GM making Onstar mandatory on higher end

[dlerious]

GM is gonna make Onstar mandatory on some models adding $1500 to base price.

GM Makes $1,500 OnStar Subscription Mandatory on GMC, Buick, Cadillac Models

Remember how GM said it was gonna make billions on subscriptions? This is how.

www.thedrive.com

 

[WilliamM2]

I would never consider a GM anyways. And my family owns a GMC/Buick dealership...

 

[Red Squirrel]

I really hate the direction cars are going. Seems they really want us paying some reoccurring fees one way or the other. Not to mention all the connected BS where they can basically shut off features or the whole car at any time. And of course the privacy issues that come with all that.

You'll own nothing and you'll be happy.

 

[Torn Mind]

I would never consider a GM anyways. And my family owns a GMC/Buick dealership...

You know what they say about car salesmen....

 

[AdamK47]

They have the leverage to pull stunts like this. High demand and low availability.

 

[WilliamM2]

You know what they say about car salesmen....

No, what do they say? I don't work there, but if I did, I wouldn't have been a salesman. None of my family have been car saleman in 50 years. They own/manage it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

They have the leverage to pull stunts like this. High demand and low availability.

It really is crazy. EVs are bad but even gas cars now. If you want to buy a car now you basically are on a waiting list and it can be like 6 months. That's what happened to my mom when her lease was up. This is not good as it means they can just keep jacking up the prices and keep having anti user features, and get away with it. It seems the entire industry is shifting. Cars are basically turning into luxery items.

 

[IronWing]

From GM's perspective, I get it. They have been paying for the hardware for decades for no return on investment. If only onstar provided a service I was interested in having.

 

[Perknose]

I have had more than one free trial of Onstar on my Volt, and I can't even begin to tell you how much it sucks.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Never buy a new car.

 

[sactoking]

My parents were from Michigan and were big GM people. They bought a Chevy Cavalier in 1984, then a series of Pontiac Grand AMs and Grand Prixs. I bought a GMC Canyon as my first new car after graduation from college. The truck was ok, not great, but I'll likely never buy a GM again. Quality hasn't been great (though nothing was as bad as the Ford Aerostar my parents got) but moves like this are enough to push them out of consideration.

 

[lxskllr]

GM can go to hell. I've been hearing "They're better now" since the late 80s, and they're inevitably pieces of shit. Maybe something like a 2021 model actually is better, but after 30+ years of bullshit, I'd rather ride a skateboard than a GM vehicle.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I have a '95 Taurus wagon (130K) and a '96 Chrysler Serbring convertible (90K).

No tire sensors or other silly stuff.

I'll drive 'em til they die or fall apart.


Then I'll buy something else at least 10 years old.

 

[Torn Mind]

GM can go to hell. I've been hearing "They're better now" since the late 80s, and they're inevitably pieces of shit. Maybe something like a 2021 model actually is better, but after 30+ years of bullshit, I'd rather ride a skateboard than a GM vehicle.

Sounds like you had an abusive intimate relationship with GM for a while.

About time you joined the rice club.

Or is it sauerkraut in your driveway?

Or did you just switch to Ford.

 

[lxskllr]

If I were to go out and buy a fairly new vehicle today, I'd be looking at the jeep gladiator. I'd have to do some research first cause people don't seem to like jeep these days. My 97 cherokee treated me well, and required nothing more than routine maintenance for >200k miles. Otherwise, I'd look at Japanese mid size pickups. Currently driving a frontier. It's a 2008, and was recently purchased, so it's unknown what it's like to live with. It currently needs some work. The tacoma is on the short list. I was excited about the return of the ranger til I saw it. I don't understand what it's function is. It's just a smidge smaller than the f150. If I wanted a truck about that big, I'd buy the f150. The size savings of the ranger isn't significant.

 

[brianmanahan]

Never buy a new car.

i've bought several used and 1 new, and i liked the new a lot better

it's been 10 years and i plan to keep it for another 5 years, then get a new vehicle again

 

[brianmanahan]

I would never consider a GM anyways. And my family owns a GMC/Buick dealership...

an old buddy of mine just married into car dealer money. dude was broke and now he's going to be loaded. gotta say i'm jealous (provided he can make it last lol)

 

[IronWing]

My current and previous two work trucks have been Chevys. Zero problems, like none. I off road thousands of miles a year on them and they just work.

 

[brianmanahan]

My current and previous two work trucks have been Chevys. Zero problems, like none. I off road thousands of miles a year on them and they just work.

yeah my old truck was a ford but i'd probably get a chevy were i ever to need a truck again

probably not though, my off-road/adventure/fun days were long gone by the time i was 30

now if i need anything big hauled i get ahold of someone i know with a truck, or rent a u-haul

 

[dlerious]

I've got a 12 year old Equinox. Been thinking about a new Toyota, but car prices are too crazy right now. Dealer lots I've been to are almost barren.

 

[kage69]

I have had more than one free trial of Onstar on my Volt, and I can't even begin to tell you how much it sucks.

This. My family at one time had 4 different Yukons at the time same time, 2 with Onstar, 2 without. GMC basically kept the accounts/IDs all mixed up for more than year so it just didn't work in any of them, then one day it worked in a Yukon that didn't have it. It was such a clusterfuck.

We complained and tried to resolve with dealership and Onstar, never really got anywhere. That and GM's track record with recalls, customer deaths created to save money, plus how they intimidated families of dead customers. Really helped me feel better about my Honda problem. My primary now is a GM product, though it's a company car with free insurance and fuel so hard for me to bash it. No way in hell will I enable Onstar in it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

One nice thing with buying new is you can just drive it straight to the LineX place from the dealership and get the entire thing LineXed from day 1. Then it will last longer. When buying used there's usually already rust and it just gets worse with time even if you undercoat it every year. I have actual chunks of body steel falling off my truck now. I can just break pieces off with my hands. I really wish they would stop using so much road salt, it's what kills our vehicles.

But even then it's really hard to justify new because it's like 10x cost of what used is. So it still ends up better buying used, try to make it last 5-10 years then scrap it and buy another used. My last used car lasted me 7 years. My first one only like 2. I'm not sure if truck will last me 7 but I'm on like year 3 now. That was my most expensive vehicle though at 14k so I will try to make it last as long as possible. Maybe even get setup for welding and fix the body myself at some point.

Getting harder to find 8 foot box trucks now days though, I got lucky with mine. So I'll want to try to make it last.

 

[Kaido]

"...with the Premium package running $49.99 a month"

hahaha what the heck

 

[dlerious]

One nice thing with buying new is you can just drive it straight to the LineX place from the dealership and get the entire thing LineXed from day 1. Then it will last longer. When buying used there's usually already rust and it just gets worse with time even if you undercoat it every year. I have actual chunks of body steel falling off my truck now. I can just break pieces off with my hands. I really wish they would stop using so much road salt, it's what kills our vehicles.

But even then it's really hard to justify new because it's like 10x cost of what used is. So it still ends up better buying used, try to make it last 5-10 years then scrap it and buy another used. My last used car lasted me 7 years. My first one only like 2. I'm not sure if truck will last me 7 but I'm on like year 3 now. That was my most expensive vehicle though at 14k so I will try to make it last as long as possible. Maybe even get setup for welding and fix the body myself at some point.

Getting harder to find 8 foot box trucks now days though, I got lucky with mine. So I'll want to try to make it last.

My uncle was a welder. He used to buy the trucks you could get without a bed and build his own for his welding machine and tools. His last one was aluminum - don't know if I have any pics around, the truck was sold when he passed.