as an engine mechanic by trade, Ive seen the 4G trend in cars ramp up over the past 5-6 years and its more than a little startling.
From what i hear in the customer service office up front, info-tainment universally sucks. There isnt a single manufacturer that hasnt turned the radio and air conditioner into some sort of rube goldberg machine. the switches on the steering wheel also adhere to absolutely no standard, so drivers are either turning the volume up on that classic rock song they love or setting the cruise control to plow through an intersection.
To add insult to injury, these systems are all needlessly expensive. a knob or a button will last ten times longer than a screen, especially if the vehicle is light truck/small business or god forbid, a family wagon/minivan.
The thing about the 4G interface software is that originally it was a powered accessory in the vehicle, but these days its an integral component. that means if it goes out, or you remove it, the car throws a code in the ECU and a light shows up on the dash. Why? internal combustion doesnt require 4G. in fact most drivers one would argue are better on the road without cellular networks.
If you want to avoid this weird 1984 wonderland of cars that spy on passengers, go for an older car. Mileage rarely matters anymore for cars 2006+, and platforms from manufacturers can remain the same for a decade. That means the only thing that changes is the interior cloth or shape of a button. I drive a 2005 Dodge Charger RT, and the only two people who know the music I like are my dog and my husband.
I drive a newer car (2018 Camaro SS 1LE) and only Apple and I know what music I listen to. Even without disabling OnStar.
Rather than living with an older car, I think we should tackle issues like this head-on, since they're not going away. Legislation, or just making a shitstorm for the manufacturer, stuff like that.
In this case didn't GM specifically ask people to opt-in anyway? As long as it's overt, and not in some fine print somewhere, I don't think it's that big a deal.
One could see driving an older car as a opt-out, and boycott. As fewer cars sell, the company to first realize the problem and the market stands to windfall. All this tracking is why I can't stomach the tesla fanboying on HN, we should know better than to celebrate 3rd party control of your car.
That seems unrealistic, though. People who buy cars based strictly on practicality just get something newer when their old one starts to be a hassle. They're not going to be too interested in buying something else older just to send a message to the manufacturer.
Another case where the masses just don't really care that much and those of us who do get to pay the price. And ... while I say that, I admit I haven't disabled the OnStar on my Camaro. Buddy of mine with exactly the same car did but he's a bit more paranoid than I am, and the monthly "how shitty of a driver are you" message from OnStar creeped him out. Whereas it just made me want to try harder to make the score lower (it's like golf, yes?? ;-)). Now, if they start sending the data to my insurance company, then I'm yanking out the LTE immediately.
Most 2017 and newer Toyota and Lexus vehicles have Verizon 4G cellular embedded inside. It doesn’t have a monthly fee. The Corolla and the Tacoma are one of the only ones at the moment that don’t include a DCM and don’t have embedded cellular. They just piggyback off your phone’s cellular connection.
In no way would cruise control force an attentive driver to blow through an intersection. You hit the brake and cruise control stops. If you didn't hit the brake, you weren't paying attention and you would have go through it anyway.
Having controls on the steering wheel are much safer than having someone blindly reaching for a knob or touchscreen. How many crashes have happened because someone has looked down and taken a hand off the steering wheel to adjust the volume knob? It only takes a second for someone to pull out in front of you or for a pedestrian to step out into the street. The less you need to take your hands off the steering wheel and the less you need to look away to control other things, the less you'll be looking somewhere and doing something else when that critical moment happens.
Sure, the lack of standards suck. I drove a loaner this past weekend because my car was at the dealer getting work. The new car had similar steering wheel controls but some of the lever switches did things in the opposite direction. But after driving with it for a day, I got used to it and that was that. They aren't too complicated that it takes years of study to figure out. Look at the manual. Try it out while in park and you'll be fine.
From what i hear in the customer service office up front, info-tainment universally sucks. There isnt a single manufacturer that hasnt turned the radio and air conditioner into some sort of rube goldberg machine. the switches on the steering wheel also adhere to absolutely no standard, so drivers are either turning the volume up on that classic rock song they love or setting the cruise control to plow through an intersection.
To add insult to injury, these systems are all needlessly expensive. a knob or a button will last ten times longer than a screen, especially if the vehicle is light truck/small business or god forbid, a family wagon/minivan.
The thing about the 4G interface software is that originally it was a powered accessory in the vehicle, but these days its an integral component. that means if it goes out, or you remove it, the car throws a code in the ECU and a light shows up on the dash. Why? internal combustion doesnt require 4G. in fact most drivers one would argue are better on the road without cellular networks.
If you want to avoid this weird 1984 wonderland of cars that spy on passengers, go for an older car. Mileage rarely matters anymore for cars 2006+, and platforms from manufacturers can remain the same for a decade. That means the only thing that changes is the interior cloth or shape of a button. I drive a 2005 Dodge Charger RT, and the only two people who know the music I like are my dog and my husband.