Automakers are moving towards software subscription futures.

[bobcat]

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.

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.

 

[Rider77]

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.

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.

 

[IrishEyes]

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.

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.

 

[bobcat]

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.

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.

 

[IrishEyes]

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.

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.