{"id":9292,"date":"2020-03-11T15:41:53","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T07:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.carro.sg\/?p=9292"},"modified":"2025-11-12T18:33:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T10:33:50","slug":"owning-vs-subscribing-to-a-continental-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/owning-vs-subscribing-to-a-continental-car\/","title":{"rendered":"OWNING VS. SUBSCRIBING TO A CONTINENTAL CAR"},"content":{"rendered":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Continental cars are popular for their style, luxury and reliability but owning one may be a little out of reach in Singapore. The high upfront cost and other costly fees such as increased road tax and maintenance costs can put off many, especially if you\u2019re someone who has other financial commitments to prioritise.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what options do you have if you want or need to drive a continental car but can\u2019t afford or don\u2019t want to fork out huge sums for the initial costs? An alternative would be car subscriptions. It is similar to subscription services like Netflix and Spotify - you get access to a fleet of vehicles for a monthly fee.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the question remains, is subscribing to a continental car a better option to owning it? While the battle of the price will be a huge factor in deciding which option is better for you, is it the only difference?<\/span>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TL;DR<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want the ability to customize your car, are absolutely sure that you wouldn\u2019t be changing cars over the period of it\u2019s COE, and can afford the huge down payment - then owning a continental car may be for you<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you need to save your capital for a house or wedding, want the ability to change cars monthly with no additional costs - then subscribing could be for you<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Owning a Continental Car<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<h5><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advantages<\/span><\/h5>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe you\u2019ve always wanted a matte black Mercedes E250 Coupe with sports seats and an electric sunroof. If you want the ability to choose options and modify your car in the future, then owning is probably the right choice for you. We heard vinyl wraps are getting more popular these days\u2026<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A hidden perk that you might get with purchasing a luxury continental car is the access to the brand\u2019s car club. These clubs often hold events where you get to meet like-minded drivers and can even be a good opportunity to network. Some of these clubs even grant vouchers for food and car accessories to their members. Notable examples include: Porsche Club Singapore and BMW Car Club Singapore<\/span>\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-9296\" src=\"https:\/\/carro.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-1024x632.jpg\" alt=\"car meet featuring similar cars\" width=\"640\" height=\"395\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-1024x632.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-768x474.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-1536x948.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-2048x1264.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-356x220.jpg 356w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-696x430.jpg 696w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-1068x659.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1327560506-680x420.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\r\n<h5><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disadvantages<\/span><\/h5>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest disadvantage of buying and owning a continental car has to be its cost. For just an entry-level continental car, the upfront costs include at least $60,000 for the down payment, more than $1,300 for the monthly loan, and more than $600 a year for road tax. There will also be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/carro.sg\/blog\/porsche-maintenance-cost-in-singapore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">maintenance costs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after your warranty period or if you accidentally damage your car. And we haven\u2019t even taken into account the day-to-day expenses like petrol consumption, parking and ERP, which would likely add <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.seedly.sg\/buy-car-how-much-should-be-earning\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">up to more than $250 a month<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only are you constantly having to pay to own that nice continental car, but you are holding onto a constantly depreciating asset. Any continental car that you buy would be depreciating from a rate of $11,000 a year. So, if you decide to sell the car before 5 years, brace yourself to lose a large chunk of what you paid for.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, purchasing a continental car costs a ton of money to own and upkeep. If you\u2019re saving up for something important like a home, wedding or a child, it might not be the best option for you.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subscribing to a Continental Car<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<h5><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advantages<\/span><\/h5>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main benefit you get from a car subscription is financial flexibility. If you need to save up for important milestones like buying a house or a wedding, car subscriptions allow you to manage your finances better. For first-time car buyers, a car subscription is a good option because it requires lower commitment. By subscribing to a car, you can definitely do much more with the money you spend on purchasing a continental car.