Mercedes A-Class hybrid running costs, insurance, warranty & tax
Pricey servicing detracts from the Mercedes A-Class hybrid's otherwise-frugal nature, which includes very cheap company-car tax
| Insurance group | Warranty | Service interval | Annual company-car tax cost (20%/40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-32 | 3yrs/unlimited miles | 1yr/15,500 miles | From £661 / £1,321 |
The Mercedes A-Class is an inherently efficient car, even if getting close to its claimed fuel-economy figures may be a stretch. This means – provided you can keep the battery topped up – that you should see a drop in your fuel bills if you’re coming from a conventional petrol car of a similar size.
There’s more to running a car than fuel costs, however, and in most other respects the A-Class should be about average for the compact-executive class. Mercedes isn't renowned for cheap servicing, but the brand’s various deals and payment plans allow you to spread the cost if you need to. The generous warranty is particularly good if you’re planning to do a lot of miles.
Mercedes A-Class hybrid insurance group
The A-Class hybrid falls into insurance groups 32 to 33, with only the very high-spec AMG Line Premium Plus sitting in the higher of those two brackets. For comparison, a petrol-only A 180 AMG Line Executive sits in group 20, suggesting you'll pay a premium for the added complexity and punchier performance of that hybrid powertrain.
Warranty
As with all Mercedes models, the A 250 e is covered by a three-year/unlimited-mileage warranty. This compares well with other premium manufacturers’ coverage – BMW’s is identical and Audi’s three-year warranty is capped at 60,000 miles – but in contrast, the cheaper Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In benefits from a five-year warranty that may be more useful for some buyers.
Servicing
Mercedes says the A-Class hybrid should be maintained every year or 15,500 miles, whichever comes first. The company offers fixed-price plans to help spread the cost, can carry out faster services while you wait and also offers air-conditioning services.
Road tax
The A 250 e boasts a very low claimed CO2 emissions figure of 32g/km, which means there’s no road tax (VED) to pay in the first year. One thing you can’t avoid is the high cost of tax from the second year. All versions of the A 250 e have a list price of more than £40,000, which means you’ll have to pay an extra £390 a year to tax them, increasing the cost to £560. Although this rate is only payable for five years from the second time the car is taxed, that’s an additional £1,950 you’ll have to find during the early stages of ownership.
This could be a good reason to buy a used A 250 e hatchback or saloon, because some of the older versions avoided the premium surcharge.
