(Ok I don’t know if this is actually subscription, but it’s definitely the same shit.)
I’d take it right back and refund the car. With how much cars cost, I expect to receive the whole car. No way would I put up with DLC bullshit like that.
I would think the dealer would need to disclose this prior to purchase? If they didn’t, then yeah, I’d drive it straight back and tell them to cancel the deal
I think when you build the car in the “build your own” section of the website, they say that it’s not a X$ option, but Y$ per month option
But I don’t know if that’s the case with dealer stock
Remember “you wouldn’t download a car”?
Well now you will.
This shit should be illegal. When they sell you the car, they sell you the whole car and you have the right to use your poroperty how you wish, including unlocking the full potential of the hardware regardless of DRM. Anybody who thinks otherwise is evil.
Yeah, to crack said software in a already paid car should be legal.
Governments need to get a grip on subscriptions in the automotive industry. This is getting out of hand and needs regulation.
I have no idea if its possible since I have an ‘06 Audi but look into VCDS or VAGCOM. They are technically the same software but it allows you to enable features through the OBD2 port. If you look round the Audi forums, they often have maps showing people who have the dongle/software needed.
Since I have my own dongle/software, I only needed to replace the indicator lever (£15 on ebay) and change 2 settings in the ECU and I had cruise control working and you can change a ton of other stuff on the car.
There’s no microtransaction required, that’s just the phrasing used. The car never had that function because they didn’t buy one with that package.
Why is the option selectable then… At best it’s just shitty UI, at worse it’s a software feature that needs to just be activated. (Which is what people don’t tend to like.)
The cruise control lever comes equipped with the additional buttons that would make use of this feature, which is done to streamline production at the factory, as opposed to needing to install two different types of levers depending on the build. Some have the upgraded software to use the adaptive cruise assist installed, some don’t. Your friend purchased a car that did not have that feature, so nothing is removed or missing, and therefore no microtransaction is required. That’s like saying they bought a car with 19" wheels but a microtransaction is needed to get the 20" option. It was never there to begin with, it was simply a feature they did not opt for.
I get it, but the normal thing that’s always been done is for the lever to be missing the printing, and the movement to that position either be blocked mechanically or just ignored. At least that was smarter so the user wouldn’t be bothered by something they didn’t want, and it they changed their mind, it was still simple to install.
There definitely is a new trend for a product you bought to keep screaming at you to buy new shit. Does your car remind you to buy more expensive rims? Even if technologically it’s almost the same as it’s been done for ages, nobody is subtle about it anymore, and that indeed is similar to today’s micro transaction model where everything has to have a built-in store, often as the top feature even more prominent than the main functionality.
Imagine that the subscription expires during the assistant active. Chaos ensues.
