Should you buy a Chinese car? Our experts explain everything you need to know

After Japanese cars became popular in the UK in the 1970s and then South Korean cars at the turn of the century, models from China are now an increasingly regular fixture on UK roads.

But are they a flash in the pan, or will they disappear without a trace, like Malaysian brands such as Proton and Perodua, and Indian brands such as Mahindra and Tata?

We explain everything you need to know about Chinese cars and how they compare with those from other countries.

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Which Chinese brands are in the UK?

They might be new to the UK, but most of the Chinese brands – or the companies that own them – have been around for many years.

Below, we’ve listed the Chinese brands currently selling new cars in the UK, along with their parent company, when they first started selling here and when they were founded.

Are Chinese cars safe?

It’s natural to have safety concerns with a product from a brand you’re not familiar with, especially when buying a car.

The good news is that most Chinese cars score the full five stars in Euro NCAP’s tests. There have been a few exceptions, such as the Chery Tiggo 4 and MG 3, but these both scored a commendable four stars.

It’s also worth pointing out that some Chinese cars, such as the Leapmotor T03 and Skywell BE11, haven’t yet been crash-tested by Euro NCAP.

As with many cars available to buy new, these results are based on Euro NCAP’s previous test programme. The latest test programme, launched in 2026, includes on-road assessments of driver-assistance technology for the first time. And our own lab assessments show a mixed picture for safety technology.

While many Chinese cars score well for the amount of safety tech fitted as standard, we have found that the technology doesn’t always work particularly well on European roads.

For example, we found that the Leapmotor T03's driver-monitoring system was annoying because it activated even when you use the climate controls. Many of the safety controls are often buried within the touchscreen and require you to navigate several menus to access them (we experienced this on the BYD Dolphin Surf and BYD Dolphin, which have speed limiters that were hard to disable).

The XPeng G6’s steering assist and lane-change system were unreliable in our tests, while the BYD Seal U’s lane-assist system intervened too harshly.

Early examples of the MG 4 had faulty lane-assistance systems, which we highlighted in our testing; MG issued a software update to rectify the issue.

It's worth noting that these issues aren't entirely absent from cars made elsewhere, but we've noticed them more often in Chinese brands.

Read our individual car reviews to see how each car fares in this respect, but as with any car, it's best to test-drive your chosen model first. Pay particular attention to how its driver-assistance systems behave on roads you drive on most frequently, and also how easy you find them to adjust and turn off.

Are Chinese cars cheap?

Not only do Chinese cars tend to be cheaper than other brands, but our reviews regularly show that you typically get a lot more for your money, too.

However, the price of some non-Chinese cars has reduced in recent months thanks to the electric car grant, which the UK government launched in 2025 and currently offers up to £3,750 off the list price of eligible cars.

Due to the strict eligibility criteria, it’s very unlikely that Chinese-made cars will ever qualify for this grant, although some Chinese brands offer their own ‘grants’ to combat it.

Read more about the EV grant and the various discounts available, and our guide to the cars with the biggest discounts.

How do Chinese cars perform in Which? tests?

We’ve lab tested several Chinese cars in recent years, most of which have been electric or plug-in hybrids.

Broadly speaking, they accelerate quickly at low speeds but are often let down by poor efficiency, and they rely too much on touchscreens, which can be harder to use.

As you'll see from the selection of reviews below, they're available at various prices, and Which? test scores vary greatly.

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We'll soon be lab testing the Jaecoo 7, which is proving very popular in the UK. In the meantime, watch our video to find out more about the car and the brand as a whole.

Are Chinese cars reliable?

As most Chinese brands are very new to the UK, we don’t yet have the same level of reliability data as for more established brands.

However, we do have reliability data for BYD cars aged 0-4 years, which shows they're affected by faults less often than average, but they do spend a considerable amount of time off the road waiting for repairs.

Serious engine faults were mentioned by 15% of BYD owners who completed our survey, while 11% highlighted minor non-engine electronic issues.

The opposite is true for MG: its cars are typically repaired more quickly than BYD’s, but are more likely to have faults. In fact, 24% of MG owners with cars aged 0-4 years reported minor non-engine electronic issues (the most common were connectivity and onboard computer software issues).

Do Chinese cars have long warranties?

Nearly all Chinese brands offer longer warranties than most European, Japanese and South Korean brands. They typically last for five to eight years, with different mileage allowances between brands.

Leapmotor is the exception here, as its SUV models have four-year warranties (its T03 city car has only a three-year warranty).

It’s also worth noting that some non-Chinese brands (such as Lexus, Suzuki and Toyota) offer 10-year service-activated warranties as long as you service your car at a main dealer.

Read our guide on the most reliable cars to see all our reliability data and search for the model or brand you're interested in.

What if something goes wrong with the car?

While the bigger brands have relatively large UK dealer and support networks, some of the smaller ones (such as Skywell) don’t have the same presence.

While this shouldn’t put you off completely, it’s definitely something to be aware of – you might find that the nearest dealer is hundreds of miles away, which could cause problems if you need to take your car for a service or repair.

Also, as more Chinese brands enter the UK market, some smaller brands could find it hard to survive. This has happened in Europe before with Aiways, which entered some European markets in 2020 but then went through restructures, was withdrawn from the Chinese market and has since effectively disappeared from Europe.

Some brands also appear to be struggling to enter the UK market at all. Seres, for example, announced plans to launch a car here in 2024 – we’re still waiting for it.

So, while brands from the bigger Chinese companies shouldn’t be cause for concern, be cautious when looking at smaller brands that aren’t as well established, both in the UK and in China.

Are Chinese cars easy to insure?

Although Chinese cars tend to have long warranties, getting them insured isn’t always easy, with often higher-than-average premiums.

Insurers assess the risk of car models largely based on their past experience insuring them, so they're generally wary of vehicles they're unfamiliar with.

When there's not much of a track record, the uncertainty tends to result in cautious (in other words, more expensive) premiums or unwillingness to offer cover at all.

As more data on these newer brands is accumulated, prices will potentially start to fall, but as with any car, it’s best to research insurance quotes before you buy. Head to our guide on the best car insurance companies for more.

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