My car is also smart now

I’ve recently bought a device because of the many problems on my car. This device is to monitor my car continuously and it should notify me immediately in case of errors.

I had two devices to choose from:

Basically, both devices do the same thing, with ryd you have a lot of extensive features. I know someone who bought ryd some time ago, so I asked him about it. He said that he is happy with it, but now he has to pay a monthly sum to ryd in order to continue to use the app.

I wrote to ryd’s support asking how the prices are and that they are not informative on the website. They took me too long to answer.

Then I went to the PACE website and saw they have a chat support. I’ve asked them if this is a subscription or a one time payment, they confirmed that it is a one-time payment and i’ve placed the order.

Yesterday the package has arrived. It was simply packed and the there was only the OBD2 plug. I had previously received instructions via e-mail. Of course I wanted to test it immediately and connected it to the car and to my mobile phone. After that I just had to start the PACE app.

First, I was asked for the mileage and the manufacturer number. After that I had to install a firmware update on the device. After that through within a few seconds of quick tests i was forwarded directly to the user interface.

If errors are reported by the car, they will be displayed immediately and can be extended to show the description. Of course, mistakes were found on my car. The practical thing is that you get these error messages also displayed on the website. Maybe they will integrate a sharing function later, where you can share the error codes with friends who are more familiar with cars.

As soon as you drive, the app switches to Drive mode, where all the necessary informations are displayed. If you do not have the app on, you get a notification that you can tap on the notification to switch to the “Drive mode”.

Once you have finished a trip, it is automatically saved on your phone and synchronized with the PACE server. You then have the informations both on the app as well as on the website. What I find most interesting is the indication of how much the ride cost the driver.

Pace also offers a web interface where you can retrieve all your data. You can have error codes, dangerous manouvers, driving behavior etc. displayed there. The operation is also very simple and clear. I have not encountered any errors on the surface yet.

In any case, PACE convinces with its ease of use. In the beginning, I thought that it is somehow strange that you do not have so many features, but I find it more beneficial in retrospect.

Everything about this device reminds me of my fitbit watch that I have worn for a while. It also had an app and sent the data via the app to the fitbit server. Then you could read the data and their evaluations online.

I’m very happy with the device and do not regret a cent I spent. If some things do not work, it’s not because of PACE, it’s just because my car does not supply enough data.

For being a one-time investment for a device that can not wear out, it’s worth every penny and I hope it lasts a lifetime.