Is the Ford Fiesta or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class cheaper to buy?

In current stock the Ford Fiesta starts lower: the Ford Fiesta is available from £4,980 (median £7,343) and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class from £6,567 (median £12,799).

What are the monthly finance payments on the Ford Fiesta vs the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?

Illustrative finance starts from £122/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR) on the Ford Fiesta and £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.

Which is cheaper to tax, the Ford Fiesta or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?

The most common annual road tax (VED) across Ford Fiesta stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class — so the Ford Fiesta is generally cheaper to tax.

Which is more reliable at MOT, the Ford Fiesta or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?

Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Ford Fiesta averages a 39% first-time pass rate and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class 52% — the Mercedes-Benz A-Class edges it on this measure.

Side by side

Ford Fiesta vs Mercedes-Benz A-Class

A side-by-side comparison of the used Ford Fiesta and Mercedes-Benz A-Class — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.

Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.

Ford Fiesta or Mercedes-Benz A-Class — which should I buy?

The Ford Fiesta starts cheaper (Ford Fiesta from £4,980, Mercedes-Benz A-Class from £6,567), with illustrative finance from £122/mo and £209/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 39% and 52% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.

Fiesta from: £4,980
A-Class from: £6,567
In stock: 16 vs 9

Ford Fiesta versus Mercedes-Benz A-Class on price, running costs and MOT reliability, from live UK stock. The best value in each row is highlighted.
From live stock	★ Best value overall Ford Fiesta 16 in stock · from £4,980	Mercedes-Benz A-Class 9 in stock · from £6,567
Cheapest in stock	£4,980★ lowest	£6,567
Median price	£7,343★ lower	£12,799
From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock	£122/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR)★ lower	£209/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR)
Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock	£200/yr	£200/yr
Median mileage	48,476 mi★ lower	52,210 mi
Median year	2018★ newer	2017
Median CO₂	109 g/km★ cleaner	126 g/km
Typical power	98 bhp	160 bhp★ more
Most common fuel	Petrol	Petrol
Most common gearbox	Manual	Automatic
MOT first-time passDVSA history	39%	52%★ more reliable
Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating	5 / 16	3 / 9★ more
	View all 16 Fiesta →	View all 9 A-Class →

Motoring Today score

Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.

Score	Ford Fiesta	Mercedes-Benz A-Class
Overall	73/100	67/100
Reliability	65	60
Running costs	78	80
Safety	—	60
Family & practicality	79	79
Insurance	72	53

A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.

Specs, side by side

Manufacturer specifications across the Ford Fiesta and Mercedes-Benz A-Class trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).

Spec	Ford Fiesta	Mercedes-Benz A-Class
MPG (combined)	37–88 mpg	36–80 mpg
CO₂ emissions	82–179 g/km	17–197 g/km
Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50	Group 2–31	Group 9–45
Euro NCAP safety	5 stars (2017)	73% pillar avg
0–60mph	6.3s	4.1s
Power	45–197 bhp	75–375 bhp
Seats	5	5
Doors	5	5
Length	3950 mm	4299 mm
Width	1912 mm	1992 mm
Height	1476 mm	1440 mm

How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →

About the finance figures

Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.

Motoring Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).

Motoring Today is a credit broker, not a lender.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ford Fiesta or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class cheaper to buy?: In current stock the Ford Fiesta starts lower: the Ford Fiesta is available from £4,980 (median £7,343) and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class from £6,567 (median £12,799).
What are the monthly finance payments on the Ford Fiesta vs the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?: Illustrative finance starts from £122/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR) on the Ford Fiesta and £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
Which is cheaper to tax, the Ford Fiesta or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?: The most common annual road tax (VED) across Ford Fiesta stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class — so the Ford Fiesta is generally cheaper to tax.
Which is more reliable at MOT, the Ford Fiesta or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?: Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Ford Fiesta averages a 39% first-time pass rate and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class 52% — the Mercedes-Benz A-Class edges it on this measure.

Motoring Today score

Specs, side by side

Frequently asked questions

Explore these models