Yeah, pretty much all new cars have some amount of cellular connectivity. Usually you can’t actually use it without paying some subscription, but the manufacturers use it to push updates.
I mean, I don’t like my car updating but I’d rather things get fixed than not. Software recalls are a huge headache in the auto industry, and being able to just download an update that fixes something is way easier than going to a dealership and having them use very specific tools and software to update the car/modules.
It’s also used for anti-theft features for a lot of newer cars, if your car is stolen it can be remotely disabled entirely. That’s really what’s more scary in my opinion.
In over 32 years of driving and having owned dozens of cars I’ve only ever had one stolen.
It was 29 years ago and was actually my (now ex) girlfriend’s car and even that one only got stolen because I had a spare key to it in my glovebox and forgot to lock my truck’s doors that night.
I’ve had my current 2 for 4 years and 5 years respectively.
I don’t think it’s that unusual to have owned dozens of cars over the course of more than 3 decades, particularly when typically owning multiple at any given time.
Oh, I didn’t think about having multiple cars. Are you a big car guy?
I’m in my early 40s, and I’ve owned two cars. I bought my current car after the last one got rear-ended.
Sidenote, I’m not counting cars that belonged to spouses or the car I drove in college – technically, that one belonged to my parents. If you add those in, I’m probably up to 6 or 7 cars.
Obviously I’m a bit older than you but I had three identical first cars because two of them were basically bought to be parts cars after I wrecked the first one.
I’m not really counting cars that belonged to spouses or significant others in the dozens of cars I’ve owned either (despite using an ex girlfriend’s car as the example of the one that “I” had stolen).
But yeah, there’s been a number of times over the years that I’ve personally owned multiple vehicles… Sometimes as many as 3 or 4 at a time (not including motorcycles and mopeds that I’ve owned).
Honestly, I can’t even imagine what it would be like having only owned two cars in my whole life.
Typically, 5 years or so is about the longest I’ve owned any individual vehicle.
Honestly, I can’t even imagine what it would be like having only owned two cars in my whole life.
Easy, just think back to when you were driving your second car ;)
What typically prompts you to buy a new car?
For me, it’s always been that I “need” a car for commuting, so I’ve looked for something reliable and efficient (I put “need” in quotes because technically, the bus routes in my city could have gotten me to work without a car. Turning a 20 minute drive into a 90 minute bus ride isn’t super palatable, though).
I bought my first car used and my second car new around the time Cash for Clunkers was affecting the used car market.
Which is interesting to say the least given that most cars from the past few years use LTE radios which will eventually work about as well as cars from the early 2000s with OnStar.
Yeah, pretty much all new cars have some amount of cellular connectivity. Usually you can’t actually use it without paying some subscription, but the manufacturers use it to push updates.
Sounds like some shit I’d want to remove or disable as soon as the car is paid for.
I mean, I don’t like my car updating but I’d rather things get fixed than not. Software recalls are a huge headache in the auto industry, and being able to just download an update that fixes something is way easier than going to a dealership and having them use very specific tools and software to update the car/modules.
It’s also used for anti-theft features for a lot of newer cars, if your car is stolen it can be remotely disabled entirely. That’s really what’s more scary in my opinion.
Not interested in any of that here.
In over 32 years of driving and having owned dozens of cars I’ve only ever had one stolen.
It was 29 years ago and was actually my (now ex) girlfriend’s car and even that one only got stolen because I had a spare key to it in my glovebox and forgot to lock my truck’s doors that night.
Yikes, do you get a new car every single year?
I’m more of a “buy something reliable and drive it 'til it breaks” type.
I’ve had my current 2 for 4 years and 5 years respectively.
I don’t think it’s that unusual to have owned dozens of cars over the course of more than 3 decades, particularly when typically owning multiple at any given time.
Oh, I didn’t think about having multiple cars. Are you a big car guy?
I’m in my early 40s, and I’ve owned two cars. I bought my current car after the last one got rear-ended.
Sidenote, I’m not counting cars that belonged to spouses or the car I drove in college – technically, that one belonged to my parents. If you add those in, I’m probably up to 6 or 7 cars.
Obviously I’m a bit older than you but I had three identical first cars because two of them were basically bought to be parts cars after I wrecked the first one.
I’m not really counting cars that belonged to spouses or significant others in the dozens of cars I’ve owned either (despite using an ex girlfriend’s car as the example of the one that “I” had stolen).
But yeah, there’s been a number of times over the years that I’ve personally owned multiple vehicles… Sometimes as many as 3 or 4 at a time (not including motorcycles and mopeds that I’ve owned).
Honestly, I can’t even imagine what it would be like having only owned two cars in my whole life.
Typically, 5 years or so is about the longest I’ve owned any individual vehicle.
Easy, just think back to when you were driving your second car ;)
What typically prompts you to buy a new car?
For me, it’s always been that I “need” a car for commuting, so I’ve looked for something reliable and efficient (I put “need” in quotes because technically, the bus routes in my city could have gotten me to work without a car. Turning a 20 minute drive into a 90 minute bus ride isn’t super palatable, though).
I bought my first car used and my second car new around the time Cash for Clunkers was affecting the used car market.
Which is interesting to say the least given that most cars from the past few years use LTE radios which will eventually work about as well as cars from the early 2000s with OnStar.