Every Chinese car in the UK ranked: Which ones are worth buying?
June 02, 2025 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
There are loads of new Chinese cars hitting UK forecourts in 2025, but which ones are worth buying over the more mainstream alternatives? We’ve ranked every one on sale today to help you decide.
Choosing your next car can be hard, and it’s made even more difficult by the influx of new and unknown brands coming to the UK from China. There are a total of 22 different Chinese cars currently on sale on our shores – some are great and worth buying, while others are best avoided.
To help you separate the wheat from the chaff, we’ve ranked every Chinese car you can currently buy on Carwow from best to worst, as well as listing their closest mainstream alternatives.
There are also a handful of Chinese cars which we’ve not been able to get behind the wheel of just yet: the Haval Jolion Pro, the Leapmotor C10 and the Omoda 9. We’ll add these to the list once they’ve been put to the test.
The Chinese cars you can currently buy in the UK are:
- MG3 – 9/10
- Xpeng G6 – 8/10
- BYD Seal – 8/10
- MG S5 EV – 8/10
- MG4 – 8/10
- BYD Dolphin – 8/10
- MG HS – 8/10
- BYD Sealion 7 – 7/10
- BYD Atto 3 – 7/10
- Jaecoo 7 – 7/10
- MG ZS – 7/10
- MG Cyberster – 7/10
- GWM Ora 03 – 6/10
- Leapmotor T03 – 6/10
- BYD Seal U – 6/10
- MG5 – 6/10
- Omoda 5/E5 – 6/10
- Skywell BE11 – 4/10
1. MG3
- Best alternative: Renault Clio
- Wowscore: 9/10
You may think of MG as being a British brand, but it’s actually owned by SAIC Motors in China. The MG3 is the best Chinese car you can buy in the UK right now, offering a powerful hybrid engine and loads of standard equipment for an insanely low price.
At just under £19,000, it’s almost £3,000 cheaper than a hybrid Renault Clio. It’s also good fun to drive, although it’s not quite as fuel efficient as the Clio.
2. Xpeng G6
- Best alternative: Tesla Model Y
- Wowscore: 8/10
The Xpeng G6 is a sleek-looking electric SUV with a lot to offer. You get up to 354 miles of range, intuitive software and loads of interior space, all for around £5,000 less than a Tesla Model Y.
Its boot may not be quite as big as the Tesla’s, and it’s a bit firm over bumps, but the Xpeng’s interior is a really nice and posh-feeling place to spend time, and it gets great fast charging capabilities which will get you from 10-80% in just 20 minutes.
3. BYD Seal
- Best alternative: Tesla Model 3
- Wowscore: 8/10
This is the only Chinese saloon car you can buy in the UK right now, and it’s a damn good one. It’s comfortable, yet fun to drive and comes with loads of standard equipment, and the interior quality can easily match the Tesla Model 3’s.
It’s not as practical as the Tesla though thanks to cramped rear seats, and the touchscreen is fiddly to operate. Look past these gripes and you can have a ballistically fast electric car with good driving range.
4. MG S5 EV
- Best alternative: Kia EV3
- Wowscore: 8/10
The S5 EV is essentially the MG4’s SUV counterpart, and it’s a great-value electric car. It features MG’s poshest-feeling interior to date, and there’s loads of space in the back seats and in the boot.
You won’t find yourself in awe of its styling, because it’s a bit bland to behold, but for £28,500 this is easy to forgive. All cars include LED headlights, a reversing camera, a 13.0-inch infotainment screen and wireless phone charging.
5. MG4
- Best alternative: Volkswagen ID3
- Wowscore: 8/10
The MG4 was Carwow’s Car Of The Year in 2023 after blowing us away with its low price, generous equipment list, bold styling and entertaining driving experience. Through Carwow you can get one of these for just £21,500, making it cheaper than the smaller Vauxhall Corsa Electric.
It may not be the most refined EV on the market thanks to plenty of road noise at speed, and the infotainment system isn’t the best, but we’re splitting hairs at this price. The MG4 offers value which is hard to beat.
6. BYD Dolphin
- Best alternative: Volkswagen ID3
- Wowscore: 8/10
The BYD Dolphin is actually a direct alternative to the MG4, and choosing between them is quite tricky. The Dolphin offers more interior space and similar standard equipment, but it’s not quite as good to drive.
Interior quality is also a bit mixed, but the BYD is still very competitively priced. You could choose either of these cars based on which has the best deal on at the time and you’d be happy.
7. MG HS
- Best alternative: Citroen C5 Aircross
- Wowscore: 8/10
If you’re after a new company car, but don’t want a full EV, the MG HS is a great option. You can get a plug-in hybrid version with an impressive 75 miles of pure electric, making it very company car tax- friendly.
It’s also around £10,000 cheaper than a plug-in hybrid Kia Sportage, and you won’t be short-changed in terms of equipment either. The HS isn’t as good to drive as a Sportage though.
8. BYD Sealion 7
- Best alternative: Tesla Model Y
- Wowscore: 7/10
The BYD Sealion 7 is so close to being a tempting Tesla Model Y alternative. It has a posh-feeling and spacious interior, and it’s blisteringly quick, however there are just a couple of flies in the ointment.
