2011 Subaru Outback gains in-car WiFi option, strange Maine birds not included

Slowly but surely, the future is creeping up on us. In-flight WiFi is getting there, and in-car WiFi is following suit. Autonet Mobile already sunk its teeth in at General Motors, and now it's doing likewise over at Subaru. The automaker that insists it's all about love is about to give prospective buyers of the 2011 Outback an option to install a router within their ride for a one time fee of $534 (including activation). Of course, it's on you to pay that $29 / month premium that keeps the signals flowing, and yes, you're still better off buying a MiFi and just bringing it along. But hey, there's nothing like factory integration, right? Well, aside from seagulls checking their Twitter accounts while you explore Acadia National Park... freeloaders.

[Jason B Posted Jul 16th 2010 9:49PM]

That car is all over the High Desert. Someone tell me why it is so popular in Oregon?

[coolbreeze Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:14PM]

@Jason B
AWD. Legendary safety and reliability perhaps?

/love my Subies!

[Zaeed Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:17PM]

@coolbreeze

Any particular reason it looks almost exactly the same as the RAV4 in the article below?

[Michael Scrip Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:25PM]

@Jason B

Subarus are popular in Asheville, NC too. Must be the mountains...

[Wag Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:28PM]

@Jason B

In New England every other car is a Subaru (including mine).

[blitzkrieg Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:28PM]

And why is the image a Subaru Forester?

[gadgetfanboy Posted Jul 17th 2010 2:10AM]

@blitzkrieg that was the first thing i thought too. as a forester owner.

[Ryan Trevisol Posted Jul 17th 2010 9:20AM]

Exactly. I have a legacy and a forester. That ain't no outback. I hope the pic is wrong or my wife is gonna be pissed

[CaryHiroyuki Tagawa Posted Jul 17th 2010 10:03AM]

I was just there yesterday, in the exact same spot. I did see a similar vehicle. Neat. In fact, I think I saw this same vehicle as I sped past it.

[weaky6 Posted Jul 17th 2010 10:08AM]

@blitzkrieg read my mind. That is not a Outback but a Forester. Guess that is ok since your not mixing Apples and Symbian.

[Firewave Posted Jul 16th 2010 9:52PM]

I wonder how much it would cost to buy one with the birds.

[2late2die Posted Jul 17th 2010 8:23AM]

@Firewave
No birds, no buy.

[gmack523 Posted Jul 16th 2010 9:54PM]

This who option is "for the birds" ;) Seriously though, does anyone else get the Maine reference here? The vehicle's plates are from Massachusetts . . .

[DefPoet Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:07PM]

@gmack523
Mass does not have beautiful ocean mountains
Main has nothing but mountain.

[DefPoet Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:16PM]

@DefPoet
i forgot
/s and that car is actually in Washington !

[TerrorX Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:27PM]

@gmack523 I want to know what is so strange about a seagull... But then again I live in Nova Scotia so they are super common here...

[NeoJew Posted Jul 16th 2010 11:42PM]

@gmack523
I don't get it, but I'm from Rhode Island and was instantly driven mad with rage when I saw the Mass plates.

[Seieibob Posted Jul 17th 2010 1:56AM]

@DefPoet

False.

[Seieibob Posted Jul 17th 2010 2:01AM]

@gmack523

I surmise he took a picture of his own car. Perhaps the author was on vacation in Maine and drives a Subaru, and decided a picture of it would be relevant?

The seagull is common to many parts of the world, yes, but the tweeting seagull is a rare specimen that can only be found near Bucksport.

[justinrussell Posted Jul 17th 2010 9:41AM]

@gmack523 I'm 99% sure that the photo's taken at Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park. Looks like the view I've seen when I've visited there, at least.

[trekrema Posted Jul 17th 2010 10:41AM]

@NeoJew

Me too, Massholes!

[kiwi32 Posted Jul 16th 2010 9:56PM]

My Subaru rocks.

