Cadillac News: 'Book by Cadillac' Is A Vehicle Subscription Service

[William Maley]

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Are you one of those people who can't seem to decide if they want a sports sedan or a luxury crossover? Then listen up as Cadillac has announced something you might be interested in.

Next month, Cadillac will be launching 'Book by Cadillac' for the New York Metro Area. For $1,500 a month, members will be able to choose from Cadillac's Platinum trim and V-Series lineup. This is done through a smartphone app where a member can request a vehicle. From there, a concierge will drop off your selected vehicle to your requested location. Vehicles can be kept for as long as a member wants and can be easily swapped. 

The $1,500 monthly fee covers insurance, registration, and maintenance of the vehicle.

Cadillac plans on launching Book into other markets down the road.

Source: Cadillac
Press Release is on Page 2

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Introducing BOOK by Cadillac, a Bold New Luxury Vehicle Subscription Model

• Rather than owning a single vehicle, members can switch between different Cadillacs to best suit their needs with this first-of-its-kind subscription service from an OEM.

NEW YORK — Cadillac is continuing to push the boundaries of the driving experience with a first-of-its kind luxury vehicle subscription service, BOOK by Cadillac. For a flat monthly fee, BOOK by Cadillac gives members access to popular Cadillac vehicles without the commitment of leasing, financing or buying.

“BOOK by Cadillac is an innovative new option targeted at a growing class of luxury drivers searching for access to various cars over time, dependent on their individual needs, coupled with a hassle-free white-glove exchange,” said Uwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac chief marketing officer.

BOOK by Cadillac members will have app-enabled on-demand access to the latest premium trim Cadillac models to keep in their possession. The vehicles will be delivered via white-glove concierge to members’ requested locations and exchanged at their leisure or as their needs change. Members can just as easily take to the winding roads in a performance V Series and enjoy a back-mountain winter ski trip in an Escalade in the same week. Alternatively, they can keep an SUV during the winter months and switch to a performance sedan during the summer, with each vehicle picked up and delivered to their doorstep.

With maintenance, insurance and detailing of the vehicle handled by Cadillac, members are freed from the baggage that comes with traditional vehicle ownership and given the freedom and flexibility to fit their lifestyle.

BOOK by Cadillac will launch first in the New York metro area, with plans to debut in other markets. 

The Details:
A flat monthly fee of $1,500 eliminates the hassles of car ownership so members can experience uninhibited driving. Membership is month-to-month with no long-term commitment required. Members can use a mobile app to reserve vehicles that will be delivered to their specified locations via a white-glove concierge service. Certain location restrictions apply. Members will have access to the current year Platinum Level Trim Cadillacs, including the XT5, CT6, Escalade and V Series. Registration, taxes, insurance and maintenance costs are included in the monthly rate and there is no limit on mileage.

Other fees may apply. For detailed information on all the benefits of membership and how to join, please visit www.BOOKByCadillac.com.

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[G. David Felt]

Interesting, very much like the zip auto service in Seattle or the BMW car service. Be interesting to see how this goes for Cadillac. 

Not my style of having auto service but for some with money to burn I can see it working for those that like to change out their auto's often. 

Wonder when the Escalade V comes if that will be added to the service?

[Cmicasa the Great]

Pretty Sweet if it includes all of that.. plus the option to swap at will. Imagine had I put down just $28K and financed the rest at 1.99% for 60 months.. instead of buying outright..   that would have been like $1700 on the V. plus insurance etc

[daves87rs]

Works great for date night.....

[smk4565]

I can't see that working at that price.   You can lease and Escalade for $850 a month, I don't get why you would pay $1,500 to drive one.  You could get an S-class lease with insurance and prepaid maintenance for under $1,500 a month, and it's an S-class.

[surreal1272]

51 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

I can't see that working at that price.   You can lease and Escalade for $850 a month, I don't get why you would pay $1,500 to drive one.  You could get an S-class lease with insurance and prepaid maintenance for under $1,500 a month, and it's an S-class.

