolphin in comfort spec and I have a 0-60 on the timer at 6.2. and surprises quite a few cars! Loving the car and had it since Oct 23 and covered 24000 miles. (I believe I was the first to register one)

    Reply
    1. @ciybersal3499 Avatar
      @ciybersal3499

      Surf is my favourite

      Reply
    2. @CampGareth Avatar
      @CampGareth

      The Dolphin gets even better if you swap the tyres. The stock LingLongs spin if you put your foot down.

      Reply
    3. @peterarmstrong3853 Avatar
      @peterarmstrong3853

      ​​@@CampGarethI had them changed straight away! I complained within 2 days. I had hankooks fitted and now running Conti pro 2 due to several punctures and pot holes…. Good old UK roads😂

      Reply
  3. @No1careabU Avatar
    @No1careabU

    BYD’s got a leg up in the car’s tech system and price for sure. The rest is kinda similar, so it’s just about what you like.

    Reply
    1. @AlternativPerspectiv Avatar
      @AlternativPerspectiv

      BYD is US$7k-$10k for the entire range. The extra +-13k is added on by the “Stop China winning” agenda to appease Daddy Trumpet.

      Reply
    2. @barbararajic Avatar
      @barbararajic

      this BYD cost 7000 euros in Chinq

      Reply
    3. @jxmai7687 Avatar
      @jxmai7687

      BYD have their own cargo ship, smart way to cut some cost.

      Reply
    4. @danielvilliers612 Avatar
      @danielvilliers612

      ​@@barbararajicnot same spec and woth lots of subsidies.

      Reply
    5. @barbararajic Avatar
      @barbararajic

      ⁠​⁠​⁠@@danielvilliers612this is starting price. Subsidies are small part for this car. Even europian cars are almost 50 percent cheaper in China

      Reply
  4. @TheSeafordian Avatar
    @TheSeafordian

    My EC3 came with Goodyear tyres so has decent grip and minimal tyre noise. I paid less than £20,000.

    Reply
  5. @ciybersal3499 Avatar
    @ciybersal3499

    BYD surf for me, they have the best, long lasting batteries and best value

    Reply
    1. @dronefilmsgermany Avatar
      @dronefilmsgermany

      What happens after 8 years or 7 years? Do you need a battery replacement, if yes, how much does it cost?

      Reply
    2. @Demertech Avatar
      @Demertech

      ​@@dronefilmsgermany I’ve seen people with over 1.4 million Km with only 15%-20% degradation. Chances are you won’t ever replace the battery. If the battery is damaged they can repair it instead of replacing it.

      Reply
    3. @Adam-pt3cb Avatar
      @Adam-pt3cb

      @dronefilmsgermany no, it is exceptionally unlikely you will need a battery replacement. Real world data shows batteries last significantly beyond their warranty period in the vast majority of cases.

      Reply
    4. @tedhansolo Avatar
      @tedhansolo

      @@dronefilmsgermany I do see rare cases that the battery fails within the warranty, but usually the battery lost 5% to 10% in 200k kms, and 10% to 20% in 300 to 500k, I would not worry battery degradation that much for BYD’s LFP.

      Reply
  6. @philiprussell3338 Avatar
    @philiprussell3338

    Is the “engine” in the Renault the same as used in the Zoe, if so have they upgraded the bearings ? Renaults attitude in not providing both replacement upper and lower bearings was disgusting. They wanted you to replace the whole engine, which often would cost more than the car was worth.

    Reply
  7. @eish3291 Avatar
    @eish3291

    Sounds like the BYD is the best all rounder for everyday usage, For people who only buy a car for a to b thats going to sell a lot.

    Reply
    1. @teslatrooper Avatar
      @teslatrooper

      I think people will pay that little bit extra for the comfort of the R5, I would anyway. Servicing and support is an unknown for the BYD as well.

      Reply
  8. @passby8070 Avatar
    @passby8070

    BYD blade battery plays a big part. I would go for Dolphin for sure knowing the battery can take on so much abuse and damage without thermo run away

    Reply
    1. @thedailyreporter9275 Avatar
      @thedailyreporter9275

      Exactly! How do they make a video this long and never talk about battery types. Byd is offering comparable or even better performance with a battery that is 1) heavier 2) more known for its longevity than performance and 3) much safer

      Reply
    2. @benborrie2221 Avatar
      @benborrie2221

      Blade 2 looks great – Unfortunate that this is launched with the older blade 1 which is much less impressive, still good on safety though.

      Reply
    3. @TheAllMightyGodofCod Avatar
      @TheAllMightyGodofCod

      Has that been independently tested?

      Reply
    4. @concinnus Avatar
      @concinnus

      Blade batteries can be NMC iirc, and what drives safety is LFP chemistry. If you’re going to go NMC the safer form factor is cylindrical, because they are designed to vent downward if they run away.

      Reply
    5. @danielvilliers612 Avatar
      @danielvilliers612

      I am not European, but why do people need to defend byd like this. I mean if you have to talk about advantage ir disadvantages, why not talk about LFP much higher loss of capacity in winter with colder temperatures???

      Reply
  9. @tzeimet Avatar
    @tzeimet

    Great to see What Car? starting to get EV reviews right, looking at real world range, charging speed and range recovered, and frankly a really good show for the BYD Dolphin Surf with the best real world range as tested and fastest real world charging speed despite arriving with a higher SoC and the quickest to boot.

