BMW's M Adaptive Suspension: Subscription or Standard Option?

Technically, BMW's M Adaptive Suspension is not a subscription service, but it has the potential to be one. Alternatively, it can be a standard option that you pay for when purchasing a new BMW, or you can acquire it later if you desire a superior suspension system for your vehicle. Initially, this concept might seem perplexing, and understandably so. The confusion arose from a Reddit post discussing BMW Slovenija's offer of M Adaptive Suspension for 30 Euros per month as a subscription. Given the differences in BMW's model offerings between Europe and the US, we sought clarification from the automaker regarding suspension and subscription options for North American customers. The response from a BMW spokesperson was both intriguing and unexpected.

In the US, Adaptive Suspension is accessible via the Connected Drive store, but a subscription is not mandatory. It remains available as a factory option, yet through the store, it can be added to specific cars that were not originally equipped with it. Customers can test it for a month without charge, and if satisfied, they can choose a monthly or yearly subscription or purchase it outright for a one-time fee of $500. It's important to note that a monthly subscription is not obligatory to utilize this feature.

In essence, if you purchase a BMW that includes M Adaptive Suspension as an option, you already possess it. The cost of the equipment is incorporated into the vehicle's price, and selecting the option merely activates the software for use. Considering this, we explored BMW's online configurator. M Adaptive Suspension is standard on most performance-oriented models, but on the base 3 Series, it's part of the $1,050 Dynamic Handling Package. This package costs $1,500 on the base 4 Series or $2,450 for the Z4. For SUVs, it's available with the M Sport package on the X1 for $2,000, on the X2 for $2,500, or with the X5 for $2,750. These packages include additional features beyond the upgraded suspension.

However, BMW is still charging customers for software codes to activate something already installed. Even if you opt out of these packages and choose the one-time $500 purchase, you're essentially paying for something you already have. This scenario underscores how automakers are increasingly embracing the concept of paywalls in their offerings.