Lincoln Hops on the Car Subscription Bandwagon

The hot new trend in luxury cars is subscription services. The idea is that rather than buying a car, you pay for a monthly subscription to drive any car you’d like from the brand’s lineup that often includes insurance, maintenance, pickup, and delivery. It’s kind of like a lease, but you aren’t stuck with just one vehicle. The brand then has clients rather than owners who are free from the commitment of owning a car.

Cadillac’s “Book” subscription service is underway and now its American luxury rival, Lincoln is getting in on the trend. Using the same software as Ford’s Canvas subscription program, Lincoln is launching its subscription service as a pilot program in California to see how it goes before a nation-wide launch.

Last year, Lincoln launched a pickup and delivery program which has provided more than 60,000 rides for Lincoln owners who get the convenience of having their vehicles picked up for service, dropped off when complete, and a complimentary loaner for the time in between. This new subscription service is like an expansion of that.

Another pilot program that Lincoln has underway is a chauffeur service called Lincoln Personal Driver. Basically, it’s a trained driver who shows up to wherever your Lincoln is to give you a ride and even runs errands for you. This program initially launched in Miami, Florida and San Diego, California and it’s been successful enough that it’s expanding to Dallas, Texas.

Are luxury car subscriptions a passing fad or the future of the industry?