Really? All registration and insurance costs are covered (unlike a lease) and this is obviously for the white collar traveler that has to spend extended time at one location. Oh, and you can give it back at anytime or swap it for another ride, unlike your lease. 

[balthazar]

2 hours ago, smk4565 said:

You could get an S-class lease with insurance and prepaid maintenance for under $1,500 a month, and it's an S-class.

But it's the SAME s-class, month in & month out, and they're everywhere.

For the same cost & easier access, you get access to a FLEET of high end Cadillacs. It's not remotely a comparison.

[smk4565]

Where it may make sense is for a celebrity or business person who is in NYC for a month or two for work and not staying and needs a car for a short period of time.  An NYC resident can lease an Escalade and have $650 a month left over.  Car insurance is less than $100 a month, and it doesn't cost $500 a month for maintenance.  

[surreal1272]

2 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Where it may make sense is for a celebrity or business person who is in NYC for a month or two for work and not staying and needs a car for a short period of time.  An NYC resident can lease an Escalade and have $650 a month left over.  Car insurance is less than $100 a month, and it doesn't cost $500 a month for maintenance.  

So you are proving that your initial assessment was off by a mile by providing an example of why this program is different (and far more convenient) than a traditional lease? What exactly is your point here? Again, you can't just trade in that Escalade (penalty free) for say a loaded CT6 the next month under the lease you are referring to. What do you not understand here?

39 minutes ago, balthazar said:

But it's the SAME s-class, month in & month out, and they're everywhere.

For the same cost & easier access, you get access to a FLEET of high end Cadillacs. It's not remotely a comparison.

Exactly but everything Cadillac has to be compared to Mercedes, even when they are not remotely comparable. I thought you knew Balth!

[balthazar]

$850/mnth is for a lower-level Luxury Trim 2016.
Most Eskys are Premiums (starts @ $83K), and the 2017 MY lease rate hasn't come out yet, I believe.

[Cmicasa the Great]

11 hours ago, smk4565 said:

I can't see that working at that price.   You can lease and Escalade for $850 a month, I don't get why you would pay $1,500 to drive one.  You could get an S-class lease with insurance and prepaid maintenance for under $1,500 a month, and it's an S-class.

 

 

It is an S-Class.. which U day in and day out FAIL to realize is not only NOT A BIG THING with today's lending standards propped by Benz.. but NOT A BIG THING when it comes to the fact that the S-Class sells primarily the S550.. which is nothing really that great to write home about.. and if U encounter one of the dime a dozen on the street.. really nothing to be in awe over either. An Escalade??? Especially the Platinum..  I'm sorry to tell many who are under some BS spell that the rags have perpetuated.. looks actually more expensive than the S550 and is a part of the hottest segment on the planet. Furthermore this deal would give one access to not just the same ole tired ass S-Class.. but the Escalade.. a CT6 Platinum.. a CTS-V.. a XT5 Plat.. a CTS VSport.. an ATS-V.. and XTS VSport Plat.. 

How much U wanna bet that if this takes off.. we will see your holier than thou Kraut Co following suit?

This

 

or this

 

or this:

 

or This

 

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidt Cadillac would get my money even if it only offered me ONE of those.. for 3 straight years   oh.. and FUCK Mercedes Benz 

[Cmicasa the Great]

Seriously.. if U didn't see the badge... and didn't kno which was more expensive.. I bet good money most would figure that this:

was actually CHEAPER than this (A GOD DAMN Chevy.. :

[smk4565]

I think the program is a good idea at a lower price.  I don't see them getting enough people to sign up for it to keep it viable.  Maybe at $1,100 a month.

The other thing is this lets them get cars off dealer lots and after a car is in service a year I wonder if they could still sell it as new since it would never have been sold or titled.

for fun, an Escalade 4wd ESV  Platinum is $98,790.  A base S550 4matic is $99,600.

