Automakers are moving towards software subscription futures.

IrishEyes said:
I use my Google Maps on phone too, the phone between my knees on the seat so I can hear it well. Only thing is I sure have to not bump
it off the seat. I put it there to sometimes look down at a stop light to see my location to the next turn. I like knowing a bit ahead of time
instead of "Turn left in 400 feet at the next light" and I am in the wrong lane to get over. I hate driving like this. Luckily I don't venture too
much to places I don't know where I am going. I go Monday to get a quote on a new system or I'd buy a dash holder for the phone.
If sticker shock is extreme, I will stop on the way home and get a holder and a bluetooth speaker for my car to play my music on.
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Yeah, in many cases, Google Mapos on the phone is superior to the map system in navigation, as it gets more up-to-date info like construction work going on, police presence, and accidents. I think that's why many people find the location on their phone, and then send it to navigation, or they just plug their phone into navigation. That's what I do in my truck, and it works very well.

They make phone holders that sit in the cup holder on the console, but it's a bit dicey, because you have to look away from driving more. I suppose a dash mount would be better if you can't plug in to navigation.
 

IrishEyes said:
Right now cars that have hit 10 years old are having their Pair-to-Phone feature discontinued.
I know it happened to me. I have to buy a whole new unit and replace it or pay for the convenience.
I looked on the dealer site and their ad says "Connectivity for Phone Pairing on US! for 10 years.
They didn't say that before.
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We are retired seniors. We have one new car that has a lot of bells and whistles. Our other vehicle is a 2002 pickup in excellent shape with low miles. Both were purchased new and the only subscription we have is for the Syrius radio that my wife dearly loves. At our age we probably will never purchase another vehicle. I can't think of any feature that requires the connectivity you describe other than that radio. I'm just not addicted to those things and won't be tethered to a car.
 
Rider77 said:
We are retired seniors. We have one new car that has a lot of bells and whistles. Our other vehicle is a 2002 pickup in excellent shape with low miles. Both were purchased new and the only subscription we have is for the Syrius radio that my wife dearly loves. At our age we probably will never purchase another vehicle. I can't think of any feature that requires the connectivity you describe other than that radio. I'm just not addicted to those things and won't be tethered to a car.
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Yep... it's my ability to connect to Spotify, one of my few luxuries I ask for myself. But my ability to tether to my radio to get Spotify
is locked tight, no way to bypass it. To subscribe to UConnect to even get Syrius would cost me more in one year than the other route.
I am comparing all options hassle worth as well as financial right now.
 

IrishEyes said:
Yep... it's my ability to connect to Spotify, one of my few luxuries I ask for myself. But my ability to tether to my radio to get Spotify
is locked tight, no way to bypass it. To subscribe to UConnect to even get Syrius would cost me more in one year than the other route.
I am comparing all options hassle worth as well as financial right now.
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If your car radio has Bluetooth connection, and your phone does, you may be able to just pair them, then open Spotify on your phone and play music. Many radio systems just treat it like it's any other music player like if you were sending music from an MP3 player. It's worth a try.
 
bobcat said:
If your car radio has Bluetooth connection, and your phone does, you may be able to just pair them, then open Spotify on your phone and play music. Many radio systems just treat it like it's any other music player like if you were sending music from an MP3 player. It's worth a try.
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I tied that, UConnect blocks it and won't allow my phone to play any way shape or form. I had been using bluetooth to connect with
before they discontinued the service. When I bring up the phone screen on the car it shows bluetooth as the connection source, when I tried to use a USB it would not allow me to even change to that, The phone screen is frozen in other words (dead). No way to uninstall the UConnect from it either. It's like Fort Knox in that thing right now.
 
If this becomes a widespread practice, people will likely hold onto their old cars even longer. Our pickups are 2004 & 2005, and people regularly ask us if we'd be willing to sell one or both. Nope.

I could live without my 2017 Toyota's navigation system if they tried to charge a subscription for it. Would just get a holder for my cellphone.
 
I consider myself really fortunate. I bought a '25 slightly used compact Audi last February and it has a wireless phone charging pad under the console lid. I just go into Google Maps, set the destination, put my iPhone on the pad and never look at it. The map and directions come up on the car screen, as well as the voice. I'm all for technology when it works and isn't distracting.

I was going to pick up hubs at the airport a few weeks ago and Google Maps took me this really weird way on side roads. It almost felt like I was backtracking, but it turns out there was an accident on the freeway and traffic was stopped so the directions got me there faster. I love that Google Maps has up-to-the-minute accident info that my car nav doesn't have. Even if I had to hold it in my lap and listen to it, it's worth it. I will never buy any type of subscription for my car. And if technology further evolves I have all I need.
 
seadoug said:
I had Google Maps built into my '17 Audi A4 and once the subscription expired it was no longer available. I didn't care, since I just used my iPhone to access it anyway. It think there is another feature called Audi Connect that requires a subscription after it expires but I don't use that either. Yes, automakers are finding every possible way to make money these days!
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I'm thinking this is probably because young people simply aren't buying cars...can't buy cars, more like. They're doing well if they make enough to cover rent and basics.
 
Nathan said:
I saw a 1967 Ford F-150 in town the other day, looked to be in good shape; if for some reason I have need to buy another vehicle I'd be thinking about a restored or good original condition 1960s F-150.
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You probably be able to actually work on it too. I look under the hood of a vehicle today and beyond an oil change or topping off fluids I'm not able to do much with them.
 
IrishEyes said:
Yep... it's my ability to connect to Spotify, one of my few luxuries I ask for myself. But my ability to tether to my radio to get Spotify
is locked tight, no way to bypass it. To subscribe to UConnect to even get Syrius would cost me more in one year than the other route.
I am comparing all options hassle worth as well as financial right now.
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Not to mention, music through sources like Spotify and Apple Carplay provide clearer sound. I used to listen to XM Radio back in the day. I now listen to Apple Carplay. My car came with a free trial for XM/Sirius and for shits and giggles I turned tried it. It sounded like AM radio in comparison!

I really do hope you get this all sorted out.
 
Murrmurr said:
And I can see the DMV imposing limits on the age of autos, like no registration renewal on cars over 15yrs old or something.
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I can't imagine. Collectibles are where the money is these days. I have a neighbor who owns a vintage 60's Corvette and Chevy Belair. He has a late model SUV that he drives daily. Yes, he's in the "wealthy" part of the neighborhood. :ROFLMAO: The DMV would have to come in with guns a-blazin' to remove those cars!
 
seadoug said:
I can't imagine. Collectibles are where the money is these days. I have a neighbor who owns a vintage 60's Corvette and Chevy Belair. He has a late model SUV that he drives daily. Yes, he's in the "wealthy" part of the neighborhood. :ROFLMAO: The DMV would have to come in with guns a-blazin' to remove those cars!
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If the car industry moves toward subscription software, I can see it happening.

I collected vintage cars for a while. That wasn't a problem until the DMV required emissions checks that would have required modifications to 3 of the 7 cars, so I sold those 3.

Two of them required special parade-only tags, then another required an occasional use tag, a show tag, like for auto shows and August Night events...it got to be such a pain, I sold all of them.
 
Murrmurr said:
If the car industry moves toward subscription software, I can see it happening.

I collected vintage cars for a while. That wasn't a problem until the DMV required emissions checks that would have required modifications to 3 of the 7 cars, so I sold those 3.

Two of them required special parade-only tags, then another required an occasional use tag, a show tag, like for auto shows and August Night events...it got to be such a pain, I sold all of them.
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Ahhh, makes sense. We had emissions tests in TX for years. They were just discontinued this year.
 

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