2024 BYD Atto 3 Extended Range – the good, the bad, and the things I didn’t know I wanted

I was lucky enough to order a BYD Atto 3 in mid June, only to be told that I’d be picking up the latest model. And interestingly, I was able to pick up the car in the same week the 2024 model was released to the public in Australia. There were some downsides from the 2023 model to the 2024 model, such as the lack of car mats and the $189 capped serving for 5 years being removed, but otherwise there were lots of positives for the BYD Atto 3 Extended Range 2024.

I knew ahead of time that the 2023 BYD Atto 3 had some issues with the tyres, being Batman types with terrible traction on wet roads, but was pleased to see Continental tyres when I picked up the car at the BYD experience centre in Dandenong along Princes Highway. Plus seeing the larger touchscreen, the rear bonnet having the “BYD” badge instead of the less-liked “Build Your Dreams”, and the black and blue interior colours.

The BYD experience centre in Dandenong itself happens to share staff, service centre, and more with the Coffey Ford dealer. So if you need parts or you are doing servicing in Dandenong for your BYD, you’ll be doing it with the staff who also handle Ford cars as well.

Having driven the car for a few 100 kilometres and more than 3 weeks, I want to share the good, bad and the stuff for the 2024 BYD Atto 3 Extended Range. Before getting into it, I should start by saving that I’m not a car enthusiast, my previous car was a 2014 Honda Civic hatchback, and the BYD Atto 3 represents a big upgrade from pure petrol to a full electric and from small a hatch to a sports utility vehicle.

The BYD Atto 3 comes in two variants, Standard or Extended Range. The Standard offers a drive range of up to 400 kilometres on a full charge, while the Extended Range can do up to $480 kilometres. If you have the choice (and I think it should be a no brainer), you should go for the Extended Range. While the battery is likely to degrade in the long term, having a higher range will make that eventual degradation less worse. Other than range, there is nothing else to distinguish the two variants.

Why did I upgrade to the 2024 BYD Atto 3 Extended Range?

I was pretty content with the Honda Civic, but there were a few things that led me towards getting the Atto 3:

1. Firstly, my better half wanted a bigger car to better fit the kids in the back and have enough space for her as well, so I needed to ensure the next car was a sports utility vehicle or larger. Plus we would have liked more boot space for the pram and groceries. The Honda Civic managed to fit two baby/toddler seats, but couldn’t squeeze anyone else into the back.
2. Secondly, I was keen to move away from petrol cars and escape the tyranny of high petrol prices, I was paying at least $30 a week on petrol even though I only drove usually at most 100 kilometres a week.
3. Thirdly, my Honda Civic was coming close to 10 years. It had been very reliable with no serious breakdowns, but it was showing its age every time I started the car and drove it around. And it was clocking over 100,000 kilometres.
4. Fourthly, I was able to avoid the large upfront costs by going down the novated lease path by taking advantage of the electric cars exemption under fringe benefits – which was law introduced to encourage the take-up of hybrid and EV cars thanks to the Albanese Labor Government.

I came across BYD after seeing their demo range at Chadstone Shopping Centre and booking a demo on the day. I didn’t demo the car straight away, but eventually did book a demo and experience it after my better half prodded me constantly towards getting a new car. I’d highly recommend the demo experience. I demoed the 2023 Atto 3 and 2024 Sealion 6. Although the Sealion 6 had a more mature interior design, slightly larger build, and a very enticing build as a plug-in electric hybrid, the idea of going full electric, the quietness of the Atto 3 won me over, and the fact that BYD were leaders in battery technology, not petrol engines. After the demo, I was really impressed by the numerous features of the Atto 3 along with how it drove, so I started watching a lot of YouTube videos and reading stuff on various forums, including reddit.

I learnt that BYD stands for “Build Your Dreams” is a Chinese battery company, not a car-first company, is a leader in battery technology. They employ the Lithium Iron Phosphate for their vehicles. They have a range of petrol cars and have been in the Chinese market for more than a decade, having only opened shop in Australia at the start of 2022. BYD was also a company that the late Charlie Munger decided to invest Berkshire Hathaway’s money in (which made me think about the fact that Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway have a good track record of picking winners). Also the Chinese government has heavily subsidied their car industry, and BYD has been a major benefactor, which made me all the more happy to consider the car because it meant that another country’s government was helping me get a more affordable vehicle.

Before BYD entered my thinking, I was actively considering either a Toyota Rav4 or Tesla Model Y.

Despite the larger boot space and elegant-looking interiors, I didn’t go with the Tesla Model Y, because:

1. there was no driver’s dash for speedometer and other stuff – I might have gotten used to it, but it was too much of a leap;
2. even though prices started at $64,000 drive away (at the time), the cost of everything plus the accessories made it prohibitively expensive. The charger wasn’t included and things like colour were an extra cost, e.g. a silver coating were going to be an extra $2,600 more;
3. everything being online and the ability to demo a car was limited, requiring a trip to Docklands; and
4. the car relying heavily on software to provide features to drivers.

Although the boot space is 100 litres more than the Atto 3, the brand being known as the most reliable car manufacturer, and the quality of the build, I didn’t go with the Toyota Rav4. because:

1. the starting price for a Toyota Rav4 for their GXL line (the midline range model) started at $54,000 drive away (at the time), while I was preferring their Cruiser line which started at $59,000 drive away;
2. I had to pre-order and wait probably six to eight months before I could get the car – by then the government’s electric cars exemption for hybrids was due to end on 1 April 2025;
3. the interiors look very muted (and frankly unsexy) and there isn’t a lot you get in the way of features and cool stuff (e.g. small touchscreen, no heated seats, non-leather seats, etc); and
4. the hybrid, while tried and tested, still heavily relied on petrol and doesn’t operate solely on the electric motor at any stage.

