For a long time, the choice when buying a new car in Switzerland was clear: buy or lease. Both options have their merits and offer clear advantages. But our lives have become much more flexible these days. Plans change, careers take us to new cities, and technology is evolving faster than ever before.
This is exactly where the car subscription comes in. It’s an affordable alternative to traditional car purchase and leasing, offering transparent total costs, a wide selection of vehicles, and flexible contract terms and mileage packages. Everything from a single source and without any tedious paperwork.
Find out exactly what a car subscription is, what benefits it offers, and how it differs from leasing and buying here.
What exactly is a car subscription in Switzerland?
With a car subscription, you choose your new vehicle, decide on the duration ranging from a few months to four years and set your monthly kilometer package. In return, you pay a clear, fixed price that covers all the key costs associated with the car: insurance, taxes, servicing and even tyres. The only exceptions are fuel and personal parking fines.
However, a car subscription doesn’t mean you have to give up the feeling of owning your own car. On the contrary. It’s your car, just without the administrative hassle and without any unexpected costs.
And if, once that period is up, you realise you don’t want to part with your car, you can even buy it. It’s, so to speak, the safest way to test a car in real life before committing to it ‘forever’.
At the end of the chosen subscription period, you can switch, extend, or even purchase if you wish. If you decide to buy, you essentially turn the car into a “certified pre-owned” vehicle, knowing exactly how it has been treated and maintained, something you don’t usually get with a standard used car.
What is the difference between leasing and buying?
With leasing, you’re tied to a fixed term with a set kilometer package. Changes are hardly possible or can be very expensive. Additionally, you have to cover all costs yourself, such as insurance, taxes, and maintenance.
When you buy a car, it belongs to you immediately, which means you also bear the depreciation. As with leasing, you’re responsible for all costs, from insurance and taxes to maintenance.
With a car subscription, you pay a clear fixed price that already includes all major costs like insurance, taxes, and maintenance. You enjoy flexibility in terms of duration and Kilometer package, and at the end of the minimum period, you can switch, extend or even purchase the car. You don’t have to worry about depreciation—this risk is borne by the provider.
Why a Car Subscription Is Worth It
In addition to the advantages a car subscription offers over leasing and buying, there are even more reasons why a subscription is the best solution, especially in today’s times.
In 2026, we are experiencing a period of massive technological uncertainty. Choosing the right drive technology is no longer just a matter of preference; it’s a financial decision.
This is particularly true for electric vehicles, where the pace of innovation is breathtaking. Anyone buying a new car today is essentially betting on its resale value, a bet that’s hard to win. With battery technology constantly improving, the residual value of a vehicle purchased today is difficult to predict. A car that boasts a range of 500 kilometers today could be worth significantly less on the used market in just a few years if the new standard rises to 800 kilometers.
With a Car Subscription, the provider bears this risk. You use the latest technology of today, stay agile, and can switch to the next generation at any time without having to bear the loss in value of your current car.
While you also do not technically bear this residual value risk with classic leasing, you purchase this security with an often very rigid contract duration of three or four years. In a time when battery technologies are evolving rapidly, a four-year commitment can quickly feel like an eternity. If the next big technological leap comes after 12 months, you are stuck in the leasing contract, whereas with a Car Subscription, you can change the car or simply return it after the minimum term (starting at 3 months depending on the model).
Have a few questions already come to mind while reading? Perhaps we answer them in this blog, where we address the most frequently asked questions. If not, you can contact our team directly at any time. And if you want to see which cars are available in the subscription, you can discover our vehicles here.
From A to Z: How a car subscription works in Switzerland
The path to a new car was for a long time associated with effort. Forms, negotiations and unclear costs often made the decision more complicated than necessary. Today, mobility can be easier. There are many reasons for a car subscription, one of which is certainly that it adapts individually to your life and reduces the process to the essentials.
Online configuration instead of a negotiation marathon
The starting point is not the showroom, but directly on the Carvolution website. Decide for yourself in peace what your car subscription should look like. Online you can see all vehicles and configure your subscription very easily. Model, term and kilometer package can be flexibly selected, as can the amount of a possible down payment. In addition, you can determine your desired deductible for the fully comprehensive insurance or select options such as parking damage or legal protection insurance.
The price remains transparent from the start. What you see is also what you pay, a fixed monthly amount without hidden additional costs. We have also detailed all the important information you should know before taking out a car subscription in our blog "What you should know before starting the car subscription".
