You just missed the winter sale, basically half the price for a year $100 but I believed that expired 1/1/23. You can get $20 off from Steingold.

 

Winter sale was an offer from Volvo?

 

I believe so. let me see if I can find the thread

 

Here you go, looks like some posted the code, post #11.

Any Volvo Cars App subscription deal??

My Volvo Cars app subscription is about to expire. I’m looking for a multi-year deal. Steingold has a $20 off on annual subscription bringing it down to $180/yr. Are there better deals? I primarily use the app to remote start the car in winter months. Apart from Volvo onCall, benefits listed...

www.swedespeed.com

 

We can help with our $20.00 discount, and get your subscription renewed quick and easy!

Volvo Cars App Subscription Renewal | Save $20.00 | Steingold Volvo Cars

 

WARMWINTER2022 was the code, but it's no longer valid on vocrenewal.com - price from Volvo Corporate directly is now $200.00 + tax - use our link above for the discounted $180.00 price, and no tax for buyers outside of Rhode Island

Volvo Cars App Subscription Renewal | Save $20.00 | Steingold Volvo Cars

 

Literally the only thing I use the app for is to remote start the car when it's cold AF out. I'm not paying $200/year just for that, i'll live without it when mine expires.

I agree, total rip-off from Volvo on this one.

 

If you just want remote start (and have a non-android SPA vehicle), the MidCity Engineering module lets you use the original keyfob. Very happy with mine, as are many others on the forum.

Link to my thread on the V90 subforum:
Remote start from keyfob? Yes! Mid City Engineering module

 

If you just want remote start (and have a non-android SPA vehicle), the MidCity Engineering module lets you use the original keyfob. Very happy with mine, as are many others on the forum.

Link to my thread on the V90 subforum:
Remote start from keyfob? Yes! Mid City Engineering module

Neat device, but I'd really rather not make an obviously permanent tap to any can wiring just asking for a random warranty claim of any can device to be denied because of it. If it had a single plug-in connection at a module i'd be all for it, but not stripping/tapping wires, not happening on a car I have a warranty on to 100K miles.

 

It's not even totally in Volvo's control. I'm quite sure they make money on it... but it's a cell device that has to be connected to the cellular network which Volvo has to pay for. $15-17 a month is pretty well in line, though I agree it doesn't do that much if all you care about is remote start. You are unlikely to find it cheaper than Steingolds figure other than if Volvo offers another sale. Once Steningold pays the credit card fee, they only make a few dollars, less than that and it becomes not worth even setting up the payment system.

 

Does that enable the same cellular network used for say Spotify if yes it’s ONLY $200 for in vehicle network connectivity.

 

I don't know if it works outside the USA, but we can buy this for about $26 a year: Volvo On Call abonnement verlenging 1 jaar - Originele Volvo onderdelen op Involve.nl

 

I’ve never heard anything about tiers. On the Subaru forums it seems that what everyone pays is $75.
As to crap I beg to differ. Subaru rides like crap or is Volvo built like crap? Both? My outback rides well and it’s super capable. It’s pennies on the dollar compared to the Volvos I’ve owned. Outside of routine maintenance I’ve never spent anything on Subarus. For my three past Volvos I’ve probably dropped $10-15k outside of routine maintenance between a transmission, computers etc. Volvos are nice cars but they’re definitely overrated. you need to be willing to spend a lot of cash on upkeep.

 

It's not disagreeing with me, it's disagreeing with that Subaru link I posted. Generally a manufacturers page trumps what is written in the forums. I did seen comments in some forums that folks had "missed the promotional rate".

Sorry. I 100% hate Subaru. Their whole "worlds first sport utility wagon" marketing was an unforgivable marketing spin for me that they'll never be forgiven for. Yes, Volvo's cost money to run, all the Euro cars do.

 

Sorry. I 100% hate Subaru. Their whole "worlds first sport utility wagon" marketing was an unforgivable marketing spin for me that they'll never be forgiven for. Yes, Volvo's cost money to run, all the Euro cars do.

😂 you’re still upset about a marketing campaign some marketing firm came up with in 1995?!

 

I think the app is stupid... but customers want it. $45-80k isn't cheap, but it's not like a small company like Volvo can afford to give something that does cost money away for free when everyone else in the industry is charging for it. Their margins are already going to be smaller than other companies because of the economies of scale. So what Volvo has done is made it as inexpensive as practical for the avg new car consumer, without needlessly raising the price the of the car. Plenty of folks decide not to use it if they have to pay for it, that's fine. I wouldn't. I have a fair number of customers who don't want it when it's free, so that represents a wasted cost for the 4 years for Volvo. I personally had having apps for everything, I find them very annoying and cluttering.

