Opting for leasing a car in Singapore rather than buying makes a lot of sense. It’s cheaper, first of all, with no big downpayment required. However, you can feel “locked in” when you lease – and in these uncertain times, we all want flexibility. What if you don’t need a car for a whole month? Or you only want a car during school holidays, or when visitors are around? Happily, there’s a way to avoid spending when you don’t need to, while not getting tied into a purchase or a long-term car lease.
Access by BMW is a subscription service that gets you behind the wheel of a BMW for a short term – one week to one month, or longer. There’s plenty of flexibility in signing up online, and a dedicated concierge service delivers the vehicle to your location of choice, and collects it afterwards.
We hear from a driver about his BMW subscription
Expat Living reader Matt describes his experience with Access by BMW:
“I’d been looking around for a service like this when I read about it in The Straits Times online. So I signed up – that was in September last year. I wanted to be able to return my car whenever I needed to travel overseas for work or pleasure. After considering leasing a car from BMW, I finally decided that Access was the best fit for my personal and work schedules. The prices are very competitive when compared to other forms of car ownership, plus it offers me amazing flexibility. For example, I can switch to other models if my needs change along the way.
“Signing up was a very easy experience. It’s a user-friendly website, and all the details I needed were laid out nicely for making an informed decision. After filling in my personal details, I found the car I wanted in minutes. That car was the BMW 118i – it’s always been my first choice; we’re a family of three (and a dog) so it’s a perfect size for our needs. I experimented with a short one-month subscription, and I’m currently on a 12-month subscription. But I think that three months is the ‘sweet spot’. It means I can time it so that if I’m away for a month, the car can be returned – and I reduce my annual costs by one twelfth.
“I like how the cars are new and fully serviced. I don’t have to worry about servicing or maintenance. Again, the flexibility of Access by BMW gives me the freedom to tailor my transportation needs to complement my lifestyle. You can get a great and affordable car when you want it with no extra costs beyond fuel and tolls.”
Special deals
During the Circuit Breaker, Access by BMW has been available at a significantly reduced monthly rate for healthcare workers – with the one-time activation fee of $1,000 also being waived. It’s been a nice show of support for those workers whose focus at this time is on keeping people safe and well.
Now, a similar deal has been extended to everyone. The Access by BMW service is available without the $1,000 activation fee, and with reduced rates on cars (until 30 June 2020). A BMW 1 Series vehicle, for example, will set you back as little as S$2,100 for a short-term subscription of a month – or around $70 a day. Take a few taxis each day and you soon find yourself spending close to that amount.
Choose your model
There’s a car available for everyone through the service, too. The 1 Series five-door hatchbacks (116d and 118i) will be ideal for those who just need to buzz around the city. Families might opt for a 2 Series MPV, like the 216i Active Tourer or 216i Gran Tourer. You can also get a 5 Series sedan, or one of the SUVs in the X range (X1 sDrive18i, X2 sDrive20i or X3 sDrive20i).
Once you’ve found a vehicle you like, it’s then just a matter of following these steps:
It’s good to know, too, that your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the specified term – no need to sign up again. Then you can just stop or change your subscription when you like.
Keen for a BMW subscription? Find out more at accessbybmw.com.sg.
Read on for more about living in Singapore.
