Pioneer AVIC-U310BT 4.3-Inch In-Dash Navigation Receiver with CD Player and Bluetooth
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PIONEER AVIC-U310BT 4.3″ In-Dash Navigation Receiver with CD Player & Bluetooth
Features
- AM/FM radio, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3/WMA/WAV/AAC receiver with GPS navigation
- 4 x 50 Watts maximum power with front/rear and two sets of preamp outputs
- 4.3-inch widescreen TFT LCD touchscreen with 480 x 272 resolution
- Includes auxiliary input, USB port, SD card slot, iPod direct control; add optional tuners for SAT/HD radio
- On-board Bluetooth for hands-free calls, on-screen dialing and more
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 10 x 10 x 14 inches
- Weight: 6 pounds
Awsome Unit for the price!
This unit works great for me, I’ve had it in my car for three days now and haven’t had any problems. The POI database does suck. Other than that it’s a good unit. Sounds great, I’ve read some people complaining about tracks not showing up on there thumb (USB) drives, but I haven’t had this problem. BT connects fine with my phone (HTC Touch PRO). Just for clarification, the BT does not support media playback, the SD Card is only for the navigation & will not playback media, also not on amazon but on other sites I’ve read that this unit had MSN Direct… It doesn’t.
Great Value!
The old saying you get what you pay for doesn’t apply to this unit. You get a lot more than you pay for. Haven’t had any issues with the navigation being inaccurate or slow. The detachable face is very cool. So you can take the navigation with you if you park and walk. I thought the sound quality would suffer, but it has plenty of clean power and exceeds the sound quality of many factory systems. And if you want more power you can add an amp. You can add other accessories too.
The iPOD control isn’t that intuitive. I find it a bit clumsy, but I got use to it.
The bluetooth works great and was easy to set-up. The phone functionality is great. For those of you who are addicted to talking while driving, this is a great solution. Sort of like talking to a passenger in your car. Ask several how the sound quality is on the receiving end of the phone and no one mentioned any quality problems.
If your looking for an inexpensive in-dash navigation unit with iPOD control and hands-free calling, buy this unit. If you want the biggest screen, best user-friendly iPOD control and shake-the-windows power then you need to look at higher-priced alternatives.
Pioneer AVIC-U310BT
Perfect fit, Looks as good as OE units. Lots of usefull features. IPOD controller, GPS & Bluetooth functions work really well. Lots of bang for the buck. Highly recomended.
I have no idea why everyone else is complaning?
Why all the complaining? This unit is 99% perfect.
Here are a few minor cons:
1) Where is map update feature on the Pioneer Site? Every navigation company offers some sort of annual map update (even for a price).
2) I wish the screen wasn’t so bright. It was a little difficult to see during the daylight
3) How come this navigation doesn’t show speed? I love that feature in other devices.
Pros:
1) I love the bluetooth in this device. For all the negative reviews I saw, all I have to say is try Garmin before you complain. I could barely pair my iPhone with Garmin. The mic. is so powerful that for the first time everyone that I talked to pointed out how good I sounded.
2) iPhone controls are better than my wife’s $1,700 Kenwood navigation that came with her vehicle
3) It looks so sharp that people who installed it (it’s a big local store that sells and installs high-end devices) were taking pictures of it in the parking lot. And I quote: “Wow, this looks better than our high end units!”
4) The navigation voice of this device is 1000% more natural than on my $700 Garmin device.
5) Sound is great. I was originally concerned since I am installing this in my limited edition Toyota Sienna with JBL sound. But this unit sounds just as good as factory stereo.
6) I always wonder why does my wife’s system plays DVDs? Who watches DVD’s while driving. Besides it seems to me that most companies charge extra for this feature and since my Sienna already has a DVD system in the back, this was the perfect choice for me.
Overall, I would recommend this unit for everyone. Do not listen to the negative reviews. I am more than pleased.
Love it! Could not find anything nearly as good for the price!
