[Zooks527]

Originally Posted by shark715

I assumed the SOS button uses cellular, not satellite. Isn't the cost of satellite far in excess of the cost of cellular? That's pretty impressive, wow.

The SOS button uses the cellular system, not satellite.

The confusion might arrive from some functions (find a stolen car, for example) needing the car to be line-of-site to a GPS satellite to know its position. However, if you're in a no-cellular area, the SOS is offline.

[kindofblue]

Originally Posted by NVHoo

I drive frequent long distance pleasure trips all over the West and would not leave home on a trip without a spare. As you know, you are often very long distances without any services on West interstates, even worse on the back roads in the rural areas where you can really open up the car and have fun. These distances very often exceed the allowable drive distance for run-flats and there is often no cell coverage. Even if you get to a rural service station, the likelihood that Nowhere, ID has a tire store, much less your size, is nil. So it is flat-bed time.

Yeah, if you have a slow leak from a nail or screw, you can get by with a pump. or pump and goo. But about every 4 years or so I get a flat due to cratering a rim in a pot-hole, or hit a piece of metal that slices a tire that makes run-flats and pump & goo worthless. Again, flat-bed time. Because of the distances, the time for a tow to arrive is often several hours, assuming your cell phone has service. So if you don't mind wasting a day, not to mention the danger, freezing in Idaho in the winter or roasting in the summer desert in AZ waiting for that AAA or BMW tow for your flat, then be my guest.

Audi got so many complaints from western US owners wasting hours by roadsides when they deleted the spare from the Mk 2 TT and replaced it with pump and goo, that they have re-instated it in the new Mk 3. A spare is not "old fashioned", in the west it could literally save your life.

I agree with Sportstick. There is a lot of territory out here in the West and Southwest where cellphone coverage is non-existent and you don't want to be stuck by the side of the road in 115 degree heat (think Mojave desert). Having something that will get you back to civilization is only prudent.