A car subscription may seem strange at first, but it's a great way to test and try different cars without having to buy or lease them right away.
But for which target groups does it make more sense to take out a car subscription than to lease or buy a car?
We have dealt with this topic in detail and try to create clarity with this article.
In principle, it can be said that a car subscription is a model in which you pay an amount in order to be able to drive the provider's car and to be able to exchange it on a monthly basis. Basically, a car subscription is a kind of flat rate for a car and is therefore quite flexible and easy.
If you only need a car for a short bridging period, i.e. for the summer or for several planned long-distance trips, a car subscription can help.
Which criteria have to be considered?
On the one hand, if you want to get cheap mobility and use beautiful cars for a short period of time, you should consider a few criteria before you immediately go to the nearest provider and take out a subscription. The following criteria must be observed:
• Is there a minimum age or even a maximum age? Some providers only offer the car subscription for adults aged 23 and over, while other providers even specify a maximum age for a car subscription of 55 years.
• How many free kilometers are there? Here you should pay attention to how many free kilometers are included and at what price.
• What amount is charged per kilometer driven if the free kilometers are exceeded? With providers, this can amount to around € 0,23 / km if the selected free kilometers are exceeded.
• How does the termination work? What deadlines must be paid attention to? Customers should read the contract for the subscription model carefully and pay attention to possible additional costs.
• How high is the deductible in the event of a claim? This varies depending on the amount insured, the model and the brand. Therefore, here too, special attention should be paid to the costs.
• What registration fees are charged? Some providers charge an entry fee or registration fee, while other providers do not charge this.
Car subscription vs. leasing
Neither the car subscription nor the leasing requires high liquid funds, because you do not have to bear the high acquisition costs for the car immediately. However, there are still significant differences between the two ways of owning a car.
In principle, both cars are tied to a term, with the term of the car subscription being significantly lower than that of leasing. In addition, with the car subscription, there is the option of concluding a contract online fairly quickly. The car subscription is also an all-inclusive package, which means that the prices are usually significantly higher, but in the best-case scenario, costs such as repairs, service, etc. are covered. The cost of that Leasing are therefore usually lower and it is possible to configure the car yourself, but you have to take care of all the services yourself.
Which advantages and disadvantages have to be considered?
Before taking out a car subscription, you should be aware of the following advantages and disadvantages in order to be able to make the right decision.
Benefits
• You can drive new cars without high acquisition costs
• Large selection of new cars
• Short contract terms
• Different drive models (rear, front or all-wheel drive)
• Opportunity to test new technologies (electric, hybrid, hydrogen).
• There is virtually no loss of value.
• In some cases, providers offer lucrative purchase options after the end of the term.
• Digital registration (faster registration process) possible
Disadvantages
• The registration fee varies with some providers and can be relatively high.
• The free kilometers offered are mostly quite low and are intended for the city or for shorter journeys. (Comparison of offers is very important here)
• May not be for long-distance commuters.
• Restrictions such as B. Minimum age or region
• Vehicles cannot be configured by yourself
Which providers are there
At the moment there is still a rather small market for car providers, whereby a distinction is made between manufacturer providers and start-up providers, as well as car rental companies.
The following major manufacturers with well-known models are already on the market:
- Mercedes me Flexperience
- Care by Volvo
- Volkswagen Financial Services
- Mini subscribe
- Porsche Drive subscription
- BMW Rent
But there are also new start-ups such as:
- ViveLaCar
- Subscription car
- carship
- Cluno
Last but not least, we come to the three major car rental companies with the option of taking out a car subscription:
- Sixt +
- bookbinder
- Hertz
Provider in Europe
Outlook
So you can tell that there are some differences between the providers. In the best case scenario, the right car and the appropriate conditions can be found among all the providers.
In the future, the car subscription may have great potential, since people from larger cities in particular have the opportunity to drive a car for a limited period of time without high acquisition costs and without insurance costs. According to forecasts, the number of car subscription contracts could increase to up to 2030 million vehicles by 1.
Summary
The car subscription is definitely an option for cars, such as B. try a Tesla. This enables a potential buyer to integrate the car into daily life without having to buy the car right away.
It is a good approach from the automotive sector to jump on this train of subscriptions and to be able to inspire customers with new innovations and ideas in the long term.
Addendum
What do you think of the car subscription? - Write your opinion as a comment!
Cover picture - Auto subscription symbol - Copyright © Sergey Nivens - stock.adobe.com
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