We cover a lot of new, teched-up cars here at CNET, but I know most of you are not
in the market for a new car.
You?ve got one, you just wish it didn?t have a cassette deck!
I
think we have you covered with the Top 5 ways to tech up the car you already own.
5: Car App Gateway.
You?ve drooled over how some new cars have apps to locate them,
remote start them, unlock the doors and more.
You can add that to your car with that a kit
like the Python DSM250 or others.
Costs about $300 but probably double that once you pay
for wiring adapters and some dude to put it in.
If you install one in each of your cars they all
show up on the app at once which makes you look a baller.
That?s cool.
The 5-7 bucks a
month service fee, not so much.
4 DSP Audio Processor.
Almost nobody knows about these: They combine a new amp & a
digital processor in one box that intercepts the sound on the way to your speakers and
makes it sound a whole lot better.
JBL?s MS-8 is a good example.
It does a sound map of
you car with its included sampling microphone and LCD controller.
Then it delivers perfect
EQ, 5.1 surround, lots of great sounding audio and an AUX jack.
Downside is it costs $800
and doesn?t add Bluetooth streaming or other modern inputs.
3 That?s where #3 comes in: A Bluetooth Input Adapter.
You want this.
It lets you stream
stereo audio from your smartphone or tablet to the AUX jack in your dash but without wires.
These devices typically include hands free calling as a bonus.
Belkin?s adapter is a good
example at under $50 street price and 5 minute install.
Downside: BT streaming doesn?t
sound as good nor work as simply as that old $3 aux cable..
2: OnStar FMV - This is a rear view mirror with OnStar services built in.
It replaces the mirror
in your car now, and then you?ve got help when you crash into a tree, BT HF calling, vehicle
locator, TBT navigation, concierge service, etc.
The mirror price is way down to under $100
now but the service will run you $200 a year or $300 a year if you want TBT nav.
And no
matter how much you pay, OnStar FMV doesn?t let you do remote start, lock & unlock or any
control of your car from an app.
Inter: Before I get to #1, there is the possibility you already have it: Your modern
smartphone.
Its a killer infotainment and nav device with typically great voice command and
scads of driving apps.
But I bet your mount is a flimsy piece of crap that suctions to the
windshield, which is illegal in most states anyway.
So get your phone a great mount: Look at
Panavise InDash, Kuda or ProClip mounts for something solid and cleanly installed that
makes your phone feel like car tech, not tech that just happens to be in the car..
1. Double DIN Super-receiver.
The flagship units pack a punch.
Top models from Pioneer
and Alpine give you a big touchscreen, all the modern input sources, voice command, turn
by turn nav, hands free calling and even optional rear view camera.
Oh yeah, and a CD
player for when you?re taking your grandparents somewhere.
The downside is the cost: The
Pioneer AVIC Z140, for example, costs about $650 street and installation could almost
double that.
