Car manufacture with best iPod integration

[pata2001]

Which car manufactures that have the best iPod integration system? Integration that come directly form the car's manufacture, not 3rd party add-ons. AUX input != integration (a lot of car manufactures are advertising iPod connectivity just because they have AUX input).

Apple websites just list a bunch of car manufactures, but if you actually go into each one of them, it's not really clear whether they offer iPod integration or not, and sometimes the option is not eve listed anywhere, or only offered on specific models.

Scion seems to be the only one that openly provide full iPod integration, and presumably the best one from what I read online. Problem is, Scions cars are not that great IMO.

I read that Honda's integration sucks.

Other than that, most manufactures don't even list any iPod integration option, contrary to the fact that their brand is listed at Apple website. Even worse, there are no user reviews either. The worst, many people are still using FM transmitters!

Anybody have more insights on this? Mazda, Nissan, Mitsubishi are listed on Apple's website, but I don't see any info about iPod integration on the manufacture's websites.

[TosaDeac]

I have the exact same question but I am more interested specifically in iPhone integration. I will be buying a new car in the next several months and I really want a car that has factory installed integration options instead of aftermarket ones. I have heard about Ford's SYNC system and I also found something on Audi's website that was promising (but Audi's are a bit above my price range and I have never been a fan of Ford's). There is an autoshow coming to my town soon so I will be looking there but was hoping the throbbing brain of iLounge Forums would have some insight.

[partyd]

buying a car is a very important decision and i don't think it should be base on the best ipod integration

5 miles per gallon no problem but ipod needs to be control from the radio ?:shake:

i am scratching my head on this post lol WOW what ipods are doing to people

[pata2001]

buying a car is a very important decision and i don't think it should be base on the best ipod integration

5 miles per gallon no problem but ipod needs to be control from the radio ?:shake:

I think you simply misunderstood my question. What's wrong in trying to obtain information about which car manufacture make the best iPod integration? Apple listed a bunch of car makers, yet I don't see ANY details nor extensive reviews on any of them. Would you also want to know? Last time I checked, this is a site about iPods. If I want an advise about buying a car, I'll post it somewhere else.

100 something views, no feedback at all. Many of us are probably only using FM transmitter or AUX input. Simply sad.

[KG GT500]

Being a GM guy, I can tell you the only way to acheive the connectivity you're talking about it through a 3rd party add-on. I don't see what's wrong with the AUX input though. Oh well.

Just keep checking. A lot of luxury brands (i.e. BMW, Benz, etc...) have what you're talking about. I know Audi has a system cause I've seen pictures of it on their site, and I used the nav. system at an auto show and saw the AUX/iPod menu. Don't know if it's changed since then though.

[bobb-mini]

I don't like any of the stock-integration I've seen. End of story.

[hamz9561]

I purchased a 2007 Wrangler and all it has is an AUX jack for iPod integration. I think that is all that Chrysler offers. I solved the problem in my truck by adding an aftermarket head unit.

[bobb-mini]

I solved the problem in my truck by adding an aftermarket head unit.
Mr. Pata wants ONLY stock. Good luck with that.

[pata2001]

I don't like any of the stock-integration I've seen. End of story.
Care to elaborate which system you have used?

So far, Honda seems to discontinue its current music-link, and the website said they're going to release a new version in spring 08. I know the current music-link is poor at best, based on a pretty good video review by gizmodo.

Other than that, I find almost zero info on any other manufactures (Scion is the exception). All car manufactures (other than scion) don't even list any iPod integration in their "build your vehicle" tools.

I wonder if Ford's SYNC is any good.

[thedaveman]

I have a brand new Acura MDX that cost me about 75,000 dollars fully equipped with every possible option and i had the i-link ipod adapter installed by my dealer and he assured me that the ipod's information (artist's name/song title,etc) would be displayed on the NAVI screen. WELL, it does not do this with ANY ipod. One has NO control over songs (well, ... very limited anyway)... and to play a certain artist or song one has to disconnect the ipod from the link cable, .... then re-connect the ipod to the cable, .... then the song would play on the sound system (by the way .... a stupid Acura symbol will display on the NAVI screen and also the ipod itself and it will not go away until u disconnect the ipod again.


