With Sirius and XM continuing to land partnership deals with just about every vehicle maker on the planet, the option to add Satellite radio in your new vehicle is being offered at more and more automobile dealerships across the U.S.

Though still not a common "standard" feature, the appearance of satellite radio as an available "option" has more than tripled over the past three years.

Factory-installed and dealer-installed options: Both Satellite radio companies encourage automobile manufacturers to 'factory fit' Satellite radio systems, this increases the chance that auto buyers will become subscribers.

New vehicles boasting a Satellite radio option come off a manufacturers assembly line with either a partly or fully equipped Satellite radio system. In most cases, a new vehicle will arrive at a dealership with a factory-fitted in-dash "Satellite Ready" radio. The dealer will then quote a price to supply and install the remaining equipment necessary, usually the Satellite tuner and antenna.

Without doubt the option of factory or dealer-installed Satellite radio in your vehicle has its benefits; a clean installation with no visible hardware, plus the best sound quality available being the most obvious. The price quoted at dealerships varies depending on the type of equipment, but expect to pay between $300 to $800. The good news is that you don't have to go with a dealer-installed tuner and antenna; you can purchase aftermarket gear and install it yourself for great results and big savings.

Subscription costs: Although there are many vehicles now available with Satellite radio as a manufacturer-supported option, this typically does not include the cost of the subscription to the service, only the cost of the equipment. However, the majority of automobile manufacturers and dealerships are offering incentives, normally a three-month trial subscription to the service with no activation fee.

Can I choose which Satellite radio service? Unfortunately, exclusive deals made between automobile manufacturers and Satellite radio service providers, mean that few dealerships are able to offer a choice of Satellite radio services (see chart below).

Which vehicles offer a Satellite radio option? The chart below shows which Satellite radio services each automobile manufacturer is offering. Its worth remembering that not all the models in a manufacturers vehicle range offer Satellite radio as an option.

before long I think we will see Satellite radio become a standard feature in all new vehicles across the nation, with a buyer only having to decide on a payment plan and activation fee. Furthermore, buyers will have the choice of either service.

Last updated: August 01, 2005.

XMSirius AcuraYN AlamoYN Aston MartinNY AudiYY AvisYN BMWNY BuickYN CadillacYN ChevroleYN ChryslerNY DaimlerChryslerNY DodgeNY FleetwoodNY FordNY FreightlinerYN GMCYN HertzNY HondaYN HummerYN HyundaiYN InfinitiYY IsuzuYN JaguarNY JeepNY land RoverNY LexusYN LincolnNY MaybachNY MazdaNY Mercedes BenzNY MercuryNY MiniNY MitsubishiNY MonacoNY NationalYN NissanYY OldsmobileYN PeterbiltNY PontiacYN PorscheYY SaabYN SaturnYN ScionYY ToyotaYY VolkswagonYY VolvoNY WinnebagoNY 

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This article will launch my new series in the Why study Math? category. This will be the start of a fascinating series which show that mathematics is more than just a pain in the neck; indeed these essays will permit a fascinating peek into the world of this curiously strange discipline. We start in the land of geometry, where shapes and figures and their many properties drive students to the breaking point of insanity. Each article will feature a specific aspect of a particular branch of mathematics, such as algebra, trigonometry, and calculus; and each will endeavor to shed some light on how these fields are used in the real world. So come on board and enjoy the ride.

In the field of geometry, particularly as pertains to the high school geometry course, a student is introduced for the first time to the wonderful world of mathematical proofs. Often times students will be scratching their heads wondering why in the world they would be learning things as proving two triangles congruent or about the different properties of shapes such as trapezoids, parallelograms, or even those solid figures called polyhedrons. What is not understood or even seen is that such shapes play a fundamental role in many areas of science and indeed nature.

For example, the helix structurethat winding pattern best typified by a spiral staircaseis the structure most abundant in nature. Watson and Crick, the scientists who won a Nobel Prize for their groundbreaking work with dna, the genetic material responsible for heredity, showed that the very structure of the dna molecule exhibited a double helix structure. Running a close second to the helix structure, we have those solids which are formed by regular pentagons and hexagons, those five and six sided figures. Because it is impossible to enclose space (in other words form a polyhedron ball) with just hexagons, it is necessary that pentagons be added to the mix. In fact 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons form the recipe for a nice type of polyhedron ball, which has come to be called a truncated icosahedron.

The soccer ball is the perfect real-life example of the truncated icosahedron. What is even more, many virusesthose potentially deadly nuisancesexhibit this structure. Viruses have outer shells called capsids that are often in the form of an icosahedron. And for those of you who are not familiar with chemistry, the eponymous buckey ball, is an organic molecule made mostly of carbon, which exhibits the soccer ball structure. In fact, chemists have now discovered a whole family of these soccer-ball-like molecules, which are called fullerenes. New and interesting discoveries are being made with these molecules and fascinating applications for their use in diverse fields as medicine and pharmacology are being researched.

Thus understanding geometryshapes, figures, and their related propertieshas profound implications for all of us. Just remember this the next time you go to fill a prescription for that drug which is going to kill that buckey-ball shaped virus that is wreaking havoc on your insides. For without understanding the very nature of the shapes of these viruses, chemists and pharmacologists would be at a loss in their attempt to battle these viral parasites. Stay tuned for more in my Why study Math? series...