[Drew Dowdell]

16 hours ago, smk4565 said:

I can't see that working at that price.   You can lease and Escalade for $850 a month, I don't get why you would pay $1,500 to drive one.  You could get an S-class lease with insurance and prepaid maintenance for under $1,500 a month, and it's an S-class.

" The $1,500 monthly fee covers insurance, registration, and maintenance of the vehicle. "

You can't lease an Escalade Platinum for $1500 a month including insurance, $850 a month gets you the mid-range model. . And any S-Class with a $1500 a month lease that includes insurance is going to be a mid-range model at best. Also... you can get a new Escalade Platinum every week and still pay just the $1500 a month or switch to a CTS-V next week, or a CT6 Platinum Plug-In Hybrid for a long trip the week after.   Can't do that in an S-Class lease for 39 months.

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

I think the program is a good idea at a lower price.  I don't see them getting enough people to sign up for it to keep it viable.  Maybe at $1,100 a month.

The other thing is this lets them get cars off dealer lots and after a car is in service a year I wonder if they could still sell it as new since it would never have been sold or titled.

for fun, an Escalade 4wd ESV  Platinum is $98,790.  A base S550 4matic is $99,600.

More than likely, it will be sold to a subsidiary of GM, operated by them, but branded by Cadillac.  It couldn't be sold new. It's like GM's car sharing service Maven.... it is its own company, but owned by GM and GM sells Maven the cars.

[surreal1272]

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

I think the program is a good idea at a lower price.  I don't see them getting enough people to sign up for it to keep it viable.  Maybe at $1,100 a month.

The other thing is this lets them get cars off dealer lots and after a car is in service a year I wonder if they could still sell it as new since it would never have been sold or titled.

for fun, an Escalade 4wd ESV  Platinum is $98,790.  A base S550 4matic is $99,600.

And again you are failing to make the distinctions between booking a Cadillac and leasing a Mercedes. Apples to oranges. 

 

And of course the car wont be sold as new if it has miles on it. It's just silly to even bring that up SMK. 

[smk4565]

I still think it is a lot of money to borrow or ride share or whatever you want to call it a car.  It is $18,000 a year to drive a Cadillac and car insurance is like $1,000 a year, even if maintenance is $1,000 (unlikely on a brand new car) we are talking $16,000 for payments to a car you don't own.

The other thing with this program, say 200 people sign up, are they going to have 200 CTS-V available, 200 Escalades available?  I am guessing you aren't always going to have your choice of car, and will have to wait for the car you want.

 

 

[surreal1272]

Just now, smk4565 said:

I still think it is a lot of money to borrow or ride share or whatever you want to call it a car.  It is $18,000 a year to drive a Cadillac and car insurance is like $1,000 a year, even if maintenance is $1,000 (unlikely on a brand new car) we are talking $16,000 for payments to a car you don't own.

The other thing with this program, say 200 people sign up, are they going to have 200 CTS-V available, 200 Escalades available?  I am guessing you aren't always going to have your choice of car, and will have to wait for the car you want.

 

 

Good grief. You just do not get it and I'm sure there will be a completely different statement from you when Mercedes starts doing this. 

[Scout]

16 hours ago, smk4565 said:

The other thing with this program, say 200 people sign up, are they going to have 200 CTS-V available, 200 Escalades available?  I am guessing you aren't always going to have your choice of car, and will have to wait for the car you want.

Actually,  that's a valid question. 

[hyperv6]

This is kind of a play on the Apple plan in a way.

Apple now has a program where you get a phone and you pay for it monthly from them and it is unlocked to go with the provider you want.

They provide Apple care for the price you pay that covers service and tech help.

You can then up grade in one year to the new model or you can pay out the second year and keep it.

I see in the future with the cost of cars and the faster advancement in EV cars and electronics in new cars I see more variations of programs like this.

I see the EV market becoming like the smart phone where most people will want the latest tech as it will keep changing faster as we go on.

