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Satellite Radio

LudiousLudious I just wanted a sandwich A temporally dislocated QuiznosRegistered User regular
edited December 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
So my wife and I recently purchased a new car. It's a 2008 Ford Edge.

It's pretty awesome. However, we test drove several edges, and finally settled on an SEL with leather seats, microsoft sync, etc.Each time we got in a new car, I asked the salesman if the car had Sirius installed. He said yes each time (MOST Edges do)

Unfortunately, he was mistaken and when we got home after several days of thinking the subscription just wasn't activated, we realized (through communication with the dealer) that our particular model is satellite capable not satellite installed.

Basically the dealer can install an internal module that will connect to my existing (microsoft sync enabled) console, but it will be pricey. ($600) But I have heard that the internal modules aren't even that great, that they lack features of the small units you install yourself.


1. Is it true that the internal modules tend to suck?

2. If that's not true, can a place like best buy install one cheaper?

3. If 1 is true, what is the best Sirius module to buy? I don't need any fancy unit that records radio, or stores mp3's. Just a really solid module.

4. If 3 applies, how risky is it to allow a place to install the antennae so there won't be wires dangling through the cabin? OR Alternatively, is there a module high tech enough to get a signal just sitting on your dash inside the car?

Anyway, any advice appreciated.

Ludious on

Posts

  • GrimmGrimm Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    So you agreed on a price for a product and ended up with something less then you were promised? I would be demanding they install this internal module for free and apologize to you and your wife for the inconvenience.

    Grimm on
  • Hobbit0815Hobbit0815 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I agree with Grimm. That's shadiness, right there.

    Hobbit0815 on
  • LudiousLudious I just wanted a sandwich A temporally dislocated QuiznosRegistered User regular
    edited December 2008
    the sale sticker (the white label on all new cars) clearly say satellite capable. I agree with you, but we got such a good deal (way way way way way under stick, heck, way under invoice) that it's hard to argue.

    Plus, the having sirius bit was VERBAL. The paper says sat capable. So I don't really have much of a leg to stand on, do i? I mean, I should have read the sticker more carefully, the way I see it.

    Ludious on
  • GrimmGrimm Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Ludious wrote: »
    the sale sticker (the white label on all new cars) clearly say satellite capable. I agree with you, but we got such a good deal (way way way way way under stick, heck, way under invoice) that it's hard to argue.

    This makes absolutely no difference. You could have paid fifty cents for this car and you still should have gotten it. A product was agreed on, a price was agreed on. If the dealer decided to let you have the car for less then then the sticker, it was their decision and they have to honor the agreement.


    Ludious wrote: »
    Plus, the having sirius bit was VERBAL. The paper says sat capable. So I don't really have much of a leg to stand on, do i? I mean, I should have read the sticker more carefully, the way I see it.

    I'm no lawyer but as far as i know, a verbal agreement is still legally binding. They may or may not acknowledge it but what can it hurt to bring up? If they act like your lying, i would contact the better business bureau. I got jerked around for four months from best buy not wanting to fix my laptop under warranty. The day after i filed a report, i had a new laptop. Also, my entire life, my father has driven pick up trucks. Every time he buys a new one, he gets them to throw in a free bed liner. My point being, thats not on the sticker either but it was a factor in the agreeing on the final price.

    Grimm on
  • noir_bloodnoir_blood Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    On topic;

    Do you want an internal module, or could you do with a portable station? Because the portable ones are definaely cheaper, I think in the 100-200 range, and if all you want is he music, that might work for you.

    My experience with sirius was a few years back, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. If i still had a long commune I would probably get it again.

    noir_blood on
  • RUNN1NGMANRUNN1NGMAN Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Grimm wrote: »
    Ludious wrote: »
    the sale sticker (the white label on all new cars) clearly say satellite capable. I agree with you, but we got such a good deal (way way way way way under stick, heck, way under invoice) that it's hard to argue.

    This makes absolutely no difference. You could have paid fifty cents for this car and you still should have gotten it. A product was agreed on, a price was agreed on. If the dealer decided to let you have the car for less then then the sticker, it was their decision and they have to honor the agreement.


    Ludious wrote: »
    Plus, the having sirius bit was VERBAL. The paper says sat capable. So I don't really have much of a leg to stand on, do i? I mean, I should have read the sticker more carefully, the way I see it.

    I'm no lawyer but as far as i know, a verbal agreement is still legally binding. They may or may not acknowledge it but what can it hurt to bring up? If they act like your lying, i would contact the better business bureau. I got jerked around for four months from best buy not wanting to fix my laptop under warranty. The day after i filed a report, i had a new laptop. Also, my entire life, my father has driven pick up trucks. Every time he buys a new one, he gets them to throw in a free bed liner. My point being, thats not on the sticker either but it was a factor in the agreeing on the final price.

    Verbal agreements for goods over $500 are not usually legally binding. In any case, I've never heard of a car dealership not honoring a verbal promise made by a salesperson. After all, they want to maintain a good relationship with you so that you come back there for scheduled maintenance, parts, etc. That radio module is a drop in the bucket compared to the profits they hope to make on oil changes and tire rotations on the back-end.

    RUNN1NGMAN on
  • LudiousLudious I just wanted a sandwich A temporally dislocated QuiznosRegistered User regular
    edited December 2008
    RUNN1NGMAN wrote: »
    Grimm wrote: »
    Ludious wrote: »
    the sale sticker (the white label on all new cars) clearly say satellite capable. I agree with you, but we got such a good deal (way way way way way under stick, heck, way under invoice) that it's hard to argue.

