First, let me say I never thought I'd pay for radio. I didn't have cable until I moved into a house with zero TV reception in 2001.
I started my subscription with an add-on radio when I was still in CA. Very long commutes and radio blew with constant commercials. This was well before I had an AUX input on my radio so I was stuck shuffling CDs..I hate CDs, they are a real PITA.
Since I began, the price has gone up to whatever it is today. I don't really care what the cost is, it's paid for itself 100X over in my sanity. I have a 100mile round trip commute and couldn't imagine terrestrial radio with the constant barrage of commercials.
Between XM and my MP3 player (3000+ tracks), I've got all the entertainment I need. The only time I've ever listened to FM in the past 4+ years is when I'm in a car wash and I can't get a signal. CDs? What are those? I couldn't tell if my CD changers have worked in the past 5 cars because I've never used them.
I am a firm believer of the First Amendment. Having this freedom doesn't require a listener to tune in..there's always the "next station" button and you do have the parental controls ability you can set up to protect the little ones
Now for the bad stuff:
- The customer service really blows.
- They can't get their billing straight to save their life.
- You will wait on hold for hours to talk to some Indian dude who you can't understand.
- I can't stand all of the channels I don't use and have to pay for (kind of like cable).
..and one last note..I wouldn't waist your time with the traffic service. Perhaps in cities with a good alternate infrastructure it would be worth something. I use my Google Maps on my phone to get my traffic...it's free.
-ZCarGo-