Is Premium Connectivity Worth it?

[BigNick]

Thanks. Can you manually start the download after connecting to a public wifi?

I think all you'd have to do after connecting is tap the "yellow down arrow" icon in the upper right area of the screen that indicates an available download, if it doesn't begin the download automatically when it detects a WiFi connection.

 

[Black306]

Thats the thing, though. For anyone who is buying a brand new tesla, this is a decision of "do I WANT to spend?" not "can I afford to spend"? Different questions, at least to me they are. Same outcome though, for some its worth it, for some its not, just like I am a person who buys prime meats either at costco or a butcher (my example above), where some of my co workers cant understand why I would spend extra for that.

Everyone has something they are willing to spend a bit extra for, its just "what that is" is different for different people.

Agreed. Personally, Premium Connectivity would be an absolute waste of money. I don’t use any of the features offered above Standard Connectivity. Makes no sense to blow $99/year just cause I can.

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks. Can you manually start the download after connecting to a public wifi?

As long as that public wifi doesnt have a login screen. You wont be able to connect to wifi with the car on any website that has a captive login screen to use it (like a hotel would, for example). Plan on using your phone as a hotspot, or something.

 

[BigNick]

As long as that public wifi doesnt have a login screen. You wont be able to connect to wifi with the car on any website that has a captive login screen to use it (like a hotel would, for example). Plan on using your phone as a hotspot, or something.

Couldn't you use the in-car browser to accept the T&C on the captive login before starting the firmware download?

 

[jjrandorin]

Couldn't you use the in-car browser to accept the T&C on the captive login before starting the firmware download?

I have premium connectivity, so have never tried, but remember threads with people complai...err "talking" about not being able to use captive portals.

 

[Daniel D]

Well, if you can find the MAC address of your vehicle's WiFi card and you know the "Help" line for the WiFi you're trying to connect to there is a way. Most places will help you Tunnel, ie. connect to the network bypassing the splash page authentication. I would think the old 1.1.1.1 trick via the browser might work, but without my Model 3, I cannot verify this.

 

[oreobbq]

It's worth it for me since I lose cell service in certain areas but I'm still able to stream music from the car. God forbid I have no music in a silent electric car, I'd be stuck with my own thoughts.

 

[jjrandorin]

Well, if you can find the MAC address of your vehicle's WiFi card and you know the "Help" line for the WiFi you're trying to connect to there is a way. Most places will help you Tunnel, ie. connect to the network bypassing the splash page authentication. I would think the old 1.1.1.1 trick via the browser might work, but without my Model 3, I cannot verify this.

I should have said something like "there isnt a way to do it without IT tricks", which would be a more accurate statement, at least I think so. I do remember people talking about work arounds, but I dont think it works "normally" the way a regular user would expect it to work.

 

[Daniel D]

Sorry... Being an IT Geek (Cybersecurity Student, former Network Engineering Student) These are second nature for me. I've had to use the tricks involved for my Gaming systems and Apple TV before when I travelled. I have most Hotel IT support teams on my contact list for such reasons. When I get my M3, I will test a few of these when I'm close to a Captive network.

 

[Apexwagon]

What counts is the official rules. It says:

"Will Standard Connectivity affect in-car maps and routing?
No. All cars with Standard Connectivity will continue to receive the same core maps & navigation functionality as cars with Premium Connectivity, including traffic-based routing, Trip Planner and Supercharger stall availability. Premium Connectivity will add satellite-view maps and live traffic visualization."

If your standard connectivity maps and routing are not doing what it says above, then it's time for Service Center.

My 1 year free Premium Connectivity just expired last month (giving a fair trial of Standard Connectivity for a couple months) and I can only confirm with usage: Waze, Apple Maps and Google Maps all have drastically different routes and estimated time of arrivals than the Standard Connectivity in my 2021 MY. I commute once a week, 2hr/140mi each way and making a round trip to/from the SF Bay Area, usually hitting quite a bit of traffic through SF, Berkeley, Davis and Sac, and I have consistently seen 20-30min longer time differences in traffic on the Tesla maps vs any of the three above mapping systems, utilizing all 4 systems every drive each direction. I cannot confirm if Tesla allows variances in routing based on traffic, but in my experience it is unreliable without Premium Connectivity.

Another note, I currently use my phone as a hotspot and it is proving to be a first-world inconvenience. I really liked having immediate startup of music/podcasts without having to inevitably turn my phones hotspot on/off to get the car to connect to wifi, also having to open multiple screens to do so. Extremely petty but my preference. I’ll be forking over the $100/yr for premium connectivity, a service I think should be included with a $60k car. But hey, you could buy Tesla stock low right now, and gamble it will do its historical skyrocket and pay for a couple years of your connectivity.

 

[archae86]

The killer application that sold me Premium Connectivity was the ability to get overhead photography in the map view. I don't travel around with that, but I have used it to preview the immediate surroundings of a place of interest. When I want it, I really want it, and that makes PC worth $100/year for me.

 

[PianoAl]

I hate recurring expenses, but because we're no longer in the frugalista phase of our lives (washing and reusing plastic bags) and now in the blow-the-dough phase, we subscribe to premium.

Best features: listening to comedians or saying "Play [song name here]".

 

[bradtem]

The killer application that sold me Premium Connectivity was the ability to get overhead photography in the map view. I don't travel around with that, but I have used it to preview the immediate surroundings of a place of interest. When I want it, I really want it, and that makes PC worth $100/year for me.

But every phone has that, and with a better UI. So it's an odd top value. I guess the one value to me on this would be sometimes I am in an area where the car has a connection and my phone does not. Those happen but are rare enough that it is annoying to ask $100 for them. However, I do buy premium when on a road trip, essentially for that.

 

[Midpack]

I hate recurring expenses, but because we're no longer in the frugalista phase of our lives (washing and reusing plastic bags) and now in the blow-the-dough phase, we subscribe to premium.

I know where that phrase comes from, they were just talking about people they missed over there, including you…

 

[granddude]

It’s worth it for me. I use the satellite map view, live traffic visualization, and music streaming regularly. I had XM Radio in my old car and this replaces that and adds satellite map and live traffic to the XM music. The cost is 43% of the XM subscription. I could continue the XM subscription on my iPhone and use Bluetooth to connect with my M3, but it isn’t worth it. I did that until my XM subscription ran out.

 

[JCtx]

Hey, can you actually have XM with connectivity? I couldn't do it on my ex-'21 M3 LR. I had Spotify on the car, but couldn't get XM. Like you said, I could stream it from the phone, but I don't like it, since I cannot control it at all. I'd have to change stations on the phone itself. Hopefully you can clarify how you get XM there, and which functions you can use. I'd like it just like it's on my other vehicles with XM. Thank you.