Subaru Joins the On-Board Wi-Fi Trend
Friday, July 16th, 2010
PhotoCredit: Subaru | Click to enlarge
Subaru announced recently that they’ve joined the in-car Wi-Fi trend. A mobile internet system will be an available option in the 2011 Subaru Outback, at a cost of $499, plus a $35 activation fee, and then another $29/month on top of that. The Japanese automaker will cover the first three months of the subscription fee.
The Subaru option is not significantly different from similar systems being offered in vehicles from Chrysler and GM.
We, along with many other auto industry bloggers, including the folks at Kicking Tires, are not strong proponents of in-car Wi-Fi. For a lower installation fee, and slightly higher monthly charges ($40-60/month), both Verizon and Sprint offer mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, and unlike the in-car models, these are portable beyond the confines of one’s vehicle – you can even bring them with you on vacation or business trips and use them in rental cars or RV’s.
Nevertheless, we are glad that Subaru continues to stay even with or ahead of the trends.