Negative Equity on PCP

uknick

I drove a Porsche Cayman for many years and I can't recall ever scraping the bottom over speed humps.  Get the ride height checked.

XRS200

Take it a small local garage, get them to put it up on a ramp and see what is catching on speed bumps.  There will be marks where it's hitting.  

Something isn't right with it.

Goudy

There is nothing wrong with the car expect it's been built to be low.

The standard ride height is between 104mm and 120mm on the AMG/AMG Line A Class depending on the load. This means it tends to catch it's undertray when traversing certain types of speed bumps (the square, flat topped type).
Typical ride height for most normal hatchback type cars is 150mm to 160mm or more, same as the standard A Class.

The splitter on the front is also quite low and is obviously in front of the wheels, this can also catch when approaching some car park ramps etc.

Mercedes aren't going to be able to do too much about it, it's how the car is built and the way it is driven.
You will need to modify how you tackle these speed humps and approach ramps.
Instead of trying to straddle them, you need to slow down and drive over them with one side of the car or the other and approach ramps at an angle.

As far as the depreciation goes, that's also how things are.
You bought a new car and have made 6 or so payments and the car has lost far more value at this point than what you have already paid..
Depreciation isn't linear, it loses more at first and then less and less but your repayments are linear. A set amount each month.

As you continue pay it off the value and what you owe start getting closer and closer.
On a PCP deal the point where this matches is around the time the GFV (Balloon payment) is due.

If you want to change before that point you are going to have to pay that negative equity one way or another.
You do have some choices, find it in cash or refinance it on the next finance deal.

Neither option is attractive but refinancing the negative equity might be a problem if it's a large amount as they might not be keen to lend you £40k to buy a £35k car (which will be valued at £26k in a few months).
Plus if you are in a similar situation later on, you have a far larger portion of negative equity to sort. 



 

Mildly_Miffed

Goudy said:

There is nothing wrong with the car expect it's been built to be low.

The standard ride height is between 104mm and 120mm on the AMG/AMG Line A Class depending on the load. This means it tends to catch it's undertray when traversing certain types of speed bumps (the square, flat topped type).

Legal maximum for a speed bump is 100mm, with no gradient steeper than 1:10.

Goudy

Mildly_Miffed said:

Goudy said:

There is nothing wrong with the car expect it's been built to be low.

The standard ride height is between 104mm and 120mm on the AMG/AMG Line A Class depending on the load. This means it tends to catch it's undertray when traversing certain types of speed bumps (the square, flat topped type).

Legal maximum for a speed bump is 100mm, with no gradient steeper than 1:10.

Yes and the car has a normal ride high of between 104mm and 120mm measured as rest.
That will of course alter as the car rises and falls on it's suspension.

As the wheels reach the speed hump, the suspension will initially compress and the wheels will lift up, reducing the ride height momentarily in the area of that particular wheel, before rebounding a few times and setting back again.

There will be a certain amount of movement in the suspension before it "bottoms out" (fully compressed on it's bump stops) and "fully rebounds" (fully extended) that will alter the resting ride height considerably either way.

Fully compress or extend all the suspension or two on the same axle at the same time will generally alter the ride height evenly across the car or that particular axle, but compress or extend one will just alter the ride height of that particular corner.

You can see this in action when you jack a car up, the wheel will droop lower as it's suspension extends without the weight of the car on it.
Or
Fill you car up with 5 people and a boot full of luggage and it will compress on it's suspension.

This is why I suggested slowing down and traversing the hump with one side of the car as that will alter the frequency of the compression and rebound, (the slower the car the sooner the car rebounds and settles) plus the only half of the cars suspension will compress and momentarily extend, reducing the loss of ride height across the axles over the hump.

Yes the opposite side of the car will compress slightly as the weight shifts due to the rising side of the car, but some of that will be controlled by the anti roll bar.

Another good reason to do this is you can alter which side you ride over the hump with and maybe help prevent the notoriously weak AMG alloy wheels from buckling and cracking.

born_again

uknick said:

I drove a Porsche Cayman for many years and I can't recall ever scraping the bottom over speed humps.  Get the ride height checked.

Perhaps OP is trying to straddle the humps, rather than put one wheel on the edge, thus lifting the car up.

Grumpy_chap

amandaevans_2 said:

I have PCP on a Mercedes Benz A Class which was taken out 6 months ago brand new from Marshall Mercedes Benz.
I want to change the vehicle I absolutely hate it as every speed bump and dip leaving a car park scrapes my under carriage unless I am able to move to a 45 degree angle and its still hit or miss as to whether I am going to drag it along the speed bump despite doing like 4 miles an hour maximum.
This appears to be a common thing online with other A-Class owners too.
Its a 2025 plate and done just under 4k mileage and is immaculate.
My settlement quote is £30,258 which includes the rebate of £5,533 however going off the parker guide its valuing my car at approximately £26,245. 
I am happy to stay with Mercedes but I am being told that its unlikely they can help me unless I put another few grand into moving to another car?
Any help would be greatly appreciated as id like to go back to a GLA and increase my monthly payment from £410 to £550 maximum but I am reluctant to put another 2k into another car when I only paid that 6 months ago.
But I can continue to drive a car and have to try to avoid all roads with speedbumps etc its utter madness this.

The PCP is just a form of finance for buying the vehicle, with a deferred final payment that you may avoid paying if the car is returned back in good condition at the end of the term.

If you buy a car brand new, use it for 6 months and then look to sell the car, you will suffer a very significant depreciation.
You will have additional depreciation / cost associated with the damage to the undercarriage.

If the MB dealer will not offer a trade in value that appeals to you, there is the option to sell the car to any other buyer and then repay the finance.  You will need to make up any shortfall between the sale value and the settlement figure.