u/t4tareq

I’m due to collect my brand new BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort from Hendy Poole on Thursday. The finance is approved and full payment has been made, so everything is ready from my side.

Unfortunately, communication from the dealership hasn’t been great. Emails often go unanswered for a couple of days, which has made the whole process quite stressful.

My latest issue is with the insurance. Hendy don’t offer any drive-away insurance, and they’ve told me the car will only be registered on the day of collection.

They’ve given me the registration number, but it’s not yet recognised by the comparison sites, so I can get quotes but can’t actually buy a policy using the registration. The only insurer willing to insure it right now is my current provider, but the premium is much higher than the comparison site quotes.

Has anyone else experienced this with a brand new BYD?

\* How long did it take for your registration to appear on the DVLA/insurance databases?
\* Were you able to arrange insurance before collection?
\* Is it normal for the registration to become active on the morning of collection, or should I be asking the dealer to register it earlier?

It’s a 3-hour drive home, so I’m a bit concerned about getting everything sorted in time.

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks

I’m due to collect my brand new BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort from Hendy Poole on Thursday. The finance is approved and full payment has been made, so everything is ready from my side.

Unfortunately, communication from the dealership hasn’t been great. Emails often go unanswered for a couple of days, which has made the whole process quite stressful.

My latest issue is with the insurance. Hendy don’t offer any drive-away insurance, and they’ve told me the car will only be registered on the day of collection.

They’ve given me the registration number, but it’s not yet recognised by the comparison sites, so I can get quotes but can’t actually buy a policy using the registration. The only insurer willing to insure it right now is my current provider, but the premium is much higher than the comparison site quotes.

Has anyone else experienced this with a brand new BYD?

* How long did it take for your registration to appear on the DVLA/insurance databases?
* Were you able to arrange insurance before collection?
* Is it normal for the registration to become active on the morning of collection, or should I be asking the dealer to register it earlier?

It’s a 3-hour drive home, so I’m a bit concerned about getting everything sorted in time.

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks

I’m due to collect my brand new BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort from Hendy Poole on Thursday. The finance is approved and full payment has been made, so everything is ready from my side.

Unfortunately, communication from the dealership hasn’t been great. Emails often go unanswered for a couple of days, which has made the whole process quite stressful.

My latest issue is with the insurance. Hendy don’t offer any drive-away insurance, and they’ve told me the car will only be registered on the day of collection.

They’ve given me the registration number, but it’s not yet recognised by the comparison sites, so I can get quotes but can’t actually buy a policy using the registration. The only insurer willing to insure it right now is my current provider, but the premium is much higher than the comparison site quotes.

Has anyone else experienced this with a brand new BYD?

* How long did it take for your registration to appear on the DVLA/insurance databases?
* Were you able to arrange insurance before collection?
* Is it normal for the registration to become active on the morning of collection, or should I be asking the dealer to register it earlier?

It’s a 3-hour drive home, so I’m a bit concerned about getting everything sorted in time.

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks

I’ve been offered a brand new BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort in black for £33,505 with 0% HP finance and a 50% deposit. I’ll be the first registered keeper with full warranty.
Is this a genuinely good deal? How do you think depreciation and reliability will be over the next 4 years? Would you buy one at this price?

I’ve been offered a brand new BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort in black for £33,505 with 0% HP finance and a 50% deposit. I’ll be the first registered keeper with full warranty.
Is this a genuinely good deal? How do you think depreciation and reliability will be over the next 4 years? Would you buy one at this price?