It is my first aftermarket radio in many years, and I could not be any more pleased. Although it is not perfect, FOR THE PRICE that I paid I got what I expected and more (I wanted to spend less than $500 on the entire installation in order to allow money to go toward new speakers as part of the factory upgrade). It also looks very nice in my 2007 VW Jetta. I had seen some pictures of the radio installed in other cars, and was surprised at how good it looks on mine.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
The touch screen is very responsive. The big multi-function knob does get some getting used to, and the navigation through the menus is a little tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it all makes sense.
I will have to check and see what firmware version comes with my radio, as I have not experienced any of the lock ups that so many reviews are commenting on. Being that I just got it just under a month ago, I am wondering if it came upgraded from factory to the latest firrmware.
My most important things when shopping for a radio were excellent, customizable sound, and bluetooth capability. GPS was a nice plus if I could get it within my budget.
SOUND:
I seriously doubt you will be dissapointed with the sound from this unit. My subs in the truck of my 2007 Jetta (previously connected to the factory radio through a speaker to line level converter), now have come to life, being properly connected to a subwoofer output. The sound has improved so much by just reaplcing the head unit that I have decided not to replace the factory speakers. The somewhat parametric EQ (though it does not provide continuous frequency adjustment, it does give you a few key fq to select from, and then an adjustment between narrow and wide, at various levels. I ended up tweaking one of the radio presets, and judt find myself making minor tweaks on some songs to adjust for pronounced differences in the way they were recorded.
This is my first radio with a USB input, and I must say that I love not having to burn CDs anymore. And since I carry a USB stick on my key chain anyway, I just plug it in to the radio, and that’s where my music comes from. For some reason, sometimes it does not read the memory stick on the first attempt, and I wonder if it is because I have other files in there other than music!
BLUETOOTH:
The radio connects to the phone just a few seconds after I turn the key on the ignition, and then life is good after that: I can make calls from the phone (the radio will not let you place calls while the car is moving, but you can call from the phone), and receive calls. I have the microphone set on my visor, and people on the other side can hear my kids from the back seat. I have not had any echo issues at all, and have been told that the sound quality is great on the other side. It certainly is very good inside the car.
GPS:
I do not have much to compare it to, other than my wife’s nuvi, and I must say that I like mine better. Though the screen is the same size (4.3″), it provides guidance regarding which lane to stay on when driving through exits, etc. I also like how it displays signs for the interstates, etc. and how it brings a bar on the side that wears off as you approach the turn. Regarding the comments about the unit telling you to turn too late, I have only seen that happen once in the few weeks that I have been using it. And I have to say, I would be curious to see if another unit would correct this rare occurrence. I live in the Atlanta metro area and I rarely go downtown.
Other than that, I have not used the AVIC feeds program, though the way the left out such important POI category for restaurants!!! Obviously they want people to purchase the optional POI card, but again, I rarely go out of town in my car, so not too important for me.
For the PRICE, this is a GREAT BUY
