- SRF Kassensturz – Analysis: How much does a car subscription or leasing cost?
- How to calculate your car costs correctly (3 tips)
- Carvolution Best Price Guarantee: Cheaper than Leasing
- Who is a car subscription or car purchase right for?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Kassensturz report on car subscriptions
Key points at a glance:
- The SRF ‘Kassensturz’ report (Dec. 2021) compared car subscriptions with leasing and buying.
- However, due to differences in contract terms, the results did not reflect a realistic assessment of costs.
- A car subscription is cheaper than the total cost of leasing. That’s what Carvolution promises with its best-price guarantee.
SRF Kassensturz – Analysis: How much does a car subscription or leasing cost?
If you’ve Googled ‘Kassensturz Carvolution’, you’ve probably come across the SRF report from December 2021. In this widely discussed report, the consumer magazine took a close look at the total costs of car subscriptions, leasing and traditional car purchases. What at first glance looks like sound decision-making advice from a Comparis expert turns out, on closer inspection, to be a case of comparing apples with pears.
Here is our honest evaluation of why the report falls short and what the cost calculations really look like today. The reason for the distorted picture lies in the completely different basic assumptions and contract terms chosen in the report:
Car subscription vs. leasing
- Whilst it is encouraging that all additional costs were correctly taken into account for leasing, the catch lies in the duration: the car subscription was calculated on the basis of a 12-month term, whilst leasing was based on a standard term of 4 years. The rule, however, is that shorter contract terms always lead to higher monthly instalments – regardless of the model. Anyone who drives a new car every 12 months pays more than someone who commits to a 4-year contract. This comparison therefore presents an unfair comparison. A realistic comparison requires exactly the same contract term.
Car subscription vs. leasing
- The methodological problem becomes even clearer when it comes to buying a car: in this case, «Kassensturz» assumed a retention period of 8 years and compared this with a highly flexible 3-month subscription, the instalment for which was simply scaled up to cover 8 years. In practice, this is unusual, as car subscriptions are generally taken out for a maximum of 48 months. Furthermore, anyone planning to keep a car for eight years is looking for a long-term solution and does not need the flexibility to change vehicles every three months. With a subscription, you pay a premium for this convenience, which cannot be converted on a one-to-one basis to a purchase spanning almost a decade.
Conclusion: Different needs rather than a fair comparison
The SRF report compares completely different target groups and mobility needs. But what does that mean for you today if you want to calculate the costs of your next car realistically?
- The Best Price Guarantee: To ensure you can be absolutely certain about the costs, Carvolution offers the Best Price Guarantee. That way, you always know: Your car subscription will never be more expensive than a traditional leasing deal, provided the terms are comparable and the contract period is the same.
- Try before you buy: A traditional car purchase often only really pays off financially if you drive the car for a very long time (8 years or more). That’s why many of our customers like to use the subscription as a hassle-free way to get started and then simply take over their dream car as a used vehicle afterwards.
How to calculate your car costs correctly (3 tips)
Getting a clear picture of the true cost of a car at a glance isn’t always easy. To help you make the right decision with confidence, we’ve put together three useful tips on how to compare subscription and leasing costs fairly and transparently.
Tip 1: Choose uniform contract durations
To get a realistic picture, it’s important to compare like with like. Make sure you use exactly the same contract term for both options. For example, if you’re planning to use your car for 36 or 48 months, use the same period for both the subscription and the leasing offer.
Tip 2: Use the total cost calculator
When looking for an affordable way to lease a car, it’s easy to overlook additional costs. With leasing, the monthly payment is only part of the picture – you’ll also have additional expenses such as insurance, road tax, tyres and servicing. To make things as simple as possible, Carvolution provides a practical total cost calculator for every car in Switzerland. It gives you a transparent overview of what your chosen model will cost you with a subscription compared with a comparable lease.
Tip 3: Use the Best Price Guarantee
We want you to feel completely confident when you get behind the wheel. That’s why Carvolution offers a Best Price Guarantee: we guarantee that your subscription will cost less than the total cost of leasing. If you ever find a leasing offer that is genuinely cheaper than our subscription, including all additional costs, we’ll adjust our price accordingly. This means you can always have the peace of mind that your car subscription is a financially sound choice.
Best Price Guarantee
With our Best Price Guarantee, we show you how affordable our car subscription in Switzerland is compared to leasing. If our costs are higher, we will reduce the subscription price for you. Simply send us your leasing offer. We will check the comparison and tell you how much you can save on your car subscription.
Car subscription and leasing: What are the key differences?
Beyond the purely financial aspect, the subscription model differs from leasing in several important ways. At its core, it comes down to all-inclusive convenience versus taking care of things yourself.
