Skip to main content

Audi’s subscription service lets you roll in style without commitment

2019 Audi A4 (European-market version)
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Audi has expanded its portfolio of mobility services. Motorists who want to get behind the wheel of one of the company’s cars can choose to buy one, lease one, or subscribe to one through a new program called Audi Select. There’s a big catch: it’s only offered in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. That will change in the not-too-distant future, though, and Select could spread quickly if it generates a favorable response from participants.

Recommended Videos

Some subscription services (like Care by Volvo and Lexus Complete Lease) lock buyers into a specific car for a predetermined amount of time. Audi Select is different because it gives participants access to a pool of vehicles set aside specifically for the program. They can change cars twice a month, meaning they can choose to drive a spacious sedan during the week and a sporty convertible for a weekend getaway to the beach. The cars are picked up and dropped off at the local dealer, but Audi notes it offers a convenient home delivery option at an extra cost.

Subscribing to Audi Select costs $1,395 per month before participants add options like home delivery. That figure includes access to a car every day of the month, insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance, and unlimited mileage plus two days of Silvercar rentals each month, a boon for motorists who travel often.

Customers who participate in the Audi Select program have access to five different models. The list consists of the S5 coupe, the A5 convertible, the Q5, the Q7, and the A4 (pictured). They’re not entry-level, rental car-spec models that the local dealer can’t find a home for, either. Audi points out the cars it placed in the Select program are well-equipped variants; the S5 is the top-sped Prestige trim, for example, while the A4 is either a Premium or a Premium Plus version.

Audi chose to launch Select in the Dallas-Forth Worth area because it’s one of its most important markets in terms of sales. Only buyers who live in the area can register as of September 2018, but Audi hinted the program will expand to other locations across the nation sooner rather than later.

“There are future plans to expand Audi Select to additional markets. While we don’t have a date to share today, the learning we’ve been able to gather through our years of experience with other mobility offerings, like Audi on-demand and Silvercar, puts us in a position to scale quickly,” Silvercar CEO Luke Schneider said in a statement.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more
Apple CarPlay Ultra looks stunning in Aston Martin supercar debut
Apple CarPlay Ultra

Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of the Cupertino, California-based firm's smartphone projection system for your car, and it's available in new vehicles in the US and Canada.

When we say "new cars", your options are very much limited to one brand... Aston Martin. So you'll need deep pockets if you want to experience CarPlay Ultra for yourself.

Read more
Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics
archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

Read more