The future of car ownership, monthly subscriptions for basic features?

[braumeister]

Could be a really good deal for some.

Let's see: I only drive during daylight hours, so I don't need a headlight subscription.

I don't drive in the rain, so I don't need the windshield wiper subscription.

I prefer a quiet environment, so I don't need a radio/music subscription and certainly no speakers in the car.

The windows work, so no need for an air conditioning subscription.

Yeah, this is starting to look really attractive!

 

[travelover]

Rock, paper scissors. For the seat, it is only a matter to time before an eBay seller has a seat activation kit. How hard could it be to just power it with another switch?
My Highlander has automatic engine start stop. I bought a module on eBay that cancels it every time I start the car.

 

[MRG]

If it adds value to use its OK by me. An example is Tesla's full self driving. I didn't pay 7k for it when I bought my Y, it's 12k now, as I have little use for it where we live. A cross country trip at $199 monthly is a great way to use it for me.

 

[aja8888]

If it adds value to use its OK by me. An example is Tesla's full self driving. I didn't pay 7k for it when I bought my Y, it's 12k now, as I have little use for it where we live. A cross country trip at $199 monthly is a great way to use it for me.

The problem with Tesla FSD is that it is not FSD. Why pay for a beta feature that may never FULLY work?

 

[Chuckanut]

I won't likely sign up to pay for any of these. The built in navigation will still work, but it won't have the real-time data coming into help plan the route.

WAZE can help with that. My Garmin GPS system has an incident alert feature that is OK, not great, but it will give one a heads-up if a major slowdown is part of your route. And it will give you alternatives, though I have not found them that useful.

 

[MRG]

The problem with Tesla FSD is that it is not FSD. Why pay for a beta feature that may never FULLY work?

I have no qualms about the functionality it's a great safety feature just not worth it for where I live. If I was still in KC I would have spent the money here it doesn't make sense.

 

[travelover]

The problem with Tesla FSD is that it is not FSD. Why pay for a beta feature that may never FULLY work?

It is not like it will kill you if it fails to work properly. Oh wait...

 

[aja8888]

It is not like it will kill you if it fails to work properly. Oh wait...

 

[Dawg52]

Rock, paper scissors. For the seat, it is only a matter to time before an eBay seller has a seat activation kit. How hard could it be to just power it with another switch?
My Highlander has automatic engine start stop. I bought a module on eBay that cancels it every time I start the car.

Off topic but I thought I would hate the start stop feature on my Cadillac xt5. But I don't notice it anymore and don't bother overriding it with the built in switch.

Like others.....I'm not planning to buy anything that has everything subscription based. I'll hang onto what I have for as long as I can. Maybe it will get me to the retirement or nursing home.

 

[Andre1969]

In a roundabout sort of way, this makes me think of something that Chrysler did in the 1970's, and the rationale might be roughly similar.

Remember the old days, cars were offered as hardtops? Meaning, you had no central "B" pillar, and the front and rear windows rolled down, sort of simulating the look of a convertible with the top up?

Well in 1974, Chrysler offered a trim package called the "St Regis" or something like that on their big hardtop coupes. It consisted of a landau roof treatment, and in place of the roll-down rear window, you got a small "opera window" with padding around it. Well, to build this model, they took the existing hardtop coupe, and simply eliminated the rear window crank (or power window switch) and built the padding around the existing window. So the lift mechanism and everything is still in there. If you got a model with power windows, even the motors are still in there!

It seems like a horribly inefficient way to build a car to me, but I guess it was cheaper to just build them all one way, with roll-down windows in back, and then do the bare minimum to get that opera window treatment.

In a similar fashion, I wonder, with the heated seats, perhaps BMW figured that it's cheaper to simply build them all with heated seats, but then charge you extra to turn them on if you want that feature?

 

[braumeister]

Apparently, BMW isn't doing this in the USA, only a few other countries.

BMW did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the heated seats subscription, which is also being sold in New Zealand and South Africa. It’s unclear whether the company plans to sell subscriptions in the United States.

But OTOH, they're going even farther in some places:

In South Korea, the UK and other markets, BMW is also selling subscriptions for other vehicle features.

Car owners will have to pay $12 per month to use their heated steering wheels and $42 a month for access to adaptive cruise control.

Owners who want to connect their iPhones to their cars through Apple’s CarPlay feature will have to pay a one-time fee of $265. And a feature that switches high beam lights on and off in response to oncoming traffic sells for $12 per month.

 

[Midpack]

Sounds outrageous to me, and I’ll buck it at every opportunity. We’ll see. We also avoid subscriptions as much as possible, but it’s not always. We have dropped some services that went to subscription models…

I want to drop Microsoft 365 but DW will not let me. I can live with Apple “free” software Keynote, Numbers and Pages but DW refuses to change. Pick your battles…

And BMW is not the only luxury automaker stroking its chin as it gazes into the lucrative future of microtransactions. Consumer Reports noted that Audi, Cadillac, Porsche and Tesla are “rolling out a subscription model for certain options, meaning consumers would pay monthly or annual fees to use features … even if those features are already built into the car.”

 

[ls99]

About six months ago nearly closed the deal on a new Genesis G90, shortly before initiating wire transfer, discovered that remote unlock was via app only, and required subscription. Cancelled deal.
My 2020 Cadillac CT6 has the auto stop, bought a kit that disables that feature. But it does have remote unlock un the fob.

 

[Scuba]

My 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has 5 available subscriptions. All come with free trials of either 90 days, 1 year or 3 years.

Remote Connect - Ability to start the car and view various statuses via a phone app
Destination Assist - Online service to help you find something
Safety Connect - Online help in case of an accident
Dynamic Navigation - The built in navigation links to real-time traffic data
Wi-Fi Connect - The car becomes a wifi hotspot

I won't likely sign up to pay for any of these. The built in navigation will still work, but it won't have the real-time data coming into help plan the route.

