Car Subscription Services: The Complete Guide To Getting The Car You Want

How does a new Porsche every month sound? How about getting into a lovely long-term rental without signing up for a whole year? It’s a fantasy scenario for many drivers and enthusiasts, one that until very recently primarily remained out of reach.

Thanks to the rise of car subscription services, that dream may become a reality. That’s because the subscription model offers consumers premium vehicles direct from manufacturers and third-party leasing companies. These subscription services also provide a variety of flexible terms and vehicle choices not often found in the fine print of lease agreements.

Car Subscription vs. Leasing: What’s the Difference?

Leasing has grown in popularity over the last few decades for several reasons. Although it generally requires a down payment (no-down leases do exist but are the exception rather than the rule), the monthly payment is usually lower compared with financing the same vehicle through conventional means. Leasing also is an attractive option for drivers uninterested in entering a long-term loan agreement. The terms are typically shorter in duration and allow drivers to move into a new vehicle every few years while sidestepping the hassle of selling or trading their current vehicle. The downside is that the lessee is on the hook for insurance, maintenance and repairs for the duration of the lease.

A car subscription service is similar to a lease only in the sense that there’s no personal ownership, but terms are generally far shorter and more flexible. Insurance and maintenance costs also are included, unlike a lease. For those who hate commitment and don’t mind overpaying versus a standard lease, rental or financing arrangement in order to access the associated perks, a car subscription is worth considering.

But be aware: Most every plan on the market, despite the inclusion of “white glove” service, can become cost-prohibitive in a matter of weeks. For those looking for a short-term Stay in it for the short term, however, and you could have an enjoyable time free of the long-term worry of maintenance and depreciation. You can’t do that with a lease.

What Automakers Offer Car Subscription Services?

• Audi
• Lexus
• Porsche
• Volvo

Audi Select

While Audi does have a subscription service, its offering is tightly limited and based only in Texas. It also does not include any of its genuine performance cars like the RS3 and R8. On the plus side, customers get two days of Silvercar rentals (Audi’s rental company that primarily has A4 sedans) anywhere else in the country and unlimited miles.

Location: Dallas-Fort Worth

Cars: Core Collection (A4, Q5, S3, TT); Premier (adds Q7, S5 Coupe, A6 sedan, A5 cabriolet)

Price: $995/month (Core); $1495/month (Premier)

Restrictions: Two swaps a month, 180-day max, 25+ years of age

Lexus Complete Subscription

If you live in the swanky tech hubs of Bellevue or San Jose, you can get a fleet of Lexus SUVs and one sedan delivered to your door. Most of the models seem undesirable—we’d prefer swapping into an LS, RC, and the almighty LC—and the cars may be up to two years old.

Locations: Bellevue, WA and San Jose, CA

Cars: ES, IS, NX, RX, UX

Price: $995/month

Activation: $495

Restrictions: 21+ years old, 15,000 miles/year, one swap per month

Porsche Drive

From the Macan SUV to the almighty 911 sports car, this is a great way to experience one or several of Stuttgart’s best cars. Unsurprisingly, Porsche‘s program is the priciest of all. But the loans are flexible from just one day to an entire month, and subscribers can keep a single car for up to three months at a time. The electric Taycan (in base and 4S trims) is now available for daily rentals or a single-vehicle subscription. Charging is free if you stick to the 30-minute limit at a Volkswagen-funded Electrify America station, which are the fastest-charging EV stations in the country and in very limited supply.

Locations: Atlanta, Houston, Irvine, Los Angeles, Monterey, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose

Cars: 911, Boxster, Cayenne, Cayman, Macan, Panamera, Taycan

Price: Single-Vehicle Subscription for one or three months at $1500 to $2600 per month; Multi-Vehicle Subscription at $2100 or $3100 per month (plus tax); Daily rentals between $245 to $395 a day ($2500 security deposit required)

Activation: $595 (waived for the three-month single-vehicle plan)

Restrictions: Age 21+, 1500 to 2000 miles/month (subscriptions); Age 27+, driver’s license holder for five years, 200 miles/day (daily rentals)

Care by Volvo

Volvo’s subscription service is technically a 24-month lease that includes full insurance, maintenance and other add-on insurance items like tire and wheel protection. Volvo also waives $1000 in excess wear charges when turning in the car. However, an “upgrade” to another car is available after 12 months in return for signing a new 24-month contract. At the end of the agreement, subscribers can purchase the vehicle at a preset price, just like a lease. But unlike other services, the monthly prices reflect only a starting point—they vary with the exact car and don’t include tax.

