Onstar FMV- get help, directions or make calls from nearly any car.

We own two GM cars and both have Onstar. As a husband and father, I feel much better that our cars are equipped with this gear. For those of you not familiar with the service, Onstar is mounted in all GM vehicles and has the ability to make hands-free cell phone calls, provide turn-by-turn directions and, best of all, will automatically call emergency services with the vehicles exact location in the event of an accident via the GPS mounted in all Onstar equippped products.

Until recently, if you didn't own a GM vehicle, you were out of luck and unable to use this service in your non-GM vehicle.

Not any more. Now, hundreds of non-GM cars and truck models can mount Onstar inside their vehicle. Called Onstar FMV ("For My Vehicle"), this is the entire Onstar system built into a rear view mirror module (many GM products have this exact setup too) for replacing your normal, boring, non-button rear-view mirror.

See? Lots of buttons that do lots of things.
(source: GM)

Other available services include bluetooth connectivity for cell phones, calling for roadside assistance and even stolen vehicle recovery (using the Onstar's built-in GPS, they can track the thief and guide the police).

Is Onstar for you? The quick and easy answer is maybe. While Onstar FMV can fit a huge number of non-GM vehicles, it can't fit all of them. the Onstar FMV website has provided a handy guide for you to enter your vehicles make, model, year, etc. to determine if your Ford, Toyota or Jeep (or any make) is compatible with the Onstar FMV system.

Now, Onstar is not free. Two plans are available for $199 and $299 per year (pro rated monthly) with a basic and premium level of services, respectively. For me, I gladly pay the rate and have done so for years. When I know my wife and three kids always have help just a phone call away and they can have the police or fire department respond to their exact location when I can't I feel better. Professional installation is required but can be done for under $100.

And that's worth every penny.

Go to the Onstar FMV site here for ordering info and go to PCMag.com to see a review with the pros and cons of this unique system.