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In contrast to purchasing a continental car, there will be no colossal upfront costs that you have to shoulder. Additionally, you don\u2019t have to deal with the unexpected costs surrounding the upkeep of the car, like a flat tire or a minor dent as maintenance is included in your monthly fee. For those who drive the car only for a short period every day, you\u2019ll get to enjoy higher savings of up to $800 per annum due to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/carro.sg\/blog\/carro-ntuc-incomes-usage-based-insurance-for-car-subscription\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pay-as-you-drive model<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Car subscription also eliminates the depreciating liability aspect of owning a car. It is an option that you should seriously consider if you think that you would be selling or changing your car before the COE expires. In another scenario where you decide that you don\u2019t want a car after a short one to two years of driving, you can simply stop subscribing.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, you can subscribe to a brand new Mercedes-Benz A200 Progressive Saloon under the new <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/carro.sg\/leap\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CARRO LEAP<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> subscription plan. There\u2019s no hefty down payment you\u2019d have to make - the upfront cost is only $1,000 to drive the continental car away. And if you are looking at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/carro.sg\/leap\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">second-hand continental cars<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to subscribe to, we can also cater to your needs!<\/span>\r\n<h5><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disadvantages<\/span><\/h5>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under a car subscription plan, you will have your car mileage capped at 18,000km per year. Any additional mileage can be charged from $0.10 to $0.16 per kilometer. This likely won\u2019t affect you unless you drive more than 3 or 4 hours a day. If you think that you need more, you can opt for a 25,000km per year package. Plan ahead if you think you\u2019ll need the extra miles and opt for the 25,000km package.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To the minority that enjoys modifying your cars, unfortunately, you won\u2019t be able to customize the car that you have. That means you can\u2019t change the rims or change the exhaust or add interior LED lighting. On the upside, you do get to choose the colour of the brand new car. So, for those who only want a car to drive, this shouldn\u2019t really affect you.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-9295\" src=\"https:\/\/carro.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Heavily modified car with lights and stereo added\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_1257319090-630x420.jpg 630w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, you can\u2019t sublease the vehicle or use it for private-hire driving. If you are looking at driving the car beyond West Malaysia, you will need to purchase additional insurance at your own costs.<\/span>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What should you do?<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By buying a car, there are many hidden fees. When you are paying for your car loan, you are actually paying more for the interest on the loan. Additionally, you are also losing money every month because of the depreciation of the car! You\u2019ll be continuously losing money because of the depreciation.\u00a0 Also, you\u2019ll have to pay another large down payment when you want to buy a new car. Is this really worth it just for the few benefits?<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With subscriptions, you don\u2019t get to customize your car to the exact specifications or choose the exact model you want. But, you\u2019re most probably saving money as compared to buying a car! Also, you do get some cool benefits that you can\u2019t get by buying a car such as changing your car every month.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, is subscribing to a continental car better than owning one? Well, the experience isn\u2019t exactly better. It really depends on whether you have enough disposable income to own a continental car. Subscriptions are definitely a good option for those who are more frugal but want a continental car. Subscriptions are worth a try if you\u2019re not entirely sure which option is best for you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<pre>People also liked:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/carro.sg\/blog\/save-money-car-subscription\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HOW DO CAR SUBSCRIPTIONS HELP YOU SAVE MONEY<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/carro.sg\/blog\/car-battery-replacement-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A QUICK GUIDE TO CAR BATTERY REPLACEMENT<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/carro.sg\/blog\/should-you-subscribe-lease-or-rent-a-car\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SHOULD YOU SUBSCRIBE, LEASE OR RENT A CAR?<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/pre>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Continental cars are popular for their style, luxury and reliability but owning one may be a little out of reach in Singapore. The high upfront cost and other costly fees such as increased road tax and maintenance costs can put off many, especially if you\u2019re someone who has other financial commitments to prioritise.\u00a0 So, what &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":9294,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[726],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-renting-car-leasing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9292"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16708,"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9292\/revisions\/16708"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carro.co\/sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}