Like all companies, they are trying to find new revenue sources.

Wonder how many people pay for dynamic navigation? Waze and Google maps provide this free.

 

[MC Rider]

How much should I charge for a subscription that I won't tell you to Eff off daily! Does $12 a year sound good? Only $1 per month.

 

[kcowan]

DW got her car back from the Mercedes Pay Or Else maintenance checkup.

She discovered a "free" 3-month trial for Sirius radio had begun. Since she uses Apple Carplay for her music, we immediately called to cancel the service.

I monitor our credit cards for any monthly services and we cancel them asap. I have to believe many do not check their statements. NYT was the worst.

 

[Bamaman]

I just long for the "good ole days" when a car starts, runs reliably and costs reasonably.

I don't care about feeling a tug at the steering wheel when I change lanes. I don't like the new cruise control that automatically reduces speeds to the same speed as the car 200 yards in front of me. And I really don't like when the brakes are automatically applied even though I can change lanes and go around slow cars easily.

And I don't like paying three $500 deductibles this year on broken windshields with those fancy features above.

But most important is that I don't like to see my vehicle prices go up $10K per year due to the $ billions being spent to switch over to electric vehicles I don't care to own. Within 3 hours of my house, $12 billion has been spent on EV battery factories alone.

And I love to make long trips in the middle of the night with a 600 mile gasoline powered range. I don't want to plan out my stops via Supercharger. And I like my Toyota Venza Hybrid SUV getting 42.5 mpg just fine.

 

[rk911]

GM just announced a slightly different twist on the subscription model:

Buick And GMC Models Get Mandatory 3-Year OnStar And Connected Services Plan

Instead of 3 months free trial, it is now 3 years built into the base price.

Hopefully this is a test that will meet stiff customer resistance.

agreed. while i do have a few software subscriptiions (mostly system utilities) on the PC and we do subscribe to a number of streaming services (BTD!) i can't imagine buying a new vehicle if we had to pay subscription fees to use the radio or heated seats. but then we're not luxury car people. we're planning to keep our 19 and 12-yr old Jeeps for now.

 

[Chuckanut]

Apparently, BMW isn't doing this in the USA, only a few other countries.



But OTOH, they're going even farther in some places:

It seems to me a few of these charges are like having a 2nd car payment. Except that the car payment ends at some point. The charges never end.

 

[MRG]

In a roundabout sort of way, this makes me think of something that Chrysler did in the 1970's, and the rationale might be roughly similar.



Remember the old days, cars were offered as hardtops? Meaning, you had no central "B" pillar, and the front and rear windows rolled down, sort of simulating the look of a convertible with the top up?



Well in 1974, Chrysler offered a trim package called the "St Regis" or something like that on their big hardtop coupes. It consisted of a landau roof treatment, and in place of the roll-down rear window, you got a small "opera window" with padding around it. Well, to build this model, they took the existing hardtop coupe, and simply eliminated the rear window crank (or power window switch) and built the padding around the existing window. So the lift mechanism and everything is still in there. If you got a model with power windows, even the motors are still in there!



It seems like a horribly inefficient way to build a car to me, but I guess it was cheaper to just build them all one way, with roll-down windows in back, and then do the bare minimum to get that opera window treatment.



In a similar fashion, I wonder, with the heated seats, perhaps BMW figured that it's cheaper to simply build them all with heated seats, but then charge you extra to turn them on if you want that feature?

Large scale computing systems have been loading the components up for over a decade in case you want to upgrade, saves field upgrade costs. Along the way they stumbled upon capacity on demand where you can turn on additional processors or memory. For a fee.

 

[Zathras]

My thoughts exactly. They can keep their subscription to heated seats and their vehicle.

ETA: and I’m not subscription adverse. I have plenty and don’t mind them at all. But for things like heated seats? Isn’t that cost built into the price of the vehicle?
Can I subscribe for just December and January?

In most cars I have bought it was a paid option, or part of a options package.
If the heated seats aren’t added to the cost up front, I am happy paying a subscription for the month or two I need it.
I would also insist, since I am subscribing, that they handle any maintenance/repairs.

 

[JoeWras]

And I don't like paying three $500 deductibles this year on broken windshields with those fancy features above.

DW and I are now driving with broken windshields. We got used to it, don't even notice it.

Years ago, I remember getting a ride in cars where people lived with their cracked windshields and I thought they were crazy. Well, I'm now the crazy.

I drive to a lot of construction areas and hear the crack of a rock on the window quite frequently. I'm free to not care about it now.

PS: and before you start the scolding: 1) The windshield is not structural, 2) It passes state inspection, 3) The airbag will still work, 4) We're safe

 

[Jerry1]

I'm surprised it passes State inspection but I guess that means the crack is not in the field of view.

No judgement here. I went through a phase where I was getting a new windshield every year. I leased cars for two years and hardly ever did one go back with the original windshield. One car had two replaced. Get's expensive fast.

 

[Andre1969]

I think if the crack is small enough, and outside of the swept area of the windshield wipers, it'll pass inspection in some states. But then, some states, like Maryland, don't have an annual inspection, so you'll be able to get away with having a cracked windshield indefinitely, unless the crack starts growing large enough and a cop happens to spot it.

 

[Aerides]

About six months ago nearly closed the deal on a new Genesis G90, shortly before initiating wire transfer, discovered that remote unlock was via app only, and required subscription. Cancelled deal.
My 2020 Cadillac CT6 has the auto stop, bought a kit that disables that feature. But it does have remote unlock un the fob.

Even without a sub, requiring an app to do anything in my car is a non-starter. I don't even like stores that require you to use their app for a discount.