Locations: Anywhere except CA, HI, MS, NC, ND, NY and SD

Cars: XC40, S60, XC90, XC60

Price: $600 to $675/month (XC40); $650/month (S60); $700/month (XC60); $775 to $875/month (XC90)

Restrictions: 15,000 miles/year

What Third-Party Leasing Companies Offer Car Subscription Services?

• AAA
• Borrow
• Enterprise
• Fair
• Hertz
• Sixt

AAA Car Subscription

In northern California, it’s possible to rent a Volkswagen e-Golf for as little as $11 per day. That’s if you qualify for the state’s Affordable Access Program, a benefit borne from Volkswagen‘s multi-billion-dollar settlement with California over the diesel emissions scandal. AAA membership isn’t required and AAA will refund the subscription if you cancel within three days or 100 miles. Most of the vehicles we could find in this limited area were several years old—including a 2016 Camry—and many traditional EV leases in California are much cheaper even after accounting for insurance.

Locations: Sacramento and Davis, California

Cars: Volkswagen e-Golf, Chevrolet Bolt, various Toyota models

Price: $449 to $649/month (EV); $539/month (Sedans); $579/month (SUVs)

Restrictions: 23+ years old, three-month minimum, 500-1500 miles/month (EV)

Borrow

Borrow offers short-term leases of used electric cars in Los Angeles. Maintenance is included on a choice of six EVs, though don’t spring for the Tesla right away. It’s serious dough. Leases run for three, six or nine months at a time. Borrow doesn’t offer delivery. You’ll have to pick up the car at a tire shop in West Hollywood.

Location: Los Angeles

Cars: Tesla Model S, BMW i3, Fiat 500e, Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, Kia Soul EV, Hyundai Ioniq EV

Price: $199 per month for nine months (Smart) to $1499 per month for three months (Tesla)

Activation: $25 reservation fee, $50 cleaning fee upon turn-in

Restrictions: 1200 miles a month, 18+ years old, requires insurance

Subscribe With Enterprise

This program allows you to comb through most of the Enterprise fleet, but at a significant premium compared to Hertz. Since this is a traditional rental company, in most cases, you cannot book the exact model in a given segment.

Locations: Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada

Cars: Various Enterprise segments including Nissan Altima, Chevy Impala, Toyota Camry, Chrysler 300 or similar; Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Kona, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder or similar; Chevy Colorado, Nissan Frontier, Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F150 or similar

Price: $1499/month

Activation: $250

Restrictions: 3000 miles/month, four swaps per month within the same state, two-month minimum, refueling penalty, in-store pickup/return only, 25+ years old, exact car not guaranteed

Fair

Fair is an all-digital leasing company. It works with dealers in California and Florida to lease vehicles for three years, two years, or on a month-to-month basis. The company merged with Canvas, which had been offering new-car subscriptions for Ford. Fair lets the customer cancel their lease within two days and 100 miles.

Location: California and Florida

Cars: Thousands of vehicles from twenty plus brands, most with less than 70,000 miles and five years old or newer.

Cost: Varies; Down payment and disposition fee required; security deposit may be required

Restrictions: 18+ years old, credit check, proof of income, identity, and residence; must have car insurance, 10,000 miles per year, but additional miles can be added to the agreement for a fee.

Hertz My Car

Hertz, which is currently running through bankruptcy and selling a huge chunk of its fleet, allows long-term rentals with insurance, maintenance and an additional driver included. The service is now nationwide.

Location: Nationwide (corporate locations only)

Cars: Chevrolet Spark, Ford Focus, Mazda 3 or similar; Volkswagen Tiguan, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Altima or similar; Jeep Grand Cherokee, Infiniti QX60, Ford F-150, or similar

Price: $599/month, $999/month, or $1399/month; Additional monthly surcharge in certain areas of CA, HI, MA, NY, and PA

Activation: $250

Restrictions: Swap twice per month, 2000 miles per car per month, two-month minimum, credit check, enrollment in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, refueling penalty, 25+ years old, exact car not guaranteed.

Sixt+

Sixt doesn’t charge an activation fee and appears more flexible with its vehicle choices and prices than the other major rental competitors—and it offers luxury cars from BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes, and Land Rover. It’s especially valuable if you’re in a major metro area and need a late-model car for a month or longer.

Locations: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and various cities in California, Miami and multiple cities in Florida, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle

Cars: Range Rover Velar, Kia Rio, and various SUVs, sedans, and minivans

Price: $569/month to $1329/month

Restrictions: 21+ years old (18+ in New York; additional fee for certain vehicles and drivers under 25), one swap per month, one-month minimum, no delivery, security deposit required, exact car not guaranteed.