Navigation Requiring Subscription?

[Laminar]

things like ACP will be QUICKLY tuned. It’s super easy to activate that with a computer.

Hopefully. Wife's MKX was a late 2016 model that got SYNC 3 but didn't have CarPlay support from the factory. I was able to install the right USB connector and upgrade to the latest SYNC 3 from a flash drive.

But who knows if they have SYNC 4 more locked down. SYNC 4 will have "over the air" updates where the vehicle gets software straight from Ford. With SYNC 2 and 3, we could download any version for any car and load it onto a flash drive and then into the car. If Ford disables that and goes for over-the-air only, it can validate what car it's going into so it knows what features it's allowed to have. It's like Tesla disabling Autopilot without the owner knowing.

But navigation I get.

Lincoln still bugs me about buying SD card map upgrades for my MKZ and usb sticks for my MKX. I just use my phone.

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[Dads_bronze_bronco]

sounds like that’s the future of cars. Navigation and AA/ACP even self driving are a subscription based system

Which is why all this stuff is a waste. I’ll take the accessory rail and mount my phone and be done with it. A lot of overlanders mount tablets too.

This move to everything is a subscription will eventually suck everyone dry from being able to own anything and build wealth. That is the exact strategy - milk us all dry ...

 

[Laminar]

Didn't BMW drop that foolish $80 fee after an extremely negative reception from their base?

They were testing the waters. All of the other automakers took note, and will try it again.

 

[FirstOnRaceDay]

They were testing the waters. All of the other automakers took note, and will try it again.

i just don’t know how successful it will be. Most things you can get on your phone free!
Simply mount it

 

[atonge40]

The Model/Spec site is sort of a mess right now. There are a number of options that are wrong or different in multiple locations. There are a lot of placeholders too. For example: I don't think the 3500 pound tow rating will be the top tow rating. They haven't announced a tow package rating yet.

Just remember, anything Sync4 will have CarPlay/Android Auto standard.

 

[atonge40]

i just don’t know how successful it will be. Most things you can get on your phone free!
Simply mount it

Yeah. Once automakers moved to CarPlay and Android Auto, they lost all that nav revenue. People, especially those driving mainstream vehicles, will NOT pay for a functionality that is on their own device already. Now I am interested in the subscription nav Ford will have. If it's through TomTom (I've seen TomTom talk about the partnership), it should be affordable, update often, and be user friendly.

 

[FirstOnRaceDay]

Yeah. Once automakers moved to CarPlay and Android Auto, they lost all that nav revenue. People, especially those driving mainstream vehicles, will NOT pay for a functionality that is on their own device already. Now I am interested in the subscription nav Ford will have. If it's through TomTom (I've seen TomTom talk about the partnership), it should be affordable, update often, and be user friendly.

the ONLY usable feature of the navigation is if it has good offroad trail maps. Otherwise Waze, Apple Maps, google maps and android maps are better.
they are adding stop lights and signs. They speed limits

 

[lunatics]

Personally I far prefer having built in Nav than using a phone. I don't like having to rely on my phone and cell service for driving, worrying about downloading maps if I may not have service, draining my battery and worrying about always having it plugged in and possible data usage etc etc. It is just so much more simpler and convenient to have it built right into the dash. I have an old AVIC unit from my old car that I was very happy with but now you can't really replace headunits in cars anymore without losing a lot of other functions. The Nav in my Jeep is perfectly adequate, I've seen a lot of complaints but I think it's great. I would love to get a Bronco when it's time to replace my car and I hope they don't make it some sort of BS subscription service.

 

[FirstOnRaceDay]

Personally I far prefer having built in Nav than using a phone. I don't like having to rely on my phone and cell service for driving, worrying about downloading maps if I may not have service, draining my battery and worrying about always having it plugged in and possible data usage etc etc. It is just so much more simpler and convenient to have it built right into the dash. I have an old AVIC unit from my old car that I was very happy with but now you can't really replace headunits in cars anymore without losing a lot of other functions. The Nav in my Jeep is perfectly adequate, I've seen a lot of complaints but I think it's great. I would love to get a Bronco when it's time to replace my car and I hope they don't make it some sort of BS subscription service.

the navigation on the Bronco is likely 4GLTe not satellite driven. So service will be the same as a phones.

 

[atonge40]

the ONLY usable feature of the navigation is if it has good offroad trail maps. Otherwise Waze, Apple Maps, google maps and android maps are better.
they are adding stop lights and signs. They speed limits

My biggest complaint about CarPlay is having to click so many buttons just to go back into Sync. It is irritating when I want to change from radio to Sirius, etc. In theory, the TomTom maps will do that and continuously update. That plus off road maps would be great. I have also run into issues with Waze/Apple Maps/Google Maps in areas where I don't get cell service (a lot of Michigan's Upper Peninsula). Having a built in Nav in my wife's Lincoln was extremely helpful the last few times we've been up there. Google Maps lets you download maps now, but the integrated experience was better in that situation. I compared them when we in the UP last fall.

 

[I_am_Becks]

the ONLY usable feature of the navigation is if it has good offroad trail maps. Otherwise Waze, Apple Maps, google maps and android maps are better.
they are adding stop lights and signs. They speed limits

I tend to think that the subscription will be for the off-road trail maps that are not cellular but GPS driven. Car manufacturers continue to try this "subscription" model but I know that for me personally, I take the freebies until they run out then move over to something I don't have to pay for or already own.

 

[atonge40]

the navigation on the Bronco is likely 4GLTe not satellite driven. So service will be the same as a phones.

I'll ask Ford to find out.

 

[FirstOnRaceDay]

I'll ask Ford to find out.

I just had an idea. What if the navigation is subscription-based, because it comes with the 4GLTE Hotspot. Because the navigation would run on the cell service not satellite service. Then I could fully understand why you would need that for the GPS. No cell service no GPS.

also that could be why Apple CarPlay and android auto appear to be optional. It’s standard if you use a USB cord. But optional for wireless CarPlay and android auto which is available on the new F150 with LTE hotspot.

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

The Model/Spec site is sort of a mess right now. There are a number of options that are wrong or different in multiple locations. There are a lot of placeholders too. For example: I don't think the 3500 pound tow rating will be the top tow rating. They haven't announced a tow package rating yet.

Just remember, anything Sync4 will have CarPlay/Android Auto standard.

What a cluster. If say tow rating will be higher for the 4 door than the 2 that could change what I want.

 

[FirstOnRaceDay]

Watching a couple of bronco videos my theory sounds correct. The subscription service includes

-4G LTE Mobil Hotspot
- Over the Air Updates
- WIRELESS ACP/AA
- Ford Navigation WITH
— TRAIL MAPPING (you can even make your own trails and share the maps via the app and have your friends take the same path)

ACP/AA via USB is standard!

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