Why doesn't everyone have an Alpine iLX-107??

Alpine iLX-107

If you have an iPhone this thing is INCREDIBLE: only one of the few aftermarket radio with wireless CarPlay, hook up your backup camera, read all kinds of data from the ODBII port with the Datalink Maestro (including tire pressure) and control your 12v stuff (compressor, lightbars, etc) with the KAC-001 IS IT AMAZING.

Here's a video I made real quick of everything:



Seriously, what are you waiting for??

 

I've been considering the ilx-207 for a while which is $600. Not sure if the wireless carplay is worth the extra $100. And the accessory controler you mentioned is another $200. Money is tight for toys right now.

 

Is that a direct oem fit or is modification of the dash needed?

 

Doesn't the 8400 NEX do wireless CarPlay?

 

There are several other brands with wireless CarPlay. Almost every touchscreen radio has a backup camera input. And there are many that also work with Datalink

 

In my install I have most of what you describe except wireless carplay/auto, but the upgrade I'm getting will enable. The only thing the 8400 doesn't have is the accessory controller, but I don't think I would want it integrated into the radio...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2015-full-system-jbl-tear-out.567718/

I want my accessory controllers to be more reliable than these crappy aftermarket radios. If the radio crashes I want to be able to turn on my compressor...

 

I'm sure its nice. One of the things I like most about my 2013 is the absence of "tech".

 

No modification necessary! You'll need a new bezel kit for around the radio though. Something like

$40 Scosche TA2111BPB Compatible with 2012-15 Toyota Tacoma ISO Double DIN & DIN+Pocket Dash Kit; Black Pearl

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016S0X0NE matches the factory gloss/metallic black.

 

because I hate touchscreens

 

Apparently so! Twice the price though. And you're paying for Pioneer's (probably) garbage navigation system that needs updating every year.

 

Another plus is that the radio itself is only single DIN even though the screen is double. Which leaves plenty of space for all the electronics you have to cram back there. My old double DIN Pioneer NEX was a tightttt fit.

 

Awesome install!

 

I had plug-in CarPlay with my old Pioneer NEX but I hardly ever used it—I just couldn't be bothered to plug my phone in unless I was specifically using navigation. The wireless CarPlay is a life changer for me.

 

I dunno...I'm a Sony XAV AX100/1000 kinda guy myself. The volume knob alone did it for me...

Wireless carplay sounds awesome though!

 

I got lucky because I bought an 8200 NEX for 600$ after the 8400 NEX came out, but then the 8200 started to fail so as part of the warranty I'm getting an upgrade to the 8400 for free. I don't think I would buy it for the full price... The Alpine is reasonably priced, but for all these radios in newer cars you end up with 400$ in integration stuff after you buy the radio. I have a feeling we're going to start seeing a lot more "configurable" features in the future on radios. Switching 12v & OBD is just the beginning!

The dash is very tight... I put in a lot of time to find a way for my harnesses to be made in such a way that I'm left with plenty of space. I guess the DVD player in the pioneer probably takes up a lot of space plus they have that super complicated folding out screen mechanism for the DVD/SD access.. A lot of money & space went into those aspects of the design. I wish these bastards would give me an optical so I could run that to my amplifier instead of a grip of RCA's.

Thanks! I can't wait for wireless carplay. Next week!

 

THis is what I have with iDatalink and Carplay. Works like a charm. Great features for $400.

 

This is what I’m trying to make sure I have right before I purchase. You say you hardly used your plug in CarPlay unless you needed nav, were you missing out on any other functionality while not plugged in? I don’t use nav very often, is everything else still available over Bluetooth? This is what confuses me about CarPlay. If everything on my iPhone transmits to the head unit over Bluetooth and I only have to plug in for nav I can save $100. Is Siri use affected by any of this?

 

First of all you should be more precise about what you're asking b/c Carplay and Android auto are using both bluetooth & wifi OR usb. What you see on the radio from CarPlay/android-auto is actually a video stream over wifi/usb from the phone. I've heard it still uses the bluetooth to transmit the audio in wireless Carplay/android-auto mode, but not sure. You will not be able to use navigation apps from the phone unless you are connected to the radio using Carplay or Android auto. If your car has wireless carplay or wired carplay it doesn't matter as long as you're connected to CaPlay.

If you are using carplay or android auto you can use the navigation apps that are available for those systems. Google maps, apple maps, waze etc. I have to say I think not having to plug in the phone every time is very nice.

 

My experience was that any audio coming out of my phone was sent to the radio via Bluetooth. Even navigation directions from Apple Maps or Google Maps (but you need to start the directions from your phone). I could use the Talk button my steering wheel to activate Siri (after holding it for a few seconds). However if she prompted with more questions I don't think that worked correctly...I could be mistaken, but I hardly ever used Siri.

So just listening to something that was already playing was fine but trying to change playlists, or go from Music to Podcasts, was just about impossible through the radio's built in menus. I would just pull my phone out of my pocket and switch over (which was annoying, but not annoying enough to bother plugging in for CarPlay). Switching playlists/podcasts through CarPlay is just about as easy as doing it on the phone, so that's a big win. There's a dedicated Siri button the radio although weirdly enough my steering wheel talk button doesn't seem to activate her any more. I might have to re-program it now that I have a new headunit?

Let me know if you have any more questions!

 

Yup. My 2013 has the stock non-Entune Toyota touchscreen with bluetooth. That's about as "tech" as I want/need it