Spain’s Best Car Deal Revealed: The Option That Saves You the Most

Buying a car remains one of the biggest expenses for families after housing. According to industry studies, car prices in Spain have surged in recent years. In 2025, the average dealer price of a new car reached €44,419 — almost 46% higher than before the коронавирус pandemic.

Against this price hike, many buyers are looking for ways to cut costs and are considering different ways to purchase a car. Experts from Spain’s consumer organisation OCU (Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios) compared several alternatives available to buyers who need a car for four years.

The study found that the most cost-effective option remains buying a car outright (paying in cash) and then selling it on the second-hand market. As an example, the experts used the Toyota Corolla 140 e-CVT Active Plus.

The price of this car is around €26,645. If you add servicing, insurance, taxes and other costs over four years (about €5,549), and then subtract the expected resale price after four years (around €14,675), the total cost comes to roughly €17,519.

Other options are more expensive. For instance, renting (a long-term lease with a fixed monthly payment) costs roughly €19,680 to €23,602 over four years. This amount usually includes insurance, maintenance, taxes and even tyre replacement. However, this format comes with limits, such as an annual mileage cap — most commonly 15,000–20,000 kilometres per year. If you exceed the limit, you pay an extra fee.

For renting, experts recommend comparing offers from different companies and choosing the best one, as prices can vary by up to 20%.

A bank loan to buy a car sits somewhere in the middle in terms of cost. In the example reviewed, total expenses over four years come to about €22,142, with an interest rate of around 6.45% per year.

Another option is multi-option financing, where monthly payments are lower but you must pay a large final instalment at the end of the term. In the analysed case of the Toyota Corolla 140 e-CVT Active Plus, total costs come to roughly €23,837 if you return the car after four years.