---
title: "Mercedes-Benz to Bring Subscription-Based Vehicle Program to the U.S. in 2018"
description: "'Mercedes me Flexperience' subscribers are able to select up to 12 different vehicles per year."
date: "2018-03-19"
modified: "2018-03-19"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/19388/mercedes-benz-to-bring-subscription-based-vehicle-program-to-the-u-s-in-2018"
categories:
  - "Mercedes-Benz News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "automotive news"
  - "Cadillac Book"
  - "Germany"
  - "Mercedes-Benz"
  - "News"
  - "Subscription Services"
---

# Mercedes-Benz to Bring Subscription-Based Vehicle Program to the U.S. in 2018

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/03/f8a9742-source.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Vehicle subscription services seem to be the talk of the town in 2018, with Cadillac, Volvo, and other [major mobility companies](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/18336/fords-canvas-subscription-service-is-off-to-a-great-start>) tasking their number crunchers with figuring out whether all-inclusive vehicle memberships are friends or foes. Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to claim that their own version of a flat-rate subscription program will roll out in the United States sometime in 2018.

The three-pointed-star has been running a pilot test in Germany, where a service called "Mercedes me Flexperience" allows subscribers to receive up to 12 vehicles per year from one of four segments, A-, C-, E- and [S-Class](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/18448/the-mercedes-maybach-s-class-gets-a-pinstriped-grille-and-two-tone-paint>), according to [*Automotive News*](<https://www.autonews.com/article/20180319/RETAIL/180319749/mercedes-readying-subscription-program-for-u-s>). It's not clear how similar the American version of the service would be its German counterpart, but it'll most likely share the same core pillars.

In Germany, subscribers use an online platform to schedule their vehicle swaps and to see which models are available and when. Should a customer who subscribes to entry-level tier desire a high-trim vehicle for a special occasion, they'd be able to schedule one but would have to pay an upgrade fee.

"We plan to have something ready (for the United States) within this year," Britta Seeger, global head of sales for Mercedes-Benz, told *Automotive News* at the Geneva Motor Show. "We are in the final conclusion" stage. The automaker didn't outline the cost each vehicle tier currently has in Germany, but the [flat rate does include](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/18639/volvo-xc40-crossover-gets-swanky-inscription-trim-and-three-cylinder-engine>) full-coverage insurance, scheduled maintenance, repairs, tires, and approximately 22,639 miles per year.

Specifics as far as where, when, and how Mercedes-Benz will roll out its pilot program in the United States are unknown, but it's worth mentioning that there are several hoops the automaker will have to jump through once it makes up its mind. One of the biggest challenges will be dealership associations. Will dealerships think the automaker is trying to pull a fast one on them? After all, subscribing to a flat-rate subscription service would likely drive fewer customers into their showroom floors. Let's not forget [Tesla's never-ending battle with this very same issue](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/6752/the-missouri-auto-dealers-association-hates-you-tesla-america>).

*The Drive* reached out to Mercedes-Benz for comment but has yet to hear back.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)