QOTD: Do You Want to See Ads in Your Car?

by Tim Healey

Published: September 5th, 2024

Once again, we're covering an automaker working on putting ads in your car.

Not only did Ford file a patent for showing you ads in your car, these ads would be targeted.

So, that sets up an obvious question -- would you want to see ads in your car?

I am going to bet that most of you do not. I do not, that's for sure. I can handle ads in certain situations -- I don't mind seeing ads on my TV or streaming services, in exchange for paying less for cable/streaming. I don't mind seeing ads on Web sites -- I know that's how sites make money (obviously, that applies to TTAC). I can even live with ads on sports-team jerseys, if they're small and subtle.

But there's a difference between using ads to pay for costs/make a bit of profit and an actual outright cash grab. Not to mention that while I am good with ads in certain contexts, I want a break from them. It's one thing to hear audio ads when listening to the radio or Pandora/Spotify -- but I don't need to have ads intrude on my driving experience any further than that.

Maybe disagree. Maybe you don't. Either way, you know what to do.

Sound off below.

[Image: Ford]

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Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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2 of 68 comments

Lou_BC on Sep 07, 2024
I guess I should pry all of the logos off my vehicle. That is a form of advertising. Anyone wearing 'branded" clothing?

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Jmanb52 on Sep 09, 2024
Short answer is NO! It has been a tread for manufactures to basicaly glue a tablet to an area of the dash and call it an infotament system. However there is not one of us on here that doesn't ahve a smart phone or tablet. With the android auto, and the Apple Carplay and bluetooth that conencts car spekers and mic to our headset, do we even need an Infotament system or just bluetooth connection to use hands free mic and spearkers or wired connection to USB port for connection to spearkers / mic and charge the phone. So maybe the QOTD should be do manufactures even need to provide an infotanement system or should they just provide an in dash holder for a tablet or smartphone?

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