Is the Mercedes-Benz A-Class or the Volkswagen Polo cheaper to buy?

In current stock the Mercedes-Benz A-Class starts lower: the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is available from £5,999 (median £11,743) and the Volkswagen Polo from £7,252 (median £9,780).

What are the monthly finance payments on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class vs the Volkswagen Polo?

Illustrative finance starts from £185/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and £169/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Polo. 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 Mercedes-Benz A-Class or the Volkswagen Polo?

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

Which is more reliable at MOT, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class or the Volkswagen Polo?

Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class averages a 87% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Polo 80% — the Mercedes-Benz A-Class edges it on this measure.

Side by side

Mercedes-Benz A-Class vs Volkswagen Polo

A side-by-side comparison of the used Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Polo — 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.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class or Volkswagen Polo — which should I buy?

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class starts cheaper (Mercedes-Benz A-Class from £5,999, Volkswagen Polo from £7,252), with illustrative finance from £185/mo and £169/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 87% and 80% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.

A-Class from: £5,999
Polo from: £7,252
In stock: 12 vs 5

Mercedes-Benz A-Class versus Volkswagen Polo on price, running costs and MOT reliability, from live UK stock. The best value in each row is highlighted.
From live stock	Mercedes-Benz A-Class 12 in stock · from £5,999	★ Best value overall Volkswagen Polo 5 in stock · from £7,252
Cheapest in stock	£5,999★ lowest	£7,252
Median price	£11,743	£9,780★ lower
From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock	£185/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR)	£169/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR)★ lower
Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock	£200/yr	£200/yr
Median mileage	70,392 mi	50,500 mi★ lower
Median year	2018	2018
Median CO₂	117 g/km	104 g/km★ cleaner
Typical power	131 bhp★ more	93 bhp
Most common fuel	Diesel	Petrol
Most common gearbox	Automatic	Manual
MOT first-time passDVSA history	87%★ more reliable	80%
Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating	3 / 12	3 / 5★ more
	View all 12 A-Class →	View all 5 Polo →

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	Mercedes-Benz A-Class	Volkswagen Polo
Overall	67/100	75/100
Reliability	60	69
Running costs	80	78
Safety	60	—
Family & practicality	79	78
Insurance	53	74

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

Spec	Mercedes-Benz A-Class	Volkswagen Polo
MPG (combined)	36–80 mpg	0–83 mpg
CO₂ emissions	17–197 g/km	82–216 g/km
Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50	Group 9–45	Group 1–30
Euro NCAP safety	73% pillar avg	5 stars (2022)
0–60mph	4.1s	6.3s
Power	75–375 bhp	45–204 bhp
Seats	5	5
Doors	5	5
Length	4299 mm	3970 mm
Width	1992 mm	1901 mm
Height	1440 mm	1461 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 Mercedes-Benz A-Class or the Volkswagen Polo cheaper to buy?: In current stock the Mercedes-Benz A-Class starts lower: the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is available from £5,999 (median £11,743) and the Volkswagen Polo from £7,252 (median £9,780).
What are the monthly finance payments on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class vs the Volkswagen Polo?: Illustrative finance starts from £185/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and £169/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Polo. 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 Mercedes-Benz A-Class or the Volkswagen Polo?: The most common annual road tax (VED) across Mercedes-Benz A-Class stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Polo — so the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is generally cheaper to tax.
Which is more reliable at MOT, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class or the Volkswagen Polo?: Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class averages a 87% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Polo 80% — the Mercedes-Benz A-Class edges it on this measure.

Motoring Today score

Specs, side by side

Frequently asked questions

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