Right. Consoles can't be sold at a loss and stores never sell things at a loss at a sale because they make it back with other products that are sold at the same time....

It is very possible that if not enough people buy the subscription they will be at a loss.

However, I understand it from a business standpoint.

Cars are usually good quality now. They will probably last 15 years or more. Which means manufacturers are their own competition now. Not to mention that China is making some pretty cheap and impressive cars too.

So how does a brand keep existing? Extracting more value out of the customers they have. And hope that this minor thing isn't enough to make them buy a different car. Or hope other brands do the same thing so it doesn't matter.

I think on expensive brand cars, the buyers usually can afford a subscription. Odds are they also have a strong preference for a brand so they are not very likely to switch.

So for a Mercedes, Audi, Bentley, BMW etc I understand why they think they can get away with it.

I just hate it with a passion and will never ever go with it unless I literally don't have a choice. My car, I paid for it. Want me to pay extra to build an extra option? Fine, but it is a one time fee of the cost of building that option on the car. If it does not require anything that is a returning cost to the seller, I am not paying a returning fee.

Vote with your wallet and the bullshit will eventually disappear.

Of course you can do business that way. If the heating costs $x, and half the customers pay for it but $5x is charged then that is a profit.

The alternative would be to make two sets of cars (with and without heating). Or four sets of cars if another similar optional feature is shipped like this. Or 8 permutations if there are three features etc

It can certainly be cheaper to install them by default even if not all customers pay to enable them. ie it is mathematically possible that their system is cheapest for both the manufacturer and the consumer. The alternative would be no different for us cold-bummed drivers but possibly more expensive for the toasted-tush drivers.