BYD Atto 3 long term test: report 3

The car BYD Atto 3 Run by Chris Haining, sub-editor

Why it’s here To find out whether an unfamiliar brand can show established names a thing or two when it comes to comfortable, practical and cost-effective electric motoring.

Needs to Cope with a long motorway commute, accommodate an active lifestyle and be easy to live with day to day

Mileage 3335 List price £38,990 Target Price £38,990 Price as tested £38,990 Official range 260 miles Test range 200-234 miles

23 August 2023 – thinking in the shower

It’s easy to take certain car features for granted these days. When I get a new car, I can bank on it having electric windows and remote-control central locking, air conditioning and a DAB radio, each of which I consider indispensable. Heated seats are becoming all the more commonplace, too, and are most welcome when the sun doesn’t have its hat on. 

Naturally, as a range-topping electric SUV, my BYD Atto 3 accounts for all today’s must-have tech buzzwords; enormous (15.6in) infotainment touchscreen? Check. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Check. Wireless smartphone charging? Yes, it’s there and I use it every day. However, it was only when battling what seemed like a monsoon on the M25 motorway the other day that I realised the wipers have no automatic setting – a surprising omission on such a tech-filled car. 

The headlamps wake up when the sky goes dark, but the wipers don’t react accordingly when drizzle turns into a deluge; I have to change their speed myself. Mind you, having to make such adjustments when the weather changes helps me to feel involved in the process of driving. Not an omission, then, you could argue – but a feature.

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