You forgot the save my money and just start the car normally option.I talked to my dealer back and forth yesterday and today, they really did their due diligence. They talked with their Kia rep, talked with other dealers, talked with UVO, talked with their aftermarket partner.
Here's the jist of the conversation:
1. He's had several complaints from Kia owners in general that UVO is unreliable.
2. They're making improvements to the UVO app and it may continue to get better. (I agree with this, it's better than it was a year ago, but still far from reliable).
3. He thinks the $22.50 a month is ridiculous too but has not found any internal Kia program to cover the cost for mad current or future owners.
4. There is NO OEM factory remote fob or kit in NA. Anybody selling you one is full of it.
5. There are a few aftermarket kits for this vehicle and the company his dealer partners with is $450 installed with an extended range key fob button. They have been using them for a decade and the amount of returns to their dealer is minimal.
I lease and have about 2 years left. So I can either:
1. Hack the CAN like I did on my last GM car to issue the remote start commands (hardest option and I'm feeling lazy)
2. Do it myself for ~$140 and risk my dealer warranty (which I am unwilling to do right now with the kits being so young for this car).
3. Dish out $450 for an aftermarket kit fully installed and completely forgo the app.
4. Get the aftermarket install AND the aftermarket app for $650 + $6 a month.
5. Just subscribe to UVO for two years for $500...
I'm leaning this way: I have two months until UVO starts charging me. IF UVO becomes mostly reliable, I will pay for it and we'll see what I do on the next one because I am definitely going to get another Telluride.
I personally don’t get the appeal of remote start. Yes, it is nice at times, but I see people throwing a lot of money at remote starting here and I struggle to see the value at the prices being paid. I can deal with a hot or cold car for a few minutes.