[Drew Dowdell]

23 hours ago, smk4565 said:

I still think it is a lot of money to borrow or ride share or whatever you want to call it a car.  It is $18,000 a year to drive a Cadillac and car insurance is like $1,000 a year, even if maintenance is $1,000 (unlikely on a brand new car) we are talking $16,000 for payments to a car you don't own.

The other thing with this program, say 200 people sign up, are they going to have 200 CTS-V available, 200 Escalades available?  I am guessing you aren't always going to have your choice of car, and will have to wait for the car you want.

 

 

There is tech out there called load planning that addresses this issue. Airlines, railroads, and rental car agencies use it. It's designed specifically so Book doesn't have to have 200 of each vehicle.  Eventually the system gets smart enough to know which vehicles are needed when and where and at what margin of error to keep up with the unexpected. 

And 200 people signing up is pulling in $3.6 million a year, GM still owns the cars, and can sell them as certified preowned at a premium when they're done. 

Seems like sound math to me.

[surreal1272]

13 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

There is tech out there called load planning that addresses this issue. Airlines, railroads, and rental car agencies use it. It's designed specifically so Book doesn't have to have 200 of each vehicle.  Eventually the system gets smart enough to know which vehicles are needed when and where and at what margin of error to keep up with the unexpected. 

And 200 people signing up is pulling in $3.6 million a year, GM still owns the cars, and can sell them as certified preowned at a premium when they're done. 

Seems like sound math to me.

Why this had to be explained to him, I haven't the foggiest. Rental companies have been doing this for decades so it should be no problem for Cadillac.

[smk4565]

But rental companies are offering classes of vehicles, not specific cars.   This is only V-series and Platinum cars which is like 4 cars.  If they allot 300 cars for 200 members I am sure there will be no problem getting what you want, but that is a lot of cars to tie up to this program that they have to garage and maintain and insure.

 

It is an out of the box idea, I think it is good to try something different, but I don't think it will work, mainly due to the price.

[surreal1272]

14 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

But rental companies are offering classes of vehicles, not specific cars.   This is only V-series and Platinum cars which is like 4 cars.  If they allot 300 cars for 200 members I am sure there will be no problem getting what you want, but that is a lot of cars to tie up to this program that they have to garage and maintain and insure.

 

It is an out of the box idea, I think it is good to try something different, but I don't think it will work, mainly due to the price.

It is the same principle and system though and I again think that you would not even be making these kind of statements if this were about Mercedes. Besides, you are assuming figures that Cadillac itself has not presented but I am sure they have considered all the possibilities since this is something you don't just start without proper planning. Cadillac has plenty of inventory to work with so there should be no problems implementing this program and making their customers happy. All around, it's a great move by them.

[Drew Dowdell]

38 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

But rental companies are offering classes of vehicles, not specific cars.   This is only V-series and Platinum cars which is like 4 cars.  If they allot 300 cars for 200 members I am sure there will be no problem getting what you want, but that is a lot of cars to tie up to this program that they have to garage and maintain and insure.

 

It is an out of the box idea, I think it is good to try something different, but I don't think it will work, mainly due to the price.

The concept of load planning remains the same. Think of each model offered as a "car class"  in the system and you'll see why this isn't a problem. 

[Scout]

Things get overbooked from time to time. I'm not saying it will be an issue,. Just that it can and does happen. I also don't see this being an issue for Cadillac, but it could and may happen.  I would imagine that if it does Cadillac would offer some sort of discount just like airlines and other business do. 

[Drew Dowdell]

4 hours ago, Scout said:

Things get overbooked from time to time. I'm not saying it will be an issue,. Just that it can and does happen. I also don't see this being an issue for Cadillac, but it could and may happen.  I would imagine that if it does Cadillac would offer some sort of discount just like airlines and other business do. 

Exactly, and worst case scenario they pull something off a local lot that is for sale and add it to the fleet.   Also, I'm sure there is going to be some standard of scheduling turnaround time... it's not going to be nearly instant like Uber.