I dropped 50k on a VW id4 and it’s honestly been a delight. All of the ranges have been spot on and the only issue has been the OTA updates being borked.

Very different experience here, to the point I will not buy a VW again. Not a single OTA update since I bought it in October 2021, 3 recalls already and they don't even have the parts available for the last door issue recall. Their mobile app is region locked and I can't install it on my android phone (my app store is set to UK), the bluetooth won't connect half the time, if you start the car too fast you may trigger weird bugs like this one https://www.reddit.com/r/VWiD4Owners/comments/qx1fvs/new_id4... and the list is very, very long.

Relevant thread ([1]) on vwidtalk.com, "Did you know... | Prepaid VW SW subscriptions that will expire":

> According to myVW (formerly VW Car-Net): my current subscriptions (that were prepaid by VW at time of ID4 purchase )-

> Remote Access (myVW) is a subscription that expires on 3/17/2026.

> Plus Nav (VW native navigation and traffic) is a subscription that expires on 4/23/2024.

> Plus Speech (IDTalk) is a subscription that expires on 4/23/2024.

That's exactly the point of the grandfather comment - bullshit subscriptions inside western cars are now everywhere.

1. https://www.vwidtalk.com/threads/did-you-know-prepaid-vw-sw-...

I literally never use these services - except for remote access for insurance write offs - because carplay and android auto. They’re worthless featured at the end of the day.

Edit: at least my heaters and massage chairs aren’t on a subscription like BMW.

BYD's technological development program, in particular lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, is undeniably impressive. Tesla is now also moving to Li-FePO4 batteries:

https://www.manlybatteries.com/info/why-byd-insists-on-using...

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/china-...

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/05/how-byd-grew-from-a-phone-ba...