With Carvolution, you benefit from an all-inclusive package. You don’t have to worry about a thing – everything comes from a single provider. In addition to the car, running costs such as insurance, taxes, cantonal registration, servicing and maintenance, as well as tyres, are already included.
Leasing, on the other hand, is essentially a long-term rental, where you pay solely for the use of the car and are responsible for all additional costs yourself.
Carvolution Best Price Guarantee: Cheaper than Leasing
Carvolution goes a step further to help your decision: we guarantee that car subscription costs are lower than the total leasing costs.
Here’s how the guarantee works:
Send us your leasing and insurance offer, including optional tyre or service costs.
We compare the offer with the monthly total cost for the same model under a car subscription.
If our price is higher, we will reduce it.
Who is a car subscription or car purchase right for?
In addition to leasing, the Kassensturz report also compared traditional car ownership with a car subscription. The calculation assumed an ownership period of eight years for the purchase option, while the car subscription was extrapolated from a highly flexible three-month term to the same eight-year period for a direct price comparison.
However, when you look more closely, this comparison doesn’t quite reflect real-life use: someone buying a car with the intention of driving it for eight years is generally not looking for the option to change their car every three months. A subscription and a car purchase are simply two fundamentally different concepts that cater to very different needs.
So, if you’re weighing up your options, the most important thing is to consider your own priorities.
When is buying a car the right choice for you?
- Long-term planning (8+ years): If you’re sure you want to drive the same car for many years, buying is usually more cost-effective in the long run – provided you don’t face any unexpected and expensive repairs.
- Your own personal configuration: Is it important to you to choose every little detail of your car yourself? Then buying is the right choice for you. Subscription providers can offer attractive prices largely because they purchase pre-configured models in large quantities.
When is a car subscription the better choice?
- Flexibility and variety: You can drive a car for just a few months with ease (for example, to try out electric mobility) or commit to a term of up to four years.
- All-inclusive convenience: Insurance, taxes, cantonal registration, servicing, maintenance and tyres are all included in the subscription. All you need to take care of in your day-to-day life is refuelling or charging and parking.
- Transparent cost control: Unlike owning a car, where unexpected repair costs or significant depreciation can arise, with a subscription you always pay a fixed monthly total price and have no resale risk.
- Option to buy after your subscription: Don’t want to commit straight away? Once your subscription term ends, you can either return your car and choose a new one or simply buy your car. That way, you can build your own used car and know that it has always been properly maintained.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Kassensturz report on car subscriptions
Is a car subscription more expensive than leasing?
No. A car subscription is cheaper than the total cost of leasing. Previous cost comparisons, such as those by Comparis, have shown that a car subscription is often the more cost-effective option. The fact that Kassensturz reaches a different conclusion is due to the fact that the terms being compared are not like-for-like.
At Carvolution, we also guarantee lower total costs than leasing through our Best Price Guarantee.
Is the Kassensturz car cost calculation accurate?
Even if the individual cost elements have been taken into account correctly, the report compares highly flexible car subscription options, for example, with buying a car and keeping it for eight years. The methodology is therefore misleading, as it compares incompatible contract terms.
How can you compare car costs properly if the Kassensturz report is incomplete?
To make an informed decision, use our service: for every car, you’ll find a detailed cost breakdown that transparently compares a subscription with leasing. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us directly to discuss your personal situation.
Want to take a closer look at the comparison?
If you’d like to learn more about what to look out for when comparing providers, our guide "Car Subscription Comparison: The Best Car Subscriptions in Switzerland at a Glance" has all the answers, along with a complete overview of Swiss car subscription providers in a handy comparison.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a car subscription compared with leasing in Switzerland?
The biggest advantage of this solution is its transparent and predictable total cost: a fixed monthly price covers insurance, taxes and servicing, while the «everything from one provider» approach means there’s no administrative hassle. It also offers flexible options when it comes to subscription terms and mileage packages. For very long-term use (4+ years), leasing or buying may be more financially attractive.
How do car prices compare in Switzerland?
Monthly prices vary significantly depending on the vehicle model, subscription term and mileage package (e.g. from 350 km to 10,000 km or 15,000 km per year). With our total cost calculator, you can see transparently how much a specific model costs per month – both with a subscription and with leasing.
What are the best car models in Switzerland?
It depends on your needs: compact models with a lower mileage package are ideal for city driving, while families may prefer SUVs or estate cars with more space. In our current range of models, you’ll find the most popular cars available by subscription, including our Best Price Guarantee.
Sale
Benefit from attractive discounts on selected vehicles. Everything is included in the subscription, and a buyout is possible at the end!
