BMW Will Disable Your Highway Assistant Automatically After 8 Years, Unless You Pay Again

Recently, we shared with you the fact that BMW updated its online configurator. It now includes the facelifted X5 and X6 SUVs. We picked the X5 for a price comparison with the previous generation. Since we were looking at a premium SAV (what the Germans call their high-riding vehicles that can't go off-roading) that arguably inches closer to the luxury segment with each update, we thought picking a couple of high-tech options like self-driving and self-parking suites would be the right thing to do. It is, after all, something the automotive industry is fighting tooth and nail to give us, so we can enjoy a more relaxed commuting or traveling experience. Besides that, a BMW isn't a BMW without a couple of extras, right?

While we were giving the configurator a go, we noticed a small bullet point that said, “Important Information” when we reached the Options menu. Hovering over that small piece of additional instructions sitting just under the Driving Assistance Professional Package revealed that the Highway Assistant is available only for the first eight years after the sale is completed. Afterward, according to the configurator information, the advanced driver-assistance software (ADAS) is disabled. No other explanation or option is given.

Now, even though BMW’s offer to keep the eyes-on-the-road hands-free driving tech active for eight years costs just $2,100, it’s worth noting that it works only on some mapped highways, just like Ford’s or GM’s systems do. For example, people living in Alaska, Guam, Puerto Rico, or Hawaii don’t get to enjoy the perks of this option found on the new X5, X6, 7 Series, XM, and, after an OTA update, on the iX. Moreover, its functionality depends on the weather and road conditions.

Right now, Ford’s BlueCruise costs $1,995 for vehicles like the Ford F-150 Tremor High, while General Motors charges $2,500 for Super Cruise that’s found on models like the 2023 Escalade-V. It’s worth noting, however, that some of these manufacturers’ vehicles were delivered with the hands-free driving option included so owners can test them out at no cost for three years.

But BMW canceling the Highway Assistant after eight years did not seem right, so we asked the Bavarians what was up with it. The automaker (which, fortunately, has a press office unlike other car brands out there) told us that the hands-free ADAS is based on high-definition mapping, which seems to be the industry standard today. The first eight years come with free updates every time BMW (or its partner) finishes adding more high-speed roads into the system.

Afterward, the customer who wishes to continue enjoying hands-free driving will have to make additional purchases. We have not been told what those “additional purchases” are, but the marque will likely sell a subscription or tell owners that they need to pay extra for high-definition map updates. Initially, we believed it might be hardware related but we presumed wrong.

So, if you’re looking after a spanking-new BMW X5 with the Driving Assistance Professional Package which includes the Highway Assistant, don’t forget it comes with a timer. Unless you or the vehicle’s next owner are ready to pay more, it will stop working altogether.

“We feel this is an extremely competitive offering as manufacturers of similar driver assistance systems only provide three years of activation,” BMW’s spokesperson told us.

The Highway Assistant's activation is confirmed for the driver when on the dashboard screen the Assisted Driving Plus icon together with the small LED lightbars included in the steering wheel are green and the road ahead is highlighted in the same color.

Finally, keep in mind that these hands-free driving features are not here to replace you yet. Even though some manufacturers hint that their cars can drive themselves... When a crash happens, you’re on your own. Not one manufacturer is ready to assume liability yet, except for Mercedes-Benz and its Drive Pilot which works in very precisely defined conditions.