The New Audi A3 Is Amess With In-Car Subscriptions [Update]
www.motor1.com
The 2025 Audi A3 looks sharper and comes with more tech, but you will have to pay a subscription for some basic in-car features.

So far there’s subscriptions for cruise control, adaptive beams, various navigation options, apple/google integration and my favorite, dual-zone climate.

  • foggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    32·
    8 months ago

    Headline is enough for me to never consider purchasing an Audi.

    Toyota is out. Mercedes is out. Audi is out. Who else?

      • ripcord@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        8 months ago

        Are they?

        They charge for the stuff that actually requires server infrastructure after 3 years, I believe. Which is the one case that seems reasonable to me as long as it’s not gouging. But I hadn’t heard about anything else.

    • RGB3x3@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      8 months ago

      Mazda is still good I think.

      But they’re kinda expensive and they gatekeep features to their higher tiers, that other manufacturers keep to their lower ones.

      Hyundai perhaps, but they’ve also had other issues.

        • Encrypt-Keeper@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          8 months ago

          Yeah but the only thing Mazda charges a subscription for is the extra unnecessary bullshit that is coordinated through their servers. Thats a fair value proposition, even though I’d never pay for it. Heated seats, radar cruise control, shit like that still just comes with the car.

      • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        8 months ago

        Hyundai perhaps, but they’ve also had other issues.

        I can’t find an article about it right now, but I could’ve sworn they tried to pull some subscription bullshit (other than “Bluelink” or “Evolve+,” which are relatively legit) a while back, too.

        • ripcord@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          8 months ago

          At the very least I believe the only thing they’re currently doing is Bluelink (remote find your car, start car over the Internet, etc). But maybe there’s something they started in the last 6 months I haven’t heard about.

      • wjrii@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        8 months ago

        I have a 2022. It’s not terrible, but there’s definitely a subscription for remote start and a few other connected type features. Nothing related to actual driving once you’re in the car though.

    • Squizzy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      8 months ago

      I have an Audi, it is a great car. I dont lioe subscriptions so I wouldnt get into that type of deal but there are workarounds also.