Interesting that they blame this on their contract with SiriusXM. Frankly, at this point I am convinced the entire company is filled with scammers. Their product should be a niche at this point....
Interesting that they blame this on their contract with SiriusXM.
Frankly, at this point I am convinced the entire company is filled with scammers. Their product should be a niche at this point. If you live vaguely anywhere near society there is no need for them because celllular internet is ubiquitous and literally any internet audio service is leagues better; even free Internet radio, something that predates their existence, offers better quality, and if you pay for a streaming music service like Apple Music or Spotify then there’s just no comparison.
SiriusXM is probably just the world’s shittiest advertising company at this point. They were already famous for bombarding everyone they know has one of their radios with junk mail to get them to subscribed, and because they have paid to get their radios installed permanently integrated with every car out there, that install base is roughly equivalent to the number of car owners (I legitimately cannot remember the last time I remember seeing a receiver for it that was not built into a car - maybe the aughts). And of course, they already did the “cable double-dip”, where they not only charge people to receive their service but they also take money from advertisers to make their broadcasts shittier.
Now they are triple-dipping, taking even more advertiser money to push even more ads outside of their service. They are worse than Clearchannel ever was.
Of course, Stellantis is not without blame either. They couldn’t have done this if they didn’t sign the contract. It’s not like they didn’t know this was going to happen. They weren’t just complacent, they were an active party to making their often $50k+ cars into advertising platforms that aid in distracted driving in yet another new way.
This is really quite ignorant. I commute 30 miles one way to work every, from one town to another, and there are multiple cellular dead zones along the way, enough to interrupt any non-buffered...
If you live vaguely anywhere near society there is no need for them because celllular internet is ubiquitous
This is really quite ignorant. I commute 30 miles one way to work every, from one town to another, and there are multiple cellular dead zones along the way, enough to interrupt any non-buffered media. This is one of the reasons I insist on owning my music and buying phones with SD slots.
Blame is one way to interpret that... as per the article drivers reported seeing MOPAR adds so I think SiriusXM is just the delivery method that Stellantis came up with rather than the other way...
Interesting that they blame this on their contract with SiriusXM
Blame is one way to interpret that... as per the article drivers reported seeing MOPAR adds so I think SiriusXM is just the delivery method that Stellantis came up with rather than the other way around. But IDK, it doesn't even matter because at the end of the day all of this is on Stellantis for either coming up with it or by signing a shitty deal that allowed it.
What kind of dystopian hell have we entered when we have to consider using ad blockers on our vehicles? I guess I'm fortunate enough to not have heard of Stellantis (I'm from the UK - wondering if...
The off-roading community has always been passionate about modifying their vehicles, but no one expected that “blocking ads” would become a must-have Jeep upgrade.
What kind of dystopian hell have we entered when we have to consider using ad blockers on our vehicles?
I guess I'm fortunate enough to not have heard of Stellantis (I'm from the UK - wondering if anyone else in the UK has heard of Stellantis here?) so I don't have to worry too much about this nonsense, but I fear the heated seats from BMW kickstarted some absolute late stage capitalism BS nonsense. The only thing that keeps me happy is the amount of push-back BMW received from the heated seats subscription nonsense.
You should worry, even in the UK. It owns many car brands, including ones you likely know and see on the road (Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo).
You should worry, even in the UK. It owns many car brands, including ones you likely know and see on the road (Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo).
I'm in the UK and I know about them. They contain what used to be Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and a bunch of other marques, there's only a few bigger automotive companies -...
I'm in the UK and I know about them. They contain what used to be Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and a bunch of other marques, there's only a few bigger automotive companies - Hyundai, Toyota, maybe VW?
I thought the BMW thing was actually a pretty good idea in theory. Makes manufacturing easier and makes buying used less of a crapshoot. They played it very badly though.
It didn't make it easier because the hardware was already in the car just disabled until you bought the subscription. Maybe easier because they didn't have to roll them off the conveyor belt...
Makes manufacturing easier and makes buying used less of a crapshoot.
It didn't make it easier because the hardware was already in the car just disabled until you bought the subscription. Maybe easier because they didn't have to roll them off the conveyor belt without any installed anymore, but it was wasteful and ridiculous by design.
I think it's actually a great idea executed horribly. There is way too many trim levels and options on vehicles these days that add costs even to the base models. If you could pre-install some of...
I think it's actually a great idea executed horribly.
There is way too many trim levels and options on vehicles these days that add costs even to the base models.
If you could pre-install some of them in all your vehicles you could simplify things a lot and make things better for consumers. It just should have been a one time fee instead of a subscription to "unlock" the vehicle.
