A system includes a mobile device having a processor and memory. The mobile device determines that a new vehicle is assigned to an identified owner and responsively initiates a settings configuration process. The configuration process includes presenting existing vehicle system settings from an existing vehicle that can be transferred to the new vehicle, receiving selection of settings to be transferred, receiving editing of settings to be transferred, presenting configurable vehicle system settings for the new vehicle that can be configured, receiving configuration of the settings, and saving selected, edited and newly configured settings to a data set, which is then uploaded to a server for transfer to the new vehicle.