i saw the new steering wheel controls today and i must say im not impressed enuff to want to pay $150 im also not deturred away from the box i just still think it shouldhave been an option... mode, volume, and seek is not worth 150 to put it on the steering wheel, now if everything was on there like the prius then yes it would be worth this price ohwell what are we gonna do?

 

just buy it and like it.......

 

dude. it's 150 it doesnt matter. relax. if 150.00 matters in your car buying decision go buy a cheap used car

you'll love it. that 150 will be pennies a day

 

you know usually you should clarify what you are talking about in the poll question...

 

I'm told that the $150 also covers the new smart airbags. So, seems fair to me.

 

How much would an aftermarket radio with steering wheel controls cost?

Yeah. I thought so.

 

man, nice crash and burn on this thread!

 

im just saying its a thing most dont need

 

You're assuming a 1:1 correlation between the price increase and the audio controls.

But rolling price increases are common, even when no changes are made. The cost of manufacturing goes up, or the company decides the margin needs a tweak, they raise the price. And maybe they throw in a new feature to make it easir to swallow.

As for the wheel controls, I think they're an unnecessary complication on a small, simple car where the head unit is already nearly hitting you in the eye. But it seems to be popular, so what the heck.

I'm glad my 05 doesn't have them.

RichC

 

dude, the $150 isn't just for the steering wheel. it is also for the other things that they added/adjusted, like the wheels and seat fabric that they appparently "upgraded"

 

I would totally pay $150 for the steering controls.....it should come in handy for me.

 

That's the biggest reason for the price increase. The steering wheel controls do cost a little as does the "improved" fabric, but the airbags are the bulk of the increase.

-Alex

 

hmmm improved fabric eh? time for me to check out an 06. cuz last i sat in one they felt the same.

hey p2filz. theres lots of junk my xB came with i don't need but you gotta take what they give if you want the car. cha know what i'm saying ?

 

It'll be the same fabric as the '06 xA. Nothing radically different, but different (and a little better) none the less.

-Alex

 

weh doesnt bother me so much i'll be switching my entire interior soon anyways.

it should be an option just for all those who will rid themselves of the awful deck so as they dont get stuck with then useless steering wheel controls. btu any 04-05 steerinbg wheel cover /whatever will fix that.

 

actually the eclipes HU bolt right in and still work with the steering wheel controls, they do for the tC anyway.

and there is an adapter that will also let you keep the steering wheel controls, again this is coming from a tC

 

hotbox is rite plus i can rub em in pples faces tell em its standard thats another reason they did it too i guess... to make the standard features list that much longer i guess i can enjoy..

 

i think it makes more sense for the tC cause we have that cover. we can roll with it hidden and still make changes

 

what about if you could swap your old wheel for the new one for $50

 

doubt you could do that for that cheap. i have read that there is some kinda crazy wiring going on in there.