I found myself driving my Toyota more these days but the stock radio in a 99 does not have MP3 playback compatibility so I decided alright, I need to get me a new radio with a AUX jack and iPOD hookup. So I browsed around and found a few different head units for under 200 bucks. I then find myself being spoiled by having a navi in my other car so was thinking of grabbing a portable GPS system as well because I thought I could save some bucks. I got a Bluetooth headset which annoys me when I have sunglasses on while driving so that’s when I started looking into a in dash navi with the bells and whistles. That’s when I came across this PIONEER navi. It has Bluetooth, it has MP3 playback, it was a NAVI and the price was very well reasonable, I figured buying a Bluetooth, mp3 head unit and a portable gps I minus well get me a ALL in 1 in dash. I did a whole lot of research in this head unit and decided to buy it. I bought this on the 13th of MAY 2010 and received it around the 17th. I installed plenty of radios in my life, but this was my first NAVI I ever installed with a Bluetooth. I grabbed a wire harness to make life easier, and I recommend getting a wire harness for your car. Being the first time I ever installed this system, I was able to get it done in less than a HOUR, it was SIMPLE, plug and play and wiring your GPS antenna and where you want your mic to come out for Bluetooth is at your preference. I wired my mic to the driver side top visor area and my gps antenna is on my dash board driver side corner. I also wired the ipod connect and AUX to come out of my glove box. I did all this in less than a hour and this was my first time, so of course I was a bit sketchy of the results, well, the GPS turns on right away, it was a little delay but it picked right up. I entered some addresses around my neighborhood to go around to see how quick or laggy it would be (I am from LA county) and it was perfect, turn by turn and SIMPLE. The best part about the NAVI I loved (not sure if all of them are like this, but my scion navi sure is not) is it would tell me to make a right at a quarter mile ahead, but when I get closer it says make the next right, that’s the business I tell ya! I was also able to change the volume of the NAVI voice while having my radio on so I can hear how loud it will be over my music, loved that feature. Overall the NAVI part of it being a simple system, I rate it a 9 out of 10, the only weak points I found in the NAVI feature is the POI, there are not many to chose from. Now, to the Bluetooth, I had a really hard time connecting my berry to it at first, it kept saying connected, then terminated and connected and terminated and was annoying me for about 10 minutes. I read a lot of reviews about it having this problem so I decided to try to mess around with it a bit. What I did was I deleted my phone from the PIONEER Bluetooth setting and started the process over, this time I paired it from the PIONEER rather than the mobile phone and the PIONEER head unit picked up my phone and I paired them, entered the PW and bam, I didn’t have that problem with Bluetooth anymore, of course by this time my friends were annoyed of me calling them to check my Bluetooth LOL. Luckily I was able to drive around and test it, everyone can hear me clear with my windows rolled up, they didn’t even know I was on a headset, so I decided hmmm, let me try to drive with my window down and they told me they can still hear me clear but sounded like I was far from the headset, which is fine to me, so I said you know what, let me get on the freeway and have the window down and guess what? They said they can hear me, but it seems I am on speaker, so hey, that works out just fine right! Now for the big test, I was on the phone, doing a navi to a destination, and while I was on the phone having a full on conversation my GPS still talks to me and doesn’t pause my conversation, I loved this. The Bluetooth part of this I will give a 8 out of 10 for me having trouble the first moments of getting dropped every time and finding the perfect place to set the mic. iPOD connect and AUX connect are awesome, I was able to control everything on the iPOD through the head unit but I was not able to control everything through the AUX port, I had to still scroll through my berry for the music to play through the speakers, but that is for every AUX port. As for the iPOD connect, it works miracles like they should, so connecting an outside source via iPOD or AUX, I give it a 10 out of 10, crisp and clear. Swapping from navi to other sources was cake which is a huge bonus for me. The only issue I had and was very disappointed with but can live with it was the MP3 playback, sure it plays it from a CD-R but it did not want to play my MP3 data I had saved on my DVD-R, my scion did this and NO IT DOES NOT HAVE DVD, everyone was telling me its because the NAVI don’t play DVD but my stock scion does not play DVD either but was able to read my DVD-R datas MP3, that was the only bummer for me in this Navi. Other than that, I am happy with what I got, the price that was paid for it was well worth it for your basic Navi, Bluetooth, Music needs.
