Latest grab by auto manufactures

[nybirdman]

Just read GM,Subaru and others now are going to have a mandatory subscription for;heated seats,remote start ect.Can you imagine!Unreal.In GM's case you are forced to purchase OnStar,no choice rolled into the price.
I was considering a trade,this may be enough for me(and a lot of others) not too.High end luxury
vehicles have had this for a while.

 

[gstrom99]

What does On-Star cost per month?

 

[mrmikey]

I read about that a month or so back re Toyotas and their remote start. They 'give' it to you for a year I think it was so you get comfortable with it and then boom, it stops working. From then on it's a monthly subscription.
IMHO, a slimy, underhanded blood sucking rip off..........Mike

 

[sea2summit]

Just read GM,Subaru and others now are going to have a mandatory subscription for;heated seats,remote start ect.Can you imagine!Unreal.In GM's case you are forced to purchase OnStar,no choice rolled into the price.
I was considering a trade,this may be enough for me(and a lot of others) not too.High end luxury
vehicles have had this for a while.

My first question is what happens when you don't pay? Do they shut the whole care down or just that feature? It is robbery for sure. I grew up a hard corps Chevy guy but I gave up on GM a long time ago.

 

[thclimer]

I read about that a month or so back re Toyotas and their remote start. They 'give' it to you for a year I think it was so you get comfortable with it and then boom, it stops working. From then on it's a monthly subscription.
IMHO, a slimy, underhanded blood sucking rip off..........Mike

I thought I remember Toyota got so much backlash they canned the subscription requirement for remote start and other features they were thinking about.

I hope the same happens to GM and Subaru, buyers should take their money elsewhere. If another manufactures offers these features without a subscription even if the base price is a little more then I'm buying the one that does not require the monthly fees!

 

[mrmikey]

Do they shut the whole care down or just that feature

My understanding was just that feature. Mind you, it's the feature that you've paid for, guess you don't own the car, just rent it.
I was watching a review of a Hyundai Ev ( I think it was a Hyundai) not that I would ever buy an electric car mind you. The charging cable was extra, $1,200, the girl doing the review compared it to buying a gas car, with a gas tank but no filler neck.

I thought I remember Toyota got so much backlash they canned the subscription requirement for remote start and other features they were thinking about.

They may have, even if they did, I bet you dollars to donuts it'll be back

 

[Chewwy]

Just read GM,Subaru and others now are going to have a mandatory subscription for;heated seats,remote start ect.Can you imagine!Unreal.In GM's case you are forced to purchase OnStar,no choice rolled into the price.
I was considering a trade,this may be enough for me(and a lot of others) not too.High end luxury
vehicles have had this for a while.

Where specifically did you read this?

 

[Torvy]

I guess I have driven 40+ years and never had remote start. If they block a feature I don't need or want, who cares? I'm not a big fan of the overall concept, but how often do you need remote start?

 

[mrmikey]

......but how often do you need remote start?

I know what you're saying but to me it's the same as AC. When I first started driving many decades ago ( shortly after horse and buggy ), none of my cars had AC or power windows...just something else to break. Once I started getting vehicles with AC and PW, it got to the point they were almost a necessity.
I use remote start all the time in the winter, I'm a firm believer in letting the vehicle run for a bit when cold. In the summer I don't often use the remote start but when I start my truck, I'll sit there for a couple minutes with it running...........M

 

[thclimer]

I guess I have driven 40+ years and never had remote start. If they block a feature I don't need or want, who cares? I'm not a big fan of the overall concept, but how often do you need remote start?

True, but this could just be the beginning of many features becoming a monthly fee. I also heard in Europe that Mercedes could turn on/off their 4-wheel steering assist on some vehicles if you did not pay the monthly fee for it. How about turning your radio off or turning off the inside convivence lighting....it honestly could apply to any feature of your car that is not safety related. I guess its the price we pay for the advancement of technology.