[-c-]

Well it's fairly simple people will vote with their wallets and Bmw will get the idea. If they add it in every car and charge a fee you as a customer can go elsewhere and others just won't pay.

Bmw will get the message loud and clear and more than likely drop the service and go back to the previous model and just charge as an option like tech package.

As time goes on car makers will try new ways to make money and when they don't work they drop them. Yea it stinks but I bet you it won't fly.

Also news like this gets out and they judge the public outcry and they then rethink their stance. Give it time and they will realize the error of their ways. Just get the model before they go subscription then maybe by the time you trade it back in they will have dropped it as the program will be a total disaster.....

Or the mass market loves the idea and we're the once out in the cold. Time will tell.

[Penguino]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

This is a slippery slope. The only way for BMW and other manufacturers to charge for something continuously is to offer something which provides continuous value above and beyond the basic standard.

Basic standards evolve. Rear view cameras are now standard. Blind spot warning feature might be next.

Imagine a local dealer offering a 3 year lease special for $399 per month.

With all the added monthly subscriptions that a consumer cannot live without, the monthly payment is now $699 per month. Truth in advertising debate will now extend to cars just like the hotels and airlines adding practically mandatory fees.

How to define continuous value above and beyond the basic standard is what the issue is.

Monetizing individual elements of basic standards by creating monthly subscriptions is a tempting approach for manufacturers which consumers are too intelligent to accept. Voting with their purchasing power will send a powerful message.

I wish I could echo everyone's great examples.

Charging a monthly fee for ...

- Drying function in a dishwasher. My favorite.
- Ice maker in the refrigerator
- Nutritional values on a label. Purchase one year pass to determine caloric content from one manufacturer. But it can be free if you send in 100 UPC labels
- Speedometer showing speeds above 75 miles per hour. If you want to speed on public roads or track your vehicle, it ought to cost more
- Ability to connect 2 monitors to your laptop. Those USB-C ports are working overtime after all
- $21.88 for all brakes with blue calipers
- $23.98 for all brakes with red calipers
- Market price for all brakes with yellow calipers determined on the daily closing price of a to-be-issued derivative by BMW Financial Services
- Market price for access to sophisticated trading software which will allow discerning drivers to hedge their monthly expense for yellow brakes.

It's a slippery slope.

My fear is those poor leasing consumers saying "well, $40/month for 3 years for iDrive is just $1440 which is less than the $2200 price tag" without realizing they only pay on the residual amount.

This is a potentially dangerous approach where I feel manufactures will just prey on consumers.

[Who?]

bmw wanted to charge me for suscription apple carplay, i paid $200 for aftermarket de-limited activation. bmw got nothing, and the facebook vendor got my $200

if they start charging subscription for core features, im moving on to a different brand on principle alone

[cbertels]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

What's Driving Assistance again?

Haha. I had the same question!

[mhjeep]

Audi does something like this with their connecteddrive equivalent. Only difference is that their service stops after 3 months of ownership instead of 3 years.

I discovered that I miss out on google maps integrated into the nav and the Audi MMI app is useless without it. I opted not to continue to pay $240 a year and I have not missed it once.

The Apple CarPlay supplants it.

I think BMW may find that once this software is "out there" they will find third party uses offering it for a fraction of the price since it isn't really a "service" so much as an "activation."

Just my two cents.

[pruettfan]

It's a survey, chill.

[COBodom]

In principle; this is the same old dilemma; lease VS buy. I am failing to understand what the big fuss is about. It works great.

Provided prices aren't stupid; I would definitely sign up for pay as I go services. This would give me an option to try new tech and cancel whenever I want. If I like the service I would obviously keep it. How many threads are out there on "useless" features that people paid up front for but end up not using?

I am surprised why BMW did not roll out pay as you go for "send to car" yet while others did.

[uuni]

I've heard from reliable source that Audi has similar plans. Not sure when (if) those are coming.

[kerkiraios00]

This is ridiculous I wouldn't buy the car just based on this nonsense!!!!

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by scrammer

Ahhh the uncomplicated life of an e92 M3 owner!

You have the throttle body actuators and rod bearings subscription plan.

[ah3nyc]

Bmw is losing customers left and right as it is. Now they will nickel and dime for features you pay to have in the car. I hope the next Bmw won't charge you for tires and seats in car. Just had 3 friends return Bmw leases and get Alfa Romeo Stelvio; amazing suv.

[Pyrat 2]

Seems like this is a survey to see if I want to lease the car even if I buy it with cash. Interesting. Hope they don't go there. After 17 years of unwavering loyalty to the brand I bought a Porsche. This loyalty included 2 E36, 2 E46, 1 E82, 1 E90, 1 E84, and 1 F87. 6 of these 8 were bought new. Every generation got larger and heavier, less focus on the driver and more on the people wanting the brand. My next car due for replacement is my E84. The Macan is my first choice. They turned my fun to drive X1 into a front drive based vehicle and strayed from the values that got them where they are. Hope they get themselves back on track.

[Teutonic]

Ridiculous, money grabbing, cheap, outrageous, absurd, laughable and unbelievable are just few words that will describe my sentiments in regards with this.

Well, good job BMW!

Already see that BMW is not what used to be. Cheap approach, FWD, cheap common platforms, less quality, less reliability and a price that goes up based on how many M letters are used on your car.

Don't care about their sales records. With this approach and quality they will go down. 21 century and we charge for carplay and crap? REALLY??? Don't we pay enough Premium for less premium cars?

PATHETIC!

[darkrom]

Cool, give us something to unlock for free if they want to play that game.

[1230vani]

Originally Posted by BM dnobagaV

I'm just looking to get my F06 and I'm good for the rest of my life
Won't have to worry about any 2020+ model year garbage with subscriptions.

I looked into porsche... you do pay a lot more for a lot of options, in Europe extra airbags in the rear are extra, so is lane departure warning... a better car for sure but what a premium. Thought i will go for one but sadly it looks like i gave up (on a more/less fully loaded e-hybrid).

[beammeupscottie]

If this becomes the reality I'll switch brands. This offensive money grab is ridiculous! I don't need another monthly especially with vehicles in this price range; these options are expected as included. Porsche - Mercedes- and lots of other brands to choose from....

[JustChris]

SUBSCRIBED to thread.

[Tinilp]

I got the same survey. I chose the custom answer and said I would absolutely hate this model of pricing and if they did this I would honestly think about not buying the car out of principle.

I told them it pisses me off that I would have to pay twice to use the car that I already paid for.

Hopefully they listen.

[NathObeaN]

It's always a very dangerous slippery slope when a company starts 'inventing' stuff that holds no perceivable benefit for the consumer and only helps their bottom line. If you lose focus of 'what does the consumer want?' that's when businesses start to fail. Why would anyone want to pay a subscription fee for a service that should just be included with the car, especially when the hardware will already be in place to facilitate the feature? This is just stupid and I can't see them doing it.

[Majec9-7]

While I understand paying for software (cars as well as phones and computers) - it's how you fairly assign a price to recoup the money you lost on development, I am strictly against paying subsriptions be it monthly or annual to things that don't have an operating cost for the distributor. So parking and driving assist are just software BMW had to develop but after that, they don't need to service and maintain servers for example as everything is done in-car.

[rockymtnpilot]

I will leave the BMW brand if this comes to fruition. Full stop.

[supershaft]

The ULTIMATE SUBSCRIPTION machine