Best Chinese Cars of 2025 – Carwow

High-quality Chinese cars from rated and reviewed dealers
Experts predicted more than a decade ago that we’d all be driving Chinese cars by now, and you know what? The predictions were right. MG, once a British brand but now wholly Chinese-owned, is rising fast in the sales charts, and BYD has announced an ambition to become the UK’s best-selling car brand. Frankly, you wouldn’t be surprised to see it.
Chinese-brand cars have moved beyond their legacy of cheap-and-cheerful models to producing cars that can, for the most part, stand toe-to-toe with their UK, European, Japanese, and Korean competition. Step inside a BYD Seal, for example, or an Xpeng G6, and you’ll be amazed at the quality on offer.
While we’re still waiting for the Chinese car that truly lights our enthusiast fires in the way that a Porsche or an Alfa Romeo might, the fact is that in the areas that owners really care about – value for money, economy, warranty – the Chinese are leaping ahead. It’s why cars such as the MG 4 EV and HS are selling so well.
Chinese brands tend to excel in battery technology, so there’s a great mix of Chinese electric cars and hybrid models in this list, contributing to low running costs whichever model you go for.
Carwow’s expert reviews team has been behind the wheel of all the latest cars on sale in the UK and has put together this list of the best Chinese cars you can buy today.
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You’ve probably never heard of Skywell – and if the BE11 is the best this new Chinese brand can manage, you probably won’t hear too much of it in the future either. Don’t let the impressive on-paper stats fool you – this electric SUV is priced on a par with the brilliant Hyundai Ioniq 5, but while it has it beat on rear legroom it’s a million miles behind on interior quality, software, driving dynamics and efficiency. It truly feels like a beta tester, an impression helped by its total lack of active safety equipment. Save yourself the headache and spend your money on something else instead.
Choosing the right Chinese car for you can involve a lot of trawling through info on cars that have odd-sounding names (Xpeng, Jaecoo, Omoda) and models that you might never have heard of. That’s why MG has done so well – its Chinese owners, Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation, or SAIC, worked out that a familiar British brand would play well in the UK and Europe.
So, the first thing is to work out precisely which cars which brand makes, and whether or not they suit your needs. The Chinese brands have been concentrating, up till now, largely on electric cars, but that is changing now as the market seems to favour plug-in hybrids, so expect to see a lot more of those in Chinese-brand dealerships in the coming months.
Speaking of dealerships, it’s unsurprisingly MG – which has been here the longest – that has the biggest number of dealers, 153 at the last count. BYD is catching up, and plans to have 120 UK dealers by the end of 2025, but the likes of Xpeng, Jaecoo, and Omoda are still very much in the build-up phase, so in the short term you might struggle to find a dealer near you.
Speaking of dealers, and having one that’s convenient to you, it’s worth remembering that while most of the new Chinese brands offer impressive warranties, you might have cause to make more use of that warranty than you would with a more familiar brand. While some brands are just too new in a UK context to get a solid handle on their long-term reliability, MG is currently struggling, having finished plum-last in the most recent Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with 28.1% of owners reporting faults with their cars.

Yes, Chinese cars have matured to the point where many of them are extremely good – often as good as or better than their more established alternatives, for the same or less money. Not all Chinese cars are good, of course – but neither are all European, Japanese or Korean cars. Some models, such as the BYD Seal or MG 3, are accomplished enough to score 8 or 9 out of 10 in their Carwow reviews.
Not all Chinese cars are reliable. In the 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, for example, MG was rated flat dead last in the rankings of brand satisfaction. However, newer models from brands such as BYD are proving popular with owners – and increasing numbers of dealers and better parts availability means quicker repairs when they’re needed. Some Chinese brands offer super-long warranties too, with Omoda, Jaecoo and MG all having seven years of coverage.
Yes, BYD is China’s best-selling car manufacturer and the largest manufacturer of so-called new energy vehicles (electric cars to you and me) in the world. It’s headquartered in Shenzen, China but the vehicles are built in several other countries.
Yes, there are at least ten Chinese car manufacturers selling vehicles in the UK, and even more are planning to enter the market.
Older Chinese cars had a reputation for being incredibly unsafe, and some cheaper models don’t have the credentials of their main alternatives. But most of the latest mainstream Chinese cars are very safe indeed, as evidenced by impressive Euro NCAP crash test safety results.
Not all of them – but some are well worth considering. Models such as the BYD Seal, Xpeng G6 or MG 3 are as good as or better than most of their European, Korean or Japanese alternatives.
There are nearly 100 Chinese domestic car brands selling vehicles in China, plus several dozen other joint ventures with existing car manufacturers. There are also several smaller or niche brands, not to mention sub-brands with the same parent company. At least 10 of these brands already sell cars in the UK, a number that’s set to rise.
* Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term, 8000 miles annually, inc VAT, excluding fees. Vehicle returned at term end.
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Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Carwow vs manufacturer RRP. Where it is shown that the EV Grant is included, this refers to the Government grant awarded to manufacturers on certain EV models and derivatives, the amount awarded under the EV Grant is included in the Savings stated and applied at the point of sale. Carwow is the trading name of Carwow Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking and insurance distribution activities (firm reference number: 767155). Carwow Leasey Limited is an appointed representative of ITC Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking (firm reference number: 313486) Carwow and Carwow Leasey Limited are each credit brokers and not a lenders. Carwow and Carwow Leasey Limited may receive a fee from retailers advertising finance and may receive a commission from partners (including dealers) for introducing customers. All finance offers and monthly payments shown are subject to application and status. Carwow is covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (please see www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk for more information). Carwow Ltd is registered in England (company number 07103079), registered office 2nd Floor, Verde Building, 10 Bressenden Place, London, England, SW1E 5DH. Carwow Leasey Limited is registered in England (company number 13601174), registered office 2nd Floor, Verde Building, 10 Bressenden Place, London, England, SW1E 5DH and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carwow Ltd.

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