Want to Remote-Start Your Toyota With a Fob? That'll be $8 Per Month

[ronandannette]

The Ford Mustang Mach e comes with a 3 year subscription to Blue Cruise. It is not a free subscription but $600 included in the cost of the car.

I imagine there will be people 3 years from now surprised to find out that Blue Cruise no longer works unless the subscription is renewed.

Subscriptions and after sale software upgrades are the future of the auto industry.

Tesla sells FSD, rear heated seats, acceleration boost, etc. The other manufacturers are just trying to keep up.

GM's On-Star was like that. I don't know if the service even exists anymore.

 

[tvguy]

Just get an electric car next time and you won't have to worry about it.

My son is on his third electric car in the past 5 years. First, a Fiat 500E was an electrical disaster and a range of just 70 miles. Second, a Hyundai Kona made it 18 months before Hyundai stepped up and offered to buy it back under the Lemon Law because it never got half the range expected. Hopefully the third time will be a charm, this time a Volkswagen ID4.

 

[mrodgers]

That’s interesting. I’ve honestly never thought of starting the car to run the A/C. Granted it doesn’t get as hot as often here but there are days the steering wheel is literally painful to the touch and I feel sorry for anybody with leather seats. And I have been in super-humid places where blasting the A/C causes the windshield to immediately fog up on the outside, which is the opposite ofwhat happens in the deep cold.

I don't know why people love leather seats. Yeah, to me they are horrible. Freezing cold in the winter (though I guess heated seats fixes that, my leather seating car was the wife's and I rarely drove it) and burning hot in the summer.

If I run the AC on the windshield, yes, the outside fogs up because if it's 70% humidity outside we are all in heaven with how dry it is. I hate how depending on the adjustment, I can't not have the AC blowing on the windshield (I like the air coming out the vents and floor and have a variation of how much to each but if more goes to the floor, it also starts going to the windshield.) And it's boiling hot in the car from sitting in the sun, doesn't much matter what the temperature is outside. I run the AC when it's 60 out because of the car sitting in the sun all day and with the laid back windshields of cars today doesn't allow any air movement in the front seats and you sit in a pocket of hot air even with 4 windows down.

 

[mrodgers]

Since you are from someplace warm, I'll introduce you to these things called sleet and snow. If your car is outside when these thing fall from the sky, you have to run your defroster for quite a while for it to melt because sometimes, just scrapping it is impossible. So the gas is being wasted anyway while your windows defrost. The benefit is that you don't have to sit out in a freezing car waiting for it to warm up.

No one ever understands this. Discussions of remote starting (or walking out and starting) always end up with people arguing that you don't have to warm up the engine in a car any more. Just get in and go. They don't understand getting in a car in 15° the very first breath you breathe out fogs then ices up on the windshield and that's not a good thing when you're driving down the road. Also there's the car is covered in ice and snow and I could either spend half an hour with an ice pick chipping away at it, or I can start my car when I get dressed from taking a shower and it's clear or loose enough to brush off after 10 minutes while I'm inside packing my lunch and finishing getting ready to leave.

I mostly see it in the FB posts of "things you shouldn't do with your car" garbage and it's always in the comments everyone saying you don't have to warm up an engine before you can drive. It's not the cold engine that's the problem, it's the 2 inches of solid ice adhered to the windshield and wrapped around the wipers as well as breathing in the cold interior of the car and fogging and icing up the inside until inside the car is no longer below freezing.

 

[_19disnA]

GM's On-Star was like that. I don't know if the service even exists anymore.

Yes, On-Star is still around. On my new GM vehicle, you have a chance to sign-up for the pay service when you first take delivery of the car. It is clearly stated as a subscription service and you can either say yes/no when they ask you to join. I think what Toyota is doing to make the key fob feature a pay to use subscription seems shady and a lot of people will be turned off by how this is being handled.

 

[mrodgers]

You think people will readily agree to be beholden to Toyota for the life of a vehicle they own? They can never modify their vehicle to their own preferences? I sure as heck wouldn’t.

