The BMW car subscription service Access by BMW has been in business in Nashville, Tennessee, since 2018. The service provides a variety of mid- to high-end BMW vehicles on a rolling 30-day subscription, with quick flips, upgrades, and pauses available at any time during that month. There are many price tiers for access to the subscription service, with the higher tiers targeted towards the premium end of the automobile subscription market. Your membership’s included concierge service and insurance plan are on par with similar high-end, dealership-driven car subscription packages.
In This Article...
A subscription package for your individual Bimmerfest is called Access by BMW.
With a pricey two-tier scheme, the German luxury manufacturer is the most recent to join the app-based all-in-one monthly subscription trend.
Chris spent a short time working as a record industry publicist and in TV news production before focusing the majority of his career on automobile publishing. David E. Davis, Jr., who founded “Automobile Magazine,” mentored Paukert, who then took over as editor-in-chief of the groundbreaking e-magazine Winding Road before working as executive editor of Autoblog from 2008 to 2015.
BMW is the most recent company to enter the fray as subscription services continue to advance in the automotive sector. Beginning Wednesday, April 4, Nashville will host the “Access by BMW” experimental program launched by the German automaker.
For a monthly fee, the program offers members unlimited access to a limited selection of BMW vehicles, as well as insurance, maintenance, and roadside support. Participants in the Access by BMW program will be able to order their vehicles through a mobile app.
Members will be able to change their car selection based on their immediate mobility needs, with limitless swaps, in addition to simplifying monthly costs. A BMW SUV can be purchased if your workday plans involve moving several people or a significant amount of cargo. With the help of the Access by BMW app, a convertible can be requested for a relaxing weekend escape. Vehicles are delivered by a concierge fully fueled and preprogrammed with the member’s preferences (such as radio stations).
After 2.5 years, BMW is canceling its subscription service.
The latest automaker to discontinue its membership service is BMW. The Verge announced on Wednesday that the Access by BMW subscription program will stop on January 31.
In April 2018, Access by BMW began operating as a pilot service in Nashville. Customers could rent a BMW car whenever they needed one for a set monthly rate that also covered maintenance, insurance, and roadside assistance. Models including the X5, 4-Series, and 5-Series were included in the regular $2,000 membership, while access to numerous M models was available with a $3,700 monthly subscription.
BMW, however, never took the service beyond Nashville and is now fully discontinuing it. According to The Verge, which cited an email from a sales representative, Nashville locals trying to join up in recent weeks have been told the service is ending and is no longer accepting new subscribers. The email stated that the program would close down at the end of this month.
The program has “reached its capacity constraints,” a BMW representative told The Verge, adding that the company still offered subscription services.
Access by BMW is currently being updated, and BMW stated it would let users know more details as soon as they became available.
The use of subscription services by many automakers to entice clients who were hesitant to commit to a car purchase or turned off by the dealership experience has yielded mixed results. Mercedes’ subscription program was discontinued last year, while Porsche and Volvo are still committed to the experiment. Cadillac ended its own program in 2018, although there have been talks of bringing it back in a revised format.
Prices Drop for “Access By BMW” Subscription Service, New Models
We originally examined BMW’s subscription service, Access By BMW, in April. Since then, BMW has continued to improve the program, including by offering current discounts on all three tiers of subscriptions. For those who don’t reside in the Nashville, Tennessee, region (the only testbed for BMW’s Access program so far) and who need a refresher, the program is an all-inclusive bundle designed to combine the dependability and dependability of a lease with the flexibility of car ownership or rental, allowing you to pay one monthly rate and have access to a variety of vehicles that can be exchanged at will—and BMW will take care of insurance, maintenance, BMW Roadside Assistance, an emergency roadside assistance program
The program previously featured two car categories: the BMW M tier, which featured premium models like the M4, M5, X6 M, and others, and the Legends tier, which featured mid-range mainstays like the 4 Series, X5, and, oddly, the M2. With the addition of the “Icons” entry-level category, BMW now offers vehicles such the 330i, 330e plug-in hybrid, X2, and M240i convertible.
Some of the finest news, though? Pricing has been drastically down overall. The Legends tier will now cost $1,399 per month (down from $2,000 earlier), while the BMW M tier will drop $1,000 from $3,700 to $2,699 per month. The monthly cost for the new Icons category will be $1,099
Oh, and for subscribers in the two higher price tiers, things become much more intriguing. Legends and BMW M users can also switch cars from the lower tiers, so if you feel like carving some canyons, you can trade in your X6 M for an M2, and if you want to try living an electric lifestyle, you can trade in your 4 Series for an i3.
From the viewpoint of an enthusiast, the program is made especially alluring by the inclusion of powerful sports vehicles in each price range. Who wouldn’t want to trade in their X5 for an M2 for a weeklong road trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway or trade in their M240i coupe for a 330e to save money on gas while commuting?
BMW’s subscription to Product as a Service allows access.
