What Subscription-Based Car Features Are You Willing To Pay For?

Ford’s BlueCruiseImage: Ford

Automakers are counting on EVs and software being a gravy train. With less revenue being made at the dealer level with the advent of EVs — there’s less moving parts and no engine, so not much to service. So they’ve come up with the brilliant idea of building the cars with the features you might want, but locking them behind software that you have to buy to unlock to use. That’s the gist of subscription based car features.

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What’s more scary is that it seems like some people are warming up to the idea of this stuff, if they get to try it out first. A recent study showed 82 percent of people said that they’d be willing to consider these subscriptions in a future vehicle purchase. And it’s already started with tech like semi autonomous driving systems from Ford and GM that costs a couple hundred bucks a year if you subscribe; Mercedes-Benz and Kia essentially have marketplaces where customers will be able to shop and unlock features on their vehicles.

It’s great for automakers because profit, but sucks for car buyers, already stretched then by things like other media subscriptions, rising insurance rates and high gas prices. All on top of their monthly car payments.

But this is the world we live in now. And paying for these things can’t be that bad, right (I don’t actually believe this but bear with me)? These things are coming whether we like it or not. So now we ask you what subscription based features are you actually willing to pay for? Could it be more performance or something as simple as more ambient lighting color choices? Let us know in the comments.