 

When you need to start your car from a large distance away and it’s 5f outside you might feel differently. All I need to do is disconnect from my wifi or switch my focus mode and leaving our ski place or work and an iOS automation runs that depending on current temp starts the car in cold or heat mode so by the time I walk five to ten minutes to my car is already warming up.

Apps and automations are the future. As they get easier and simpler to use more will adopt them.

 

When you need to start your car from a large distance away and it’s 5f outside you might feel differently. All I need to do is disconnect from my wifi or switch my focus mode and leaving our ski place or work and an iOS automation runs that depending on current temp starts the car in cold or heat mode so by the time I walk five to ten minutes to my car is already warming up.

Apps and automations are the future. As they get easier and simpler to use more will adopt them.

None of that aspect of technology appeals to me at all. I greatly prefer manual operation of things. Frankly if I leave car sales I'll probably stop having a cell phone, because it's simply not appealing to me to always be connected like that. I park outside. My 12 S60 has remote start but I drive the 06 XC70 most of winter, and I don't mind at all walking out and getting it running. I've never once picked the S60 over the XC70 because of remote start.

 

The Volvo On Call could be cheaper and have more functionality. It isn't and it doesn't though. I feel like it does enough, as it's not just the app you get, same as the others but a little extry after the first 4 years..

 

This thread escalated quickly hahaha.

When I look at these mfr things, whether it's Polestar Tune, or the Volvo app subscription... I always remember their game is pricing by "value" what will people pay. Everything that do is playing that game, packaging options, accessories, everything. If there are enough takers then the price is good for them. Everybody wants to get in to what the little pieces cost and stuff, that matters to what value you think you get, but it's not the basis of pricing. Now I do think the app is a little lacking, they could add adjusting the climate temp, or turn on the heated seats (my daughter would like if I could turn on the rear one when remote start ;-).

The 4 years free is a good move though, it takes away the complaints at purchase and is satisfying when others complain about buying the BMW service and your Volvo just comes with it. Looks like they want to re-coup some of those dev costs after the 4 years runs up though (not that everything isn't costed into the MSRP)

The OEM has and wants to maintain "integration" that's their trump card. It's easy, it's already there, it works smoothly in the car. It's hard for aftermarket/outsiders to develop that.

Though there is MidCity start thingy for the fob start if that's all you want. And I have tested VDdash VDD device it can do some more things than the Volvo app, covers your remote start (with a slight bit of additonal wiring needed and takes up the OBD port.) I haven't priced it out, it needs cell service too. It's pretty good though, they are clearly offering another option.

 

MidCity has a cellphone option too, no?

I use the app for climate 95% of the time but used it three times to unlock when I forgot the keys and a few times to know where my wife was ahaha

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

MidCity device will interface with some aftermarket stuff, Compustar. Out of the box you can do lock 3x to start the car though. Volvo XC60 and XC90 Remote Start – SKSXC | Mid City Engineering Store

I know a fellow working on some upgrade to the same idea, where the MidCity device is a little simple and lacking, I'll be testing that on my car soon. But the thing does what it says on the tin.

I do like to have the app, since I am a sport key carrier, having the backup to unlock the car from the app is nice to have with me, since I am not carrying a blade.

 

And...

Web Hackers vs. The Auto Industry: Critical Vulnerabilities in Ferrari, BMW, Rolls Royce, Porsche, and More

While we were visiting the University of Maryland, we came across a fleet of electric scooters scattered across the campus and couldn't resist poking at the scooter's mobile app. To our surprise, our actions caused the horns and headlights on all of the scooters to turn on and stay on for 15...

samcurry.net

It seems like the more capable the connected car, the more chances for your privacy to be at risk if that matters to you.

 

And...

Web Hackers vs. The Auto Industry: Critical Vulnerabilities in Ferrari, BMW, Rolls Royce, Porsche, and More

While we were visiting the University of Maryland, we came across a fleet of electric scooters scattered across the campus and couldn't resist poking at the scooter's mobile app. To our surprise, our actions caused the horns and headlights on all of the scooters to turn on and stay on for 15...

samcurry.net

It seems like the more capable the connected car, the more chances for your privacy to be at risk if that matters to you.

Good stuff Chris. Thanks for sharing. At least Volvo wasn't on that list....yet.