Car subscription: provider, costs, services at a glance

Who offers car subscriptions?
Which cars are there on subscription?
Advantages and disadvantages of the car subscription
Difference between car subscription and leasing
Car subscription: requirements
What should you watch out for with a car subscription?
How do takeover and return work?
For whom is a car subscription worthwhile?
You can buy, lease a car – or subscribe to it. The car subscription is one of the easiest ways to get a new car and is particularly interesting for drivers who want to be mobile with little effort. You pay a monthly rate that usually covers all services except for fuel costs. So you don’t have to worry about car insurance, taxes and maintenance, the car subscription is, so to speak, an all-round carefree package for drivers. You can register quickly and easily on the Internet. Sounds easy and good. But there are also disadvantages to the car subscription. For whom is a subscription car worthwhile?
What is the car subscription?
Car subscription providers
Manufacturer:
– Care by Volvo
– PSA retail car subscription
– Volkswagen Financial Services
– Mini subscribe
– Porsche Drive subscription
– CONQAR from Seat
Start-ups:
– Cluno
– Finn.auto
– ViveLaCar
– Kinto-flex
– Like2drive
– Faaren
– Carminga
– Flexxdrive
– Subscription car
– Nextmove
– E-flat
– Carship
– Trusted cars
– Lynk & Co
– Instadrive
Car rental company:
– Sixt +
– bookbinder
– Hertz
Which cars are there on subscription?
Advantages and disadvantages of the car subscription
– Full cost control (taxes & insurance are included in the monthly rate)
– Drive new cars without high acquisition costs
– Lots of choice: Always the latest models with the latest technology
– Flexibility through short contract terms
– Simple and fast registration process, mostly completely digital
– Cross-manufacturer and cross-model offers
– You can test different technologies (hybrid or e-cars)
– Depreciation does not matter
– Some providers also offer an option to purchase after the end of the contract
disadvantage
– Start or registration fee (for some providers)
– Free kilometer flat rate sometimes low (with some providers)
– The car is only rented, not owned
– A takeover date can rarely be planned very precisely
– Some providers have restrictions such as minimum age or annual mileage
– Pre-configured vehicles are no longer possible
With the car subscription, only the fuel has to be paid for, the rest is included in the monthly rate.
What is the difference between a car subscription and leasing?
But be careful: Anyone who takes out a car subscription should always make sure that they ultimately does not sign a leasing contract! Because with some car subscription providers you take out exactly this, even though you decide on a subscription. The advantage of a subscription is, among other things, that the Schufa is not charged.
Requirements for the car subscription
Depending on the provider, not only the contract term, pricing and notice periods vary, but also the requirements for being able to take out a car subscription. This has to be checked on a case-by-case basis. In most cases, however, these requirements must be met for a car subscription:
– Some providers charge a registration fee when registering for the first time
– The minimum age is between 18 and 23 years (varies depending on the provider)
– The maximum age is a maximum of 75 years (varies depending on the provider)
– A residence or company headquarters in Germany is necessary
– An EU driving license is required, which you have held for at least two / three years (varies depending on the provider)
– With a negative Schufa it is not possible to take out a subscription
What should you watch out for with a car subscription?
Some providers already offer car subscriptions. And there are not only differences in pricing, but also in the range of vehicles, the waiting time until receipt of the vehicle and the notice periods. If you have found the right offer for you, you should read the conditions carefully in any case. How many kilometers can I drive? How is the car insured and what is the excess? Do I have to pay a deposit? How are the exchange modalities? Since the offers of the providers differ considerably from each other, you should take enough time and compare them thoroughly.
How do handover and return work?
The handover takes place at the authorized dealer who works with the car subscription provider. That could well be a few hundred kilometers away. In most cases, a delivery service is therefore also offered – often for a surcharge. The same applies to pick-up: either from the dealer or, for an additional charge, with pick-up.
However, some caution is advised when planning the takeover date. Usually it is a “non-binding delivery date”. The supplier may exceed this date by up to six weeks without giving rise to the right to withdraw from the contract.
When the vehicle is returned, a commissioned appraiser checks whether there is any damage to the vehicle and what kind of damage. What counts as damage and what is still used is precisely defined. In this context, it is interesting which guidelines are created. This should be clarified before renting. In addition, when handing over the vehicle, you should pay close attention to whether there is any minor damage to the vehicle and whether everything is completely on board. Otherwise, be sure to note it on the delivery note!