    Reply
  10. @bjdvos189 Avatar
    @bjdvos189

    I drive so relaxed with my Zoe (’20) that my consumption over 328 km (204 miles) is 37.4 kw! This costs me € 7.48 or £ 6.36. I charge at Tesla superchargers (£ 0.20 / kw). The eC3 is the only one that can be connected to these chargers without any problems, but it is less efficient because of its front.

    Reply
  11. @hadrianioan2708 Avatar
    @hadrianioan2708

    Yeah , Renault 5 at my life stile , with the range battery so a bit more but again , I usually hit 300 km at the end of the week . Also , the most honest on performance is Renault 5 , and that honesty does extend to other claims hopefully :D. Thank You for an real awesome video

    Reply
  12. @affenrasierer19 Avatar
    @affenrasierer19

    great, fun to watch review!

    Reply
  13. @manuelbarreto7032 Avatar
    @manuelbarreto7032

    Wow electricity cost in the UK is bonkers!😂

    Reply
    1. @Ashley.D Avatar
      @Ashley.D

      It’s because our electricity cost spends most of its time tied to the price of natural gas. It’s a ridiculous system

      Reply
  14. @giuliostanga2185 Avatar
    @giuliostanga2185

    Great, factual, well considered, detailed review. Highlight details are: 20-80 charging rate, real world range, cost of ownership, clear concise comparison of different trim levels and vehicles. Focus on price and ownership experience. 10/10 review

    Reply
  15. @vhol93 Avatar
    @vhol93

    Love these comparisons ! Nice

    Reply
  16. @ricco123tube Avatar
    @ricco123tube

    My better half really likes the look of the BYD, and it looks like our faithful i10 will be replaced by the Surf.
    The Surf will be a used bargain, especially as i believe it has by far the best warranty and the best battery technology. Can’t remember if that was mentioned…?

    Reply
    1. @georgepelton5645 Avatar
      @georgepelton5645

      Battery tech was not mentioned for any of these cars. BYD Blade battery is stellar, with long cycle life, fast charging, and excellent safety. IMO, that is a miss in this otherwise excellent comparison test. What Car? packed lots of important comparison data in a short fun-to-watch video.

      Reply
    2. @teslatrooper Avatar
      @teslatrooper

      The shorter range R5 uses an LFP battery by CATL and LG, CATL is on the same level as BYD in battery tech.

      Reply
    3. @VistasdelMar2008 Avatar
      @VistasdelMar2008

      Perhaps you didn’t notice they were only comparing the 3 cars based on actual data from driving at the moment. No battery chemistry discussion nor discussion of data under differing temperatures.

      Reply
  17. @xingbake Avatar
    @xingbake

    Test drove the Dolphin Surf yesterday and the value for money is insane.

    Reply
    1. @PeteEH Avatar
      @PeteEH

      Well they do abuse workers so…

      Reply
    2. @xingbake Avatar
      @xingbake

      @@PeteEHdon’t care

      Reply
    3. @PeteEH Avatar
      @PeteEH

      ​​@@xingbakeSays something about you.

      Reply
    4. @icet6665 Avatar
      @icet6665

      @@PeteEH LOL SERIOUSLY? THEY USE ROBOTICS IN THEIR FACTORIES.

      Reply
    5. @t5jayson Avatar
      @t5jayson

      ​@PeteEH I think you’ll find that Chinese workers have a choice of where to work and are not forced, yes like lots of companies they can and do ask their workers to do more hours without pay but then so does my company

      Reply
  18. @danielm5386 Avatar
    @danielm5386

    Great group test guys 👊

    Reply
    1. @whatcar Avatar
      @whatcar

      Glad you enjoyed it

      Reply
  19. @Shinken69 Avatar
    @Shinken69

    The BYD was predicted to retail at about HALF of what they are now charging.
    That would have been a game changer.

    Reply
  20. @UKcounties Avatar
    @UKcounties

    BYD is clearly the winner here, it’s the top spec byd against other cars, far superior tech in it’s blade battery. Better tech inside, significantly cheaper in monthly payments (£1700 less than Renault 5 pver 3 years of leasing). The range and efficiency of byd is negligibly lower than Renault 5. Don’t forget the most important thing (i drive a used EV, so i know it is THE most important thing), BYD had 6 years warranty that is twice as long as Renault 5.

    Reply
    1. @thedreamfactory6964 Avatar
      @thedreamfactory6964

      Wiinner? Does not even offer climate control as an option in the range topping version. And it does not look attractive at all.

      Reply
    2. @Payteer Avatar
      @Payteer

      But it doesn’t drive as well and everything is inside the screen, a pain when you’re driving.

      Reply
    3. @thedreamfactory6964 Avatar
      @thedreamfactory6964

      A winner? Better tech? Does not even have climate control…

      Reply
    4. @firstlast-pt5pp Avatar
      @firstlast-pt5pp

      ​​@@thedreamfactory6964- just say ” hi byd “😊 – voice activation not reviewed in the video

      Reply
    5. @firstlast-pt5pp Avatar
      @firstlast-pt5pp

      faster accelerations is worth 1000 and another 1000 for the extra 3 year warranty

      Reply

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