I never thought people would readily pay equal to a mortgage payment for a car, but here we are.

People today will readily agree to anything and everything if it's something they want. It's why we have inflation and why cars cost more than my mortgage was. Just blame the greedy companies that are pricing their products exactly at what the people are willing to pay.

 

[mrodgers]

The Ford Mustang Mach e comes with a 3 year subscription to Blue Cruise. It is not a free subscription but $600 included in the cost of the car.

I imagine there will be people 3 years from now surprised to find out that Blue Cruise no longer works unless the subscription is renewed.

Subscriptions and after sale software upgrades are the future of the auto industry.

Tesla sells FSD, rear heated seats, acceleration boost, etc. The other manufacturers are just trying to keep up.

I would gladly pay for that after 3 years if on my "infotainment screen" Steve popped up and softly said... "Hi... It's me, Steve... Welcome to... Blue Cruise..."

 

[mrodgers]

nope. not interested in that in any way shape or form. I drive too much, have too many people/stuff and in rural areas where it's just not practical.
Serious question tho, electric cars, the engine continues to run even when stopped at a stop light?

Electric cars don't have engines. They have electric motors which run when you apply electrical power to them. There's no combustion for them to keep running.

 

[Colleen27]

I guess I don't understand why you need to warm up the car before driving it? When I lived in Minneapolis, I just turned the key and drove away even when it was 25 degrees F below zero. I was more concerned about wasting gas then I was getting into a warm car.

I'm assuming you have and park in a garage. My house doesn't have one, so the need to warm up the car is the need to be able to see out of the windows. The miniscule amount of gas I waste heating the car is worth it for not having to start my day on tip-toes, chipping the ice off my windshield with a plastic wand in the sub-freezing darkness.

 

[Skippy918]

I don't know why people love leather seats. Yeah, to me they are horrible. Freezing cold in the winter (though I guess heated seats fixes that, my leather seating car was the wife's and I rarely drove it) and burning hot in the summer.

If I run the AC on the windshield, yes, the outside fogs up because if it's 70% humidity outside we are all in heaven with how dry it is. I hate how depending on the adjustment, I can't not have the AC blowing on the windshield (I like the air coming out the vents and floor and have a variation of how much to each but if more goes to the floor, it also starts going to the windshield.) And it's boiling hot in the car from sitting in the sun, doesn't much matter what the temperature is outside. I run the AC when it's 60 out because of the car sitting in the sun all day and with the laid back windshields of cars today doesn't allow any air movement in the front seats and you sit in a pocket of hot air even with 4 windows down.

I don’t like leather seats either because they get too hot in summer. Although, higher end cars do have cooling seats and those are really nice.
I have a sun shade for my windshield and it helps tremendously. I’m also lucky we have a parking garage at work. It’s nice not having to get into a hot car with work clothes on.

 

[kdonnel]

...and apparently no dealer/salesman felt compelled to adequately explain.

Is it their job?

In my opinion reading a contract or terms of service is exclusively the job of the person signing or agreeing.

 

[ronandannette]

Is it their job?

In my opinion reading a contract or terms of service is exclusively the job of the person signing or agreeing.

Yes, it's their job. I do agree completely that the ultimate accountability is the customer's. But ethics would assign the seller some degree of responsibility for ensuring the customers UNDERSTAND what they are signing and to disclose and explain any significant terms and conditions. And let's face it - salespeople will spend countless hours belaboring all the features and benefits of their products because it helps them sell. Details like the one we're talking about are being ignored because they are negative to the customer.

 

[Colleen27]

Is it their job?

In my opinion reading a contract or terms of service is exclusively the job of the person signing or agreeing.

Ethically, I would say yes it is. Just like the salesperson who sold me my car talked about the satellite radio trial and the cost to continue using it after the expiration. If nothing else, the subscription cost could be a deciding factor in whether someone wants to pay for the remote start option on their car or go to an automotive place to have a no-subscription-required aftermarket product installed instead.

 

[sam_gordon]

Just blame the greedy companies that are pricing their products exactly at what the people are willing to pay.

Isn't it a company's job to price their products as high as they can to get enough people to buy? How does that make them "greedy"?

 

[tvguy]

Since you are from someplace warm, I'll introduce you to these things called sleet and snow. If your car is outside when these thing fall from the sky, you have to run your defroster for quite a while for it to melt because sometimes, just scrapping it is impossible. So the gas is being wasted anyway while your windows defrost. The benefit is that you don't have to sit out in a freezing car waiting for it to warm up.

Well, we do get cold enough in December and January here for the car windows to ice up if left outside. That time of year I put a towel on the windshield and the from side windows, so no need to defrost. Just pull off the towels, start the car and go.

 

[SteveH]

Sounds like a great reason to not buy a Toyota. But I think I'll stick with my good ol' Jeep Wrangler.

 

[dez1978]

I don't know why people love leather seats. Yeah, to me they are horrible. Freezing cold in the winter (though I guess heated seats fixes that, my leather seating car was the wife's and I rarely drove it) and burning hot in the summer.

If I run the AC on the windshield, yes, the outside fogs up because if it's 70% humidity outside we are all in heaven with how dry it is. I hate how depending on the adjustment, I can't not have the AC blowing on the windshield (I like the air coming out the vents and floor and have a variation of how much to each but if more goes to the floor, it also starts going to the windshield.) And it's boiling hot in the car from sitting in the sun, doesn't much matter what the temperature is outside. I run the AC when it's 60 out because of the car sitting in the sun all day and with the laid back windshields of cars today doesn't allow any air movement in the front seats and you sit in a pocket of hot air even with 4 windows down.

I loooove my leather seats. They are heated in the winter to keep my butt warm and cooled in the summer. Dog hair and kid messes wipe right off.

I'm assuming you have and park in a garage. My house doesn't have one, so the need to warm up the car is the need to be able to see out of the windows. The miniscule amount of gas I waste heating the car is worth it for not having to start my day on tip-toes, chipping the ice off my windshield with a plastic wand in the sub-freezing darkness.

Exactly!!! The distance I drive to work, the last consideration on my mind as far as gas goes is the tiny bit I use heating my car up so I can safely drive away.

Isn't it a company's job to price their products as high as they can to get enough people to buy? How does that make them "greedy"?

You can't say that here lol. That is how businesses work and going by the comments regarding Disney prices, this isn't allowed. Or maybe it's allowed for everyone except the precious Disney company, IDK

 

[dez1978]

Well, we do get cold enough in December and January here for the car windows to ice up if left outside. That time of year I put a towel on the windshield and the from side windows, so no need to defrost. Just pull off the towels, start the car and go.

Till you breathe and it fogs back up. And where do you put the gross wet towels when you get in the car? Why would I want to put nasty snow or ice filled towels in my car and have to clean that mess up when I can just start it from inside my nice warm building and let it run for a few min?

 

[NAB]

Till you breathe and it fogs back up. And where do you put the gross wet towels when you get in the car? Why would I want to put nasty snow or ice filled towels in my car and have to clean that mess up when I can just start it from inside my nice warm building and let it run for a few min?

If you put wet towels in your car or heck even left over snow on your snow brush your going to have frost on the inside of your window next time it frosts up. Learned early to knock the snow out of my brush by banging it on the tires…lol

If the weather man is right about freezing rain the wipers go up too. Does help inch ice to chip off but won’t rip of the rubber on the wipers.

 

[tvguy]

Till you breathe and it fogs back up. And where do you put the gross wet towels when you get in the car? Why would I want to put nasty snow or ice filled towels in my car and have to clean that mess up when I can just start it from inside my nice warm building and let it run for a few min?

Turning the a/c on recirculate dehumidifies the air inside so it doesn't fog. The towels get left next to the garage hanging on the fence.