The main one is the suspension, which is quite uncomfortable over bumps. It’s also noisy at motorway speeds, and it’s just too expensive to be competitive. It’s £2,000 more than the Tesla Model Y, and it’s not quite good enough to justify spending the extra.
9. BYD Atto 3
- Best alternative: Kia EV3
- Wowscore: 7/10
The Atto 3 was the first car BYD sold in the UK, and it’s best described as adequate. It’s comfortable over bumps and has a nicely-made, if slightly odd-looking interior, however it’s £4,700 more expensive than a Kia EV3.
That car is more spacious in the back seats than the Atto 3 and offers 115 miles more range, making it a better buy.
10. Jaecoo 7
- Best alternative: Skoda Karoq
- Wowscore: 7/10
Jaecoo launched in the UK in early 2025 with the 7, a rugged–looking hybrid SUV which certainly stands out compared to the dull-looking Skoda Karoq. It’s also got a nice interior and loads of standard kit, but there are a few areas where this car falls short of the Skoda.
The main one is practicality. The 500-litre boot is only average compared to most alternatives, and the rear seats are a bit tight. The Jaecoo 7 also isn’t as comfortable as a Skoda Karoq, and it costs about the same as well.
11. MG ZS
- Best alternative: Toyota Yaris Cross
- Wowscore: 7/10
MG’s formula is pretty much the same across most of its cars: give it lots of equipment and a low price. The ZS is a small SUV which starts from just under £20,000, and it gets things like adaptive cruise control and a digital driver’s display as standard.
It’s not as fuel efficient as a Toyota Yaris Cross, nor is it as nice to drive, but you do get plenty of rear seat space. MG also offers some great discounts on the ZS which mean you can get one through Carwow for just £17,000.
12. MG Cyberster
- Best alternative: BMW 4 Series Convertible
- Wowscore: 7/10
It’s difficult to find a direct competitor to the MG Cyberster, because electric convertibles are something of a rarity. It’s a fantastic-looking thing which is also hilariously fast, but there are some niggles which may put you off.
The four screens inside are laid out in a baffling way which sees two of them blocked by the steering wheel, and the electric scissor doors are a novelty which very quickly wears off.
13. GWM Ora 03
- Best alternative: Volvo EX30
- Wowscore: 6/10
If you’re looking for something a bit different, the GWM Ora 03 could be right up your street. It’s a funky-looking small electric car which has a lovely interior, but there are a few reasons you should buy a Volvo EX30 instead.
The 03 is only slightly cheaper than the Volvo, but it’s nowhere near as nice to drive and the range isn’t that good either. The EX30’s driver assistance systems are also far less intrusive.
14. Leapmotor T03
- Best alternative: Dacia Spring
- Wowscore: 6/10
The Leapmotor T03 is one of the very few sub-£20,000 electric cars on offer in the UK today. You could also consider the Dacia Spring, and there is also the Citroen Ami but that’s technically not a car at all.
This dinky Chinese EV can seat four people, offers more range than the Dacia Spring and feels surprisingly grown-up to drive. However, the tiny boot and irritating touchscreen do play against it.
15. BYD Seal U
- Best alternative: Citroen C5 Aircross
- Wowscore: 6/10
This is the only car BYD sells in the UK with a petrol engine: the Seal U. It’s a spacious and well-equipped SUV with a refined plug-in hybrid system and loads of standard equipment, but here’s why your money is better spent elsewhere.
A Citroen C5 Aircross is cheaper, more stylish and much nicer to drive than the Seal U. While the BYD pitches, crashes and wallows over bumps and undulations in the road, the Citroen just glides across them.
16. MG5
- Best alternative: Peugeot e-308 SW
- Wowscore: 6/10
The MG5 impressed us when it first launched because it was the only electric estate car on the market and offered fantastic value for money, however times have moved on and this car has been left behind.
You can now buy the much more stylish and comfortable Peugeot e-308 SW for similar money, and MG’s own S5 EV is much nicer to drive and better made than the 5.
17. Omoda5/E5
- Best alternative: Skoda Karoq/Skoda Elroq
- Wowscore: 6/10
The Omoda 5 and E5 were the first two cars launched by the brand in the UK, and on paper they represent great value for money. You gets loads of standard equipment, a decent interior and a powerful petrol engine, however there are a few annoying things which may put you off.
The petrol-powered 5 drinks quite a lot of fuel, while the electric E5’s range isn’t that impressive. Both are also cramped in the rear seats, not that nice to drive and have a fiddly infotainment setup. The Skoda Elroq is a much better all-rounder.
18. Skywell BE11
- Best alternative: Hyundai Ioniq 5 – or a bus pass
- Wowscore: 4/10
We finish on what is possibly the worst new car you can buy in the UK today: the Skywell BE11. Palatial rear legroom is about all this car has going for it. The interior feels like most of it came from Temu, the on-board tech is infuriating, and then you get it out on the road.
It wobbles over bumps like nothing else, the real-world range is pretty dismal and the charging is hilariously slow. The worst part? Long-range versions of this car cost the same as the vastly superior Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla Model 3. No thanks.
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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