Prospective owner w a question about UConnect

[Jerry in TX]

We are a retired couple looking at purchasing a Journey, probably a year or two old, primarily because of the value they offer for the features. One question I have is about the UConnect system. How much does it cost to use it? IOW, what subscription(s) do we need? XM Radio subscription? Cell phone service subscription? Garmin nav traffic subscription?

And finally, if we don't commute or travel very much and don't need subscriptions for these services what is the value or use of the Uconnect? Is it still valuable to have, or should we look at Journey's that may have just the basic system? Is the UConnect worth looking for in a vehicle for us if we don't intend to subscribe to whatever services are required?

Thanks for your responses!

Jerry M

Cypress (NW Houston), TX

[bramfrank]

uConnect is FCA's name for the stereo and air conditioning subsystems - given the nature of your questions, I will assume that you are looking at the 8.4 inch screen, which is available in 2 flavors - with nav and without - both of them have SiriusXM. Bluetooth MAY be optional, depending on the trim level, though I am in Canada where you could get the large screen without BT in the old days. I'm not so sure about the US.

The subscriptions are: SiriusXM, Travellink, traffic (note that this is XM's traffic, and has nothing to do with the navigator, if you have that option).

The Garmin navigation works very well and has the distinction of having dead reckoning, which means it works underground and in tunnels, but map updates are infrequent (no a real serious problem) and relatively expensive. Some people have experienced failures of the navigation module - some repeatedly. It can be expensive to get it going again if you have one of the vehicles that causes trouble - but the history of the car you are looking at will tell you a lot.

If the vehicle is within the bumper-to-bumper warranty I do suggest investing in a CHRYSLER (NOT a 3rd party) warranty. One bad module can cost a lot to diagnose and repair. This is not unique to the Journey - today's cars are all complex and very computerised and dealers are not adept at troubleshooting . . . repairs are limited to swapping modules . . . expensive.

The traffic for the navigator is supposed to be included with the vehicle - I seem to recall reading that this was for a 5 year term, but they don't sell the traffic and in discussions with XM when I got my current Journey (I'm on my second) they just turned it on and seemed to imply it just would keep on working.

One thing about uConnect. It is THE highest rated infotainment system in terms of usability and function. It is very intuitive. However, like anything connected to your cell phone, for example, a lot depends on how well the components get along. Your phone might not like the car - I know that precious few do messaging to the screen.

I'll stop now.

Good luck.

Edited August 20, 2015 by bramfrank

[Lobitz68]

I find the uConnect system to be superior to any of the other brands I have tried. I do not have NAV and let my Sirius subscription expire. The BT connectivity works great and even without the extra subscriptions I would get the larger screen again (although it is not necessary for BT or NAV).

[larryl]

Stay away from the Nav option if you can

[dhh3]

It will cost you nothing to use the phone function. You can always use your phone as a Navigation tool, so again, that will cost you nothing. The non-Nav radio is less expensive. I don't have it, because I don't like the idea of having 2 features in one unit. Personal preference. If you are buying new, it comes with 1 year free subscription to Sirius. If you find that you like this, you would have to renew it at the end of the year.

Edited August 21, 2015 by dhh3

[Jerry in TX]

Thank you all for your responses. We will probably not use the XM subscription, nor the TravelLink. I have read over the years that the automotive branded, built-in, proprietary GPS systems are expensive and challenging to update. And you have to pay for the traffic service. My preference is to purchase a personal navigator (for me Garmin Nuvis) to mount on the dashboard or windshield. You can pick them up usually for less than $200 (many times less than $100) with lifetime updates and traffic. After a couple of years when the technology improves I sell the old unit and upgrade to a new unit for a net cost of a hundred bucks or so.

One of the things that draws me to the Journey over their competitors is the general praise for the UConnect interface and features. We drove one for the first time yesterday and were quite impressed - not only with the 8.4 display but the overall feel of the ride, quiet cabin, powerful V6, and look of the interior.

Most of what I am reading talks about the value of the Journey as far as features for the price.

Another question is the wifi / email service. I saw a YouTube video that showed you can get email on the big screen. I'm not understanding where that service comes from. Do you have to have a separate cell phone connection or service for the vehicle to use, or do you set your cell phone up as a hot spot for the vehicle to use?

[Jerry in TX]

I just saw the link to www.driveuconnect.com that dhh3 posted in another topic. Very useful information there, answers a lot of questions.

[bramfrank]

Nah - dhh3 has a bee up his butt. Just the comment he made above speaks volumes - he doesn't want two functions in one unit - but his phone can have 10 functions?

Having a single screen for everything is a major plus, not to mention that (strangely) you can play with your built-in hardware while underway, but if you touch your phone (even as a navigator) you get a ticket.

