Originally Posted by TheCustomer
Originally Posted by +8Rich
Originally Posted by TheCustomer
My BMW i8's warranty, software extras and servicing are all on a monthly subscription - so I pay monthly, at a discount, and avoid (I hope) any surprise bills, while keeping the car maintained and its software up to date.

In some ways I'm surprised that the Servicing doesn't explicitly promote "keeping your vehicle's software up to date" as in the medium-long term it's the thing that'll keep cars in their best health.

Will

Thanks for the insight Will, I think you are demonstrating that a lot of us are way out of date with current (not intended) practices grin2



Back in the '90s I did some work with Ford Credit to bring their 'half a car' finance scheme to the UK from the USA. & since then pay as you use it financing of new cars has become ever more common. I guess BMW are just taking it to the next logical level by letting an owner turn on & off features - which previous owners might not have ever used.

I think it's the right way to approach a new-ish car, which relies so much on software.
& where the real cost to the first owner is depreciation from new: subscriptions from the manufacturer are a fair way of showing proper maintenance of hard- & software, and maybe the best hedge against depreciation.

That said, I'd love Morgan to offer me a monthly payment option to turn on the heating in my Aero's steering wheel!



This makes sense when it is a question of software. But heated seats are not software - just a utility which a customer pays for up front to have it installed. This just smacks of a way to make money. If you keep a car for 5 to 10 years how much will you pay for your heated seats at the end of it? Probably more than you would pay when it was just a simple pre-paid option.

Last edited by Quicksilver; 14/07/22 11:46 AM.

David
2020 Roadster 3.7 Dove Grey.