budget bargain
does everything I expected, phone and handsfree work trouble free, phonecall audio quality very good on both ends. bought on a 1-day sale and it certainly exceeds on value
Pioneer, navigation, handsfree connection, ipod/iphone connection
Hi, I have to start from the point that I am from different country, I am from Azerbaijan Republic, Baky city and not from US. I love Amazon and love shopping on-line. I bought Pioneer AVIC – U310BT (US version, not European version since it makes difference in radio channels and some reading formats. In my case some radio channels did not work since my country in East Europe, Middle East & Asia but I was aware of item’s version) a couple of months ago and only few days ago I decided to let the world know my experience with one. I mean the price is perfect for such device, compare to my country’s price list, Gosh I don’t wanna mention about it. Shipping and handling are perfect as well. Now, about the device: It is OK to use as a music player by all means (reading from iPhone, iPod, usb storage device, CD and etc.). The sound quality is OK as well but it depends for whom and for which kind of vehicle. Now about connection, you should check the connection not twice but trice, especially hands free connection/bluetooth, before, purchasing it, since, sometimes it could be defective or broken. Note: The main purpose for purchasing such kind of devices is bluetooth and iPhone/iPod connection then other features may apply by order next. It is really revolutionary breakthrough to have in one car audio device’s everything in it and all gadget features in one. Navigation system is so-so but not the best even for my country. Additional information for people residing in countries like Japan and South Korea, only bum from respected countries might to reconsider in order to use such device or not. Think twice before purchasing it, if for some improbable reasons you forgot to think twice, now scratch it on your brain’s memory card, Amazon would definitely for 100%, think twice for you surely. Praise Amazon and thanks God its Amazon! I am not Amazon agent and they do not pay me for one. I returned the broken/defective device/item back to Amazon and the refund was made smoothly without any hustle. This is my own opinion about and experience with Amazon, therefore, if someone would step forward to show itself by criticizing my on-line shopping experience with Amazon, please you are welcome, do it by all means by writing it your own review on your own page. P.S. Do not gamble with words lucky and not lucky, these words have nothing to do with customers’ reviews from all over the world. Read reviews and make up your own opinion in order to purchase it or not but that would not change the respected item’s profile better in quality stand level. Thank you for reading my review. Have a nice shopping day!
Great Device for the Price
I own a sony xav-w1 and had so many problems with it and then I switched to this product and I am so glad I did.The sound quality is so much better than the sony.The bluetooth is very good for driving, my wife loves it and the microphone is very sensitive and crystal clear that caller can talk to any passenger in the car regardless of where they sit.The GPS is kind of in the basic-medium level of GPS, but it gets you to your destination which is what mostly you will use it for.The GPS has a 3D display to show you your exit as you get closer, it also has a lane assist which I love that way you know which lane to be in.The voice guide is very friendly and descriptive, no harsh “TURN LEFT” rather like “slight left turn ahead”, “Make a legal u-turn” blablablah.The auto-recalculation is very fast and oh I love the anti-theft feature, being able to pull the display panel off…I love it! Make sure to update the firmware using a blank SD card so that you can get all the fixes.With this device I say good-bye to cd’s and hello usb.I connect an 8-gig usb to the usb cable that came with it and stash it in my glove compartment and have loaded all my songs to it.My friends think I am playing sirius radio.Here is the downside of this device – the push in knob can be sometimes frustrating to use causing you to select something else.The poi’s (point of interest) for the GPS is disappointing, since you will have to buy an extra sd card loaded with one, this should have been standard.The display screen could have a little bit bigger but overall I love it and never had one problem with this device.
Great Solid Unit
Been watching this unit for months and bit the bullet when it was on sale. Installation was easy and only took 2 hours. Works great just make sure you update the firmware.
-Navigation works great, maps are a little dated so some roads may not exist. The detachable face is convenient you can take it inside and put in addresses instead of sitting in your car also a great theft deterrent. Plenty of features like select a tts voice and have street names spoken to you.
-Ipod integration works great you can search, select playlist and use the knob to change songs. The sound quality is great and you don’t have to fumble around with your ipod(leave it in the locked glove box.
-Blue tooth is simple to use with lots of features. Syncing the phone and transferring contacts was a breeze. The unit automatically syncs when it turns on. The supplied mic works great and is clear, I have mine mounted on the sun visor.
Unit is simple to use the control knob will take a while to get use to but works pretty good. Can select different colors for the back light scan through and custom colors.
Back of unit has connections for satellite radio and hd radio boxes. This unit works great and has plenty of features for a great price.