Traffic service is included with the uConnect system, by the way - at least for five years AFAIK. And it works where nothing else does, since it is delivered by satellite.

As I wrote, there seems to be an issue with some vehicles not getting along with their nav units. And a significant number of those that have the issue seem to get it more than once, implying that it is a configuration issue of some sort. I added the factory nav to my vehicle and have done a lot of miles - no issues. There are literally tens of thousands of Journeys, not to mention hundreds of thousands of Chrysler 300s and Dodge Darts and Chargers with this particular unit - and it affects only a tiny percentage of them. And that's why you have a warranty - again, as I wrote, it is in your best interest to get an extended factory warranty because one dead module (not just the navigator) can set you back $1,500 or more once the warranty expires.

Then, of course there's the fact that the screen is huge and the map extremely readable, compared to the tiny screen on a phone and the wires you need to have because you'll need to keep it plugged in while using it to keep the battery from draining. And the traffic on your phone uses data from your plan, if you happen to have one with a limited cap. The factory nav gets the traffic via Sirius.

I'm not suggesting that you *must* get the factory nav, but simply that concerns about reliability are only raised by those relatively few who have had issues. And those are the people you are going to find seeking out boards like this, so the complaints are highly concentrated among the users here.

Edited August 22, 2015 by bramfrank

[rolly]

I haven't had any problems at all with the Nav system in our Journey, as a matter of fact it worked flawlessly on our extended (8400 miles) trip through the U.S. and Canada. The only thing that I don't like is that you have to pay for the updates, which should be included considering the price they charge for the option.

[bramfrank]

Agreed - but consider that they don't build many new roads, so the real inconvenience to not updating the maps is that the points of interest can be somewhat outdated; then again they are never all that complete to begin with and even the updates have items that haven't been accurate for the past 12 years.

Edited August 22, 2015 by bramfrank

[dhh3]

Nah - dhh3 has a bee up his butt. Just the comment he made above speaks volumes - he doesn't want two functions in one unit - but his phone can have 10 functions?

Having a single screen for everything is a major plus, not to mention that (strangely) you can play with your built-in hardware while underway, but if you touch your phone (even as a navigator) you get a ticket.

Traffic service is included with the uConnect system, by the way - at least for five years AFAIK. And it works where nothing else does, since it is delivered by satellite.

As I wrote, there seems to be an issue with some vehicles not getting along with their nav units. And a significant number of those that have the issue seem to get it more than once, implying that it is a configuration issue of some sort. I added the factory nav to my vehicle and have done a lot of miles - no issues. There are literally tens of thousands of Journeys, not to mention hundreds of thousands of Chrysler 300s and Dodge Darts and Chargers with this particular unit - and it affects only a tiny percentage of them. And that's why you have a warranty - again, as I wrote, it is in your best interest to get an extended factory warranty because one dead module (not just the navigator) can set you back $1,500 or more once the warranty expires.

Then, of course there's the fact that the screen is huge and the map extremely readable, compared to the tiny screen on a phone and the wires you need to have because you'll need to keep it plugged in while using it to keep the battery from draining. And the traffic on your phone uses data from your plan, if you happen to have one with a limited cap. The factory nav gets the traffic via Sirius.

I'm not suggesting that you *must* get the factory nav, but simply that concerns about reliability are only raised by those relatively few who have had issues. And those are the people you are going to find seeking out boards like this, so the complaints are highly concentrated among the users here.

What size hat do you wear anyway? I never mentioned functions in my phone. If my phone sh**s the bed, I can get a new one, same day with the insurance I have. If the Nav goes bad, you are out days, weeks or months. With the size of of the screens on the new phones, no reason to buy a Garmin or TomTom. (My screen is far from tiny - same size as some of the Garmins at Best Buy). Just use the built in maps. Best Buy sold me a blue and white USB cord. The center blue stripe is actually tiny leds that move in the direction of the current. One little, entertaining cord. What's the big deal? Never had a radio with Nav and never will. My preference. Does this make me a bad person? That bee is pretty well pissed off about now so when I jam it up your butt I pray that he stings the hell out of you. There are more negative comments on this forum than positive reports and this speaks volumes on whether to get a Nav radio or not. I have had the Uncarrier for over 12 years. Unlimited everything, so I do not pay extra for anything. $50 a month and I can get a new phone every 6 months.

Edited August 22, 2015 by dhh3

[Jerry in TX]

Being new here I'm not sure if you guys know each other and are having some fun or maybe you don't and are just poking each other. Your comments are cute but bordering on maybe too serious. Let's keep it light for the benefit of others who may find this thread in a Google search years from now.

