California Will Get Care by Volvo Vehicle Subscription Program Starting February

The concept is not entirely new, and it was initially offered to companies across the world, as it still is. Usually, in the case described, it is called operational leasing, and it involves a minimum period of keeping the vehicle, as well as an entire fleet of vehicles, not just one. It works best for companies that do not want to have too much money tied up in vehicles or that do not want to bother with the hassle of maintaining them.

In the case of Care by Volvo, it can be had by individual people, not just companies, and the idea is that the monthly payment covers insurance, maintenance, road hazard coverage, excess wear allowance, tires, and so on.

Instead of leasing a vehicle and paying for all those things, or buying it outright, you never own the vehicle in question, nor anything else related to it, but you can use it however you like within the limitations of the contract.

You are not supposed to change its parts yourself, and this also applies to things that make the vehicle lose its warranty. The same terms apply to a lease deal, but that has not stopped some individuals from modifying the vehicles they had leased as if they were theirs.

The best part of this deal is that you get to experience various kinds of vehicles from Volvo without bothering to sell or trade in your existing vehicle, think about resale value, worry about maintenance costs, taxes, and so on. You may even go wild and get a vehicle that is not Silver, Grey, Black, or Blue. You know, like they used to back in the day, when people bought cars in various colors just for fun, not for their potential resale value.

It may be an interesting deal for those who want to have the latest model from an automaker for a while and then get the next big thing from them or something like that. Sadly, it will not make the best case for people who were struggling to afford a new vehicle.

Since the monthly payments involve all kinds of other things, such as excess wear allowance, road hazard coverage, maintenance, and insurance, it means that it is more expensive to get one of these subscriptions rather than a lease deal.

The advantage is that there is usually no down payment for these offers (or a small sum when compared to a regular lease), and you can occasionally get a different vehicle from the dealer if you need a larger one for a trip, for instance, with minimal fuss or headaches.

It is important to note that you must first look up eligible models on the manufacturer's website, then see what would be available, and only then can you get a link to complete the application process. Once approved, subscribers will be able to get a delivery date, and they must visit the dealer to complete the paperwork. Once that is done, they can drive off in their new car.

Programs like these are good news for those who want used cars, as the vehicles deployed here end up in the dealer's used car lot with just about a year of use, and each unit was meticulously maintained by the dealer itself.

Usually, this type of business was done through a leasing or rent-a-car firm, which bought various vehicles in a fleet with minimal options or specific ones, and then sold the vehicles off through wholesale auctions and then through individual dealers.

Regardless, those vehicles end up on the used car market, and their initial renter never gets the chance to buy them, but it is not in their interest to buy those vehicles anyway, since they did not want that in the first place.

Some automakers see this as the future of car ownership, where they are mobility providers, not car manufacturers and vendors, and the customers are subscribers, not owners.

It is a two-way street, mind you, as customers pay full price and then may remain faithful to the brand moving forward, while subscribers may dine and dash, if you will, and the mobility provider gets stuck with the bill.