5 New Cars That Are Locking Major Features Behind Premium Subscriptions

As we celebrate the return of physical buttons for critical functions in some cars, subscriptions are the next worrying trend that has been picking up steam in the automotive industry. Typically, when you buy a new car, it has certain core features, and you can add extras if you need niceties like a premium sound system, a sporty look, a more premium color, or better interior finishing materials. 

But car companies are now locking some important features behind subscriptions. In 2022, BMW did so in the U.K. with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and automatic high beams. While the company has since admitted that restricting some of these features was a mistake, especially heated seats, it didn't give up on the idea of subscriptions altogether. In fact, the German automaker still offers some features for a monthly fee, such as the high beam assistant. But the company isn't the only one that has explored subscriptions. 

In 2026, several new cars still offer major features via monthly and yearly payments. To compile this list, we searched for models that provide at least one subscription to one important feature. You can read more about our methodology at the end of the article.

For the longest time, Tesla had been offering basic Autopilot on all its vehicles. That was all possible thanks to the company's Autosteer feature, which keeps your vehicle in its lane without your input — called lane-keeping assist by other companies — and the Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC), which automatically matches the speed of the car in front. 

Together, these two features provided a basic autopilot, making it easier to cruise down the highway without driver interference. But toward the end of January 2026, Tesla officially removed the Autosteer option from both the Model 3 and Model Y, not just on the entry-level trims of these two models, but all trims. Tesla still wants you to have the feature, but at a cost. 

After its removal, if you need Autosteer on your new Model 3 or Y, you'll need to get Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) package, which costs $99 per month or $999 per year. The automaker has already planned to end the one-time $8,000 upfront payment option for FSD on February 14, according to a tweet shared on X by CEO and co-founder Elon Musk.

The Volkswagen ID.3 is an all-electric hatchback from the German automaker. Straight from the showroom, it only outputs 201 horsepower (hp) and 265 Nm of torque if you get either the ID.3 Pro or Pro S. However, the company allows you to unlock more power on these models if you're ready to part with some cash every month. 

First announced in the U.K., the company's optional performance upgrade package boosts the car's horsepower to 228 hp and torque to 310 Nm.  The subscription starts at an equivalent of $23 per month or $225 per year. You can also make a one-time payment of roughly $885 to get access to the feature for the life of the car. Even crazier is the fact that the ID.3 Pro and Pro S are registered as 228 hp cars from the factory, yet they can only achieve that if you pay for it to unlock the full power.

BMW was one of the pioneers of restricting car features to subscribers. Although the company backed off on its heated seat subscriptions, it is still offering them for certain functionalities on different models in its portfolio.

According to Drive Australia, the 2026 BMW iX3 all-electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) will offer a 360-degree camera feature as part of a monthly subscription. As the name suggests, thecamera shows a top-down view of your vehicle and its surroundings on the infotainment screen, which comes in handy when parking in tight spaces. Not surprisingly, this feature is part of the optional Parking Assistant Plus package, but the more robust Parking Assistant Professional package can make the iX3 park itself.

BMW doesn't offer the same subscriptions across all its models, as they also vary depending on the market. For example, the controversial heated seats subscription that drew anger among BMW fans was first launched in the U.K. rather than as a global initiative.

The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq is one of the many American-made all-electric cars. This is a luxury SUV that can seat five people. It comes with a rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and can deliver up to 615 hp on the highest performance-focused trim, which can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. All the Lyriq's technical specs aside, this model, like most cars from General Motors, includes a subscription. 

On the Lyriq, you can get the company's Super Cruise feature, which allows you to sit back and relax while the car takes control of steering, braking, and acceleration – provided you're on a compatible road. But this feature requires a subscription that costs either $39.99 per month or $399.99 on the yearly Super Cruise plan. 

The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq isn't the only Cadillac car that has the Super Cruise package as a subscription. Several 2026 models from the brand also offer the plan, including the Escalade IQL, Optiq, Vistiq, XT6, Escalade ESV, and CT4-V.

The RAV4 is well-known, and it's perhaps the most popular small SUV. Like other automakers, Toyota has also jumped on the subscription bandwagon, offering paid Connected Services plans in specific car models, including the 2026 Toyota RAV4. One of the main changes to the RAV4 compared to previous models, besides the full redesign, is a new infotainment system dubbed the Toyota Audio Multimedia System.

While the system has been positively received by several car reviewers, subscriptions are the catch — yes, there are several. First, Toyota limited real-time traffic data on the car's navigation system to owners who pay $15 per month for a Drive Connect subscription. Second, if you'd like to stream your Spotify playlists through the car's infotainment system, you must pay the company another $15 per month for its Integrated Streaming subscription.

Thankfully, the 2026 RAV4 does support both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, so you don't need to pay for the Integrated Streaming plan. Toyota also has a$15-per-month Remote Connect plan for those who want to activate certain features of the 2026 RAV4 using the Toyota app. Paying for all three plans can be expensive, so at least the company allows you to pay $25 per month for full access.

The subscription model in the automotive industry is slowly becoming common and likely won't go away. For this list, we researched various automotive websites, including Edmunds, Topspeed, Autocar, and Car and Driver, to find the latest models from different manufacturers that come with subscription-based services.

This list isn't exhaustive, as we've only discussed five cars. All the cars covered have at least one subscription service on offer, so if the paywalled feature is a dealbreaker, you should skip the model and consider alternatives.