[MastrCake Posted Jul 16th 2010 9:56PM]

That's not an Outback...

[Firewave Posted Jul 16th 2010 9:59PM]

@MastrCake

Its a birdback

[PiCASSO Posted Jul 16th 2010 9:59PM]

@MastrCake

My thoughts exactly...

"What is the Forrester".

[gumby0 Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:03PM]

@MastrCake

Yup that's a forester alright. Good thing this isn't autoblog...

[incredibuyer Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:04PM]

@MastrCake you beat me to the punch. its a Forester

[Michael Scrip Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:27PM]

@incredibuyer

I know the Outback has been getting larger and larger over the years... and it doesn't look like a station wagon any more...

But I'm so glad it's a Forester in the picture and not the newest Outback!

[tekdemon Posted Jul 16th 2010 11:47PM]

@MastrCake Seriously, when I saw the pic I facepalmed.

[Judah Rosenthal Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:03PM]

See- the birds help w/ reception. In fact, I hear Apple's looking to hire a few to work on their next iPhone.

[Infomaniac Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:05PM]

"The automaker that insists it's all about love it about to give prospective buyers" I am really tired... could someone explain the sentence to me? Especially the "it's all about love it about" part.
Thanks in advance,
Infomaniac.

[McKooter Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:05PM]

yeah well im from maine, good luck finding wifi up here, theres so much dial up going on, in reality it should have come with a modem

[bpuff Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:05PM]

That is indeed a Forester. Swell.

[BearCobra Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:06PM]

The plate says they're from Massachusetts...

[hodedofome Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:09PM]

Orrrrr just get an evo or any other Android that can WiFi tether with simple rooting

[southern78 Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:10PM]

I like Subaru but there gas mileage is not great...price ya pay for AWD but they are sweet rides.

[southern78 Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:14PM]

@southern78 their*...ah to be able to edit a post

[sharukh007 Posted Jul 17th 2010 12:50AM]

@southern78 ironically, the first one made more sense.

[knowitall Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:16PM]

That car might have Mass plates, but it was photographed in Maine.
We do allow Mass drivers up here, but they are referred to as massholes for their propensity for forcing their way out in front of you on short notice.

[Seieibob Posted Jul 17th 2010 1:55AM]

@knowitall

We in Maine don't drive terribly fast.

[Robo Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:17PM]

No birds, no deal.

[Torrasque Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:17PM]

Lights should blink when a Twitter message is received

[APV Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:25PM]

Cool idea... Should just make it $2,000 and have unlimited 3G for life...

Just saying...

I mean, it's kinda ridiculous to have to spend $1,500 or more to get a touchscreen console, when you can buy the same thing for $200 at Napa. Consider something else with unlimited free lifetime 3G (the Kindle from Amazon) is less than $200, the inflation seem's just.

:D

I should make movies with my 8th grade math skillz. Because that completely just made total sense.

[Michael Scrip Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:33PM]

@APV

Yes... but Kindle books are about 800KB... and you only download one every once in a while.

This single web page you are reading right now is 175KB... and all of the graphics and everything else is about 1.4MB. The Engadget homepage is 2MB.

Web browsing and downloading books are totally different.

[APV Posted Jul 16th 2010 11:28PM]

@Michael Scrip

Yeah, but when you spend almost an hour every day browsing the web on it, I would be doing the exact same thing through an iPhone or laptop on the car's wifi. A website is a website. It's not like someone would try to download an HD movie in iTunes through their car...

[rivensky Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:32PM]

Mine mine mine.

Sorry I couldn't help myself.

[Nn4458 Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:38PM]

I thaught Subaru went out of business?

[lnm4444 Posted Jul 17th 2010 1:10AM]

@Nn4458 GM owned a share but they sold it to Toyota. They still are in business.

[crawlgsx Posted Jul 16th 2010 10:55PM]

Since when is a Seagull a Maine bird???

[Jak Crow Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:30PM]

@crawlgsx Or even a strange bird.