Please subscribe to use your cruise control...only $25 per month!

[LogGrad98]

Car companies want to use a subscription model for car features previously simply paid for when you bought the car. The only thing I could see being worthwhile would be maps update on a built-in GPS, although Carplay and Android auto are largely making those obsolete. Some companies tried making Carplay access a subscription feature, I think it was Toyota, and got substantial push-back so they pulled back on that. Seeing as this is a relatively demand-inelastic good/service this could be huge. If all of them follow suit and make the same things subscription is that collusion? What if they started making safety features subscription, like collision avoidance, lane-keep assist or even air bags (maybe not the main airbags but side airbags or knee bolster airbags)? Could be something big down the road.

Almost all companies already have some things on subscription. I think it said BMW is charging $25 for adaptive cruise control or something. And this would be in perpetuity. So you have your car paid off and still pay maybe a hundred bucks a month for "features".

Being as this is potentially a hundreds of billions dollar add-on to an already bloated market where do you think this will go? Will the government get involved at some point? I could see consumer advocacy groups having conniptions over this.

Car companies want to make billions by charging monthly fees for features like heated seats, but buyers won't pay up

How would you feel about paying $10, $20, or $100 per month to access features already built into your car? Some buyers are calling foul.

news.yahoo.com

 

[fishonjazz]

**** that ****


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[One Brow]

I didn't even pay for OnStar nor portable wifi. I wouldn't subscribe to any of the features mentioned, and can't think of one I would subscribe for.

 

[The Thriller]

This sounds like a horrible idea. I need to get my bike tires inflated

 

[Scat]

It would have to be a pretty special feature for me to pay for it. Reminds me of the first brand new vehicle I ever bought when I was 20 or so. An 88 Mitsubishi 4x4 pick up truck. It was completely stripped down. Didn't even have a rear bumper (who knew that a rear bumper is an option?). The salesman tried to up-sell me on things like a stereo system (it didn't even have an AM/FM radio), fancy rims, bigger tires, undercoating, etc. When I told him no, that I just wanted the truck as it is he actually got mad at me and pawned me off onto another sales person letting me know it wasn't worth his time as he was only going to make $50.

As Fish so eloquently said, "**** that ****!"

 

[Avery]

And with it will just come an aftermarket of defeat devices. Anything that is mechanical in nature can be configured manually just like any other car before they had microchips in it.

I don't see this taking off - people don't want to be nickel and dimed.

 

[LogGrad98]

The scary thing is that all of the automakers seem on board. If everyone starts charging for basic features, what choice does anyone have? When do they start charging a subscription for air conditioning, for example? Or lock down your entire stereo/head unit unless you subscribe? The problem is they have a captive customer base. If all of them are doing the same thing then it will just become the norm.

This would make used car sales a nightmare. It won't matter what features your car has, because they have to be unlocked with a subscription anyway.

 

[Avery]

The scary thing is that all of the automakers seem on board. If everyone starts charging for basic features, what choice does anyone have? When do they start charging a subscription for air conditioning, for example? Or lock down your entire stereo/head unit unless you subscribe? The problem is they have a captive customer base. If all of them are doing the same thing then it will just become the norm.

This would make used car sales a nightmare. It won't matter what features your car has, because they have to be unlocked with a subscription anyway.

The bean counters always want to drive recurring and guaranteed accounting, but getting the technology aligned as well as customers somehow buying into it like it's a good thing is usually what torpedoes most money-making endeavors.

It will be much adieu about nothing, but entertaining discussing.

 

[Ron Mexico]

I think people will opt for stripped down options and get after market upgrades if this is the route they go. For features you cant go that route people will shop a brand not doing that. It also really hurts the resale value which some people might not care about but most do. I do not see it happening with the exception of higher end cars possibly.

 

[Avery]

My car won’t start. Guess I need to clear my cache and cookies.

 

[LogGrad98]

Get in the car in the morning.

Car: *Please enter credit card to start*

Enter card in the chip reader.

Car: *You have 100 miles remaining*

 

[fishonjazz]

It would have to be a pretty special feature for me to pay for it. Reminds me of the first brand new vehicle I ever bought when I was 20 or so. An 88 Mitsubishi 4x4 pick up truck. It was completely stripped down. Didn't even have a rear bumper (who knew that a rear bumper is an option?). The salesman tried to up-sell me on things like a stereo system (it didn't even have an AM/FM radio), fancy rims, bigger tires, undercoating, etc. When I told him no, that I just wanted the truck as it is he actually got mad at me and pawned me off onto another sales person letting me know it wasn't worth his time as he was only going to make $50.

As Fish so eloquently said, "**** that ****!"

Im not even kidding when i say that i actually prefer windows that you manually have to roll down and locks that you manually lock and unlock. Also i literally never ever use my heater or AC (unless my wife is in my truck). Never use my interior dome lights. Im a weirdo.


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[Avery]

Im not even kidding when i say that i actually prefer windows that you manually have to roll down and locks that you manually lock and unlock. Also i literally never ever use my heater or AC (unless my wife is in my truck). Never use my interior dome lights. Im a weirdo.


Sent from my iPad using JazzFanz mobile app

I don't prefer them, but I will say when I was in high school, we got stuck out in the hills 30 miles from civilization after a dead battery and it was easily >100 degrees. No shade anywhere so we had to sit in the car and being able to manually roll the window down made a world of difference.

 

[Gameface]

Im not even kidding when i say that i actually prefer windows that you manually have to roll down and locks that you manually lock and unlock. Also i literally never ever use my heater or AC (unless my wife is in my truck). Never use my interior dome lights. Im a weirdo.


