Automatic - Smart Driving Assistant - White

I was unpleasantly surprised at how long it took to get it up and running. The unit MAY take a few days to fully update and operate as designed. (My install/setup lasted about a week) However, I think its worth the wait because once you're installed and fully updated, the Automatic works great. I have a 2003 KIA Sorento with essentially no "bells & whistles". The Automatic gives me at least some current car "tech" to take advantage of. And the creators are working to speed and smooth the Automatic's setup process. Tech support responded promptly after some setup issues I encountered.

Overall, I like my Automatic. I have it on my 2011 Subaru Forester and the app is installed on my Samsung Galaxy SIII. I like that it tracks my trips for me and automatically exports it to a spreadsheet on my Google Drive account via IFTTT.com. If you park in a huge parking lot and forget where your car is, the last location will show up on the Automatic App on your smartphone. When the check engine light comes on, Automatic will decipher the problem you're having and can even locate the nearest mechanic. It tracks how many miles you've gone, the MPG on each trip and how much that trip costs (although no one has figured out how they calculate that cost!). I've found that the MPG it calculates is much higher than what I'm actually getting. It'll also give you a score based on your driving habits, like braking too hard, fast starts and "speeding" (getting close to 70 MPH.) That last part, however, I find annoying. In Colorado, the speed limit is 75, which means most people are doing at least 80 and some are at 85. Automatic is set to sound an alert if you hit 70 MPH. The problem is that if you even get close, say 67 MPH, you'll get beeped and your score goes down. I've driven on the Interstate between my town and Denver at 66 MPH (so I don't get beeped) a couple of times and I've seen some near misses behind me as people are swerving into the other lane to get around me, usually cutting someone else off. On the bright side, I never have to pass anyone! I'm hoping they make some changes to how they calculate "speeding," like set the limit at whatever the speed limit is in your area and make it more accurate, and also allow us to input what we're paying per gallon for fuel since each location is different.

When I first saw this product on the apple store website during Thanksgiving i almost bought it just for the gift card i'd get later. After purchasing my own car and realizing I could improve my overall driving, I decided to get the automatic car link. I have a 2002 Toyota Corolla and it doesnt have a lot of sensors as it is a bare bones model. The initial setup was rather a pain because first it wouldn't link up then it couldn't tell if I started the car. So then I kept trying over and over and then it prompts me with a message later than I would have hoped about having to drive some cars around to let it detect igntiion. So I drove around the best buy parking lot and ended get it to see ignition and then it was smooth sailing for the most part after that. The other issue, however, was getting the device to update. The way it updates is a slow and lengthy process that requires at least 45 minutes of the phone on and near the car, 15 of which the car has to be running. After the update, I was able to use advertised features that were printed on the box. Now that I got the downsides out of the way lets look at all the positives. After the setup and intial update everything is very automatic. It tracks my location and my fuel usage which is quite handy for tax purposes. The app is very well designed and is easy to use. It also keeps track of areas for improvment which is helping me become a better driver. These areas include speed, brakes and acceleration. The more I drive now, the better i drive thanks to the subtle audio ques the automatic link plays. As for the cost to benefit ratio, I think it is close to being worth its money. My engine light has yet to come on, thankfully, but I expect automatic to alert me about why it is going off. According to my family mechanic I could have bought a similar obd to bluetooth adapter and app for way less, however, I would not expect the attention to detail this automatic offers. It is a very function based device and achieves those functions well. Overall this is a great item and was very convenient to buy from my local Best Buy store.

Can't complain one bit, the second I connected it I got my codes and was able to fix the problems with my 04 Saturn. Same price of not cheaper than getting codes read and this is permanent so it constantly updates me on so much. Audio alerts helps keep me from speeding and reminds me when I drive a little crazy. Only issue is you need to make sure it's connected or you might miss a trip. My fault due to the settings on my phone that don't allow app refresh in the background.

Set up was a bit of a hassle but I was able to get it working after the third try. Once working, it gives me 'points' for my good driving habits e.g., don't drive over 70, + points; don't accelerate hard from a stop, + points; etc). The thing is, if you are a fairly consistent driver, the feedback doesn't vary. It also doesn't seem to tell you anything you don't know. The only useful tool: if the 'check engine' light goes on, the device will tell you the code and provide a good description of what it means. I'll keep the device for that function alone. Otherwise, don't bother purchasing it.

I like data. There, I said it. And the information provided by Automatic is awesome. The potential for displaying additional information is there, too. They seem to be actively developing both the mobile apps and the web interface to add new features. They also seem to listen to their user base when prioritizing new functionality. It took about 10 minutes to get everything connected and working, and aside from 2 or 3 instances, it has connected to my phone flawlessly ever since. its a great tool for viewing your drives and fuel mileage, and I can see it being hugely helpful for someone who drives a lot for work. Don't forget to set up an IFTTT recipe to export your trips to a Google Soreadsheet.

I got this to keep track of my driving habits. I had a similar thing from Progressive for a few months. I've noticed a definite change in my driving because I'm more aware of hard braking and gunning the gas. Cool features: Easy to use- plug and play. If you get in an accident there is a feature where it will notify a contact via text message automatically. Remember if you don't keep the Bluetooth on all the time, you have to remember to turn it on before driving.

If you just want a device to read engine codes and help you be more fuel efficient this will help. If you have a hybrid fuel efficiency/usage numbers are not accurate. It also is not compatible with third party apps. For that you will need the 2.0 version.