The program is called "Mercedes-Benz Collection," and it actually provides a pretty broad range of cars to those who subscribe. The plan, like others from OEMs, has more than one tier. 1,595 per month and gives you access to vehicles like the C43 AMG, the E400 wagon and the GLE350 SUV. 2,995 per month you can access the Premier tier, and with that, you can drive around in a C63 S sedan, a G550 SUV or an SL550 roadster. Dietmar Exler, president and CEO for MBUSA. If your jaw is on the floor over the price of the Premier tier, you're not alone. That's a lot of cash per month, but the ability to "flip" into different vehicles with minimal notice through the Mercedes-Benz Collection concierge service is pretty cool. As with most subscription plans, cars are delivered to you cleaned and fueled, and the plan includes insurance. Joining is a relatively simple process. You just have to download the Mercedes-Benz Collection app and go through the prompts, which include sending a photo of your driver's license, and in around 24 hours you should have a decision on your application. 495 application fee, and you're in. Is it a good deal? In the classic sense, not really, but if you're a person of means and you really, really like being seen in a new Mercedes-Benz, then it seems like an excellent way to go. Every car infotainment system available in 2019: All you need to know about the touchscreens, infotainment and connectivity options in every new car.
Now, if Mr. Man was the kind of person who's actually exempt from driving bans, he would know that clearly, and would also know that it's unusual, and would have clearly stated that up front. But he didn't. He instead made some mumbly noises about working for NRC (the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a US regulatory agency that oversees the civilian nuclear power industry). That may or may not be true. But NRC are not nuclear operators. They're nuclear regulators. Their job does not involve the safe operation of nuclear facilities, only the regulatory oversight of the industry that operates such facilities. NRC inspectors do personally visit those facilities, but they're only there to look at stuff. They don't run the plants. It's a paperwork job, mostly. It's important, but it's not like being an EMT. It's more like being a restaurant inspector. If they can't show up today, tomorrow or next week is just as good. It's not the kind of job that anyone needs to get to right away, never mind in life-threatening conditions. When you put all that together, it's pretty obvious that Mr. Man is full of shit. You don't have to know a whole lot to figure that out. All you really have to do is just take a few seconds to stop and think about what he said. At best, he's making excuses for jacking up his truck so he can feel more manly. At worst, he's just making it all up. But all of it being true is an extremely remote possibility.
Members also receive two days of service from Silvercar -- an Audi-only rental car company -- and concierge service with pick-up and drop-off of vehicles. If you love the brand with the Four Rings, it's not a bad way to go. Genesis is getting into the subscription-style lease game with Spectrum. The program is like a standard lease that rolls in all your maintenance and insurance costs with your monthly payment. Like Lexus' Complete Lease program, you can't necessarily swap cars, but Spectrum does give you access to all of Genesis' product line. 5,499 down for the G90. Spectrum will see a limited release starting with the 45 Genesis dealers in Florida, and it's not totally clear if or when Genesis will expand the program to other markets. Read more in Genesis' announcement here. These subscription services aren't directly backed and managed by a vehicle manufacturer. Most offer used or off-lease vehicles, and prices vary pretty widely, as does the level of bundling. Some services, for example, provide insurance bundled with the vehicle while others will help you find insurance.
Others, meanwhile, leave you to figure it out yourself. The benefit to third-party services is that they're usually much cheaper than the OEM options, and represent lower-cost ways of getting into a vehicle. Canvas is a different kind of subscription service altogether. It's backed by Ford Credit and offers Ford and Lincoln vehicles exclusively, but rather than it having brand-new shiny cars for you, you're paying for used off-lease vehicles that are several model years old. In fact, as of this writing, most of the cars available through Canvas in West Los Angeles are from the 2015 model year. The Canvas program is more a la carte, allowing users to select different subscription lengths and mileage packages to go with their vehicles. Insurance is included, as with most subscription services and Canvas cars come with Ford's Protect Premium Maintenance Plan. This package covers routine oil changes, multipoint inspections and some preventive care and replacement of normal "wear and tear" items.
The Canvas pricing structure is interesting too, again because of its a la carte nature. When signing up for Canvas, you first select a subscription length from one to 12 months, and the longer your subscription, the lower your monthly fee. Next, you choose your vehicle. Lastly, you choose your mileage package. If you plan on driving 500 miles per month or less, congratulations, you won't be charged anything extra over the cost of your subscription and car fee. If you plan on making regular cross-country trips, however, you'll clearly need the unlimited miles pack. 135 per month for that convertible Mustang. Flexdrive allows you to select a car via its app, pay a weekly fee -- which differs from car to car -- and pay for mileage on top of that. One of the benefits is that Flexdrive doesn't make you choose up front how long your subscription will be, unlike Canvas.
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