The good – the things I really liked

The BYD Atto 3 is an impressive car on paper as well as practically. For $51,000 drive away, it is easily one of the cheapest all electric vehicles on the market. It is also eligible for the electric cars exemption under fringe benefits if your employer provides such a benefit or provides it via a third party.

The BYD Atto 3 comes with a lot of features that I have grown to like and think should just come standard in all cars.

The first is the 360 degree view. With cameras on all four sides and the ability to see a top down image of the car while reversing or parking, it makes the whole experience easier and more practical. I can now park my car within the lines since I can see where the lines start and end (especially when I am parallel parking).

The second is having Android Auto (and Apple Carplay), which is fantastic and a must-have addition to the car. After hopping into the car, my phone automatically connects to the car and some apps like Google Maps, Spotify are connected via bluetooth to the large touchscreen.

The third is having an eight year warranty on the battery. This is fantastic and, time will tell if it is honoured, but a long warranty like this is a sign that BYD is confident in its battery technology.

The fourth is the large 15 inch touchscreen is a huge plus. The 2023 model only had a 12 inch touchscreen, which was larger than the 10 inch touch screen in the Toyota Rav4. When I demoed the BYD Sealion 6, I was tempted to go for it since it already had the 15 inch touchscreen. Thankfully the 2024 model upgraded the screen from 12 inch to 15 inch and I’m so glad it did. There is great deal you can do with the additional screen real estate.

The bad – the stuff I wished the car had

Having a Honda Civic as my previous car meant I had a very reliable car with lots of features that made the whole car ownership a breeze. Compared to that car, I already miss a number features missing that were in the Honda Civic that aren’t in the BYD Atto 3, namely:

• speed limiter – adaptive cruise control doesn’t cut it, I want to be able to set the speed limit and push the accelerator without concerns I’ll get a speeding ticket
• keyless touch entry on the passenger side of the car – although the Atto 3 also allows for access with a NFC card, access can only happen at the driver’s side
• spare tyre (even if its was space saver tyre) – all you get in the Atto 3 is a tyre repair kit, which isn’t the same as having a reliable spare tyre ready to roll
• add on accessories like mud flaps

There are some other things I would prefer like privacy screens for the back seats, some quality of life improvements to protect the electric plug outlet, and a frunk, but on the whole it’s minor gripes than major gripes.

This isn’t quite about the car, but I found the experience at the dealer less than impressive – mainly because there was some miscommunication about features and services that were provided with the car and English wasn’t a first language for many of the stuff. Despite that, in this day and age, I was able to get all the right information I needed by jumping onto the internet. Plus BYD did call me after I picked up the car to ask how things were going and if I had any feedback – which was done by someone who seemed more experienced and had the details.

The stuff the car provides that I am happy to have, but didn’t think about when getting the car

There were some features the Atto 3 has that I wasn’t looking for in a car, but greatly appreciated. For instance:

1. Always on dash cam – this is a great feature to have. Although they only get you a 8 GB micro SD card, you can easily slot in a 256 GB micro SD for around $40 nowadays.
2. Full sunroof – a wonderful addition to the car to bring in more light into the car.
3. Karaoke and lights – although the karaoke app has limited songs (and slightly clunky to use), it is at least free and works with the ambient lights inside the car, but you will need to purchase your own microphones.
4. Air purifier – I don’t know if it actually works, but it seems nice (and tells you when the air is cleaned).
5. Heated seats for just driver and passenger seats – I had this feature in my Honda Civic and thinks it’s a nice feature for those cold drives.
6. The guitar strings – a nice gimmick, but a a gimmick that keeps the children entertained and they can work like the real thing.
7. Having the automatic tail gate / trunk – what a life saver
8. Synthetic leather seats – I had leather seats in the Honda Civic. The Atto 3’s synthetic leather is still fine, and it feels and looks nice.
9. BYD app – you can see your battery charge, the location of the car, any warnings all from the app.

I didn’t think about this much, but servicing is average $299 a year for five years with each service having a set cost. You can see the servicing schedule and cost when you inspect the vehicle. The other plus is that servicing only has to happen once every 12 months.

What else is there to think about

The car didn’t come with car mats. I managed to purchase them on the day I picked up the car. The website quotes the car mats (which is a pack of mats for the driver, passenger and backseat) for $219, but I managed to get them for $190. I was told that I was lucky to be able to pick them up, because there is no guarantee they have them in stock. I also wanted to get a boot/cargo mat, but they didn’t have them in stock.

I managed to get a Boulder Grey for an extra $700, which is not bad. I liked that grey meant I would get the blue and black coloured interior. Unlike Tesla who charge a lot for colours other than white, I was pleased that the cost to change to another colour for the Atto 3 was somewhat more affordable at $700.

The car comes with an at-home type 2 charger so that you can charge the car with any old wall socket. It takes about 15 hours to charge from 64% to full, and said to take around 30 hours from 30% to full. I haven’t quite allowed the car to go below 50% charge. I find that the battery drains more when I drive 100 kilometres/hour on the freeway or 80 km/h highways, and less so when I am doing childcare drop offs or visiting the local shops. I don’t charge the car every night, but at least have at least one overnight charge and another all-day charge when I am working from home to get me by the week – all using my wall socket to charge up my vehicle. (And it seems that BYD Atto 3 batteries, being Lithium Iron Phosphate, don’t mind being charged all the way to 100% based on what reddit and other people on the forums are saying.)

The Victorian number plate on the rear doesn’t quite fit the rectangle that has been allocated to fit the number plate, so it awkwardly hangs off with only two nails holding it in.

Concluding remarks

Overall, I am happy with the BYD Atto 3 so far. Time will tell if there are any reliability issues, but I’m content with the car.

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