Imagine looking at an entry level used vehicle and knowing you can take it to a dealership to get heated seats, steering wheels and adaptive cruise control added for a few thousand. I think a lot of people would be into that. Sure you'd get DIYers possibly getting some milk for free but they'd also be voiding their warranty so I'm not sure it would be a large concern.
Honestly I don’t think it would have been as badly taken if only they had not done the obvious greedy thing and make it a one-time purchase. But if we are really examining the concept of paying...
Honestly I don’t think it would have been as badly taken if only they had not done the obvious greedy thing and make it a one-time purchase.
But if we are really examining the concept of paying for heated seats, the simple fact of the matter is that adding heating elements to a seat doesn’t increase the cost of it by a huge amount, which is the entire reason why it was easier to tool every vehicle with them than to offer it as a secondary sku. But the old way of purchasing a model with the heated seats option was basically the “yes, I have money to burn” choice when looking at value, especially when offered as part of a trim package.
It’s easier to have one production line than two, and as long as the acquisition cost of the heater components is low I imagine it’s also cheaper to only train your workforce how do something one...
It’s easier to have one production line than two, and as long as the acquisition cost of the heater components is low I imagine it’s also cheaper to only train your workforce how do something one way rather than two different ways
With that being said I do still agree subscriptions for something you own should be illegal if no cloud services are required to maintain functionality
It's another case of the relatively common "A bunch of the brands you recognize as having their own identity are on the corporate level folded under one massive entity" situation, especially in...
It's another case of the relatively common "A bunch of the brands you recognize as having their own identity are on the corporate level folded under one massive entity" situation, especially in the automotive industry. Unlike say, Volkswagen where the broader corporate entity is itself named after one of its most recognizable brands, the name Stellantis doesn't have much brand recognition on its own, if it all. In fact, I'm not even sure they actually sell vehicles specifically under the Stellantis brand name (but you are probably familiar with at least one among Peugeot, Dodge, Opel/Vauxhall, Fiat or Jeep, all of which are under Stellantis' umbrella).
This would have been a candidate for the off-beat friday thread if it wasn't also downright depressing, which I feel doesn't fit the vibe of that thread as it's more meant to provide some much...
This would have been a candidate for the off-beat friday thread if it wasn't also downright depressing, which I feel doesn't fit the vibe of that thread as it's more meant to provide some much needed levity than further contributing to the news doom spiral.
I’m feeling very vindicated about maintaining and driving old cars these days as modern cars continue to become enshittified. I’m gonna be a 70 year old lady in the 2060’s and still drive a 2005...
I’m feeling very vindicated about maintaining and driving old cars these days as modern cars continue to become enshittified. I’m gonna be a 70 year old lady in the 2060’s and still drive a 2005 Honda lmao
I also drive an old car, but was feeling vindicated when I heard that physical knobs and buttons were coming back into fashion. Involuntary ads on a display aimed at the driver should be illegal
I also drive an old car, but was feeling vindicated when I heard that physical knobs and buttons were coming back into fashion. Involuntary ads on a display aimed at the driver should be illegal
That's what it feels like to me as well. All five cars that my partner and I have owned were made within approximately five years of each other — all built shortly before touch screens were...
That's what it feels like to me as well. All five cars that my partner and I have owned were made within approximately five years of each other — all built shortly before touch screens were introduced to these models.
My partner and I are in the same boat, though our current vehicles are a little newer than 2005 lol. He drives a 2015 Cadillac and he's told me that he actually wants to go for an older car as his...
My partner and I are in the same boat, though our current vehicles are a little newer than 2005 lol. He drives a 2015 Cadillac and he's told me that he actually wants to go for an older car as his next one, for similar reasons as you. The Cadillac doesn't have much enshittification done to it compared to newer cars but it's just annoying enough to make him want to move away from that. (The fact that most of the dashboard controls are touch rather than physical buttons/knobs are his main issue with it.)
I drive a 2016 Toyota that I'd like to keep as long as I possibly can. It's fairly basic and the small touchscreen does absolutely nothing but basic phone call and music functionality, but that's really all I wanted/needed it to do (it has no connectivity besides the radio antenna and Bluetooth so a situation like the Jeep ads is impossible). Before that I had a 2004 Honda that I was really happy with and would have kept forever if I could, but I got it secondhand as a beater car and the previous owner wasn't diligent with upkeep (particularly the undercoating) so it unfortunately ended up rusting to death. Hold on to your Honda, their older cars are really solid if you take good care of them.
2005 is even newer than what I actually own, I just threw something out there, ha. My current cars are a 2000 Impreza RS and a 1994 Miata. I just don't feel the need to go newer, there are so many...
2005 is even newer than what I actually own, I just threw something out there, ha. My current cars are a 2000 Impreza RS and a 1994 Miata. I just don't feel the need to go newer, there are so many fun older cars and I don't have to worry about touch screens, computer systems, or complicated repairs, it's great!
