Both BMW and Audi have quietly canceled pilot plans that allowed customers to subscribe to owning a luxury car. The move leaves Volvo and Porsche as the last brands offering cars for a monthly fee in the United States.
BMW’s Access by BMW subscription pilot program was offered only in the Nashville, TN market, beginning in 2018. It was pricey at $2,000 per month but allowed subscribers access to a continuous supply of new BMW vehicles. For their monthly payment, customers got a new BMW every year, inclusive of maintenance, insurance, and roadside assistance. A higher tier allowed subscribers to use the brand’s high-performance M line of vehicles, for $3,700 per month.
Audi has canceled its own subscription service as well. Audi Select was tested in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area beginning in 2018. For $995 per month, it allowed subscribers to choose from several of Audi’s less-expensive models, including insurance, maintenance, and reduced fees to rent larger Audi vehicles when needed.
Facing increasing competition from cars-as-a-service companies like Zipcar and app-based ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, automakers have been experimenting with new ways of doing business. Subscription services, it seems, may not be a workable answer. Still, BMW’s and Audi’s abandonment of subscriptions doesn’t mean the model is a failure.
Volvo recently doubled down on its subscription wager. Late last year, Volvo changed its Care by Volvo subscription program to allow owners to select a new car every four months. Prices start at $650 per month.