Looking for opinions on a BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort before I commit.
I’m considering a brand-new BYD Seal U 1.5 DM-i Comfort (PHEV) in Black.
The dealer’s list price is around £36,995 plus £1,100 for black paint, but after negotiating I’ve received a cash offer of £33,250 OTR for a brand-new unregistered vehicle with the black paint included.
The dealer has also offered a 0% HP finance option, but the vehicle price increases significantly under HP. They said they may be able to reduce the HP vehicle price to around £35,000, but nowhere near the £33,250 cash price.
A few things concern me:
I found a BYD Approved Used example on Auto Trader:
2025 BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort
12,487 miles
Black
BYD Approved Used
£24,995
That’s roughly an £8,000-£10,000 drop within about a year, depending on which new-car price you compare it against.
My questions are:
Is this level of depreciation normal for the BYD Seal U DM-i?
Is there something about this model that’s causing such a steep fall in value?
Are dealers heavily discounting new cars, making used values look worse?
Has anyone owned one long enough to comment on reliability, software, servicing and real-world fuel economy?
Is £33,250 for a brand-new Comfort with black paint included actually a strong deal?
Would you buy one at this price, or would you take the nearly-new approved used car for £24,995 instead?
I haven’t test driven the car yet. I’ve only seen it on display at Westfield.
My first impression was surprisingly positive. The interior felt solid and well put together, with good materials and very little of the cheap plastic feel you get in some rivals. It certainly felt more premium than I expected for the price.
I’d appreciate honest opinions from current owners and anyone who has looked at one recently. Is this a hidden gem, or is the depreciation a warning sign?

Looking for some honest UK advice on a medium SUV.
Budget: around £30k (used)
Use: mostly London driving + occasional motorway trips
Key requirements:
Self-charging hybrid only (no plug-in, no full EV)
Comfort is a big priority, ideally close to Lexus-level ride quality
Reliable long-term ownership
Low-ish insurance / not a high theft target in London
Easy to live with in tight city driving
So far I’ve been looking at:
Volvo XC60, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson
I also considered Lexus NX/RX because I love the comfort, but I’m trying to avoid it due to insurance costs and theft risk in London.
Main question:
If you were in my position, what would you actually buy and why? And is there anything I’m missing that fits this brief better?
Would really appreciate real-world UK experience rather than spec sheet opinions.

Looking for honest opinions on this.
I’ve come across the JAECOO 7 SHS-H hybrid (Deluxe) and on paper it looks like a lot of car for the money. But it’s a brand-new model and that’s exactly what’s putting me off going all in on buying it outright.
Realistically, no one knows how it’ll hold up in 2–3 years time in the UK.
I’m now thinking a 2-year lease might actually be the safer move. Found a deal around £292 a month, 2 years, 15k miles a year.
Feels like that way I avoid the long-term risk if it turns out to be a bit of an unknown in terms of reliability, resale value, and dealer support.
What do people think? Am I overthinking it, or is leasing the sensible play here given it’s such a new car/brand in the UK market?

Looking for honest opinions on this.
I’ve come across the JAECOO 7 SHS-H hybrid (Deluxe) and on paper it looks like a lot of car for the money. But it’s a brand-new model and that’s exactly what’s putting me off going all in on buying it outright.
Realistically, no one knows how it’ll hold up in 2–3 years time in the UK.
I’m now thinking a 2-year lease might actually be the safer move. Found a deal around £292 a month, 2 years, 15k miles a year.
Feels like that way I avoid the long-term risk if it turns out to be a bit of an unknown in terms of reliability, resale value, and dealer support.
What do people think? Am I overthinking it, or is leasing the sensible play here given it’s such a new car/brand in the UK market?

Has anyone here bought a brand-new car through New UK Cars?

Website: https://www.newukcars.co.uk/

I came across them while searching for the best price on a new Kia Sportage GT-Line S HEV:

https://www.newukcars.co.uk/vehicle/kia/sportage-16-t-gdi-235-hev-gt-line-s-auto/27

The dealer price I’ve been quoted is around £41k, but New UK Cars are offering the same car for roughly £34k, which is a huge saving and obviously very attractive.

I’ve spoken with them and they are asking for a £2,000 deposit upfront. The remaining balance is payable by bank transfer when the vehicle is delivered to my home address.

This is where I’m slightly nervous. Once a bank transfer has been made, it’s not as easy to recover the money if something goes wrong.

For anyone who has used them:

• Was the car supplied exactly as ordered?
• Was it registered to you as the first keeper?
• How did you verify the VIN matched the paperwork before releasing the final payment?
• Were you given enough time to inspect the vehicle before making the bank transfer?
• Did the registration number, VIN and vehicle specification all match what you ordered?
• Any issues with warranty, servicing or Kia dealer support afterwards?
• Were there any unexpected fees or surprises?

