Is it just me... or is it surprising that Porsche does not offer a "on star" type system? So many major car companies now offer this (mercedes Tel Aid, BMW Assist, etc. etc.). It is extremely helpful in accidents when you may not be able to call for help. Not to mention the other convenience features and security tracking if your car was stolen.

I'm really surprised that Porsche does not offer this as an OPTION. I'm about to get a Cayenne Turbo and wonder if there are any after market options to fill this gap. I know on star has a mirror with this tech built in that you can buy... but I don't want to replace the mirror. any other options? thx.

 

Uh, Cell Phone?

 

seriously? if you're unconscious after an accident, how do you suppose that would work?

 

My Wife almost refused(till she drove it) to drive the Cayenne because it doesn't have a OnStar style system, she had to use the emergency system once and has been a devout fan ever since.

Anyways back to subject, I'm not surprised that they do not have a system like this, Porsche is relatively small and in order to have a system like this, it probably makes no sense economically.

I remember years ago Audi used OnStar and that would probably make more sense, but maybe they feel having a GM component in their cars would somehow lessen theirs.

 

Doesn't it depend on the accident? Can't you get into an accident that disables the on-star system?

 

i'm sure it's possible that an accident could be severe enough to interrupt the "on star" type system... but it's been proven to be effective most of the time. that's why more and more car companies are adopting it as a standard feature.

 

I'm going to assume that it would have to be an almost catastrophic wreck to disable Onstar.

 

You can add onstar to every car now through best buy.
Might not be the factory rear view mirror but you will have the safety we are referring to

 

Just make sure you hit a GM car that have onstar.

 

HAHA, now that is funny.

I may not wreck often, but when I do, I always hit a GM!!

 

I am very surprised as well and this was my number 1 hesitation in buying a Porsche. After having BMW Assist (and using it) it was a very hard mental obstacle for me to overcome knowing that the majority of the car's hours will be my wife driving alone.

Besides the safety/security features, the additional functionality of the car sending the dealer notification at service intervals to initiate service appointments was fantastic and a great value add to the ownership experience.

I completely disagree with those that say Porsche is a small company that doesn't have the scale to support this. Porsche/VW/Audi all utilize/share the same supply chain, operations, etc infrastructure and this is one more area where they could do that and it would benefit all of the brands.

Or as Audi did for a few years, license the OnStar technology. I suspect they could even utilize the OnStar infrastructure but brand it something different in the actual Porsche/Audi/VW cars. I believe the Lexus does this with their service in the US (it is called LexusLink if I remember correctly but is serviced by OnStar infrastructure and call centers).

I should also note that I travel out of state/country for work just about every week of the year, which makes me value this feature even more with my wife (and future children) by themselves.

 

Also, for those that said you can add OnStar FMV (for my vehicle) to a Porsche, at least for the 958 Cayenne you cannot as of today.

 

The subscription portion of OnStar has a very high churn rate (un-renewed subscriptions) because so many peope find they don't use their services after the free term expires nor want yet another monthly fee.

While it certainly has its benefits like accident notification, since most have cell phones, many accidents are reported by others anyway, sometimes many times over.

I do not desire any third party having the ability to track my speed, especially since driving 10 or even 20mph regularly over the posted limited on many roads is perfectly safe

I find it interesting the two of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, VW and Toyota do not offer (at all?) any telematics.. It has never, ever been a consideration for myself and many others while for those who require it are certainly justified as well.

 

The fact is, most accidents do NOT get reported by others in any timely fashion because everyone always assumes that everyone else has already called. And for those worried that these companies are tracking your speed or location... that's simply ridiculous paranoid delusion. The people at these companies have better things to do (nor does it help their business) than tracking people's speed.

 

Just make sure you don't hit a Suburban or an Excursion then there'd be no use for it.