4 Underrated Subaru Starlink Features

If you're currently looking for a new car, there are a lot of reasons that you might want to consider looking at a Subaru. Chief among those reasons is the brand's long-standing reputation for producing safe, reliable vehicles like the Outback and Forester. On top of that reputation, the automaker backs its work with a solid new vehicle warranty that covers bumper-to-bumper for three years or 36,000 miles and powertrain for five years or 60,000 miles. Such coverage could be vital if you're driving one of Subaru's off-road-ready cars and SUVs.

There is, of course, at least one other feature that could entice anyone shopping for a new car to have a closer look at a Subaru, and that's the automaker's Starlink suite of on-board tech. Subaru has been bolstering the safety and multimedia packages in its vehicles in the past few years, just as virtually every major automaker is fronting new safety, navigational, and mobile phone connectivity features that can be accessed directly through the in-dash display. Among the many desirable features that can be found in the Starlink package, there are a handful of intriguing features that will likely be of interest to vehicle owners. 

These days, more and more people are living their lives on the go, and that means that they are regularly being pushed to plan out daily, weekly, and even monthly routines during their morning or evening commute. Likewise, if you're looking to make last-minute plans, you may indeed be sorting those final details out while you're behind the wheel. If you find yourself in that group of modern movers and shakers, the Starlink Concierge function could be a time-saving, even game-changing way to limit the headache of planning your life on the fly.

Concierge Services is, of course, inspired by the concept of a hotel concierge in that the Starlink feature helps facilitate the booking of restaurant reservations and the acquisition of tickets to sporting, concert, and theater events with little to no effort from users. The feature can assist with booking hotel reservations and help identify points of interest for travelers looking for something fun to do in an unfamiliar locale.

Subaru owners can get these tasks and others done in real time by connecting with a live human being through the Concierge Services feature on their in-dash display screen, communicating directly with an associate through the vehicle's microphone and speakers. Best of all, the Concierge will even send directions directly to your car's navigation screen to help you find the best route to your event. 

On the subject of navigational features, drivers are arguably utilizing them more now than at any point since they started becoming regular fixtures in new cars. As such, many manufacturers have continued to update and upgrade the parameters of what their vehicle's navigation features are capable of. Subaru has kept pace with the competition and even bolstered the effectiveness of its own onboard navigation system with the addition of a Live Traffic feature.

Before we get too far along here, we should tell you that Subaru's Live Traffic function does not come as part of a standard Starlink package. Instead, the feature requires a monthly subscription that'll set you back $4.50 per month. The good news is that you will be able to test the feature out for a full year free of charge when you purchase a new Subaru, and that should be plenty of time to decide if it's actually worth the extra money.

You will still have access to Subaru's Starlink navigation even if you don't opt-in to the Live Traffic feature. As for what you'd be shelling out $4.50 for at the end of your trial period, Live Traffic does exactly what its name implies: provide drivers with real-time updates about what's happening on the road ahead. More than just telling you where the traffic is, the feature can also provide alternate routes to your destination and update any travel times along the way, which could prove invaluable if you're running late for work. 

Remote engine starting features have become exceedingly popular in the last few years, with most major automakers offering the feature on their newer makes and models. Subaru also has a remote start feature in its Starlink suite, allowing users who've downloaded the Subaru app to fire up the engine on their car or SUV from virtually anywhere within range. 

If you already have a vehicle with remote engine starting capabilities, you know the feature is particularly invaluable in the cold weather months, as it makes it possible to properly warm the engine without venturing out into the cold to crank it by hand. The Starlink version of remote start takes the feature one step further, however, with the company's engineering building in a feature that also grants access to the vehicle's climate control system.

Yes, that built-in feature allows users to adjust the interior temperature of their Subaru to their liking before they even get into the car. It may not seem like a groundbreaking sort of innovation to some, but there's little question that remote climate control could prove a life-changing feature amid the heat of Summer or icy days in the dead of Winter, as you'll be able to cool down or warm up your Subaru accordingly. And yes, with extreme weather patterns continuing to drive temps higher and lower than we've seen in the past, it will no doubt prove comforting to be able to at least control the weather in your car from afar.

If you've got a teen working towards earning their driver's license, you are undoubtedly stressed about turning them loose on the road without parental oversight. While there's no way to completely protect your new driver from the various perils of the road, Subaru's Starlink suite does offer a few features that can give parents a little peace of mind when their kiddos are out driving by allowing them to set alerts for boundaries, speed, and curfews.

Each of those alerts is intended to help remind new drivers of certain rules set for the road or set by their parents. That said, the features will not actively prevent a driver from surpassing the set parameters and are intended to serve instead as a reminder to drivers and app users that one parameter or another has been exceeded.

As for what parameters can be set, the Boundary function essentially allows you to set a border within the app for where the Subaru is allowed to drive, setting off an alert when the vehicle ventures outside of the designated zone. The Speed alert operates in much the same way, telling drivers and those using the Subaru app when set speed limits are being exceeded. Lastly, the Curfew alert is a clever way to let drivers and app users know when both the car and kids are supposed to be home for the night. The Curfew app could be a genius preventative measure for parents looking to keep their young driver from sneaking the car out in the wee hours of the evening.