The discount is very tempting, but spending £34k and then making a same-day bank transfer on delivery feels like a big leap of faith.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with first-hand experience, whether positive or negative.

I’d also add one more question if posting on a car-buying subreddit:

“Did anyone pay the balance only after physically checking the VIN on the car against the order form and invoice, or were you expected to transfer the money before inspection?”

That’s the answer I’d want before sending £34k to anyone.

Has anyone here bought a brand-new car through New UK Cars?

Website: https://www.newukcars.co.uk/

I came across them while searching for the best price on a new Kia Sportage GT-Line S HEV:

https://www.newukcars.co.uk/vehicle/kia/sportage-16-t-gdi-235-hev-gt-line-s-auto/27

The dealer price I’ve been quoted is around £41k, but New UK Cars are offering the same car for roughly £34k, which is a huge saving and obviously very attractive.

I’ve spoken with them and they are asking for a £2,000 deposit upfront. The remaining balance is payable by bank transfer when the vehicle is delivered to my home address.

This is where I’m slightly nervous. Once a bank transfer has been made, it’s not as easy to recover the money if something goes wrong.

For anyone who has used them:

• Was the car supplied exactly as ordered?
• Was it registered to you as the first keeper?
• How did you verify the VIN matched the paperwork before releasing the final payment?
• Were you given enough time to inspect the vehicle before making the bank transfer?
• Did the registration number, VIN and vehicle specification all match what you ordered?
• Any issues with warranty, servicing or Kia dealer support afterwards?
• Were there any unexpected fees or surprises?

The discount is very tempting, but spending £34k and then making a same-day bank transfer on delivery feels like a big leap of faith.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with first-hand experience, whether positive or negative.

I’d also add one more question if posting on a car-buying subreddit:

“Did anyone pay the balance only after physically checking the VIN on the car against the order form and invoice, or were you expected to transfer the money before inspection?”

That’s the answer I’d want before sending £34k to anyone.

Has anyone here bought a brand-new car through New UK Cars?

Website: https://www.newukcars.co.uk/

I came across them while searching for the best price on a new Kia Sportage GT-Line S HEV:

https://www.newukcars.co.uk/vehicle/kia/sportage-16-t-gdi-235-hev-gt-line-s-auto/27

The dealer price I’ve been quoted is around £41k, but New UK Cars are offering the same car for roughly £34k, which is a huge saving and obviously very attractive.

I’ve spoken with them and they are asking for a £2,000 deposit upfront. The remaining balance is payable by bank transfer when the vehicle is delivered to my home address.

This is where I’m slightly nervous. Once a bank transfer has been made, it’s not as easy to recover the money if something goes wrong.

For anyone who has used them:

• Was the car supplied exactly as ordered?
• Was it registered to you as the first keeper?
• How did you verify the VIN matched the paperwork before releasing the final payment?
• Were you given enough time to inspect the vehicle before making the bank transfer?
• Did the registration number, VIN and vehicle specification all match what you ordered?
• Any issues with warranty, servicing or Kia dealer support afterwards?
• Were there any unexpected fees or surprises?

The discount is very tempting, but spending £34k and then making a same-day bank transfer on delivery feels like a big leap of faith.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with first-hand experience, whether positive or negative.

Hi all,
I’m based in the UK and looking to buy a used SUV hybrid with a budget around £27k.
I’ve been going in circles and can’t seem to land on something that makes sense long term, so would really appreciate some honest advice.
What I’ve looked at so far:
Lexus NX 350h
Love the car, but in London it’s heavily targeted for theft and insurance quotes are coming in around £1,900. That’s hard to justify.
Kia Sportage (hybrid)
Really liked it, but Kia has just released the new shape this year. My concern is the older shape will drop in value quickly.
Volvo XC60 (hybrid)
I like the driving feel, but I keep hearing the interior feels a bit underwhelming for the price. Also unsure about depreciation with a new model expected around 2027.
My situation:
Annual mileage: ~15,000 miles
Plan: keep the car around 3 years then sell
Preference: self-charging hybrid (no plug-in)
Priority: reliability + decent resale value + reasonable insurance (London)
I’m basically stuck between buying something I really like vs something that won’t get hit badly on depreciation or insurance.
If you were in my position, what would you go for? Any models I should be considering that I’ve missed?
Appreciate any real-world experience, especially from UK owners.

