Fleet2

Hello everyone!

I'm still putting my audio system plans together for my C6. Now, I'm getting down to the radio head unit. I've gotten used to having built in Navigation in my cars. I'm not real familiar with CarPlay and AndroidAuto.

Kenwood and Pioneer both sell radios with and without Nav with CarPlay/AndroidAuto. It almost seems to me that Navigation isn't really necessary. For those of you with aftermarket radios, do you use built in Navigation or the CarPlay/AndroidAuto for your navigation needs?

With Navigation Built In, the maps do expire and need updating. With the CarPlay/AndroidAuto that is no issue. I can also save a bit by not getting a Nav unit. Built in Navigation works 100% regardless of cell phone signal, as a benefit.

Can you get by with just a Carplay/AndroidAuto radio rather than a Navigation/Carplay/AndroidAuto radio? The other specs are all identical as far as I can tell.

I will always have a phone tethered to the radio regardless. Are the apps good enough from iPhone?

Thanks

Homer3D

I replaced the factory NAV with the Kenwood DMX7704s. It has CarPlay and AndroidAuto. I have an iPhone and CarPlay is infinitely better than the stock NAV. There is no real need to have built-in NAV and I would feel it is just a waste of money to buy a head unit has built-in NAV if it already has CarPlay and you have an iPhone. The only time you might want to have built-in NAV in the new head unit is if (BIG IF) you are in an area with no cell phone coverage. But when does that really happen these days? And even if that happens, just drive around until you get service and tell Siri where you want to go.

Fast 05

I just had to make this decision as well since I removed the factory nav on my 2005 convertible.
I chose car play and I think it was the right decision. An in dash navi unit gets outdated and never works as well as a map app for your phone. I own two Garmin units and neither work as well as using my phone.

Installed a new Pioneer AVH2330NEX head unit that gave me Bluetooth and a backup camera. This is a really nice upgrade for an 05' that had neither of these.

TorchRedFred

My head unit has built in navigation, apple carplay, and android auto. So I chose the "all of the above" option. I still prefer having built in navigation, and since my car originally came with the nav unit I wanted to keep that option in the car. I also don't like the idea of my car having to be overly dependent on my phone or losing functions if my phone went missing or I left with out it. The few times I have used or needed navigation, I have used head unit's built in nav over any of the phones options. I paid a little more for a head unit with nav, but it's a one time expense and will also help with the resale if I ever do sell my car in the future.

cpt11gs

I went with the Pioneer app radio, which has Apple CarPlay, but no built in Nav. I'm very happy with it, and I'd do it again. CarPlay is great. That being said, The only issue I had was my cell phone is a work phone, and when I switched jobs a few weeks ago, I did not have a cell phone for a week until the new one came from the new job, and for that week I had no Nav. So it that's an issue go with one with both, like TorchRedFred said.

EddieTirebiter

For me it came down to a navagation head unite shows speed and speed limit. Carplay dosn't do that. But the downside for me is the maps will someday be outdated....but I also have carplay available so in a pinch I can pull up the app.

jcgunn

The Android Autoplay in my 2017 Chevy Colorado is one of the best things ever!

Stephen Meredith

I have a kenwood DDX9702s with carplay.

When carplay actually works, apple maps works great! But 3 out of 5 times i start the car the unit will have to reboot itself a couple times before it actually loads carplay. This is my second kenwood with this issue & it happens with different iphones & different brand lightning cables.

Also phone calls, voice to text, & siri are useless when the car is in motion (ambient noise) & that is with different branded microphones in different locations. Connected to bluetooth works better and people can actually hear me (unlike carplay everyone complains they can't make out a single word) but still not that great.


The Pioneer & Alpine units might behave differently, but I won't be going with another kenwood unit again.

Homer3D

I have the Kenwood DMX7704S. I do notice that from time to time CarPlay doesn't start, but it only started happening recently with iOS11. I dont know if it happens as many times as you mention, but enough for me to take note. All I have to do is unplug my iPhone, plug it back in and it works.

I, however, do not have any issues with phone calls, voice to text, talking to siri, etc with the car in motion and windows down. I wonder if this is more of an issue with your mic or many the install location.

You might want to check for a firmware update for your head unit. See if any of the issues you are having are addressed in new firmware.

bb996+r1

For those on a budget this is a great deal. You can find packages on ebay with the harness for about $500

http://soundstream.com/carplay/

madsonp

I prefer the built in nav system myself for a number of reasons. First of all living out west there're quite a few areas where you don't have cell service, second is I believe when you do use your phone and have service you burn up more data. I have the Pioneer AVIC-8200 NEX and an old iPod connected to it for music. To use Apple Play it requires your phone to be plugged into the unit which in itself is a hassle having to plugging it in and unplugging every time you get in and out of the car, so for that reason I rarely connect my phone to use Apple Play. Pretty much the only time my phone connects to the unit is via Bluetooth for the hands free phone use or if my phones battery is low on charge.

farchila01

I'm of the same belief. What unit did you end up purchasing?

Stephen Meredith

I've had this unit in both my camaro & vette. it has the newest firmware & I was on iOS 10.3 until this past week. Seems to be no difference between 10.3 & 11.

I've also tried the kenwood mic that came with it & an aftermarket mic. tried the a-pillar mount, speedo area mount, & radio bezel mount.

I've tried an apple lightning cable, amazon basics cable, & chinese ebay cable. I wish i had a way to record, last night it literally took my 7 tries of plugging and unplugging the cable both from the phone & from the kenwoods usb port before it recognized it & opened carplay.

Now the ddx9702s is a 2015 model i believe, so there hasn't been a firmware update from kenwood in around a year, & probably won't be another.

Homer3D

Well I can definitely understand the frustration if it takes multiple times of unplugging/plugging to get the CarPlay to start. I know I wouldn’t be happy. Maybe I was lucky and got a good unit, or maybe things just got better with their 2017 model. I know it is not perfect as I do have to do the uplug/plug thing once and a while. If I had to switch I would probably go with an Alpine head unit.

TorchRedFred

Pioneer 8200nex. Someone posted a link yesterday that NewEgg.com has them for $630 right now, which is a great price. Some will argue that if you are going with a high end system that Alpine has better sound, and they are probably right. But for features and a user friendly system, the Pioneer can’t be beat. I paid just over $800 for it 10 months ago, and a few months before that it was going for $1000-1200, so $630 is a steal.

jdmvette

I replaced an older Kenwood with built in Navi to an Alpine without.

Kenwood was tired, glitchy and had outdated maps circa 2007.

New Alpine maps will always be up to date via smartphone and so far none of the glitches I had experienced with the former have happened.

Highly recommend Alpine over any other mainstream brand. Oh yeah the sound quality of the Alpine is much better than the Kenwood it replaced.