Ready to hit the I-way? OnStar's not the only show on the road. Telematics services stack up in three tiers:economy (emergency, roadside assistance), midrange (stolen vehicle tracking, remote unlock), and premium (location finder, concierge functions like restaurant reservations). Navigation's a wild card: Some services feature onboard units, others offer remote turn-by-turn instructions. Several overseas carcos aren't yet on US roads, while a few manufacturers - hello, Chrysler! - have yet to leave the drawing board. Here's how much telematics flash you can get right now.
RESCU (Ford) The first US telematics system to market (in model year '97, aka 1996), RESCU will inevitably be swallowed by the Vehicle Emergency Messaging System (see below). For now, RESCU offers the basics: buttons for emergency response and roadside assistance through Dallas-based Protection One Mobile Services, along with automatic air bag deployment notification.
__ Price: Part of a $2,225 options package on the Continental, or $960 on LSmodels, with no monthly fee. __
Vehicle Emergency Messaging System (Ford) VEMS bumps RESCU's econo-package into the midrange, with stolen vehicle tracking and remote door unlocking courtesy Protection One. Ford will launch Visteon's NavMate, a proprietary onboard navigation system, later this year, but VEMS offers only limited operator-based route assistance.
__ Price: A $1,200 dealer-installed option on the Explorer, Taurus, Mercury Sable, and Mountaineer. Monthly service costs $10.99, the extras $21.99. __
OnStar (GM) OnStar's "Gen 2" interface includes three buttons: a red cross for emergencies, a white dot for picking up and ending calls, and a blue logo for information (provided by OnStar's own call center). Subscribers can choose between midrange or premium service - see "The New Road Rage" for details.
__ Price: Standard on the Escalade, a $700 option on some models (with a $199 annual fee for midrange service and a $399 fee for premium). __
Infiniti Communicator (Nissan) A midrange service: Two buttons above the rearview mirror contact the call center and activate a hands-free microphone for Protection One emergency-response or roadside assistance, plus automatic air bag deployment notification, stolen vehicle tracking, security system notification, and remote door unlocking. Nissan plans to integrate an onboard navigation system that will receive turn-by-turn directions from an operator - eventually direct to your digital map display.
__ Price: An option on all year 2000 Infiniti models at $1,599, including four years' service. __
Assist (Jaguar) Economy in a luxury setting, Assist offers bare-bones emergency and roadside help, using Protection One. While the package includes an onboard navigation system, Jaguar has yet to integrate standard midrange features like stolen vehicle tracking and remote door unlocking.
__ Price: Available on Jaguar's S-Type model at $4,300, including an onboard navigation system (flat fee). __
Mayday Phone (BMW) As the name might suggest, BMW's service comes to you through a center-console phone. A premium package, Mayday offers a one-button connection to a BMW operator who can provide detailed turn-by-turn guidance, concierge services, and weather conditions. Look for an onboard navigation system in the US that picks up digital traffic info and reroutes drivers stuck on roads.
__ Price: An option on 23 of 25 BMW models at $1,175, including three years' service. (Onboard navigation unit: $1,800.) __
Tele Aid (Mercedes-Benz) A three-button premium package that includes onboard navigation. Drivers can contact emergency help and roadside assistance from Protection One via the overhead console, or obtain general information about the car and limited routing assistance from a Mercedes call center. The next step for Mercedes will be concierge services - such as restaurant locations and hotel reservations - similar to those of OnStar and BMW's Mayday Phone.
__ Price: Standard on all year 2000 S-Class models. __
AutoPC (Clarion and microsoft) Microsoft's Windows CE-powered play to capture the road's wireless future. Once the platform is fully in place by this fall, one-touch road assistance can be coupled with a voice-activated computer that recognizes commands for traffic reports, numeric paging, and email. Other options include a navigation unit providing spoken turn-by-turn directions and a diagnostic module configured to check the car's main computer for malfunctions.
__ Price: The $1,299 sticker price basically buys you a car stereo with upward mobility; expect to tack on around $850 just to get your system up to speed, plus monthly fees ranging from $5 for traffic updates to $16 for "voice email." __
