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Economy-car buyers increasingly get the best deal on technology

One of the great things about technology is – with the exception of Apple products – consumers get more for their money every year. For example, the first 1GB USB drive I bought in 2005 cost me $30. Today you can get 10 for that price, delivered to your door thanks to Amazon. The same goes for car tech. Features such as navigation and Bluetooth started out on high-end vehicles before trickling down to entry-level cars. Same with driver assist features ranging from rearview cameras to forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking — so now it's not only rich people who are protected in car crashes. I've found that this democratization of tech has reached a point where amenities on low-cost cars can be as good — and sometimes even better — than those on vehicles costing tens of thousands of dollars more. While attending a media event for the launch of the all-new 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, I was impressed by the car's cool styling and go-kart performance. Equally noteworthy is the amount of standard tech on the low-cost hot hatch. (Pricing will be announced later this month, but expect it to come in a bit higher that the current Corolla iM's roughly $19,000 base.) Even the base SE CVT trim of the 2019 Corolla Hatchback comes with an 8-inch touchscreen and Toyota's Entune 3.0 infotainment system. Among other features, Entune 3.0 provides Wi-Fi capability, Amazon Alexa connectivity, the Entune App Suite for integration of smartphone apps such as Pandora and Yelp and, for the first time in a Toyota, Apple CarPlay (but no Android Auto). The 2019 Corolla Hatchback is also the first North American vehicle to get the second-generation Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite of driver assists that's also standard on the base model. TSS 2.0 includes Toyota's Pre-Collision System (forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking) with new daytime and low-light pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection features, lane keeping and lane departure alert with steering assist, auto high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign detection. While the 2019 Corolla Hatchback sets a new benchmark in standard tech on a budget-mobile, competing cars aren't far behind. The 2018 Honda Fit LX, for example, includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and assist and adaptive cruise, while the automaker's Lane Departure Mitigation and Lane Watch camera system is added the two top trims.

Cadillac cancels its car subscription program after just two years

Cadillac is cancelling its Book by Cadillac subscription service, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal and confirmed to Autoblog by a Cadillac spokesperson. The $1,800 a month service has been in operation since early last year. The Cadillac spokesperson told us this: "Following nearly two years of service, Cadillac will temporarily pause the Book by Cadillac program effective December 1, 2018." This moves comes not too long after the decision to leave its New York City headquarters and return to Michigan. While Cadillac claims the disruption of service will be temporary, there's no defined plan to start the program back up again. The reason for the cancellation? The service ended up being more costly than Cadillac expected it to be. Owners will have 30 days from the time they're notified to turn their vehicles in. If this subscription service was your only transportation, then you better start looking for something else. The service was available in New York City, Dallas and Los Angeles. Subscribers could choose between five different Cadillacs: ATS-V, CTS-V, CT6, XT5 and Escalade. You'd be allowed up to 2,000 miles per month and 18 vehicle swaps per year through the concierge service. Cadillac would bring the car of your choice to you and take the old car away at your whimsy. The price included registration, taxes, insurance and maintenance costs. No long term commitment was necessary to sign up. This makes Cadillac one of the first manufacturers to end a nascent subscription service. If it starts back up again, expect it to look a bit different from the current program. Cadillac says it's using this experience to make strategy adjustments in the future. Whether that means a much more costly program for users, or no subscription program at all, we don't know. Plenty of other manufacturers still offer limited subscription programs in select cities. We highlighted some of the biggest ones in our vehicle subscription service guide here. It'll just be a waiting game to figure out if these modes of ownership take off going forward. For more information on Vehicle Subscription Services, check out the Complete Guide. Related video: Cadillac Car Buying subscription service book by cadillac

North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year finalists revealed

The finalists for the 2023 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards were announced Thursday at the L.A. Auto Show. — The Acura Integra, Genesis Electrified G80 and Nissan Z made the cut in the car category. — The Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado ZR2 and Lordstown Endurance advanced in trucks. — And the Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60 and Kia EV6 advanced among utilities.  The winners will be announced Jan. 11 in Detroit.  The finalists underscored the industryÂ’s shift to electric vehicles, as all three utilities and two of the three trucks are EVs. The finalists were culled from a list of 26 semifinalists made up of three trucks, 10 cars and 16 utility vehicles that are new this year.  Notables that missed the cut include the Mercedes EQE, Subaru WRX and Toyota GR Corolla in cars; while the Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage and Rivian R1S were among the utes that did not advance. The three trucks are the only ones eligible this year and have advanced through the voting.  50 jurors who work for media outlets across North America vote three times over the course of the year to whittle down the field, which was originally 47 vehicles. Jurors also test the semifinalists at an October group event in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Honda Civic (car), Ford Maverick (truck) and Ford Bronco (utility vehicle) were the 2022 winners. Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is a NACTOY juror.   Featured Gallery Ford F-150 Lightning View 48 Photos Green LA Auto Show Acura Cadillac Chevrolet Ford Genesis Kia Nissan Truck SUV NACTOY Lordstown Endurance