Upfront/GO
You Might Never Stop Paying for That New Car
Subscription fees come to vehicles
UNTIL RECENTLY, buying a car meant full ownership: Pay for it, and you own it.
But now many automakers charge subscription fees for extras, such as remote locking through a phone app, hands-free driving or electronic parking assistance. Just one subscription feature at $20 a month could cost you around $2,500 for the life of the vehicle.
Brian Moody, executive editor at Kelley Blue Book, says car buyers should take a “technology test drive.”
“How that technology works for you,” he says, will “determine whether you need to spend significant dollars a month.” —Julie Halpert