Okay unit for the price
After reading many reviews with mixed results I pulled the trigger and purchased this unit based upon the price. I installed this unit on a TrailBlazer with onstar. First, make sure you get a gmos-01 kit and a mounting kit as this make the installation easy and keeps functionality with chimes and OnStar. After installation, the unit will have a lot of freeze ups, etc. So first thing make sure you go on-line to Pioneer and install the 1.0003 software update and that has fixed all the issues. The sound quality if very good. The bluetooth functionality works very good with no problems. The iPod works very well and you don’t have to buy any extra cable as you can use the cable the iPod came with. The navigation is probably where is falls short. The POI is practically useless and you will end of buying for $100 the POI card Pioneer offers that has 12 million POI. You can create and download your own POI using the AVIC feed software you can also download. However, this will not replace the POI that Pioneer offers. A nice feature is that you can create directions from Google maps and import that as a POI into the unit. The navigation unit verdict is still out as searching for streets and city is okay but haven’t used it enough. Garmin or TomTom is superior to the navigation in this unit. Another note on this unit as the unit requires you to ground it to the parking brake for the nav functions to work meaning you have to stop and lift the brake (common in many units). You can simply bypass this and attach the “green wire” to a ground wire or ground it to the body and it will work fine while moving (this may be illegal in some states). Other points to offer, the face plate comes off which I like for theft reasons. This has no video capabilities so things like backup camera will not be an option. So overall for $250 plus wiring harness, SD card $100 for POI is probably priced right. If you want more you will have to be in the $500 plus range. Also [...] is a good site that helps provide information.
Over-promises and under delivers
If all you want is a car stereo, than this thing may be fine. BUT if you’re being seduced by the claims of Bluetooth support and iPod control, think again. While it technically does include those items, their implementation is awful.
Here are my primary gripes. For Bluetooth, it does not support voice dialing through your phone at all. So I’m supposed to take my eyes off the road to dial? It seems to me the whole reason to pay for Bluetooth integration is to avoid this problem. This alone is a deal killer.
Second, at least in my opinion, the iPod control interface is terrible (for example, there is no “pause” button available from the main iPod screen. You have to scroll through a menu tree to get there every time. Not exactly safe for driving.)
Lastly, although I admit that this is sort of a you get what you pay for issue, its screen is significantly smaller than many.
Good Solid Headunit – one of my favorites.
I have owned alot of head units from Alpine, Sony, Kenwood, etc. but this is one of my favorites. The simple interface could be more intuitive, and sometimes selecting items with the control stick/knob is tricky but otherwise it is a fantastic unit.
I have mine installed in a 2008 Hyundai Elantra, and have a small MTX 4 channel amp providing power to Infinity 6.5″ separates in the front cabin area and Infinity 6.5″ door speakers in the back. The installer noted that I would not be able to run a sub amp from the existing pre-outs, and would need to use work around to get signal to another amp (monoblock) that I want to install.
The iPod interface does not require an extra cable as the head unit comes with a USB external cable that typically goes into the glove box. It receives any USB device or cable (such as the iPhone or iPod connect cables or a USB flash drive).
Navigation feature is amazing and easy to use. I don’t use Points of Interest (POIs) so the lack of comprehensive POI data does not bother me much. What is tricky is that when the nav feature is on and the system is directing you to your destination, when the turn navi screens pop up, you lose control of the system. If you are in the middle of navigating through a 60gb ipod library, you will need to start over.
At $270 dollars this unit is a steal. If you need more input – contact me.
Great features for the price!
My favorite thing about this stereo would have to be the Bluetooth feature. I’m not having any issues with the mic so far, like some of the other reviewers, and my iPhone 3GS easily connected to the unit. The unit does not support streaming of music via Bluetooth however, which is a bummer. The navigation is not the best (compared to Garmin), although it does calculate routes faster then Garmin. It does not speak street names straight out of the box. You have to install the TTS file from the CD that comes with the unit, by transferring the TTS file onto an SD card and then loading it onto the removable faceplate. I strongly recommend updating the firmware the same way (accept that the file is on Pioneer’s website). For around $250 you can not beat the price for the features you get, when compared to their more expensive products. The stereo looks absolutely awesome on my 2001 Honda CRV and I’m very happy with my purchase. Now lets hope it doesn’t look too attractive for car stereo thieves in Chicago!!!
Great Entry Level Navigation Car Audio Receiver
The title says it all: Great Entry Level Navigation Car Audio Receiver
I installed this in my 2002 Toyota Tundra without any issues overall I love this stereo. It has a great bang for the buck – but it is not for everyone as it is an entry level unit… Here is a brief run down of the pros and cons of the unit.
