Cars suck. Automobile manufacturers suck more.

In 2012 I factory ordered an Audi Q5 — there is not another one like it on the planet. It has every option, about every upgrade and more. I waited 8 months for it to be built and shipped from Germany. First time I ever did that.

It was my “last big car purchase”.

And I made it partially based on a blatant lie — that the software was all upgrade-able, from the navigation system to the entertainment system.

What a crock of bullshit. There has not been a single update to either the navigation system or the entertainment system since I took possession of this car the day after Thanksgiving in 2012.

Now — don’t get me wrong. I LOVE this vehicle. It has been amazing, it works, it is comfortable and it is reliable.

But I don’t use the navigation system because it shows me driving over water where new bridges have been built. The entertainment system is a pale comparison to an iPhone connected over Bluetooth (or, just an iPhone with Air Pods).

I think about 20% of my purchase price was in the infotainment and navigation systems — so figure about 16K.

They were relevant for about a year.

So, the best advise is to really opt out of that high end shit, because you can get it cheaper on your iPhone or Android — the maps are better, more relevant and less likely to drive you into a pond.

But — and here is the bitch of it all — you can’t opt out of some of that if you want some other high end stuff. Even if you factory order. They need you to pay for equipment they have no plans to ever service again just to maintain their margins.

I don’t understand why even high-end vehicles just don’t upgrade the software now and then. A simple map upgrade every year — something.

This is why Tesla is eating their lunch. Constant innovation and offered upgrades — even if it has a cost. That is better than being stuck with a great car that is just electronically outdated and purposefully neutered by the manufactures.