AED 150,000 Budget: New BYD Atto 3 or Used Lexus NX?

Abu Dhabi: Buying a used or new car always classifies a buyer based on what he or she actually wants. Right now, a UAE buyer with an AED 150,000 budget can access a number of new cars, including both sedans and SUVs, as well as conventional petrol and even all-electric options. This underlines how the market has expanded over the last few years, offering many choices to buyers.

While EVs are making their presence felt in the new-car market, conventional cars still dominate most of the sales. Buying an EV in the UAE right now means accepting something petrol buyers never had to think about. The used market has not caught up yet, and nobody can say with certainty what a Chinese EV will be worth in three or five years.

That gap is at the centre of an interesting choice for anyone with AED 150,000 to spend. On one side is a brand-new, fully electric BYD Atto 3, priced comfortably inside that budget. On the otherside a used Lexus NX, an entry-level luxury SUV carrying two decades of trust built with exactly this kind of buyer in mind.

These two cars have almost nothing in common beyond seating five passengers, and that is what makes the comparison worth taking seriously.

Two Different Bets

This comparison of the two cars is not a traditional spec-to-spec difference; rather, it reflects a completely different objective for buyers considering them.

The Atto 3 has new technology where the market is heading, backed by real low running costs today. The NX, on the other hand, is where the market has already been, backed by a brand that has rarely let a UAE used buyer down. Both cars can pay off, but entirely in different ways.

The EV Case 

Just like most global markets, EVs are now becoming quite a big part of the discussion in the UAE. The sales are not that high, but they are certainly emerging as big new options.

In 2026, from an operational front, running an EV in the Emirates on home charging costs a fraction of what petrol does, and that gap is not marketing spin. Home charging through DEWA or ADDC, at roughly AED 0.29 to 0.38 per kWh, works out to somewhere between AED 0.05 and AED 0.12 per km.

A petrol SUV covering the same distance typically costs AED 0.40 to 0.70 per km. For most UAE car owners, a realistic commuting distance of over 20,000 km a year makes that gap alone worth AED 4,000 to 7,000 annually, even before considering maintenance savings.

What makes the Atto 3 even more compelling is that it is equipped with advanced technology and features that provide good value for the money: a large rotating touchscreen, a 360-degree camera, seven airbags, and driver-assistance features that a used NX from this era may not match, since safety tech has moved quickly in the years between the NX’s launch and today

The Lexus Aura 

When it comes to luxury cars with reliability, Lexus has always been a global name, trusted everywhere. As the brand has proved for decades what it stands for, especially in the UAE, Lexus built its UAE standing on the same engineering discipline as Toyota, and used car buyers here trust that reliability and discipline more than almost any other brand in the segment.

A three-year-old NX still feels a level above where the Atto 3 sits inside, with materials and switchgear that show proper luxury positioning rather than a value SUV dressed up to look premium. Lexus insurance in the UAE averages around AED 8,400 a year across the brand, higher than a mainstream SUV, which itself says something about how much the UAE car market is still willing to pay to own that name secondhand.

A used NX at this price point typically comes from a first owner who bought it new and serviced it through an authorised Lexus centre, since that remains the dominant ownership profile for the brand here.

That kind of proper history is worth more on a Lexus than it is on most other used cars, precisely because Lexus buyers as a group tend to maintain their cars properly.

The Insurance 

Since they are new and evolving, EV insurance premiums in the UAE run 20 to 35 percent higher than for a comparable petrol car, driven by expensive battery replacement costs, a shortage of workshops equipped for high-voltage repairs, and insurers still working with limited claims history on models like the Atto 3.

The annual EV insurance here averages AED 3,500 to 8,000 depending on make and model, against AED 3,000 to 6,000 for a similarly priced petrol car. That gap is not really big, but it does make a difference, and saving some of that money is worth considering.

Where Is The Risk 

Now if you are serious about putting your AED 150,000 to work, then you must look at what you are getting with these two cars. And are the risks worth it?

The real gap between these two cars is not running cost; it is what happens when either one gets sold again. Lexus resale value in the UAE is about as predictable as anything on sale, built on years of consistent used demand. BYD’s resale curve is still being written.

Early depreciation for the Atto 3 points to a real early-year value loss, and until several more years of UAE-specific resale data build up, buyers should treat any resale projection for a Chinese EV as a working estimate rather than a settled number.

Ownership Factor	BYD Atto 3 (New)	Lexus NX (Used)
Purchase price	AED 149,900	Roughly AED 110,000 to 135,000 for a 2021-22 example
Running cost per km	AED 0.05 to 0.12 (home charging)	Standard petrol running costs
Annual insurance	AED 3,500 to 8,000	Averages around AED 8,400 across the Lexus range
Resale predictability	Work in progress	Strong, long-established track record
Warranty	Full, new car coverage	Partial; remaining years vary.

Charging Access Matters

When it comes to an all-electric car, one big element of ownership is the charging infrastructure. None of the running-cost figures above mean much if you cannot actually charge conveniently. For example, villa owners and anyone with a dedicated parking spot and a wallbox see the full benefit of home charging rates.

But when it comes to apartment owners without assigned parking, they are a different case entirely, often relying on public DEWA Green Chargers or similar networks that charge AED 0.70 to 1.25 per kWh, several times the home rate. For these kinds of buyers, the Atto 3’s running-cost advantage over a petrol equivalent narrows considerably, though it rarely disappears completely.

Hence, anyone seriously considering the Atto 3 should map their actual daily charging routine before signing anything, not after.

A Used EV Instead

If you are really looking forward to owning a full EV in this comparison but have doubts about resale on a newer brand, you can choose a middle path. Which is worth giving a thought to: a used Tesla Model 3 or a used Hyundai Kona Electric, both of which now have a few years of actual UAE resale patterns to study rather than projections.

Tesla, in particular, has built the strongest resale track record among EVs sold here, and a used example at this budget is worth comparing before committing to either the new Atto 3 or the Lexus.

Our Take 

As we have said earlier, this analysis is not a conventional spec-to-spec comparison but offers you insight into what your AED 150,000 budget could be spent on. There are many good options available to choose from in that budget right now.

In this comparison context, if you prioritise lower running costs and the latest technology from a reputable brand, the Atto 3 is the clear choice; it is the superior option, assuming you have access to home or reliable workplace charging, as the running-cost advantage diminishes significantly without it.

If a proven brand, a more premium cabin, and the comfort of established resale data are more important to you, then the NX is the better choice, although it does not offer any fuel savings.

That said, like always, neither choice is perfect or wrong, but they are answering different questions. One is about running costs; the other is about resale value. And that actually depends on the buyers; if you know the answer fairly, the choice is rather simple.

Also Read: BYD Ti 7 Lands in the UAE: A Seven-Seat Hybrid SUV With Serious Ambition