Pros:
-Quick start up – it is ready to roll just a second after turning on the vehicle.
-Bluetooth Compatibility for hands free cell phone calls – It pairs with my iPhone 3G with no issues. I use this feature all the time without any issues due to the updated firmware fixes (already preinstalled on the unit.) Unlike others, I do not have an issue with the microphone – but you must place the microphone in a place that you voice can reach it!
-Works with iPhone and iPods – Control the music from the stereo or control the music from your iPod/iPhone. It works both ways. It works great with Pandora running on my iPhone through a standard iPhone cable!
-Plays CDs, MP3, WMA, AAC – Plays the major music formats.
-Touch Screen for easy control – the touch screen makes controlling the unit on the drive easy as pie.
-USB, AUX inputs – The USB input can accept an iPod/iPhone or a jump drive with no issues. You have a AUX mini-jack input for all other non-USB devices.
-HD HD Radio and Satellite Radio Ready (not included) – the unit can add HD or Satellite radio with the purchase of additional parts.
-GPS – Never get lost with GPS in your ride.
Cons:
-Navigation system: No POI (points of interest). You can download or pay for updated POIs – but this is a pain. It is also important to note that the navigation system interface is very generic and not very visually pleasing when compared to other models. The Navigation system is a bit odd to work with as well. There is no “direct” address input. You have to enter a city, then a state, then the address – all on three separate input fields. Navigation is kinda slow a picking up as well. The verbal directions help – but you can still pass the street you should turn on before the system can catch up. Overall, the nav system is OK but it is very crude and it is an entry level setup.
-AVIC FEEDS Software for iPhone – great idea poorly executed. Hard to use (especially when your iPhone is connected to a Microsoft Exchange account). You have to add an address to your contact list in the AVIC feeds iPhone app -> which adds the address to your main iphone contact list -> which adds the address to the contact list on the nav unit memory allowing you to use nav system.
-No expandability – no ability to add features such as steering wheel controls or back up camera or divix/dvds. Plain flat out stupid…
-No Bluetooth audio streaming – you can not stream audio from your iPhone to the unit unlike other models. Not that big of a deal since you can hook up your iPhone with a standard iPhone/iPod cable.
Overall Review:
A great entry level car stereo that excels at hands free calling and iPod/iPhone connectivity and control. Great sound and easy to use once you get use to the operating system. A sub-par GPS navigation unit. This is a great product for you if you really only want is a killer stereo with hands free and iPhone connectivity and limited nav system uses.
CNET Link for additional reviews:
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Great navigation, tricky controls
I got the unit thru amazon a week ago, installed it myself with out any issues and love how it looks in my dash. The background color selector was a nice touch, since my dash uses the old green color found in most fords. I really love the navigation, its pretty accurate, and gives you a nice display on turning distance… the voice is pleasant, but sometimes slow to tell you about a turn if your going a little fast. I have been using the nav on my android phone the past few months, and I love this navigation much more. Over all I think this unit is worth the price, would be nice if it allowed bluetooth stereo streaming so I could use Pandora from my phone, but it does have an AUX input, so its not a complete loss.
Excellent Product…
I love this radio, I bought it for my wife she drives a (Ford Explorer 03) and the Install was completed in 30 min, the navigation and the voice command are really pleasant. End of the Story – 5 Start product really easy to install, 5 Start GPS Capabilities and 5 Start Audio Quality.
Do Not Buy
I’ll start by saying the graphics on the GPS are good….having said that, there is nothing else good to say about it. If you like it and must buy it, plan on spending more to get the additional POI memory card. If you plan on listening to the radio, buy something else. Pioneer must have taken shortcuts on the radio feature. Radio reception is absolutely ZERO! Maybe an FM antenna booster will help.
Spend a little more and buy something else.
Pioneer quality…..Good Bang for the buck.
The boss (Wife) had the stock 6 CD changer in her 2006 Explorer XLT. She wanted a new radio that would allow her to listen to her iPod and have Bluetooth for her phone. I also wanted to add GPS, since if I was going to replace the darn thing, I may as well give her all the functions she might need for the future.