Oh, I'm jealous of that Miata! I'd love to get one of those someday, I'm a sucker for those pop-up lights. Older cars are definitely a lot easier to maintain overall, I've also noticed that over...
Oh, I'm jealous of that Miata! I'd love to get one of those someday, I'm a sucker for those pop-up lights.
Older cars are definitely a lot easier to maintain overall, I've also noticed that over the years even the most basic car maintenance has become harder and harder to do yourself... I definitely feel like it's being done on purpose. It's nice to just be able to fix it up yourself and not have to worry about a ton of other failure points on the car.
Oh it absolutely is done on purpose so that manufacturers can get you going to their dealerships for service. My GTI was the only car I never changed my own oil on and even the battery can be a...
Oh it absolutely is done on purpose so that manufacturers can get you going to their dealerships for service. My GTI was the only car I never changed my own oil on and even the battery can be a pain in the ass to change on some modern cars. I just found it much more worth it to learn to work on cars and then be able to enjoy older, cheaper, and more “raw” cars! I kind of have a thing for 90’s Japanese car, so learning to work on cars was kind of a necessity for me!
Interesting that they blame this on their contract with SiriusXM.
Frankly, at this point I am convinced the entire company is filled with scammers. Their product should be a niche at this point. If you live vaguely anywhere near society there is no need for them because celllular internet is ubiquitous and literally any internet audio service is leagues better; even free Internet radio, something that predates their existence, offers better quality, and if you pay for a streaming music service like Apple Music or Spotify then there’s just no comparison.
SiriusXM is probably just the world’s shittiest advertising company at this point. They were already famous for bombarding everyone they know has one of their radios with junk mail to get them to subscribed, and because they have paid to get their radios installed permanently integrated with every car out there, that install base is roughly equivalent to the number of car owners (I legitimately cannot remember the last time I remember seeing a receiver for it that was not built into a car - maybe the aughts). And of course, they already did the “cable double-dip”, where they not only charge people to receive their service but they also take money from advertisers to make their broadcasts shittier.
Now they are triple-dipping, taking even more advertiser money to push even more ads outside of their service. They are worse than Clearchannel ever was.
Of course, Stellantis is not without blame either. They couldn’t have done this if they didn’t sign the contract. It’s not like they didn’t know this was going to happen. They weren’t just complacent, they were an active party to making their often $50k+ cars into advertising platforms that aid in distracted driving in yet another new way.
This is really quite ignorant. I commute 30 miles one way to work every, from one town to another, and there are multiple cellular dead zones along the way, enough to interrupt any non-buffered media. This is one of the reasons I insist on owning my music and buying phones with SD slots.
I’m not saying that there are no dead spots. I’m not ignorant I am being figurative.
The way my phone does it is it buffers 2-3 songs in advance.
Blame is one way to interpret that... as per the article drivers reported seeing MOPAR adds so I think SiriusXM is just the delivery method that Stellantis came up with rather than the other way around. But IDK, it doesn't even matter because at the end of the day all of this is on Stellantis for either coming up with it or by signing a shitty deal that allowed it.
What kind of dystopian hell have we entered when we have to consider using ad blockers on our vehicles?
I guess I'm fortunate enough to not have heard of Stellantis (I'm from the UK - wondering if anyone else in the UK has heard of Stellantis here?) so I don't have to worry too much about this nonsense, but I fear the heated seats from BMW kickstarted some absolute late stage capitalism BS nonsense. The only thing that keeps me happy is the amount of push-back BMW received from the heated seats subscription nonsense.
You should worry, even in the UK. It owns many car brands, including ones you likely know and see on the road (Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo).
They also own FIAT, Opel, Maserati, Lancia, and Abarth as well, which are all primarily European car brands.
See: https://www.stellantis.com/en/brands
Ah man 🥲
I'm in the UK and I know about them. They contain what used to be Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and a bunch of other marques, there's only a few bigger automotive companies - Hyundai, Toyota, maybe VW?
I thought the BMW thing was actually a pretty good idea in theory. Makes manufacturing easier and makes buying used less of a crapshoot. They played it very badly though.
It didn't make it easier because the hardware was already in the car just disabled until you bought the subscription. Maybe easier because they didn't have to roll them off the conveyor belt without any installed anymore, but it was wasteful and ridiculous by design.
I think it's actually a great idea executed horribly.
There is way too many trim levels and options on vehicles these days that add costs even to the base models.
If you could pre-install some of them in all your vehicles you could simplify things a lot and make things better for consumers. It just should have been a one time fee instead of a subscription to "unlock" the vehicle.
Imagine looking at an entry level used vehicle and knowing you can take it to a dealership to get heated seats, steering wheels and adaptive cruise control added for a few thousand. I think a lot of people would be into that. Sure you'd get DIYers possibly getting some milk for free but they'd also be voiding their warranty so I'm not sure it would be a large concern.