Requirements & Check
A short verification of your creditworthiness and your driver's license is sufficient, as is a permanent residence in Switzerland and a minimum age of 18 years. Depending on your residence status, a few additional documents may be required. Compared to traditional leasing, it is still significantly easier to take out a Car Subscription. In our blog "Expats in Switzerland 2026: Cars, Costs, Rules, Insurance and EV Options" we explain all the steps and requirements once more in detail, so that you are perfectly informed. As soon as this check is completed, the preparation of your vehicle begins in the background.
Delivery & Handover
At the end stands what it is really about: your car. You can pick it up in Bannwil, where our team will show you exactly how everything works. In the process, you can drink a coffee and get to know Bannwil at the same time. On request, the car can also be delivered directly to your home for 195 CHF throughout Switzerland.
You want to know how long the car handover takes? We answer this and other questions in this blog.
Insurance, Taxes & Registration: The Administrative Block
What used to cost time and nerves now runs in the background with a Car Subscription. Registration, motor vehicle taxes and insurance are already included in the price. You don't have to worry about administrative details or contacting authorities. Even topics like fully comprehensive or third-party liability are settled from the start. You only have to worry about the deductible, as you can set the appropriate amount here according to your needs.
You are attached to your license plate. For many, it is possible to transfer it to the subscription. You can read more here about whether this is possible and how the process works exactly.
Cost Protection: Maintenance & Service
With a Car Subscription, you are protected against unforeseen costs. All regular maintenance and service work are included in the rate. In the event of damage, you only have to pay the deductible that you chose beforehand. This provides financial security and ensures that you can use your vehicle reliably at any time, whether in everyday life, on long distances or in city traffic.
The Comfort Factor: The Worry-Free Tire Package
Many processes involving the car cost time and energy; these include tire purchase, tyre change and storage. In a Car Subscription, these tasks are already taken care of. We remind you in good time when a tire change is due. Subsequently, you can have your vehicle serviced very easily at a selected partner near you. There, the tires are also safely stored. You don't have to search laboriously for suitable tires, nor clear space in the garage, nor change the tires yourself. This keeps the use of your car stress-free and comfortable.
Leasing, Purchase or Subscription - Who actually pays less in the end?
Anyone in Switzerland who decides on a new car is quickly faced with the question of which form of financing is the right one. At first glance, the monthly leasing rate often seems particularly favorable, while cash purchase is considered the classic and reliable variant. But only on closer inspection does the full truth about costs reveal itself. The Car Subscription creates clarity here: There are no hidden additional costs, no mandatory down payment (it is possible on request) and no financial risk at the end of the term. Why the subscription is the more economical choice in many cases becomes clear in a direct comparison.
The Leasing Trap: The "Naked" Rate
Many let themselves be deceived by a low leasing rate. But caution: The rate only covers the vehicle itself, not all other costs. In practice, it often shows that the actual total costs can often be three times the pure leasing rate. Insurance, registration, taxes, service, maintenance and tires are added on top.
In addition, leasing without a down payment is often only possible with higher interest rates. Anyone who makes a high down payment ties up capital that could earn interest elsewhere. Our customer Kilian reports in an interview that exactly these unforeseen additional costs were the reason for his switch to a Car Subscription. In a Car Subscription, insurance, registration, taxes, service, maintenance and tires are already included in the price, so that such surprises no longer occur. This means you benefit from full cost control and, thanks to the best price guarantee at Carvolution, you can be sure that, all in all, you are driving cheaper than with a comparable leasing.
Car Purchase: High Costs at Second Glance
Buying a car in cash feels like independence at first. You pay once and the car belongs to you. At the same time, however, you tie up a lot of money that you could otherwise save or invest, and which would earn you interest.
The greatest risk lies in the loss in value. Often, it only becomes clear upon resale after a few years how expensive the car actually was. Especially with electric cars, the residual value risk is hardly calculable due to rapid technological developments.
Just like with leasing, additional costs that are not included in the price are added when buying: insurance, registration, taxes, service, maintenance, and tires. These items incur additional costs every month and add up quickly. For our customer Stephan, the costs ultimately accumulated to almost 7000 francs.
The Car Subscription: Maximum Transparency Without Hidden Costs
While purchase and leasing are associated with unforeseeable costs, the Car Subscription focuses on full calculability. The monthly rate already includes all fixed costs that would otherwise be incurred separately. You pay a fixed flat-rate amount that covers insurance, registration, taxes, service, and maintenance, as well as tires.
For you, this means: Your budget remains plannable. There are no nasty surprises from expensive workshop visits or rising insurance rates. Furthermore, you do not tie up any capital in a vehicle with high loss in value, but pay exclusively for the actual usage.