I looked online for a new head unit but it seemed that all the units were in the above $500 range. I saw that Amazon had the Pioneer AVIC-U310BT on sale for $259.00. I did some research and found a mixed bag of reviews, for every good review, there was a not so good one. After a bit of thinking, I decided to bite. I’m glad I did.
I bought the head unit along with the PAC Can Bus module05-08 FORD RADIO CAN BUS MODULE INTERFACEand the Scosche Scosche FD1426B Double ISO DIN Kit for 2004-Up Fordmounting kit. The harness was about $80 and the mounting kit another $15. If you look at a lot of the head units out there, they offer Bluetooth as an option, not include it with as with this radio. That would have added another $100 to many of the competitors out there.
I opened up all the parts I bought and read all the documentation on all the items BEFORE I went outside. I prewired the Pac module, connecting all the wires to the wiring harness from the radio. This made it easy when I went out to the truck. Plug and play, the only wiring I need to do was routing all the wires for the microphone, GPS antenna and the Aux output wire for her Sirius radio.
About that Sirius, Pioneer offers the built in module for Sirius or XM. Both cost $100 and you have to find a place for the big Sirius modules under the dash. They don’t offer some of the features the little Plug and Play units Sirius offers; pause, FF, and favorite song or artist reminders. We decided to keep her existing Sportster 5 and plug it into the Aux port.
I got it all installed in about 90 minutes. I placed the GPS antenna under the top tray on the dashboard. The antenna sees right through the plastic tray, and stays hidden. The iPod cable is simply the USB cable that came with the iPod. You can buy the cable from Pioneer for about $40. I don’t see the need, as it works fine with the Apple cable. I put the iPod in the glove box, as you don’t need to access it, all the controls can be reached from the head unit.
The sound from the radio is great. The GPS navigation seems to be good, but I can tell you more as we use it in real world driving. Some people have said that they had issues with Bluetooth not connecting consistently. I started and turned off the truck about 20 times so far, and each time it finds and connects to my iPhone….no issues at all. The sound quality of the included microphone seems good, so far. Again, we will see how it goes in real world driving conditions.
Overall, it isn’t as neat as the $500-$1000 dollar head units out there, the screen is not as big, and it may not have all the features of its higher priced cousins. But to have GPS, CD, iPod and Bluetooth for about $350 total, it cannot be beat.
Edit 4/27/10 After a week of use:
Wanted to add a few items on the use of this system. First, some have complained about the quality of the microphone that is supplied with the unit. For us, it works well. I have been involved in both ends of phone conversations as both the sender from the truck, or as a reciever of a call from the truck. Both come in loud and clear. Perhaps other people had issue with the location of the microphone? We clipped it directly to the driver’s visor.
Sound quality is fantastic. This head unit really takes advantage of the factory sub woofer in the Explorer. We never heard such powerful bass from the stock unit.
The iPod control takes a little getting used to, but once you figure it out, it works well. My wife has simply put the iPod on random from the head unit controls. It is like a juke box with thousands of songs…..it is playing songs we long ago forgotten that were on the iPod.
GPS navigation has been fine. Sure, not a lot of POI’s, but we simply enter in addresses. For my wife, it is no big deal.
Using the PAC Sys can bus module made the wiring easy. The system knows when the truck is moving, it knows to dim the display when the headlights go on, etc. It is just like a factory installation.
Overall, we are still happy with the purchase.
Great System. Cheap Money!
I read all the reviews on this product before I decided to buy it. I was sort of apprehensive. However, I am extremely pleased with the product. From what some people had said, I thought that the GPS wouldn’t work at all. To be honest, on my boyfriend’s GPS, we never used POI’s so it is not something that I miss. I think that it is really accurate and I haven’t gotten bad directions at all.
I do not have the bluetooth set up, though I definitely want to.
My iPod works great with it and again easy to use.
All in all, I think this was a great buy. I see similar systems priced hundreds more. Insane, I feel like it is a steal.