Vehicles are available via Access by BMW as a subscription service for luxury vehicles. Subscribers can rent a different car for every occasion, such as a Z4 convertible for a first date you want to impress or an X5 for a glamping vacation up in the mountains. Through the BMW car subscription app, any vehicle may be ordered.
With a BMW subscription, you receive all the opulent extras and benefits that The automobile will be delivered to your door fully charged or with a full tank of petrol by a concierge. From radio station presets to your preferred sitting position, your concierge will customize the caras settings to suit your needs. You won’t have to worry about repairs, oil changes, taxes, or car detailing if you have a BMW membership.
Customers of Access by BMW receive a one-time activation charge, $1 million in liability insurance, no long-term commitment, and a month-to-month subscription with unlimited service pauses and cancellations. Offering a product as a service is nothing new, but luxury vehicles have just recently become popular.
We make it possible for you to quickly provide your product subscriptions. Totally independent or incorporated into your current website or online business.
Unlimited car swaps, insurance protection, discounted maintenance and repair costs, and BMW’s concierge service are all available to subscribers for a monthly price.
Do BMW staff members own BMWs?
Your new top-tier employee benefit, the BMW & MINI Retailer Employee Car Scheme, gives Retailer workers the chance to purchase and operate a brand-new BMW or MINI. Now available to eligible employees are no deposit, competitive repayments, and six-month contracts.
Describe the BMW vehicle program.
Each and every person on our team puts in a tremendous amount of effort, which is tremendously appreciated. Our extensive benefits package is one of the ways we give back.
Learn more about the advantages our employees in the USA can take advantage of by joining the BMW Group. As part of their respective initiatives, each of our entities also provides distinctive advantages.
Through assignment or lease programs, our workplace vehicle program offers our workers the chance to enjoy driving their own BMW. In order for every employee to support our brand and share our pleasure in the caliber of our vehicles, we think this is a terrific opportunity for you to experience the advantages of our vehicles.
Does BMW charge a monthly fee?
For a monthly subscription charge, BMW is now providing heated seats to British drivers.
Apparently, a monthly subscription to heat the front seats in your BMW runs about $18.
The program is intended for vehicles that did not come with heated seats.
According to BMW, this will enable a reduced initial cost for the automobile and more options for later owners. The heated seats, however, are forfeited if a payment is late.
Heated steering wheels, the capability to record video from your vehicle’s cameras, and other features are among those that BMW plans to introduce.
Are there microtransactions in BMW?
According to The Verge, BMW has introduced a number of new “microtransactions” for its vehicles sold in a number of nations, including the United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa, and New Zealand (apparently not the United States just yet). These subscriptions include features like heated seats, Apple’s CarPlay technology, automatic map updates, adaptive high beams, and even the ability to play engine noises inside the car.
Even the base model of mass-market vehicles come included with some of these features, like heated seats and CarPlay compatibility, while others, like adjustable headlights, are frequently an extra. BMW is attempting to make the features into a recurring revenue stream even though many of the amenities may be acquired for a one-time charge.
It can turn its automobiles on and off with the flick of a switch by designing them with all of the capabilities pre-built into the software.
For instance, in the U.K., heating the front seats of your costly new BMW will cost you either a one-time fee of 350 pounds ($415 at current exchange rates) or 15 British pounds each month. It would cost you 10 pounds a month, or 200 pounds for the “unlimited” option, or about $237, to be able to have adaptive high lights that automatically dim when oncoming cars approach.
In contrast, Volkswagen(VWAGY -1.43%) will charge you $955 to add the feature to your 2022 Jetta as part of its Driver Assistance package, which also includes a number of other cutting-edge features. For example, your BMW will charge you an additional 750 pounds ($883) for monitoring your blind spots.
How much of a discount do BMW workers receive?
BMW has adopted an innovative strategy to increase sales by attempting to persuade more of its own employees to purchase its vehicles.
The automaker left 7,000 postcards on the windscreens of vehicles from other brands in the employee parking lot after giving them to German employees who do not drive a BMW or Mini.
What’s wrong with this picture? You enjoy your work for us. Your job and income are both things you enjoy. But you’re driving a vehicle owned by a rival.
In addition, it advertised appealing deals on new cars, such as a 21.9% discount on new BMW sedans, and invited personnel to have a free test drive.
a BMW representative stated: “The goal of the campaign is to spark discussion and spread knowledge of our alluring staff vehicle options. Only cars with comparable vehicle offerings in our model portfolio were eligible to have postcards attached to them. The goal was to inform staff members of internal marketing for alluring vehicle offers. Of course, our staff members are free to use any kind of vehicle they like.”
And why on earth wouldn’t they want to spend money on a brand-new, pricey, luxury vehicle? After all, the economy isn’t exactly in a slump right now.
Is the BMW membership legitimate?
Executives at BMW have long discussed plans to charge a monthly fee for several services, including heated seats. Although the car already has the heating coils and other hardware needed to actually heat the seats, owners can, if they so want, pay BMW a monthly charge to enable them to function.