[sigmabody]

Reading this: https://carbuzz.com/news/ford-mustan...stomers-fuming

Double-meaning of title is intentional. As long as people buy vehicles with subscription features, or even from the manufacturers using those tactics, this will get far worse.

[avi8tir]

I cant imagine that companies like BMW, Audi or MB would roll this out on their higher end vehicles. Maybe on a 3 series or X1 but on a 7 series or X5 M60i? no way.

[Tehnoid]

Originally Posted by avi8tir

I cant imagine that companies like BMW, Audi or MB would roll this out on their higher end vehicles. Maybe on a 3 series or X1 but on a 7 series or X5 M60i? no way.

My X7 m60i asks me everytime I turned the car on if I wanted to subscribe to the speed camera service until the new firmware. It still doesn't have the speed camera service but at least it stopped asking.

It's definitely also on the higher end cars.

[sigmabody]

BMW has a number of things which you need to pay for over time, even if you have them for some limited time as part of a normal purchase (ie: things in ConnectedDrive). They have also experimented with things like enabling heated seats via subscription. This is on high-end vehicles.

MB has a pay-extra HP boost on their EV's. Tesla charges a fee to unlock functionality if the vehicle changes owners (ie: you don't "own" the functionality, you just have a license which they can revoke and you cannot transfer). All companies with OTA updates can remove functionality and/or make you pay for stuff you previously "owned" (and several have, like Tesla).

This is absolutely coming, and unless customers vote with their wallets (and in large quantities), it's going to be a hellscape for consumers in comparison in a decade or so.