Mercedes EQA: Is a lease at €399/month finally appealing?

On tiptoes, Mercedes finally agrees to lease its compact electric SUV EQA.

“One must adhere to a resolution because it is good, not because it has been adopted“. This aphorism is the work of the writer François de La Rochefoucauld. Why this introduction? Because Mercedes’ refusal to take on the electric challenge is intriguing. The German manufacturer prefers to relinquish market share to Tesla and its devilish Model Y rather than enter a trade war.

Mercedes is fiercely committed to its premium positioning, which seems to allow it to maintain higher prices due to the perception of quality and advanced technology. Additionally, production costs, particularly related to batteries and materials, remain high for electric vehicles produced in Europe. Finally, Mercedes currently enjoys a customer loyalty that is largely envied in the automotive world. Mercedes is not in a phase of customer conquest and thus prefers to bide its time on the electric front. The major offensive will come soon with a very efficient and cheaper sedan.

An interesting long-term rental?

The EQA range currently starts at 46,950 euros for the 250+ Edition, just below the threshold of 47,000 euros to be eligible for the ecological bonus of 4,000 euros. This means the final price is 42,950 euros, which is the price of a Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD. Hum… Note that the larger interior version EQB is offered at the same price. The powertrain offers 190 horsepower and a mixed range of 556 km.

Regardless, it takes all kinds to make a world, and some customers will never switch to Tesla and will always prefer the star logo on their cars. But also the after-sales service of the dealership, the repair shop, the slightest depreciation on the used market, etc.

Therefore, let’s take an interest in the Long-Term Rental offer of 37 months and 45,000 km (a very good point, as it equates to 15,000 km annually when the norm is 10,000 km) at 399 euros / month. It assumes an initial payment of 4,600 euros to make an initial selection “at the entry” and to make customers aware that a Mercedes has value.

In the end, the rental will amount to 18,964 euros, or 44% of the purchase value. It is a relatively honest deal, as the depreciation on electric vehicles remains very high. Being able to replace your vehicle in 3 years, without worrying about its resale, is not negligible. And it will then be an opportunity to take a leap into new technology.

Ideally, try to negotiate with your dealership to apply this offer to the EQB body style, which is much more practical and spacious for a family.

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