If you have no credit history, you may struggle getting an unsecured loan from a bank for that kind of value (certainly not at a decent APR) - all depends how much you earn and if you really have NO credit history.
The good thing about PCP on a car for example, is that its secured on the car, so its less of a risk for them. The bad thing is (as already said), its harder to get out of it.
I got my PCP on my Clio from a totally 3rd party finance company, and at 10% APR, Im not too unhappy with it. My bank would only give me 11% APR on a loan and I have an excellent credit history (I know there are places that offer 7 odd % APR but you tend to have to be quite old to get them)
I could have chosen either, but I wanted to defer some of the value and get a lower monthly payment. Only problem now is that I want to get out of it, and its harder because its all secured on the car, plus there are early resettlement charges on finance.
Good luck.....Im sure youll find something to suit. Just remember that when dealers say that they can sort something out.......its usually at the expense of something else. They dont just lower monthly payments or APRs without inflating it somewhere else - a lot dont anyway.