I am not a pay per month advocate on anything. Greed is all it is.
BUT
How can a car company provide a cell phone based service each month without incurring a monthly cost?
Maybe I just do not understand how the cell based remote start systems work, but it seems to me the phone and the car would need a cellular service to make that long distance connection?
And long distance remote start is not the only feature you get with that option in the vehicle. Even now keyfob short distance is not free even if some think that it is, it's baked into the MSRP of the vehicle when originally purchased the vehicle just like power locks, power windows, etc., A SiriusXM subscription my seem like it's free for the first year when you buy a new vehicle but it's also baked into the price of the vehicle/model. When that "free" period ends get out the credit card and pay if you still want it.... and it's way more than $80 a year.
but it seems to me the phone and the car would need a cellular service to make that long distance connection? 
And long distance remote start is not the only feature you get with that option in the vehicle. Even now keyfob short distance is not free even if some think that it is, it's baked into the MSRP of the vehicle when originally purchased the vehicle just like power locks, power windows, etc., A SiriusXM subscription my seem like it's free for the first year when you buy a new vehicle but it's also baked into the price of the vehicle/model. When that "free" period ends get out the credit card and pay if you still want it.... and it's way more than $80 a year.