Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Auto

BMW Clarifies Its Rules Around Subscription-Based Heated Seats (and It’s Not Quite What You Think)

Upgrades Include BMW Drive Recorder, BMW Remote Engine Start

Matthew Denis
By

Smart tech giveth and smart tech taketh away.

Clarifying building confusion, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, aka BMW, released a statement that stresses the automaker will not offer heated seats on a subscription basis in the United States. BMW of North America doesn’t expect factory option purchase levels to change suddenly, so the policy will be in place for at least a few years. While BMW is selling heated seats for monthly fees in other countries, the luxury car company will still proffer a subscription-based app, ConnectedDrive Upgrades, on new U.S. vehicles.

The 250,000th BMW i3 together with the BMW i3s of the HomeRun Edition from the BMW Group Plant Leipzig in June.
BMW

The reason for the exclusion? U.S. BMW buyers will likely opt for heated seats upon purchase and there’s no need to build the infrastructure necessary for a subscription service.

Related

“BMW customers in the USA demand a high level of equipment in their vehicles. Upgrades like heated seats are ordered on over 90% of the BMWs sold in the USA,” the vehicle company’s release said.

Recommended Videos

Monthly fees for front-seat heating cost roughly $15 in South Africa, $17 in Germany, $18 in the U.K., and $30 in New Zealand, according to BMW country websites. (Customers can pay for one month, one year, three years, or for unlimited service.) BMW faced quite a bit of social media heat on Reddit and Twitter. Dozens of posts criticized the car manufacturer for charging to keep rear ends warm.

“BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month. The auto industry is racing towards a future full of microtransactions,” Reddit user chrisdh79 posted.

The press release does assure buyers that, if purchased, heated seats will remain operational for the life of the vehicle. Looking at current prices and the potential for tacking on any number of streaming monthly services, those nickels and dimes can add up quickly. Staying up to date on technical workarounds from social users might help avoid monthly fees. Either way, the ancillary benefits of upgrades may be essential for drivers requiring certain safety and comfort elements.

BMW Drive Recoder
BMW

The first two U.S. BMW ConnectedDrive Upgrades are a dash cam function called BMW Drive Recorder and a BMW Remote Engine Start, each available through download. (The BMW Drive Recorder engages the cameras needed for the dash cam to connect to advanced driver assist systems.)

BMW will encourage customers to explore new software-based features with a short-term trial and promote purchasing apps either for a time period or for the life of the vehicle. New car owners can test functionality with flexibility and decide if they want to lay down the extra outlay.

BMW’s U.S. website lists a manufacturer’s suggested retail price for a BMW 230i coupe at $36,350. This is BMW, though, so add-ons will ignite this price.

Editors' Recommendations

Matthew Denis
Matthew Denis
Freelance Writer
Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…
What It’s Like to Drive a NASCAR Race Car (and Where You Can Get Behind the Wheel)
hands on nascar racing experience drive 5

I've driven a lot of fast cars in the past few years. Earlier this year, I had a Corvette up above 120 miles per hour on the track. I've been behind the wheel of Ferraris, Maseratis, BMWs, and the list goes on. So I figured I could handle a race car just fine, and my heartbeat didn't so much as quicken as I climbed through the window of a NASCAR stock car on the track of the Daytona International Speedway.

But as I sped toward the first turn and saw the 31-degree bank looming in front of me, I did have one brief heart flutter and a moment of doubt. As I recall, my thoughts were something like this: "Holy shit."

Read more
Andy Warhol Painted a BMW M1 Race Car, and It’s Gorgeous
andy warhol m1 bmw p90361876 highres

In 1979, iconic artists Andy Warhol was commissioned by BMW to paint a car. This, of course, simplifies the radical result which was the Andy Warhol M1 Art Car — a pop art red and turquoise-painted six-cylinder power racing machine that redefines the term ‘work of art.’

Previous

Read more
What It’s Like to Drive the 755-Horsepower Corvette ZR1 on a Racetrack When You’re Not a Racecar Driver
National Corvette Museum

In the past couple of years, I've been lucky enough to spend a few days with three different Ferraris, a Cadillac ATS-V, and a BMW X4 M40i. I'm not trying to brag and I'm far from an expert when it comes to cars. I just want to set out for the record that I have spent a good number of hours behind the wheels of a good number of potent automobiles.

So when I got the opportunity to drive a Corvette ZR1, I was excited to add it to this growing roster. Would a $120,000 American-made sports car be all that much fun after driving a $300,000 Ferrari 488 or an equally expensive GTC4Lusso? After all, those cars pack in 660 horsepower and make zero to 60 in 3.1 seconds.

Read more