This makes sense. Navigation maps cost $$$ to maintain. Subaru has been charging for built-in navigation for years (it comes free for 3 years with most purchases) with the expectation that most people won't renew when the free period expires. The navigation is very good as whatever service they use is able to account for construction and other map changes significantly faster than Google does. But the UI is really slow.
The alternative is to use CarPlay/Android Auto and the navigation app of your choice for free. (Until like Toyota Ford starts requiring a subscription to use CP or AA. They had planned to do this several years ago but decided not to after backlash.)
Another alternative is to store maps on the head unit, and provide a subscription for downloading map updates. That's how all of the cars in my house (Porsche, BMW) work for nav, and it works perfectly fine. Stop paying? Then you get to keep using the last update you downloaded for the rest of time.
Hard agree. Maps, I don't care plus I understand, it's an ongoing cost and keeping old maps may actually be dangerous. Carplay, Android Auto behind subscription? Just weird. I'm not even mad, it's that weird. Like BMW buttheaters on subscription level weird.
Toyota want a subscription for AA/CP? For something with a one-time development cost and nothing ongoing after?
Wow.
Wait, what? You can develop software one time and never need to follow up with updates or nothing ongoing after? Sign me up
Really? It's a rounding error. Both are essentially video mirroring protocols with some bidirectional stuff for speed / fuel level etc.
Compare that to the effort made to do your own satnav, or integrate an existing one, then get back to me.