I have some other questions but not just about Uconnect so I need to start another thread. I hope you will contribute there.

[bigtsr]

We do keep it light as a rule and the moderator keeps us in check.

Fun loving is free!

[bramfrank]

What size hat do you wear anyway? I never mentioned functions in my phone. If my phone sh**s the bed, I can get a new one, same day with the insurance I have. If the Nav goes bad, you are out days, weeks or months. With the size of of the screens on the new phones, no reason to buy a Garmin or TomTom. (My screen is far from tiny - same size as some of the Garmins at Best Buy). Just use the built in maps. Best Buy sold me a blue and white USB cord. The center blue stripe is actually tiny leds that move in the direction of the current. One little, entertaining cord. What's the big deal? Never had a radio with Nav and never will. My preference. Does this make me a bad person? That bee is pretty well pissed off about now so when I jam it up your butt I pray that he stings the hell out of you. There are more negative comments on this forum than positive reports and this speaks volumes on whether to get a Nav radio or not. I have had the Uncarrier for over 12 years. Unlimited everything, so I do not pay extra for anything. $50 a month and I can get a new phone every 6 months.

It will cost you nothing to use the phone function. You can always use your phone as a Navigation tool, so again, that will cost you nothing. The non-Nav radio is less expensive. I don't have it, because I don't like the idea of having 2 features in one unit. Personal preference. If you are buying new, it comes with 1 year free subscription to Sirius. If you find that you like this, you would have to renew it at the end of the year.

No. YOU mentioned multiple functions in one unit - uconnect is one unit. Your iPhone is one unit. And if the nav breaks you are not out for months - please stop exaggerating.

Yes, it can take a dealer a few days or a week to get a part (my dealer would simply pull it from another vehicle if he had to, but you have to have a relationship with a dealer to get him to do favors for you).

But it isn't as if the infotainment system stops working altogether - you just have no nav until the new unit is installed - and if your phone breaks how much does a new one cost if you aren't eligible for an upgrade? Hopefully you were fully backed up. The good news is that the entire vehicle is covered for however long you buy your extended warranty - lifetime, if that's what you chose. On another note if I was shopping for a USB cable to tether my phone to the vehicle I would think twice about the concept of dancing blue lights in my USB cable; They can cause reflections off the glass at night, could possibly affect night vision and can also be a distraction

And, your comment about negative comments about the product was already dealt with by both Rolly and me - people don't come here to say their stuff works, but rather to ask what to do when it doesn't, so of course a large percentage of nav comments are about problems . . . . .

One screen is enough in a vehicle - that is entire system is controllable from the steering wheel is a major plus and 8.4" is the perfect size for the display. Besides, it is already there.

Edited August 23, 2015 by bramfrank

[dhh3]

My insurance buys me a new phone. I have never had to use it. Moving lights do dot reflect in the windshield because I filed a small semi-circle hole at the leading edge of the console lid. Cables comes out and up to my phone. The only reflection in the windshield that I get is the grain surface of the top of the dash. Weird.

[dhh3]

Being new here I'm not sure if you guys know each other and are having some fun or maybe you don't and are just poking each other. Your comments are cute but bordering on maybe too serious. Let's keep it light for the benefit of others who may find this thread in a Google search years from now.

I have some other questions but not just about Uconnect so I need to start another thread. I hope you will contribute there.

We do not know each other, but you are right. I hope that you stay around so we can help you in the future if another question comes up. I have had my DJ for a little over a year, and just rolled over 7,000 trouble free miles. I have only been back to my Dealer for oil changes, tire rotations, and electronic software updates. My Nitro that I traded for my DJ was the same way. Pretty happy guy.

[Kech]

We do not know each other, but you are right. I hope that you stay around so we can help you in the future if another question comes up. I have had my DJ for a little over a year, and just rolled over 7,000 trouble free miles. I have only been back to my Dealer for oil changes, tire rotations, and electronic software updates. My Nitro that I traded for my DJ was the same way. Pretty happy guy.

Couldn't you have done the electronic software updates yourself?

[dhh3]

I tried once with my MyGig in my Nitro. The update came as a CD. It stopped in the middle of the update and my radio would no longer come on. I did get it to accept the CD once more, but the same thing happened. Took it to the Dealer, and they could not figure it out either. So, they ordered me a new radio. I was out of a radio for a little over a week. It was at this point I decided to never do this again. My Dealer is about 15 - 20 minutes from my house.

I made the appointment to get the radio updated. Before I even got there, they ran my VIN and found the other two updates, of which I was unaware. I have no idea where they found them, and what changes were made. Since I am a constant, repeat Customer, they always take care of me.