Honestly I don’t think it would have been as badly taken if only they had not done the obvious greedy thing and make it a one-time purchase.
But if we are really examining the concept of paying for heated seats, the simple fact of the matter is that adding heating elements to a seat doesn’t increase the cost of it by a huge amount, which is the entire reason why it was easier to tool every vehicle with them than to offer it as a secondary sku. But the old way of purchasing a model with the heated seats option was basically the “yes, I have money to burn” choice when looking at value, especially when offered as part of a trim package.
It’s easier to have one production line than two, and as long as the acquisition cost of the heater components is low I imagine it’s also cheaper to only train your workforce how do something one way rather than two different ways
With that being said I do still agree subscriptions for something you own should be illegal if no cloud services are required to maintain functionality
fwiw, I'd never heard of Stellantis either, but that doesn't mean I hadn't heard of any of the brands they own.
It's another case of the relatively common "A bunch of the brands you recognize as having their own identity are on the corporate level folded under one massive entity" situation, especially in the automotive industry. Unlike say, Volkswagen where the broader corporate entity is itself named after one of its most recognizable brands, the name Stellantis doesn't have much brand recognition on its own, if it all. In fact, I'm not even sure they actually sell vehicles specifically under the Stellantis brand name (but you are probably familiar with at least one among Peugeot, Dodge, Opel/Vauxhall, Fiat or Jeep, all of which are under Stellantis' umbrella).
Apparently they manufacture and sell modular electric vehicle frame and technology "platforms", under the brand name STLA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Stellantis_platforms#Electric_vehicle_platforms
But they don't sell any finished vehicles under that brand name, AFAICT. They do use those same platforms in their other brands of vehicles though.
This reads like an Onion article.
This would have been a candidate for the off-beat friday thread if it wasn't also downright depressing, which I feel doesn't fit the vibe of that thread as it's more meant to provide some much needed levity than further contributing to the news doom spiral.
See also here,
MSN
Absolutely.
If my car did this, I would probably drive it into a ditch and leave it there.
I’m feeling very vindicated about maintaining and driving old cars these days as modern cars continue to become enshittified. I’m gonna be a 70 year old lady in the 2060’s and still drive a 2005 Honda lmao
I also drive an old car, but was feeling vindicated when I heard that physical knobs and buttons were coming back into fashion. Involuntary ads on a display aimed at the driver should be illegal
That's what it feels like to me as well. All five cars that my partner and I have owned were made within approximately five years of each other — all built shortly before touch screens were introduced to these models.
My partner and I are in the same boat, though our current vehicles are a little newer than 2005 lol. He drives a 2015 Cadillac and he's told me that he actually wants to go for an older car as his next one, for similar reasons as you. The Cadillac doesn't have much enshittification done to it compared to newer cars but it's just annoying enough to make him want to move away from that. (The fact that most of the dashboard controls are touch rather than physical buttons/knobs are his main issue with it.)
I drive a 2016 Toyota that I'd like to keep as long as I possibly can. It's fairly basic and the small touchscreen does absolutely nothing but basic phone call and music functionality, but that's really all I wanted/needed it to do (it has no connectivity besides the radio antenna and Bluetooth so a situation like the Jeep ads is impossible). Before that I had a 2004 Honda that I was really happy with and would have kept forever if I could, but I got it secondhand as a beater car and the previous owner wasn't diligent with upkeep (particularly the undercoating) so it unfortunately ended up rusting to death. Hold on to your Honda, their older cars are really solid if you take good care of them.
2005 is even newer than what I actually own, I just threw something out there, ha. My current cars are a 2000 Impreza RS and a 1994 Miata. I just don't feel the need to go newer, there are so many fun older cars and I don't have to worry about touch screens, computer systems, or complicated repairs, it's great!
Oh, I'm jealous of that Miata! I'd love to get one of those someday, I'm a sucker for those pop-up lights.
Older cars are definitely a lot easier to maintain overall, I've also noticed that over the years even the most basic car maintenance has become harder and harder to do yourself... I definitely feel like it's being done on purpose. It's nice to just be able to fix it up yourself and not have to worry about a ton of other failure points on the car.
Oh it absolutely is done on purpose so that manufacturers can get you going to their dealerships for service. My GTI was the only car I never changed my own oil on and even the battery can be a pain in the ass to change on some modern cars. I just found it much more worth it to learn to work on cars and then be able to enjoy older, cheaper, and more “raw” cars! I kind of have a thing for 90’s Japanese car, so learning to work on cars was kind of a necessity for me!
once again, I see "Stellantis" and read "Stellaris" and think "huh didn't Steam JUST prohibit this kind of thing"