Sent from my iPad using JazzFanz mobile app

I do use AC but I almost never use the heater except to defrost the window. I like being able to roll windows up/down that I can't physically reach.

 

[LogGrad98]

Im not even kidding when i say that i actually prefer windows that you manually have to roll down and locks that you manually lock and unlock. Also i literally never ever use my heater or AC (unless my wife is in my truck). Never use my interior dome lights. Im a weirdo.


Sent from my iPad using JazzFanz mobile app

Yes. Yes you are.

I could not survive without AC. I will not own a car that doesn't have AC. That is my single biggest thing. Grew up being driven around in lots of cars and trucks with no AC, and my first cars didn't either. Never never again.

 

[Gameface]

Yes. Yes you are.

I could not survive without AC. I will not own a car that doesn't have AC. That is my single biggest thing. Grew up being driven around in lots of cars and trucks with no AC, and my first cars didn't either. Never never again.

Yeah I like to be cool. Right now my house is at 65F and I typically start using the AC if the outside temp is 70F or above. If it's above 40F outside and I'm not going to specifically be outside for an extended period of time I don't take a jacket. Haven't worn much more than a windbreaker in years.

 

[fishonjazz]

Yes. Yes you are.

I could not survive without AC. I will not own a car that doesn't have AC. That is my single biggest thing. Grew up being driven around in lots of cars and trucks with no AC, and my first cars didn't either. Never never again.

I only tank tops and board shorts when its hot and i keep my windows down and that works for me. I never use the AC


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[LogGrad98]

I only tank tops and board shorts when its hot and i keep my windows down and that works for me. I never use the AC


Sent from my iPad using JazzFanz mobile app

Yeah I couldn't do that. I did it a lot when I was younger but I didn't really like it then either. My main vehicle in high school was a 1970 chevy pickup, of course no AC, so we went everywhere with the windows rolled down. It worked as a kid, suffered through it, but I cannot stand the heat so as soon as I had the means I started only buying cars with AC.

Imagine the backlash for car companies if they made access to heat or AC a subscription service. Wow.

 

[babe]

Car companies want to use a subscription model for car features previously simply paid for when you bought the car. The only thing I could see being worthwhile would be maps update on a built-in GPS, although Carplay and Android auto are largely making those obsolete. Some companies tried making Carplay access a subscription feature, I think it was Toyota, and got substantial push-back so they pulled back on that. Seeing as this is a relatively demand-inelastic good/service this could be huge. If all of them follow suit and make the same things subscription is that collusion? What if they started making safety features subscription, like collision avoidance, lane-keep assist or even air bags (maybe not the main airbags but side airbags or knee bolster airbags)? Could be something big down the road.

Almost all companies already have some things on subscription. I think it said BMW is charging $25 for adaptive cruise control or something. And this would be in perpetuity. So you have your car paid off and still pay maybe a hundred bucks a month for "features".

Being as this is potentially a hundreds of billions dollar add-on to an already bloated market where do you think this will go? Will the government get involved at some point? I could see consumer advocacy groups having conniptions over this.

Car companies want to make billions by charging monthly fees for features like heated seats, but buyers won't pay up

How would you feel about paying $10, $20, or $100 per month to access features already built into your car? Some buyers are calling foul.

news.yahoo.com

Car prices already have me making plans to build my own.

Uhhhmmmm.......

I mean start my own company that will provide the parts and instructions so anyone can build their own.

I would reject Henry Ford's original idea of engineered obsolescence. Ya'll know he paid someone to go through junkyards finding his old worn-out cars and taking them apart piece by piece to complie a list of parts that had not failed yet, just so he could deliberately not make them so damn good, right? And that is what guides all auto and in fact all eclectronic and plastic and metal designs in products today.

I say to hell with all that..

I'll contract manufacturers to build parts to my specs, and even offer competing parts from different manufacturers that will "fit" and collect data on how long each part lasts. The new way will create a race to make stuff last longer and cost less.

And I'll have a large selection of designs/functions with engineered component upgrade flexibility.

You sit down at your computer, make your selections, and we ship it to your local assembly shop/collision/mechanical repair/detailer shop. No "territories" or other non-competitive arrangements allowed. Just collect and publish consumer reports.

I imagine there would be a whole damn boatload of people starting businesses like mine, for every niche in demand for anything. I imagine some really efficient asembly shops getting pretty damn huge because people are happy with what they do.

I imagine established auto manufacturers having to join in on the idea and get competitive again.

 

[Gameface]

Car prices already have me making plans to build my own.

Uhhhmmmm.......

I mean start my own company that will provide the parts and instructions so anyone can build their own.

I would reject Henry Ford's original idea of engineered obsolescence. Ya'll know he paid someone to go through junkyards finding his old worn-out cars and taking them apart piece by piece to complie a list of parts that had not failed yet, just so he could deliberately not make them so damn good, right? And that is what guides all auto and in fact all eclectronic and plastic and metal designs in products today.

I say to hell with all that..

I'll contract manufacturers to build parts to my specs, and even offer competing parts from different manufacturers that will "fit" and collect data on how long each part lasts. The new way will create a race to make stuff last longer and cost less.

And I'll have a large selection of designs/functions with engineered component upgrade flexibility.

You sit down at your computer, make your selections, and we ship it to your local assembly shop/collision/mechanical repair/detailer shop. No "territories" or other non-competitive arrangements allowed. Just collect and publish consumer reports.

I imagine there would be a whole damn boatload of people starting businesses like mine, for every niche in demand for anything. I imagine some really efficient asembly shops getting pretty damn huge because people are happy with what they do.

I imagine established auto manufacturers having to join in on the idea and get competitive again.