Looking for some honest opinions from current Kia Sportage owners.

I’ve just test-driven a brand new Kia Sportage GT-Line S Hybrid 1.6 Turbocharged Petrol Hybrid Automatic AWD in Phantom Black and genuinely loved it. I’ve also driven the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, but preferred the Sportage overall.

A few questions for those who own one:

• How reliable has your Sportage been so far?
• Any common issues or annoying things I should know about before buying?
• How has the hybrid system been in real-world use?
• What sort of MPG are you actually getting?

I’m also trying to understand depreciation.

The lowest prices I’ve found online for a brand new GT-Line S AWD Hybrid are around £36k-£38k, while the main dealer I visited is asking around £42k.

If I bought one at around £36k-£38k and kept it for 4 years, doing roughly 50,000 miles in total, what do you think it would realistically be worth when I come to sell it?

Do you think the Sportage holds its value reasonably well, or does it depreciate heavily?

One other question: has anyone here bought a brand new Kia through online brokers such as Broker4Cars, Cars2Buy, 360 Vehicle Leasing, DriveTheDeal or similar? If so, what was your experience? Any issues with delivery, warranty, registration, or after-sales support?

I’ve never bought a brand new car before. Every car I’ve owned has been used, so spending this much money on a new vehicle is a big step for me and I want to make sure I’m making the right decision.

Any advice, ownership experiences, or depreciation estimates would be greatly appreciated.

Looking for some honest opinions from current Kia Sportage owners.

I’ve just test-driven a brand new Kia Sportage GT-Line S Hybrid 1.6 Turbocharged Petrol Hybrid Automatic AWD in Phantom Black and genuinely loved it. I’ve also driven the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, but preferred the Sportage overall.

A few questions for those who own one:

• How reliable has your Sportage been so far?
• Any common issues or annoying things I should know about before buying?
• How has the hybrid system been in real-world use?
• What sort of MPG are you actually getting?

I’m also trying to understand depreciation.

The lowest prices I’ve found online for a brand new GT-Line S AWD Hybrid are around £36k-£38k, while the main dealer I visited is asking around £42k.

If I bought one at around £36k-£38k and kept it for 4 years, doing roughly 50,000 miles in total, what do you think it would realistically be worth when I come to sell it?

Do you think the Sportage holds its value reasonably well, or does it depreciate heavily?

One other question: has anyone here bought a brand new Kia through online brokers such as Broker4Cars, Cars2Buy, 360 Vehicle Leasing, DriveTheDeal or similar? If so, what was your experience? Any issues with delivery, warranty, registration, or after-sales support?

I’ve never bought a brand new car before. Every car I’ve owned has been used, so spending this much money on a new vehicle is a big step for me and I want to make sure I’m making the right decision.

Any advice, ownership experiences, or depreciation estimates would be greatly appreciated.

Looking for some honest opinions from current Kia Sportage owners.

I’ve just test-driven a brand new Kia Sportage GT-Line S Hybrid 1.6 Turbocharged Petrol Hybrid Automatic AWD in Phantom Black and genuinely loved it. I’ve also driven the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, but preferred the Sportage overall.

A few questions for those who own one:

• How reliable has your Sportage been so far?
• Any common issues or annoying things I should know about before buying?
• How has the hybrid system been in real-world use?
• What sort of MPG are you actually getting?

I’m also trying to understand depreciation.

The lowest prices I’ve found online for a brand new GT-Line S AWD Hybrid are around £36k-£38k, while the main dealer I visited is asking around £42k.

If I bought one at around £36k-£38k and kept it for 4 years, doing roughly 50,000 miles in total, what do you think it would realistically be worth when I come to sell it?

