A new car, whatever sacrifices you made to make it happen, is a mitzvah. Nothing beats seeing it all clean in the driveway or garage, getting in and enjoying the new car smell and the “no fingerprints on the nav screen and no sneezes on the steering wheel” freshness.
But believe that the winter driving and heated seats, steering wheel, and remote control you ordered as features possibly won’t work unless you shell out even more cash for the manufacturer in “subscription fees. “
And it’s not just once, it’s once a month.
Outrageous? Welcome to long-term car ownership.
This trend is quietly gaining ground as automakers continually charge unprecedented prices for their products and then buy them off from consumers on the cheap, hoping they will simply sigh and pay. But when you increase the charge on those subscriptions, you add up to a ton of dollars that, over time, walk out your door when that cash may have been spent on food, rent, mortgage, groceries or essentials.
Take BMW, for example. The car manufacturer launched a subscription style in July 2022 for seats with heating and guidance wheels in the markets. Do you want to keep your hands hot in winter? They will be $ 10 consisting of the month. Cold bulk? Add the $ 18 more consistent with the month.
The reaction was immediate and at the end of 2023 BMW announced that it would abandon this subscription model.
In December 2021, Toyota was criticized for demanding a monthly subscription of $ 8 to use the remote start function in the keychains of some styles. In reaction to the reaction, Toyota clarified that the remote control function of the remote control will remain loose during the original owner for a test of up to 10 years, depending on the style of the vehicle and the audio package. And then?
In essence, it’s not about heated seats or remote start, but about the slow erosion of ownership. For decades, buying a car meant having the features that came with it. Now, automakers are turning cars into platforms for non-stop enjoyment. “revenue streams,” which in English means “let’s get every penny we can from customers. “
This style is not only nickel and dime customers, but it creates a precedent for other industries to follow to adapt. If car brands are doing, what’s stopping brands from being devices that block your dishwasher’s rinse cycle a paywall?
The good news is that consumers retaliate. BMW’s decision to eliminate its subscription model shows the strength of collective outrage. But the industry does not pass completely. Tesla, for example, offers features like “completely self-limited” as a subscription, although it doesn’t require any additional equipment. While Tesla enthusiasts defend this as a way to improve accessibility, it highlights a larger challenge: car brands testing how much we can tolerate.
This trend is a wake-up call for anyone who values ownership and transparency. Cars are no longer just vehicles—they’re becoming digital platforms designed to generate ongoing revenue.
2023 BMW 760i Idrive
Do you think you can qualify more functions in your vehicle that were in the past for free? Think again.
Remember when you bought Photoshop on a disc and that was the end of it? Now it’s $200 a year, payable every year. Remember when you could stop into a gas station and get some air for your tires? Pay up, bub.
Or two days ago, when I stopped by an Einstein Bagel in an airport, I chose my turkey sandwich on a screen and there were little icons: “Lettuce, 50 cents. Tomato, 50 cents. That’s right, me in an airport and Everything that It costs more there, but it’s just a small reminder of the thousands of tactics that companies use to squeeze every penny out of us, and we don’t like that at all.
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