‘Subscriber’ can swap out luxury vehicle

Central Ohio luxury-car drivers now can get a “subscription” that allows for the constant use of a new vehicle, along with the ability to switch to another at any time as their needs or desires change.

Germain Automotive Group launched the service this week. It’s being handled by a subsidiary, Drive Germain, and the program works much like a long-term car rental.

The monthly fee is $1,000, which includes insurance, maintenance, cleaning and just about every other cost associated with car ownership. The main exception is the cost of gasoline.

Germain is working with Clutch Technologies, an Atlanta-based software developer, on the system, which allows customers to use a mobile application to alert Drive Germain that they want to “flip,” or switch, vehicles. An employee will deliver the requested vehicle and pick up the old one. Customers also can “flip” vehicles when their current one needs repairs.

“It’s something different, an alternative to offer customers who want to experiment and use technology to try out a different way of driving cars,” said Jessica Germain, director of customer experience for Germain Auto.

The vehicles are all 2017 or 2018 model years. They enter the fleet as new and are removed from the Drive Germain fleet at about 10,000 miles.

Drive Germain is indicative of a larger trend in the car business, with companies offering different versions of subscription services, said Matt DeLorenzo, managing editor at Kelley Blue Book

“The thing they’re pitching here is the convenience and the variety of vehicles you’ll have access to,” he said.

Cadillac and Porsche are among the brands trying out similar programs, DeLorenzo said.

He thinks the idea of a car subscription has promise for luxury-vehicle drivers. But he has doubts about whether a similar program would work for non-luxury cars, in part because it would require a much larger scale that would be difficult for dealers to manage.

Drive Germain subscribers may choose from vehicles from Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus and Mercedes, plus trucks, SUVs or minivans from Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda and Toyota. Most of these are midlevel luxury models that would sell new for $40,000 to $45,000.

The company is developing a version of the plan that probably would cost $1,400 per month and include vehicles whose prices are around $60,000.

Clutch is part of this type of subscription service in seven locations; Drive Germain is the only one in Ohio.

Germain Automotive has 15 new-car franchises, with stores in central Ohio; the Dayton area; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Naples, Florida. For now, Drive Germain is available only in central Ohio.

Drive Germain operates out of the parent company’s Downtown offices at 225 E. Spring St. It has one full-time employee who delivers vehicles, and several part-time employees. As people sign up for the service, the company will hire more workers, Jessica Germain said.

“The thing they’re pitching here is the convenience and the variety of vehicles you’ll have access to.”

— Matt DeLorenzo, managing editor at Kelley Blue Book