And the best part: If you like the car particularly well, you can simply buy it after the subscription expires. This way, you have the opportunity to test a vehicle in real everyday life before you commit long-term.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): The honest comparison table
To find out which option is really the cheapest, it is worth breaking down all cost factors to the month. Whether Car Subscription, purchase or leasing, in our comparison table we show the total costs for the Peugeot e-208 GT, without a down payment, 36-month term, 10,200 km per year, Canton Glarus, with around 8% discount and an interest rate of 0.9%. You can find a detailed explanation of how the costs are composed here.
For whom is the car subscription a real gamechanger?
Mobility should adapt to your life and not the other way around. We show you why the car subscription is the suitable solution for every life situation.
Expats: Simply mobile in Switzerland
Those who come to Switzerland for a job often run into limits with classic leasing. The contracts are usually too rigid, and a premature exit when moving abroad is complicated and expensive. In addition, numerous requirements must be met, which you can read about here.
A car purchase, on the other hand, requires fewer conditions, but only pays off financially after a period of use of six to eight years. After that, there is the challenge of resale, where the car may have to be sold under pressure and you might therefore let it go at too low a price. If you cannot yet plan the length of your stay, a purchase makes no sense.
The car subscription for expats in Switzerland offers the ideal solution here. You can use a vehicle for a duration of 3 to 48 months, cancel or extend monthly after the minimum term has expired, the requirements are lower than with leasing, and you don't have to worry about the resale as you would with a purchase. The subscription is perfect for expats who want to stay flexible and do not want to complicate their stay with rigid contracts.
Retirees: Mobility without administrative baggage
In retirement, you want to enjoy your time instead of dealing with workshop appointments, insurance comparisons, or complex bank checks. To make matters worse, leasing at an older age is often no longer possible at all due to restrictive allocation rules.
With a Car Subscription, you are warmly welcome at any age. It offers an all-round worry-free package, where you can fully concentrate on driving and your well-deserved retirement, only having to worry about refueling, charging, or any potential fines.
And should you grow particularly fond of your vehicle, you can simply buy it after the subscription expires, allowing you to keep your trusted companion for your everyday life.
Lifestyle-Changer: The car that grows with you
Life rarely sticks to five-year plans. Today, a compact city car is enough; tomorrow, a spacious SUV might be needed because of new additions to the family or a new hobby.
A purchase usually only pays off after six to eight years, and with leasing, you are generally bound to a rigid contract for three to four years, which can be very expensive to get out of. During this time, needs often change significantly.
In flexible phases of life, the Car Subscription is the ideal companion. It offers you the freedom to change the vehicle easily after the minimum term has expired and thus remain mobile at all times. The kilometer package can be flexibly adjusted, for example, if you are traveling more by car due to a new job.
Companies & Self-employed: Plannable fleet solutions
For companies, plannability is the highest priority. A Car Subscription makes it possible to manage the company fleet flexibly, whether it is a single vehicle or several. The fixed costs are calculable down to the cent (Rappen), which massively simplifies accounting.
Since the provider takes over the complete fleet management, valuable internal resources are freed up. This turns mobility from an administrative burden into an uncomplicated, plannable service.
Sounds good? Then discover our cars here and book an appointment right away.
And for everyone else?
Of course, the Car Subscription is also aimed at everyone who does not fall into any of these categories, but nevertheless has had enough of unforeseen costs and bureaucratic effort. The subscription is the simple and affordable alternative to classic car purchase and leasing and is definitely worth a thought. Have a look at our vehicles, request a non-binding offer, or simply call us – we will answer all your questions.
Conclusion
The Car Subscription combines flexibility, planning security, and comfort in a model that adapts to your life and not the other way around. You maintain full cost control, because insurance, taxes, service, maintenance, and tires are already included in the price. At the same time, you save valuable time because you don't have to deal with administrative tasks, tire changes, or bureaucracy.
Regardless of which phase of life you are in, whether young or old, whether expat, senior, family, lifestyle-changer, or company—the Car Subscription offers the appropriate solution. You decide for yourself on the model, term, kilometer package, and additional options. After the minimum term has expired, you can change flexibly, cancel, or even buy the vehicle if it has particularly grown on you.
Compared to purchase or leasing, with a subscription you avoid unexpected costs and are either not bound to a rigid contract or tie up no capital in a vehicle with a loss in value. This way you stay flexible, plannable, and always up to date technologically. The Car Subscription is therefore not only practical and transparent, but also economically clever.
Anyone who wants to experience mobility worry-free, flexible, and plannable will find the ideal solution in a Car Subscription. It is a real gamechanger for every life situation.
Do you still have questions or are you already convinced and want to take out a Car Subscription directly? Then book an appointment—we are happy to answer all your questions and support you step by step on the way to your new vehicle.
