Company car subscription versus company car buying—Mobility that fits your needs

In today’s world, it can be quite tough to make a decision of such impact as opting for a company car subscription or company car purchase. In business especially, this can be daunting. With buying, you need to invest a considerable chunk of money that you might later need for other business ventures. With car subscriptions comes the perceived disadvantage of always driving ’someone else’s car’. And yet, both options have benefits. Which one is the better choice for you depends on your unique business needs.

10 questions you should ask yourself before getting a new car
The 3 myths about the benefits of car ownership
Company car subscription: How does it work?
The financial advantages of a company car subscription
Summary: Company car subscription or company car purchase – Which one is right for you?

10 questions you should ask yourself before getting a new car

Before getting a new car, be it from a car seller or a rental company it’s really helpful to get down to the nitty-gritty of your personal and business needs for right now and also the foreseeable future. Asking yourself these 10 questions helps you determine what your ideal mobility solution looks like:

1. Is your business already well established or are you just starting out?
2. Is your business prone to fluctuations such as seasonal or market downturns or increasing demand?
3. Are you expecting considerable company growth over the next few years?
4. Do you frequently travel internationally?
5. Do you have employees who need to travel to client meetings or different locations?
6. Do you think of cars as a representative status symbol for your business?
7. Is driving a brand new car important to you?
8. Do you want to invest a large sum up-front or do you prefer instalment models?
9. Is it important to you to configure all the features and gadgets of your new car yourself?
10. Do you prefer a hands-on approach to maintenance and paperwork or would you rather outsource these tasks?

There is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions or, more importantly, to your personal preferences. Both a company car subscription or company car purchase have their own distinct characteristics. Buying a car isn’t for everybody. Neither is a car subscription. However, where car ownership used to be the epitome of status and flexibility, driving while beholden to no one, the rise of subscription models in all areas of our life has opened up a whole new world of mobility solutions that are worth taking a closer look. At SIXT you have two car subscription opportunities. If you need your car or fleet nationwide, then our SIXT+ car subscription for business customers is the perfect solution for you. If you want to be flexible worldwide, best choose our international premium company car subscription SIXT unlimited. 

The 3 myths about the benefits of car ownership

Once it’s paid for there will be no recurring costs

While it’s true that there are no fixed monthly payments after you paid all cash for your car unfortunately there are still costs for maintenance, repairs, taxes and insurance to consider. These can add up quickly and need to be budgeted for. Put together, saving up each month is not that different from a monthly payment for a subscription.

Buying lets you drive a brand-new car

Here’s the thing: That brand-new car you just bought? It’ll be ’new’ exactly the 10 seconds it takes you to drive off the lot. Once you’re on the street its value has dropped by approximately 10% already. All before you’ve driven your first mile.

You don’t just purchase a car but maximum flexibility and reliability

Sure, after you bought your car you can be 99% sure that you’ll always find it where you parked it, ready to take you to your next destination. But what about your car when you need to be mobile while travelling internationally? Unfortunately, you can’t very well take your car with you. The international premium car subscription SIXT unlimited, on the other hand, is valid in 10 European countries. Now that’s flexible AND reliable, don’t you think?

Company car subscription: How does it work?

It’s as easy as pie

Getting a company car subscription for yourself and your employees is just as easy as buying a car. In fact, it’s easier. Here’s why: All you need to do is pick the business car you like from our large fleet of brand-new models, choose the mileage package that makes the most sense for you, book it and drive off as soon as possible. Granted, our cars come preconfigured but we make sure to only add vehicles of premium quality and state-of-the-art safety tech to our fleet. When buying a new car, you might get to configure everything yourself, but quite often at a considerable uptick in price and with a wait of at least six months.

Customizable subscription durations

In contrast to traditional leasing-to-buy, with a car subscription, you don’t have to worry about fixed-term lease agreements. Instead, it’s 100% up to you how long you want to keep your business car. Enjoy driving it? Great. Keep it as long as you like and simply pay the monthly fee until you’re ready to cancel or switch to a new model, all without worrying about paying off the residual value to finally make the not-so-new-anymore car your own.

Maximum flexibility

Whether your business is affected by seasonal downturns, you’re expecting considerable growth in the near future or you just like to switch it up from time to time: A car subscription is as flexible as you need it to be. Choose a practical yet luxurious SUV for the cold winter and exchange it for a sporty convertible to enjoy the warm summer months. Going through a bit of a financial rough patch? We get it. Cancel or pause your subscription indefinitely or until you’re ready to get back behind the wheel. Growing your team to take on new projects? No problem. Your company subscription car pool grows with you. Compared to that, buying and selling and buying again to keep up with your changing business needs doesn’t sound too appealing, does it?

Less administrative overhead

When deciding between a company car subscription or a company car purchase, convenience and ease of use are among the key deciding factors. As a business owner, you already have a ton of things to worry about every day. This is why we make it our business not to add to your plate, but to take a little something off of it. With a company car subscription, you don’t just get the car, but all the administrative tasks are taken care of as well. No more headaches about registration or insurance. When we say all you have to do is drive we mean it.

Manage a whole company car pool with one single account

And to make matters even easier (yes that’s possible), you can manage not just your personal business car but a full-grown company fleet all from the same account through our SIXT App or website. If you wanted to purchase every single vehicle for your employees you’d have to deal with a lot of paperwork and, worst-case scenario, several different sellers.

Worldwide mobility and customer service 24/7

A company car subscription makes international travel convenient and hassle-free for you and your employees. Simply enjoy the benefits of your subscription account from back home, book the travel companion of your choice and pick it up from the nearest SIXT station. Experience a problem? Our customer service is available to you 24/7, wherever you are.

The financial advantages of a company car subscription

Now that you have a good idea of all the benefits of a company car subscription and how it compares to buying a business car, let’s talk money. Because our subscription service isn’t just about your convenience. It also saves you money.

Unlike a vehicle purchase, car hire doesn’t require any large up-front investment. Instead, you pay for your car month to month and only for however long you choose to keep it. Whether you’re a small 1-person business that’s just getting started or an established company: with a subscription you can free up important capital to grow your business instead of spending it on a car that keeps on losing value.

On top of that, buying and owning a car means you’re responsible for its maintenance, repairs, taxes and insurance. With a subscription, all these costs are included in your monthly fee. No added or hidden costs. Guaranteed.

Summary: Company car subscription or company car purchase – Which one is right for you?

When deciding between a company car subscription or company car purchase there are several important factors to consider. All the benefits of both options summarized: