Posted on 05/01/2026 2:03:37 AM PDT by dennisw
Popular Ford feature that has always been free now costs $455
Remember when buying a car meant paying once, grabbing the keys, and driving off into the sunset?
That era may be fading fast. Automakers are quietly transforming the way drivers pay for their vehicles - and your next car could come with a growing list of monthly charges long after you've left
General Motors is leading the charge, betting that subscriptions for features like navigation, safety systems, and hands-free driving will soon become a major profit engine - potentially generating billions of dollars a year and, in some cases, even more than selling the cars themselves.
GM says its software arm keeps about 70 cents of every dollar it makes - a staggering level of profitability in an industry where selling a car typically brings in just 4 to 10 cents on the dollar.
Instead of paying upfront for everything, drivers now get certain features included for a limited time - often just a few years - before being asked to pay monthly or annually to keep them.
In its latest earnings update on Tuesday, GM said it expects to generate $3.1 billion from digital subscriptions this year.
‘We think there’s a growth opportunity there with very attractive margins,’ CEO Mary Barra told investors.
GM already has around 13 million subscribers paying for various in-car services, and that number is expected to climb rapidly as more vehicles come equipped with built-in technology.
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Anybody who wants navigation, safety systems, and hands-free driving don’t need acar they need uber or a bus.
New cars are loaded with useless items but it’s handy for someone to stupid to know how to drive and maintain a car.
D.C. gets it’s palma greased by Detriot to get laws passed to make such items.
You are still responsible for driving. You can set how aggressively it drives:
Sloth — The most conservative/slowest mode.
Drives at or below the speed limit, stays in slower lanes, and makes the fewest lane changes.
Chill — Relaxed and laid-back.
Prefers slower lanes and makes minimal lane changes. Still comfortable but less eager to pass.
Standard — Balanced “normal” driving.
Drives at typical speeds and automatically adjusts to match the flow of traffic. This is the default for most people.
Hurry — Faster and more proactive.
Drives above the speed limit (when safe/traffic allows), makes more frequent lane changes, and is noticeably quicker than Standard.
Mad Max — The most aggressive mode (newest addition).
Drives the fastest and makes the most frequent lane changes. It pushes harder than Hurry to keep up with or exceed traffic flow.
I use standard, which typically goes 5 mph over the speed limit, depending on surrounding traffic.
FSD is $100 per month. The car is a blast to drive without FSD (0-60 in 3 seconds). You can turn FSD on or off by month. Around 15% of Tesla drivers fully subscribe to FSD.
There are no other required monthly fees. They do offer a continuous internet connection wherever you go for a small monthly fee.
I traded in a 2008 model year car I had for 16 years. It came with satellite radio, AC, and heat. That was it. If you want stuff like remote start you pay the man after the freebee subscription runs out.
You can not afford that option. LOL
Lexus already does this and has been doing this for years - charging for subscriptions to a number of its features (that I can do without).
I didn’t even know I was subscribed until I got the renewal notices - apparently those features were free for about a year.
None of it came up in car negotiations, but I am aware of them going forward...
I stupidly bought a Prius that kept talking to me, telling me that I needed a “subscription” to talk back to it. I hated the smart-ass vehicle. Carvana got it, and I replaced it with an old Honda that I love.
“Iv’e got one turn when I get off work at 7 in the morning that puts me head on into a rising sun.
FSD doesn’t like that turn.”
So what does it do?
Can a person drive one of those vehicles across the border?
I don't need hands free driving, but I find navigation systems and lane departure tech useful in high density Metro areas I that haven't previously visited...
Maps are a good tool for the memory saves time.
They are all trying to do this and many more things are going this way. There are dish washers now that won’t work unless hooked up to wifi. Where does it end?
This stuff should be illegal...
Did you guys hear about John Deere doing stuff like this? They wouldn’t allow you to use 3rd party parts to fix your equipment. BUT! You can buy a software “update” that removes those requirements. It was made in Eastern Europe, and isn’t the most above the board thing, but it can be done.
If this becomes widespread I predict “car hacks” will become the “cable box hacks” of the late 2020’s.
Yes, it can be done.
Yes you can and you should. This crap is out of control and is not capitalism.
SaaS (software as a service) is the trend. I’m not a fan of SaaS. SaaS is now being used in vehicles, just as we expected.
Apparently, she had/has a YouTube channel called “Syd’s Garage.”
My 2008 Ford Ranger doesn’t have this problem.
I’ll keep driving my 2019 Santa Fe. It is not unusual for my mileage to be less than 10 per week.
You can get a cheap ODB 2 scanner for about 24 bucks on Amazon. I have it and it works fine.
“…drivers cannot avoid…” BS. Just don’t subscribe to the service. Every year, I get an email notification from Mercedes asking me to refresh their mapping software. I only sometimes accept and pay for the service.
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