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Mercedes will launch a car subscription service in the US

Mercedes will launch a car subscription service in the US

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Nashville and Philadelphia are the first two cities

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Mercedes-Benz SL450
Mercedes-Benz SL450
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Luxury car brands are increasingly trying out subscription-based services to get customers who want to have access to a fleet of fancy cars, rather than just picking one. Mercedes-Benz is the next to join the fray.

The company’s US arm announced Thursday it would begin a pilot program called Mercedes-Benz Collection in June. Nashville and Philadelphia are the first cities where the automaker will offer an unspecified fleet of their new cars. Those who subscribe will have access to the cars through a dedicated app, with some Mercedes-AMG models also planned to be part of the fleet. Prices for the subscriptions weren’t announced, but similar programs from BMW, Cadillac, and Porsche range from $1,800 per month to more than $3,000.

Both Mercedes and BMW were rumored in January to start offering such services, with BMW announcing theirs just last week — also in Nashville. The already established Book By Cadillac and Porsche Passport pilot programs offer cars that range from sports cars to SUVs to luxury sedans, depending on what the user wants at a given time. Meanwhile, Audi on Demand has operated in San Francisco for a couple years now, with per-hour or daily rates. In all cases, insurance and maintenance are included.

As drivers — especially those in crowded cities — evaluate car ownership, luxury brands are likely to increasingly try out subscription-based services to get you to try their cars. For a price, of course.