New 2020 head unit. Buying?

Wait... people actually use the Entune apps?... I'd take carplay in a heartbeat over anything Entune. Wanna trade headunits?!

 

You're missing the point. Why remove them? Believe it or not, there ARE people in this world who don't own a smartphone. Those people are screwed in a 2020 Taco, because they've got nothing.

 

Yeah it sounds like a tech issue for sure as it should have the maps. I've got a 2019 and the maps work fine. And I'm sure you have HD radio as well, so it could be a hardware/software issue you're dealing with. I wouldn't take whatever they say in the service department without a grain of salt. They're sales people do, just selling service and maintenance... I wouldn't doubt them not know what features one head unit has over another. Definitely sounds like you need to speak with a real tech support rep.

 

Good luck. I was also told that the factory head units are serial-locked to the specific vehicle they're installed in, so you can't for example swap yours out for a JBL Premium head unit. Toyota won't allow it according to the guy I spoke with.

Keep us posted on your progress!

 

I did. See my reply above. No maps. The head unit included with the Tech Package doesn't even have a SD card slot, so unless they've moved the map database to internal storage, there's no way to add it.

 

No trust me, I get it. I got my truck and it had X number of apps when I bought it, as advertised. Couple months later they got rid of more than half the apps. A lot of people were up in arms about it. It might be an unfortunate truth, but there are more people out there that want AA/Carplay than people that want to keep the Entune apps. Toyota is going to cater to the masses.

 

There is absolutely no technical reason that adding Airplay/Android Auto requires removing the Entune apps. It was simply a stupid decision on Toyota's part.

 

I have a 2018 PRO, the dealer offered $43,000 to trade it in on a 2020 PRO in army green. The problem was, they were asking msrp of $48, 500 for the 2020. So that alone was going to cost me $5,500, plus I have a DeMello aluminum front bumper installed on the '18, so i would lose that in the trade as well (cut front fenders). But the biggest thing for me was the 2 years of payments that I have paid would just go away. It didn't seem worth it to me for the small differences between the '18 and the '20.

 

So - Entune is really that bad? Dealer techs told me that the apps were great...

I think heard one of the techs say that the HU is tied to my VIN number, but have not confirmed that. AA seems like it works fine, and the tech tested Carplay without issues. The screen is great. Google's short-sighted decision to make Android users use maps in an online-only mode just cripples me when I need maps when I am out in the sticks and have no cell coverage. I know how to get around the local area...

 

This is what I was told as well. If you want a different head unit in your 2020 than the one it came with, your only option is aftermarket. You cannot install a Toyota JBL head unit as an upgrade. It won't function.

 

Entune sucks
JBL radio reception sucks
XM totally sucks

I wish I had none of it so I could buy aftermarket without loss.

2020 head quote I got was “upwards of $5000”

I’ve taken up kazoo.

 

So - at least I learned that the 2020 head unit sucks by buying the cheapest one I could get in a TRD...

I certainly didn't buy my truck for the stereo, and I am really, really relieved that I didn't buy one with the upgraded stereo.

Fortunately, it is a Tacoma, so the head unit can be changed without too much drama.

 

I with ya though. I feel the same way you do. Still not sure if a 2020 unit can be retrofitted and work without a problem in an older truck. I'm sure it can, but I don't know how much effort and possible programming that will entail...

I don't think there's really any difference in the head units themselves. I'm sure the unit you have is the exact same as in a Pro, but without the other accessories the unit can power; such as the multi terrain cams, jbl, etc.

 

I was quoted $4200 for a replacement for the one I have. As I mentioned earlier, I think they are all VIN-keyed somehow, so I don't think swapping is an option.

Pretty sure that there is. I do not have an HD tuner (even though the manual says otherwise). I think the mapping version is a bit different too, thought there was a microSD card slot in the face or something.

 

Swapping is definitely an option. But the question is will it be as easy as plug-n-play swapping, or would you have to reprogram/code the ecu computer and head unit to get them to work together. At that point, it wouldn't be worth the hassle.

Again, feel like you need to talk to a real tech support rep from toyota to get those answers. I'm going to want to agree with the manual that there's a HD tuner in there. As for the SD card and how it has maps saved, I'm not sure. Tech support SHOULD have that answer. There needs to be some type of flash memory in there for the maps to be stored, whether it's internal memory or an external SD card.

 

If you're talking about the head unit included with the Tech Package, there's no card slot. Not one that's user accessible anyway:

 

It's most likely internal memory at this point. I'm sure the maps get updated and old ones overwritten with each firmware update for the entire head unit.

 

https://www.alpine-usa.com/product/alpine-halo9-toyota-tacoma-ilx-f309tcm

after reading this thread, this one looks pretty good to me. No way will i spend 2k+ for AA. I might not even spend the 1.5k. But a bigger screen would be nice....

 

More than likely, although that's a lot of data to download over the air. Also, notice that the head unit has a "MAP" button, but no maps app.

 

Yeah, very very bizarre you guys are having such trouble. I stopped at my local dealer a couple weeks back to check out a 2020 pro and play around with the head unit. Maps came up just like they would in my 2019...

Unrelated, the multi terrain cams were cool lol