Our Thanksgiving dinner conversation - how do you feel about monthly subscription fees on cars?

Question

BMWs come with heated seats, but you have to pay $18/mo. to use them. They're on the car you own, but they don't work unless you pay the monthly fee.

Toyotas come with a key fob and remote start. But it doesn't work unless you pay $8/mo.

With Mercedes e-cars, you pay $100/mo. for faster acceleration and all-wheel steering, on a car you already own.

Tesla charges $199 to use the full self-driving feature that's already installed on all their cars.

Lincoln has a personal chauffeur option for $30/hr. This also allows you to have the driver run errands for you -- in your car. For $30/hr. I might use that one.

My car (which started this heated Thanksgiving debate), mine has an option for car-swap, where you pay a monthly fee of $3,100 and can change to any other car of that brand, as often as every month if you want to. I don't have this option, I just own my car.

Finally, Rolls-Royce has perks available such as back-stage passes to the Grammy's (which I had last year because I was playing there anyway), or expeditions (with your car?) to the Antarctic, or a personal concierge at your house for car detailing or maintenance. This option is free with any brand new Rolls-Royce (starting at $325,000).

How do you like... them apples.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I don't know why everyone doesn't like this idea, I think it's a great idea! But I expect a screaming deal on the car if I don't get the extra subscriptions.

Would you like to pay extra for a...

An annoying buzzer that tells you if your seat belt isn't on? No thanks.

How about a back up camera? No thanks

Cruise control? No thanks.

Heated seats? No thanks.

Electric windows? No thanks.

Electric mirrors? No thanks.

A dash monitor screen that tells you that you don't have a passenger. No thanks, I can figure that out on my own.

A gizmo on the screen that keeps telling you your car needs an oil change. No thanks, that just makes me feel guilty.

A gizmo on the screen that asks you 4 times per day if you want to change the language on the screen to something other than English. No thanks, I'll just roll the dice that English keeps working for me.

Steering wheel warmer? No thanks, I have mittens.

A full size spare tire instead of that tiny donut thing they give you. Yes, please.

Our Thanksgiving dinner conversation - how do you feel about monthly subscription fees on cars?

OK, ma'am, your lease on your new car is $39.00 per month.

Dinklex3 · Accepted Answer

Pretty shitty.
Toyota put me on a 1 year trial for remote connect. After that I have to pay for it which I think is BS since the car already has it. I’ll end up paying for it though since winter without remote start is a bitch.

BCA6010 · Accepted Answer

Uh, there are four BMWs owned by close family members and I've never heard of having to pay a subscription for anything other than satellite radio. When I just looked it up, apparently they pitched this idea last year, but dropped it this year. Good riddance, but if they really want to make more money, they should fire whoever redesigned the grills on the 3 and 4 series cars and bury those models like they never existed.

Of the others you listed, the Mercedes one is easily the scummiest, but the reason they'd do that is to simplify production instead of having two different models with differing parts while also milking customers who care about those features.

SixFootSexy · Accepted Answer

Every globalists dream: "You will own nothing and be happy." I refuse to reward companies who offer exploitative paywall "DLC" for something you bought to OWN. Nothing makes me more furious than having tons of hidden fees and being nickle and dimed to death. Don't get me started on machines that ask for tips... Eternal rent-seeker parasites

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

All them new cars being made and coming out will cost you money for anything they have, so I would just get a car that is second hand and has little miles but is like a 2012-2017 but has a great reputation as a brand of car make. Must use gas, no electric.

AviatorTom · Answer

If it's a function that's part of driving the car, there should be no extra fee to enable it.

And I think manufacturers are putting themselves at increased risk. What if the customer decides not to pay the extra fee, and then there's an injury accident caused by the extra-fee-that's-not-activated equipment. It would be very interesting to see the court case that holds the auto manufacturer fully responsible.

exitseven · Answer

You have just mentioned a bunch of cars that I will never buy.

loveslongnails · Answer

STOP the MISINFORMATION!! BMW walked back that decision.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/7/23863258/bmw-cancel-heated-seat-subscription-microtransaction

BMW realized that all cars in that price range come equipped with that feature, so they canceled that idea. Brilliant, huh? Next thing you know, they'll want to bring back intermittent wipers as an option too!

