BYD Dolphin Surf vs MG Cyberster

The MG Cyberster costs £41,595 more than the BYD Dolphin Surf. For that premium it adds 138 miles more WLTP range, 85 kW faster peak rapid charging and 310 kW more power. The BYD Dolphin Surf is not just cheaper - it also offers 59 litres more boot space and 2 more seats (4 versus 2). On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BYD Dolphin Surf comes out ahead overall.

The BYD Dolphin Surf is £41,595 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £184 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the BYD Dolphin Surf comes out roughly £41,635 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 87 miles for the BYD Dolphin Surf and 229 miles for the MG Cyberster - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The MG Cyberster goes roughly 142 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 30 minutes in the BYD Dolphin Surf and 38 in the MG Cyberster, so the BYD Dolphin Surf loses less time at each stop. So the MG Cyberster stops less often while the BYD Dolphin Surf stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The BYD Dolphin Surf is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 193 mm narrower than the MG Cyberster. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 680 mm of total clearance for the BYD Dolphin Surf and about 487 mm of total clearance for the MG Cyberster.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the BYD Dolphin Surf and 84% for the MG Cyberster. That gives the BYD Dolphin Surf a modest edge in retained real-world range. The BYD Dolphin Surf's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the MG Cyberster's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use.