Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
The Mercedes EQA is quite a bit more expensive than rivals including the Kia e-Niro and Peugeot e-2008. It also costs the same money as the Tesla Model 3, and that’s an altogether more compelling electric car.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric is more expensive than the EQA, but that too is a more impressive EV, and forthcoming cheaper versions will be even more competitive. (Check out our free What Car? New Car Deals pages for the best current prices.)
When it comes to charging times, the EQA is reasonably competitive. It has an 11kW on-board charger as standard (some rivals only provide 7kW), with which an 11kW home wallbox will give you a 10-100% charge in five hours and 45 minutes.
When it comes to fast charging, the EQA can charge at a maximum speed of 100kW, a rate that delivers a 10-80% charge in 30 minutes. Bear in mind that the Tesla Model 3 can charge even faster, though, and has the huge advantage of getting access to Tesla’s superbly maintained and widely available Supercharger network.
Mercedes came joint 22nd out of 30 manufacturers in our 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey. Audi, BMW, Tesla and Volvo all finished higher up the table, but Ford did less well, coming in joint 27th place.
All EQAs get a three year, unlimited mileage warranty (better than the XC40’s three-year/60,000-mile cover), while the battery is covered separately by an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty.
