BMW has officially launched its new vehicle subscription service, becoming the latest automaker to embrace the more flexible alternative to traditional leasing. It's called Access by BMW, and it'll offer a selection of vehicles in two tiers via a new mobile app or dedicated website.
It's called the "subscription economy," and BMW is about to join it. Bloomberg reports that the luxury automaker will launch its Access by BMW subscription service April 2 at a dealership in Nashville, Tennessee. BMW's U.S. boss said the brand was looking at launching such an initiative sometime this year, but wouldn't divulge details on precise timing or location.
Lincoln's foray into the world of monthly subscriptions will follow the mold of Ford's Canvas program and launch a pilot service offering a range of pre-owned 2017 Lincoln vehicles in West Los Angeles and the San Francisco area.
Mercedes-Benz will soon jump into the U.S. car subscription pool. Carmakers like Audi, Cadillac and Porsche, as well as tech companies like Clutch Technologies and Flexdrive, have already begun trialing multi-vehicle subscription services here. The Mercedes offering, called Flexperience in Europe and entirely controlled though the Mercedes Me app, should shortly begin trials in Germany with the help of the two largest dealer groups there. Mercedes doesn't know when or where the U.S. version of F
It's actually cheaper over the course of a three- or four-year lease than BMW's current $300 charge.
Flat monthly fees for the 2019 XC40 start at $600.
Want details? You can't have them, yet.
For Tesla owners who passed on Autopilot the first time around, they can test it for a month to see if they want it permanently for $3,000.
What we're hearing from the masses is that of those who participated in our totally unscientific poll, the vast majority either hate Car and Driver's new redesign or couldn't even tell the book had been redesigned anyway. Sounds like Mission Accomplished, if you ask us. There are a few peeps that do like the new design, about 12%, but considering that Car and Driver paid "big bucks" for this, we imagine they were hoping like 88% of people would love it, instead.
