A-Class: monthly finance cost
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is the UK's gateway to the three-pointed star, and finance is how most buyers get through the gate. Priced at £32,385, hire purchase with a 10% deposit of £3,238.50 at 9.9% APR over 48 months costs £737.83 a month, with a total amount payable of £38,654.34. The payment is fixed every month, which makes planning straightforward - insurance, servicing and road tax sit outside the agreement.
In Britain the A-Class is overwhelmingly a PCP car, with dealers leaning on the badge's residuals to advertise low monthly figures. PCP monthlies undercut HP because a guaranteed future value becomes an optional final payment rather than part of the monthly schedule. On HP at about £738 a month, you skip the balloon entirely: fixed payments, no mileage caps, and full ownership after month 48.
Total payable: £38,654.31 · Interest: £6,269.31
Consider the deposit what-if on that £737.83 figure: raising the deposit from £3,238.50 to £6,000 cuts nearly £2,800 off the financed balance, which pulls the monthly payment down and reduces total interest. Alternatively, a 60-month term would lower the monthly figure by spreading the payments thinner - but an extra year of interest raises the overall cost.
HP or PCP for the A-Class? HP appeals to buyers who want the Mercedes as a keeper, with the satisfaction of outright ownership. PCP appeals to badge-chasers who like lower monthlies and a fresh model every few years. Verdict: attainable premium motoring on paper for UK buyers - with the honest caveat that the APR you are offered will depend on your credit status.
Full Mercedes-Benz A-Class review →