OnStar for everyone! GM offering service to other automakers
GM is out to win hearts and minds, one OnStar-equipped vehicle at a time. The General is talking to other carmakers about offering OnStar, which would be a return to previous practice. The service was linked with six other brands in the past, including Audi, Acura, and Lexus, but the ties were cut around the time cellular communications switched to digital from analog.Now OnStar is ready to start adding friends to its profile again, and not just in the U.S. and Canada: the General is looking at expanding into other countries. GM says the driver aid has been getting more profitable for GM over the years, and that's in spite of reduced car sales. About 20% of used car buyers have been adding the service, which has kept the six-million-strong subscriber base growing. This looks like a good situation all around: GM makes money, customers get services, call centers don't need to be replicated. We just hope that the partners keep in-car navigation as well -- that turn-by-turn stuff is for the birds.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mr.Oak 7:53AM (1/26/2009)
Very smart move, now that their cars are competitive. Might as well turn this into a cash cow.
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BrianFL 12:43PM (1/26/2009)
Right on. Lets just hope they don't screw it up by moving the call center to India to "cut costs." If that ever happens, Onstar will die.
MemphisNET 8:04AM (1/26/2009)
Maybe this is what Chrysler was talking about a few weeks back. Makes more sense to have one streamlined service.
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MajorGeek 8:10AM (1/26/2009)
Had it in a few different vehicles. Expensive. Phone costs are ridiculous. Turn by turn was only available in larger markets and frankly, the only time it might be nice to have is the rare time you get in an accident and no one sees it, or you can't reach your cell phone. Having a nice navigation system with satellite radio and voice communication is so much better as seen in my Challenger or most Sync products. I honestly wonder if anyone likes OnStar and has used competing products. Beyond the free trial, I never bothered continuing that service. Maybe its improved now?
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TW6Speed 8:39AM (1/26/2009)
Go OnStar!
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ominous.gamer 8:26AM (1/26/2009)
OnStar is horrible. I had it free for a while when I bought a new 2007 Saturn Ion. Not only do they flood you with weekly mailings for phones minutes and 2 year subscriptions...they actually hiojacked my stereo system once (cut off all the radio stations) to inform me that my service expired almost a month ago, and how to go about renewing at a great rate!
Finding out the hard way that Onstar gives them control like that over my car, when I don't even subscribe to the service...that pissed me off.
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Need4Speed 8:30AM (1/26/2009)
OnStar service is good, but too expensive. Their turn by turn navigation is a joke. My friend bought a new 2008 Chevy Malibu and tried the turn by turn. The system could not locate her position, so the agent from OnStar read her the directions which was recorded and incorrect. The funny part is she lives in the Chicago land area, so you would think that the system would be able to locate her vehicle.
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Stinky LePew 8:37AM (1/26/2009)
The question now is if the car companies that used the system before will come back and install it on their cars. Is OnStar a feature that consumers "really" want as a feature?
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Jim in Tampa 8:54AM (1/26/2009)
I prefer a system like SYNC. I'm already paying for my cell phone service so a system than interacts with it and doesn't incur a monthly fee is a no-brainer.
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Detfan 9:33AM (1/26/2009)
I renewed my OnStar on my 2008 Malibu, and have been very happy with the service. In addition to using turn-by-turn flawlessly(more accurate than My 2006 Acura MDX Navigation DVD's)over 100 times, I've used OnStar as a concierge service on several occasions to make reservations in restaurants while traveling through cities I am unfamiliar with. They have been stellar with their recommendations. I like the monthly auto diagnostic email. Very informative update each month, which is nice. Plus the roadside service, towing, flats, unlocking doors is piece of mind when I travel. Would recommend the service to anyone.
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FThorn 9:43AM (1/26/2009)
OnStar has not been a GM-exclusive to-date. It's a classic make/buy opportunity that everyone studies in biz school. Each division should compete with outside forces, and sell to anyone that will buy them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OnStar
"For a short time, OnStar service was available on vehicles produced by Acura, Audi, Subaru and Volkswagen through a licensing agreement."
So, it's nothing new. Just they keep marketing their stuff.
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Smegley 9:59AM (1/26/2009)
When you buy a new car that has this service, is there any way to request that it not be activated?
I feel the same way about satrad - I don't like it, and I dont want it. Don't activate it please.
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BoxerFanatic 10:41AM (1/26/2009)
I don't even want the hardware in place. Just because you may or may not get a bill in the mail, does not mean that the hardware is inactive.
Frankly, the hardware doesn't report to you, it could be doing almost anything, and you'd never know it.
I will not buy a car with an unaccountable Cell-modem connected to every system in the car, including GPS.
What next... are they going to implement steering, throttle, and braking access, like automated parallel parking systems (Lexus, Lincoln) already have, with 360-degree cameras (Infiniti) and FLIR(caddy?, in development), visual lane departure systems(volvo development) or Radar cruise (lots of brands) hardware, GPS (OnStar, navigation-equipped), and speed sensors(all cars), an electronically shifted transmission (many) and then OnStar can just drive you around, you won't even need to touch the controls.
Face it, the auto companies could build a car almost technologically equivalent to the original KITT tomorrow, sans the transformation stuff. Although it would probably be more like KARR.
They'll market it as a service to have your car, driven by remote, meet you to pick you up, and everyone will think it is fantastic, until their car gets stolen by remote, or takes over driving control with your family inside, and you are passengers on a guided ground-bound missile.
(OK, for everyone without a sense of humor, that last bit was hyperbole. That probably won't happen. However, technically, if the right features were combined, it very well is technically possible. Full size remote control cars, sounds cool, could end badly.)
caddy-v 11:55AM (1/26/2009)
A little paranoid there Boxer?
Polly Prissy Pants 10:09AM (1/26/2009)
OnStar is neat in concept but Sync is a FAR better solution.
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ryan 12:18PM (1/26/2009)
Ok, and how long has On* been our for now?
Why the hell didn't they make this move YEARS ago?
I personally do not like the notion of a so-called service being able to listen in on in-vehicle conversations, with On* being used or not.
How much would a dealership charge to remove that noise? It's only more of what I do not want.
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Brett- BMW Advo 7:36PM (1/26/2009)
Agreed! Way late... should've been done before Sync came out.
Jim R 12:26PM (1/26/2009)
Says you. Turn-by-Turn is brilliant. Way easier than using a nav screen. Which of these sounds easier to you?
Scenario 1
1. Call OnStar.
2. Tell them where you want to go.
3. They input the directions and the car guides you from there.
Scenario 2.
1. Turn on the Nav function.
2. Attempt to type in your address on a touch-screen OR attempt to say the address so some finicky voice-recognition system can parse it correctly (forget this if you have a thick accent)
3. Try again, because you screwed up/mistyped something/the voice-recognition mis-heard you.
4. And again.
5. And again.
6. And forget trying to do this while you're moving.
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Jon 2:39PM (1/26/2009)
Nice, I've never had OnStar, but the Vehicle Diagnostic feature impresses me. Just getting that information, or being able to ask for it on demand is very cool imo. How many times have you had one of those 'is this car driving weird or differently?' moments but don't want to have to bring it in
I'm not anti-American but I have no interest in anything GM has to offer, so this news is great for me (I do like the Chevy Cruze but I need a car before then)
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Jon 5:10PM (1/26/2009)
Thumbs down to me, I didn't know Sync also did the vehicle diagnostic thing. After seeing all the people say 'I prefer Sync', I went on the Sync website to read about it because I thought it was just the 'voice activated music/phone' thing (and of course the newest info aspect they're adding this year)
Very cool, Focus or new Fusion now very much on my radar