Book by Cadillac service offers a new alternative to car ownership

General Motors is experimenting with ridesharing services under its Maven brand, but now Cadillac is launching its own, separate service. The luxury brand has made attempts to distance itself from the rest of GM to appear more exclusive, so why not apply that mentality to sharing services?

“Book by Cadillac” is a subscription service that gives users access to short-term rentals of different vehicles for a flat monthly fee. Similar to the Audi On Demand and Audi At Home services that is already available in certain markets, Book by Cadillac aims to give subscribers the flexibility to choose whatever vehicle they want at the moment, along with the convenience of bypassing ownership hassles like lease or finance payments, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.

For $1,500 a month, subscribers can reserve vehicles through a smartphone app. Registration, taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs are all rolled into that monthly fee, and cars are delivered to a location specified by the subscriber via what Cadillac calls a “white-glove concierge service.” There is no limit on mileage.

Cadillac says subscribers will have access to current-model-year vehicles in the top Platinum trim level, as well as V Series performance models. The idea behind Book by Cadillac is that subscribers will be able to switch between cars depending on their needs and preferences. A subscriber could request a 640-horsepower CTS-V and plan a trip up their favorite mountain road, or get an XT5 crossover when they need something more practical.

Book by Cadillac will launch in the New York metropolitan area, but Cadillac plans to offer the service in other markets as well. More details on the launch will be available at a later date.

In addition to the Cadillac-branded service, Cadillac models are available in some markets through GM’s Maven brand. Maven operates car-sharing services in 13 U.S. cities, making cars available for short-term rentals at specific sites in a given city, usually located in popular neighborhoods. Unlike Book by Cadillac, Maven car-sharing users have to go to the cars.