Pushing buttons: Trying the OnStar aftermarket mirror

General Motors is now offering OnStar, the granddaddy of telematics services, to used-car buyers and non-GM owners in a replacement rearview mirror available at Best Buy. GM says it has validated the mirror for use in 90 million vehicles made in the last decade. Being familiar with their new-car offerings, we recently sampled the aftermarket mirror to see how the service compares.

Built-in emergency telematics services have become a popular, profit-generating item on new cars. The ability to automatically summon emergency services after an accident could be a growing market with aging baby boomers, as well as young families. Until now, they've only available on new cars, leaving out the roughly three times as many consumers who buy used cars every year.

The mirrors will go on sale at Best Buy on July 24 for $375, including installation, and $299 at other brick-and-mortar and online retailers, plus a $75-$100 installation charge. You also have to pay a monthly fee of $18.95, or an annual service fee of $200 for basic OnStar service.

We tried one of OnStar's FMV mirrors (which stands for "For My Vehicle") in a 2010 Toyota Camry SE. Here are some of our initial impressions:

• The mirror is bulky. It's thick and a little wider than most standard mirrors. It doesn't dim automatically, but has a big black, manual toggle switch on the bottom for dimming, which seems cheap.
• In addition to OnStar, the FMV mirror offers built-in, voice-activated Bluetooth pairing with your phone. This allows you to make and receive hands-free phone calls using the mirror's microphone and speaker.
• The Bluetooth voice activation also allows you to store phone numbers and even turn-by-turn directions downloaded from OnStar.
• There is an external microphone attached to the headliner that will be positioned in an optimal location by the installer.
• You can only buy the mirror from a store that will professionally install it. Because the microphone and accelerometer (for crash detection) have to be precisely positioned, you can't install it yourself. Installation is included in the price.
• We found a lot of vibration in the mirror in the car we sampled, especially over the rough roads near our headquarters in Yonkers, NY. Hopefully installers can get it tighter in other vehicles.
• The mirror has three main buttons along the bottom: the emergency button, the "big blue button" to get an OnStar operator, and a phone button for hands-free functions. In addition, there are four minor buttons on top to adjust volume and the brightness of indicator lights on the mirror.
• If you don't want to sync the mirror with your cell phone, you can purchase voice minutes from Verizon that will allow you to make calls using the mirror's built-in cell service (that's how it calls for help in emergencies).

In addition to the $18.95-a-month OnStar service, the Camry we sampled had the extra turn-by-turn directions service ($10/month or $100 lifetime subscription). To get the directions, you press the blue button and tell an OnStar operator where you want to go. They then look up the address, along with your current location (supplied by a GPS transmitter in the mirror), and send the directions to the car. Since there is no screen, a disembodied voice in the mirror reads the directions to you as you approach each turn. If you stray from the route, we found the system will reroute you fairly seamlessly, though at one point it took 53 seconds for the updated directions to download.

What the OnStar FMV mirror cannot do is connect to the cars' systems like a factory OnStar installation. So it won't unlock your doors if you lock yourself out, or sound the alarm if you lose your car in a parking lot, although it can help police track your car if it is stolen.

For future releases, OnStar is looking at offering versions of the FMV mirror with integrated map lights or backup camera screens. Perhaps and auto-dimming night mode or HomeLink transmitter would also be useful.

In the meantime, we think lots of used car owners will find the ability to add OnStar a useful benefit.

Related:
Move over OnStar: Ford Sync adds a human touch with Operator Assist
Hyundai announces Blue Link telematics pricing, availability
Telematics-Coming to your next new car
2011 CES: OnStar branches out from GM with aftermarket mirror, Android app

—Eric Evarts