Do you think the Sportage holds its value reasonably well, or does it depreciate heavily?

One other question: has anyone here bought a brand new Kia through online brokers such as Broker4Cars, Cars2Buy, 360 Vehicle Leasing, DriveTheDeal or similar? If so, what was your experience? Any issues with delivery, warranty, registration, or after-sales support?

I’ve never bought a brand new car before. Every car I’ve owned has been used, so spending this much money on a new vehicle is a big step for me and I want to make sure I’m making the right decision.

Any advice, ownership experiences, or depreciation estimates would be greatly appreciated.

I’m stuck between two brand new cars and would genuinely like real-world opinions from people who’ve driven or owned either.
The two options are:
Hyundai Tucson 1.6T Hybrid Ultimate (2026)
vs
Kia Sportage GT-Line S Hybrid (2026)
Both are top-spec trims, same price bracket, and brand new.
What I’m trying to figure out is not specs on paper, but real-life experience:
Which one feels more comfortable on long drives?
Which interior feels more premium and less “plastic-y”?
Infotainment and tech usability — which system actually feels better day to day?
Ride quality on UK roads (potholes, motorways, etc.)
Sound insulation at motorway speeds
Driver assistance systems — which one actually works smoothly without constant annoying alerts?
On paper they’re very close, so I’m more interested in what actually feels better to live with.
If you had to choose one for daily driving in the UK, which would you go with and why — Hyundai Tucson Ultimate or Kia Sportage GT-Line S?
Honest experiences appreciated.

I’m stuck between two brand new cars and would genuinely like real-world opinions from people who’ve driven or owned either.
The two options are:
Hyundai Tucson 1.6T Hybrid Ultimate (2026)
vs
Kia Sportage GT-Line S Hybrid (2026)
Both are top-spec trims, same price bracket, and brand new.
What I’m trying to figure out is not specs on paper, but real-life experience:
Which one feels more comfortable on long drives?
Which interior feels more premium and less “plastic-y”?
Infotainment and tech usability — which system actually feels better day to day?
Ride quality on UK roads (potholes, motorways, etc.)
Sound insulation at motorway speeds
Driver assistance systems — which one actually works smoothly without constant annoying alerts?
On paper they’re very close, so I’m more interested in what actually feels better to live with.
If you had to choose one for daily driving in the UK, which would you go with and why — Hyundai Tucson Ultimate or Kia Sportage GT-Line S?
Honest experiences appreciated.

Thinking of pulling the trigger on the Tucson Hybrid Ultimate (1.6T 239hp). Got a quote around £36k from £42k RRP.
Just wanted some honest views before I commit.
Is that actually a decent deal in today’s market, or should I still be pushing for more / extras?
Also keen to hear from owners on real-world stuff:
How reliable has it been?
Any issues with the hybrid system or electronics?
Is it actually comfortable on longer drives or does it feel a bit “firm” on the 19s?
Road noise at motorway speeds?
Anything annoying you didn’t expect before buying?
I’m also looking at the Lexus NX, but insurance is coming in around £1.8k vs ~£900 for the Tucson, which is a big gap.
So trying to figure out if the Lexus is really worth nearly double the running cost.
Would you buy the Tucson again if you were choosing now?

Got the Amex Platinum (UK) about 3 months ago and I’m a bit underwhelmed with the Offers section.
Right now I only see about 4 offers available to save in the app. I’ve called customer service and they keep saying the system is still “learning my spending behaviour”.
Thing is, I’ve already put through around £15k spend and over 200 transactions in that time, so I expected the offers to be more active by now.
What’s confusing me is the difference vs the US version. They seem to get a lot more targeted and frequent Amex Offers. In the UK, it feels pretty limited outside the headline perks like the travel credit and dining credit.
For a £650 annual fee, I’m trying to understand if this is normal for UK users or if my account is just still “warming up”.
Anyone else had the same experience early on? Does it actually improve over time or is this basically what it stays like?
If anyone here is planning to apply, feel free to DM me so you can get the most out of the sign-up bonus.