Newer Toyotas Hide Native Maps App Behind Paywall, and I'm With the Carmaker on This One

If there's one thing I honestly despise about this digitalized and artificially intertwined world of ours, it is the fact that we are being constantly pressured to subscribe. Movies, music, digital tools aimed at professionals, and even printing are mostly tied to monthly payments you almost can't avoid.

Some companies want another source of revenue, which comes on top of what we already paid for one of their products. It can also happen even when you're buying a brand-new car. The selling party might not like it at all that you're not planning on financing or leasing. Why should any customer be met with challenges because they prefer buying outright in cash? It doesn't feel right.

If I spend my hard-earned money on your product, I want it to work as advertised without me having to come up with extra dough after the sale is done.

Sadly, I believe automakers and other businesses noticed that gamers have been quite comfortable paying more for digital content released for the same video game and are now following suit. If some commercial entities can do it, others will soon attempt similar strategies to create more shareholder value.

Toyota, one of the world's most important auto brands that just so happens to be a laggard in the EV market, is also developing its own suite of digital services. One could argue that it should have focused on releasing a true competitor for Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y before jumping into the paid software debacle, but it is what it is.

All this useful tech can't be free, can it?

When writing, the automaker is offering three "connected services" plans:

• Go Anywhere, which includes cloud-based navigation services, destination assist (you can call a real person to help you with navigating unknown areas), intelligent assistant, and remote control (i.e., lock/unlock, start the engine) - $15 per month;
• Music Lover, which includes access to Apple Music and Amazon Music through AT&T-supported 4G LTE Wi-Fi (that costs $25 extra per month) and remote control (i.e., lock/unlock, start the engine) - $15 per month;
• Premium, which includes everything, even the stolen vehicle locator - $25 per month.

Thus, if you want to enable all your vehicle's digital and connectivity systems, it'll cost $50 per month.

Newer Toyota vehicles get the Premium suite for free on a trial basis, which expires after one year. Buyers also get a taste of the 4G LTE connection, which is only available at no cost for three months or when data use goes above the 2GB (2,048 MB) threshold.

But do you have to buy into all this subscription-based madness? Is it really necessary? Well, to some of us, yes.

Imagine you have an older relative who's driving and may not pay attention to the car's keyless access system. If it doesn't work as expected, you can lock the vehicle remotely. Another scenario we could see going in favor of subscriptions is for people living in colder areas who don't have a well-insulated or heated garage. Getting your car's interior nice and toasty before you leave for work is a first-world thing, but it's such a terrific perk to have.

However, that's kind of it – keeping your car connected via various digital services is just something nice to have, not an essential thing for your car to work.

The problem with maps

But who needs the built-in navigation? Some Toyota owners expressed dissatisfaction with the brand's decision to put the new in-car maps functionality behind a monthly paywall. They are complaining about a feature that is rarely used by drivers nowadays, which is a bit peculiar.

A good navigation app needs to be updated constantly. That can't be done for free because the automaker must pay people or third parties to do that. Since auto brands are for-profit entities, they can't give customers something for free out of the goodness of their hearts.

But besides having a subscription-based maps app that is updated every once in a while, the automaker is also offering paying customers the option to talk to a person who can help them with navigating unfamiliar environments.

I remember trying a similar feature when the 3 Series G20 debuted. It was a cool gimmick. Talking to a real person about where I wanted to go and them sending the correct coordinates to the test unit's infotainment over the air was cool. But was it necessary? No. I could have done it all myself.

On top of that, out of hundreds of cars I've driven since I became an auto journalist, the only brand that convinced me not to use CarPlay, Android Auto, or simply my smartphone for navigation was Porsche. But it's fancy suite wasn't free. The Navigation and Infotainment package cost around $200 per year. However, I enjoyed 3D maps and real-time traffic information, and it's probably the only system I'd be comfortable with spending a yearly sum on to have it available and updated.

Toyota is aware of what it's doing, and it even recommends ways for customers to see fewer "Subscription required" messages. For example, it explains how to get rid of that alert when listening to FM radio. The solution? Just turn off the hybrid radio feature.

It just doesn't make sense to be upset

While it's true that ten years ago, Toyota was proud to offer its customers "subscription-free traffic and weather information via HD Radio broadcast," things have changed. Today, we have Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps (which is not that great), MapsMe, and even ViaMichelin, which provide users with free navigation services that work virtually everywhere.

Some even include the option of downloading instructions at home via Wi-Fi and using them without turning on your mobile connection while on the go.

You really don't need to pay a monthly subscription for in-car navigation. Google and Waze make money through advertising packages for businesses, so they most likely won't ask us for money anytime soon. After all, they need our data and collaboration to keep their systems updated.

Toyota offers wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for free. In today's world, that's all you need.

This situation is eerily similar to what BMW went through when it announced a digital store that included the option of subscribing for heated seats. The online reports twisted the story, eventually forcing the carmaker to abandon the option. It wasn't a good thing, as some might have led you to believe.

However, auto manufacturers will keep experimenting with subscription-based offerings. GM, for example, is joining Tesla and Rivian in ditching CarPlay and Android Auto. That's a bit worrying for customers because it signals that software is becoming increasingly important in the automotive world.

BMW used to charge its buyers extra ($80 per year, $300 for the vehicle's lifetime) to enable Apple CarPlay, but it gave up on doing so.

However, startups like Fisker are going even deeper into subscription territory. The reborn brand plans on making advanced driver-assistance systems like adaptive cruise control part of a package that cannot be bought outright on lesser versions of the all-electric Ocean crossover SUV. Keep in mind that at the time of writing, these systems aren't even working on higher-trim vehicles that have already reached their owners.

We're certainly in for a ride in this respect. I think subscriptions will become very common as we move forward with total electrification and the gamification of our means of transport. But what people must understand is that Toyota is doing nothing wrong. It costs money to offer updated maps all the time, and that's not something customers need when free and reliable alternatives exist.

What will happen when the likes of Google Maps and Waze go behind a paywall, too… Well, that remains to be seen. Maybe we'll just ask for directions again like we did back in the day or include one or more of these companies into our monthly spending budget.