Car Subscription Services in New York

From heavy traffic to high insurance costs, owning or leasing a car in New York City can be a major hassle for a lot of reasons. That’s why more and more people are subscribing to their next vehicle instead. Car subscriptions are the latest way to pick out a new set of wheels, and they have definite advantages for New York residents.

A car subscription won’t reduce that traffic, but it can do something about those insurance costs: Many car-subscription programs bundle an insurance policy into the same one flat fee they charge for everyone. The same fee also usually covers routine maintenance and roadside assistance. And you won't have to waste time driving from dealership to dealership to find the vehicle that best fits your needs because most car-subscription services let you handle everything online or with a smartphone app.  

From heavy traffic to high insurance costs, owning or leasing a car in New York City can be a major hassle for a lot of reasons. That’s why more and more people are subscribing to their next vehicle instead. Car subscriptions are the latest way to pick out a new set of wheels, and they have definite advantages for New York residents.

A car subscription won’t reduce that traffic, but it can do something about those insurance costs: Many car-subscription programs bundle an insurance policy into the same one flat fee they charge for everyone. The same fee also usually covers routine maintenance and roadside assistance. And you won't have to waste time driving from dealership to dealership to find the vehicle that best fits your needs because most car-subscription services let you handle everything online or with a smartphone app.  

Different companies have different car-subscription models, and the program from Volvo stands out for a number of reasons. On the “pro” side of the ledger, Care by Volvo offers subscriptions starting at $600 per month. For that price—without any down payment—you get to enjoy one of the hottest new suvs on the market. Right off the bat, the 2019 Volvo XC40 has a design that will get you noticed even in Manhattan. As for technology, it shows off city-friendly features like an automatic parking system, a rearview camera, smartphone integration, and wireless charging.

You can also upgrade to the sportier XC40 R-Design for $700 a month. Then, along with the vehicle, your monthly fee takes care of an insurance policy, routine maintenance, and 24/7 roadside assistance. All that said, Care by Volvo does require a 24-month commitment, and you are unable to switch between vehicles until after the first 12 months.

UPDATE (as of 6/27): Volvo has added three new S60 models to its vehicle subscription service. The S60 T6 AWD Momentum is available for $775 per month, the S60 T6 AWD R-Design fee is $850 per month, and the extremely limited S60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered model is available for $1100 per month.