You pay for the remote start feature on any "standard" production car. You either buy it upfront as an option, pay for it monthly, or you can get it installed after market. After market options are either line of sight (cheapest) or satellite (more expensive and longer range).

Friendlybro79 · Answer

None of these things will ultimately benefit customers. It's solely new revenue streams for car manufacturers and dealers. This is why people will always figure out how to hack things. I don't agree with doing anything illegal but I understand why. It's reminiscent of cable TV back in the day. It used to be free and then they wanted to charge and charge more and more and more and then illegal boxes came out and there wasn't a person I knew that didn't at least know a friend that had one lol

RealMarek · Answer

Our elites are pushing the rental model hard. Subscriptions required for many things and bans on repairing electronic devices. Like Klaus Schwab says: “You will own nothing and be happy.” I say ban these practices outright. While we’re at it, ban planned obsolescence with prison time for any managers who suggest or reward it.

molonski2 · Answer

Honestly , Id never heard about any of this , novelty marketing for value adding , lets see how it goes long term , sounds quite ludicrous quite frankly , I would not be buying add ons in this rental manner.

jamesgoldman · Answer

You will own nothing and be happy

Rolls Royce because they work with everything they have ever made

An associate of my father had a 1930's Royce that at some point had a part replaced with a slight different coloured part, a call to RR and someone came out to him, took the part off and returned with it a week later fully stripped down and resprayed to match the rest of the car

I agree the Lincoln is a good deal given you're paying a professional wage into the deal

Anonymous · Answer

I think they can keep thier car if they want to charge me like that.

Then again if I'm buying Rolls Royce odds are I could easily pay the subscription fee. But since I could never see me dropping that kind of coin on a ride even if I could afford it, I'd say the question is moot.

MikeTheBartender · Answer

I buy all my vehicles outright, generally I'm against anything with subscription fees except things that are necessary I for example electricity, internet etc.

Grond21 · Answer

I think it's a terrible idea and I hate it. It feels like you don't actually own your own vehicle. I'm also hung up on the idea that you played at the grammys. What did you play?

MysticDevice · Answer

Several states made that kind of thing illegal and I have to agree. You should have 100% full access to everything on the item you own.

msc545 · Answer

Good reasons to buy a used car where everything works after I buy it

scooogy · Answer

Please my dear, nothing remote which can cause harm, which would be burn injuries in this case.

Anonymous · Answer

the monthly subscriptions for literally anything is getting extremely ridiculous.

Anonymous · Answer

Oppose, especially considering the technology is often already built into the car, it's there and usable and it's your car so you not being able to use it is odd to me.

Z1pTD · Answer

Hell naw lol I ain't spending my money like that until I got bags

Pohjolan · Answer

I'll just take my business elsewhere and buy a more reliable car.

Jerre · Answer

Think I will just stick wit my 2016 Chrysler Town and Country Van

Tstrbrainer · Answer

Never heard of such subscriptions where I'm from, people won't use it anyway

CubaPirate · Answer

I guess the big corporations will just never have enough money 💰 🤑 💸

Abdulwahh · Answer

These are all crazy lol I prefer the bmws with less features only sport like the 2 series

DeeDeeDeVour · Answer

I'm totally against that.

Wise4myage · Answer

Wow, what a rip off.

Date_a_Snob · Answer

You played at the Grammy?

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

You're a very rich girl.

Our Thanksgiving dinner conversation - how do you feel about monthly subscription fees on cars?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

All them new cars being made and coming out will cost you money for anything they have, so I would just get a car that is second hand and has little miles but is like a 2012-2017 but has a great reputation as a brand of car make. Must use gas, no electric.

Our Thanksgiving dinner conversation - how do you feel about monthly subscription fees on cars?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

All them new cars being made and coming out will cost you money for anything they have, so I would just get a car that is second hand and has little miles but is like a 2012-2017 but has a great reputation as a brand of car make. Must use gas, no electric.

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