Looking to buy a A8L '04 to '06. (The Quartro drive important in the Chicago winters). Giving some thought also to the Cadillac DTS and my wife has become enamored with the On Star system it offers. Understand the 04 and some 05's Audis had OnStar but then GM bought it for their own vehicles and Audi dropped. How good is the Audi later system compared to onStar. I believe OnStar is available again on the new 07 A8's..A bit confused, I'm particularly interested how good/useful is that interim Audi system and can it be adapted or converted to an OnStar setup? Thanks in advance for your advice...

 

Helllloooo: Still anxious to hear your comments. Understand the 07's have OnStar again..Thanks

 

I'm sorry to say it but what a stupid idea onstar is. Why do I need to pay some company 17 a month + 0.30 cents a minute for phone calls where i can clearly use my cell. I guess the same reason why people pay 100s of dollars for their security system and feel safe locked up in between four walls.
I wish they did not use onstar in Audi and simply provided integration interface with cell phones like it is in 06+ models. Coming to onstar, I have 04 and it works like a charm. After using it for a while and paying the non-sense fee,I stopped using it. From 07+, they indeed have the onstar. All the buttons, voice activated calling etc. work truly wonderfully.

 

Sorry JJO, I been neglecting my home spot...

IMO, on-star is for people who lact the capacity for independant thought... i.e. WOMEN! Not female bashing, mind you, but, let's face it, when it comes to cars, 99% of them give the rest a bad name. The ONLY reason on-star makes sense is in case of an accident (again, 99% of women give the REST a bad name, here, too). Automatic notification upon airbag deployment, yaadda-yadda-yadda... Other than that, it's a waste of technology, unless yu have teen-aged kids, or, don't trust your wife not to sleep around on you, or, you're a DEA agent and the drug dealer you're tailin has it, and you find a sympathetic judge.

BTW, have/cause an accident and your GPS data can be sapoened... supeenoed... sapeoned... ahhhh, YOU KNOW what I mean... and used against you, by the courts AND your insurance company. Dint know THAT, didja? Same if you get caught speeding, but the dollar values are much less, s the chances of them going after them for that are slim. Low return vs. cost to get the info.

 

I have an 04 L and onstar works like a charm. But, it's going away in January. As I understand it's an analog vs digital issue. Anyone know of a fix, I like the onstar system.

 

This is an old posting, but I just ran across it. So let me quote your really classy posting:

IMO, on-star is for people who lact the capacity for independant thought... i.e. WOMEN! Not female bashing, mind you, but, let's face it, when it comes to cars, 99% of them give the rest a bad name. The ONLY reason on-star makes sense is in case of an accident (again, 99% of women give the REST a bad name, here, too). Automatic notification upon airbag deployment, yaadda-yadda-yadda... Other than that, it's a waste of technology, unless yu have teen-aged kids, or, don't trust your wife not to sleep around on you, or, you're a DEA agent and the drug dealer you're tailin has it, and you find a sympathetic judge.

Sooooo interesting! Bet your wife's a happy lady. Let me tell you why I, a woman, would love to have OnStar on my Audi wagon: not because I need directions, as I can find my way very well. Not in case of an accident, as I have a cell phone in the car. Not because I sleep around (read the above quote and you'll see what's available) But because as a woman, I know that I am prey to half the population on the road! Only in our speciesis the entire female half of the population -- never mind how old or unattractive --at risk of molestation or worse from the other half, that half supposedly stronger, smarter, and protective of its females! Read it well: I am afraid of your kind of man, and if you suddenly cut me off on a dark road I want to be able to punch a button to call for immediate help. Even though I carry a Walther PKKS in the side pocket of my Quattro wagon when I'm traveling. Now does it make sense?

 

PPKS? What a joke. You'd have better luck putting a brick in your purse.

 

Having a gun that is underpowered is better than nothing. I carry a .45 1911 Springfield, and a Ruger Sp101 .357 Mag. My lady has a sig 239 in .357 sig. In all honesty she hates her Onstar in her 07 STS. I would get an Audi over a Caddy any day. There is no point other than to waste money for an onstar. The Cell makes calls easier, better, and cheaper. The Nav dosen't speak ebonics and smack it's gum in your ear while trying to read a map to tell you where to go. Onstar is nearly useless. Thanks for painting all us guys as sick twisted pervs. Sorry that .1% of all of us makes us all bad.