    This makes absolutely no difference. You could have paid fifty cents for this car and you still should have gotten it. A product was agreed on, a price was agreed on. If the dealer decided to let you have the car for less then then the sticker, it was their decision and they have to honor the agreement.


    Ludious wrote: »
    Plus, the having sirius bit was VERBAL. The paper says sat capable. So I don't really have much of a leg to stand on, do i? I mean, I should have read the sticker more carefully, the way I see it.

    I'm no lawyer but as far as i know, a verbal agreement is still legally binding. They may or may not acknowledge it but what can it hurt to bring up? If they act like your lying, i would contact the better business bureau. I got jerked around for four months from best buy not wanting to fix my laptop under warranty. The day after i filed a report, i had a new laptop. Also, my entire life, my father has driven pick up trucks. Every time he buys a new one, he gets them to throw in a free bed liner. My point being, thats not on the sticker either but it was a factor in the agreeing on the final price.

    Verbal agreements for goods over $500 are not usually legally binding. In any case, I've never heard of a car dealership not honoring a verbal promise made by a salesperson. After all, they want to maintain a good relationship with you so that you come back there for scheduled maintenance, parts, etc. That radio module is a drop in the bucket compared to the profits they hope to make on oil changes and tire rotations on the back-end.

    I bought the edge out of state while on Thanksgiving vacation, so I don't know that they'll be expecting any service monies from me. But I will talk to the dealer again tomorrow and ask nicely that their claim be honored.

    Does anyone work in a car dealer industry to know how well dealers can communicate with one another. In other words, if this Ford Dealer agrees to get XM installed for me, they may very well claim I have to drive back to Atlanta to have it done. I want to know in advance if that's true or not. I know in some industries you would just call the local dealer and identify yourself/store number and get them to do the service for you and it works out the same; however, I don't know if the car industry works like that seeing as dealerships are privately owned.

    Ludious on
  • mcdermottmcdermott Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Ludious wrote: »
    1. Is it true that the internal modules tend to suck?

    I've only used one (in a rental), but it was perfectly fine. The only limitation I ran into with it is that it only had six presets instead of the ten that I have on my separate unit. It still allowed scrolling through genres, showed artist/station/song info on the display, and what not. I've seen a couple others that people had, they were similar.
    2. If that's not true, can a place like best buy install one cheaper?

    No idea, but the answer is likely yes.
    3. If 1 is true, what is the best Sirius module to buy? I don't need any fancy unit that records radio, or stores mp3's. Just a really solid module.

    *shrug*

    I get by just fine with mine, which is the bargain-basement $20 model. Stores ten presets, sounds fine, shows Artist/Song/Station on the display when listening, built-in FM transmitter. The only problem with it is that the FM transmitter sucks, in that it must be the weakest one on the market, because if anybody within three car lengths is on the same station (and in most areas there are only like six clear stations to choose from) then I get to listen to their shit and not mine.

    Aside from that? Fine. And that shouldn't be an issue for you, as I'll explain later.
    4. If 3 applies, how risky is it to allow a place to install the antennae so there won't be wires dangling through the cabin? OR Alternatively, is there a module high tech enough to get a signal just sitting on your dash inside the car?

    I think nearly every model requires an external antenna. However, it's pretty simple depending on your car to install this antenna yourself without having wires dangling around...I did it in my '99 Ford Ranger in like fifteen minutes. You run it inside your windshield molding on the outside, around to the door, in through whichever area of the door molding is convenient, then (in my case, with it mounted above the rearview) around the inner windshield molding.

    You'll just have to scope out where you'll have to run it, and put some thought into where you want things.

    And if you're smart, you won't be using that FM transmitter mentioned. You'll find out if your car stereo has an auxiliary input (it may have one on the back end, or many nowadays actually have it accessible on the front) and you'll just run it there. That way you're just sending the straight line-in sound, and the quality will be much better with no worries about what stations are clear and what not. And using a stereo patch cable with elbow-ends on both ends, it should be easy to run this cable unobtrusively as well.

    As for what model I'd suggest, I'd probably suggest this one, if only because it allows for the new A La Carte (where you get mainly just the stations you feel like, with a minimum number required) plans. If you're like me, and you'll only end up listening to the same 15 stations or so all the time, you'll probably save up to $30-$40 over the next year by having this. Plus it does some of the other cool shit, like pausing or rewinding (up to 45 minutes) and alerting you when artists you like are on other stations.

    And I'll say that that one standalone I just linked, which runs only $100, beats the shit out of any integrated ones I've seen. Plus you can buy a dock for it allowing you to pull it out of your car and listen to it elsewhere...depending on the configuration of your house/apartment/whatever, it might cost you as little as $20 to set it up to listen to it through your stereo at home as well.


    EDIT: If you can't tell, my advice is to buy a separate unit. Unless you're just horribly averse to having the extra device in your car and either spending the time or money to install it well, it offers much more value.

    EDIT: This may seem to conflict with the very first part of my post, but there's a big difference to me between "sucking" and something else simply being better. For the same money (or likely much less), a standalone unit that is capably installed is almost certainly going to be better. Unless you can wring it out of the dealership for no additional charge, then obviously do that...because the integrated units are perfectly fine.

    mcdermott on
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