......VERY FRUSTRATING......

[partyd]

what ipod are you using ? do you have xm ?
thank you

[S2_Mac]

I wonder if Ford's SYNC is any good.

Technically, it's Microsoft's SYNC (for what it's worth). From the rather ghastly new text ads that have appeared here over the last two days, I gleaned this page (http://www.syncmyride.com/#/overlay/overlay_music_player), promoting SYNC in Fords.

[strong*I*bumpin]

I wonder if Ford's SYNC is any good.

Technically, it's Microsoft's SYNC (for what it's worth). From the rather ghastly new text ads that have appeared here over the last two days, I gleaned this page (http://www.syncmyride.com/#/overlay/overlay_music_player), promoting SYNC in Fords.
This is what Ford has to resort to in order to sell their vehicles.Imagine the electrical nightmare when the 'SYNC' goes bad.

[pata2001]

I have a brand new Acura MDX ...

......VERY FRUSTRATING......
Acura = Honda, and Honda's music link is simply bad. I feel sorry for you. Your story is exactly what's wrong with car manufactures. So far, the only manufacture that seems to take iPod integration seriously is Scion (presumably partnering with Pioneer and Alpine). Other manufactures, even some luxury brand like your Acura, simply doesn't have a clue about iPod integration. The irony is the way Apple listed all these car manufactures on their website as if everybody is offering great iPod integration, which in reality they are not.

We'll see what would be the upcoming revision of Honda music link like.

[TylerInTampa]

buying a car is a very important decision and i don't think it should be base on the best ipod integration

5 miles per gallon no problem but ipod needs to be control from the radio ?:shake:

i am scratching my head on this post lol WOW what ipods are doing to people

I don't think that the poster said s/he thinks this is the most important aspect in deciding what car to buy.

Here's what iPod integration gives people: safety. They aren't trying to read a tiny iPod screen...they are seeing a clear large screen display on the dash... they aren't reaching for CD's... etc etc.

[bobb-mini]

I have a feeling both of you are making the assumption that stock iPod integration is common. IT'S NOT.

Once again, none exist. Shocking but true. If u want a big screen to read on, you are looking at aftermarket. That's it.

Here's what iPod integration gives people: safety.
Because of my vast experience :) I disagree. Fine you now have a bigger screen, but u STILL have to look away from the road for a second or more depending how easy the interface is. You have not yet heard all the jokes about BMW's i-drive?

U want safety? Outfit your iPod with a stereo bluetooth adapter with a matching BT receiver at the console, then u can bring the iPod up to your face and have some sort of pseudo head-up display.

[TylerInTampa]

Update:

I stopped by an Infiniti dealership at lunch to check out the G35 sedan. The salesman showed me the iPod interface and it *appears* to mimic much of the iPod's screen and menu choices...at least those that pertain to music. It does look like a very good integration, but I'll know for sure after this weekend.

I'm going to go in this weekend to do a test drive and I'll be sure to bring my iPod.

Oddly enough, they also have a 9.5 Gb hard drive for ripping CD's.

[bobb-mini]

Cool, come back and give us the full review. Be sure to check you are able to access ALL playlists, and speed by wich u can pick a song in your vast library. Note any lag times.

One bad thing about full iPod integration is, whether stock or aftermarket, Apple doesn't seem to play well with vendors. Lots of integrations were broken when the Classic came out and the needed firmware updates don't seem forthcoming.

[TylerInTampa]

For what it's worth, I'll be testing with a 5G iPod, 60 Gb capacity, and it is about half-full.

Thanks for the bit about noting speed and lag times. I'll be sure to try that out. I am not a heavy playlist user....I drill down to the CD by artist name, but I do have several smart playlists (and regular ones, too) that I can try.

Besides iPod integration, the other bells and whistles in the car seem to be very good for the price, especially when comparing to Acura TL, Audi A4, and others in this ballpark. I cannot wait to drive it, too.

[TylerInTampa]

Ok...here's the promised report from my test drive (and listen) of the 2008 Infiniti G35.

Model tested:
2008 Infiniti G35 Journey (no, it has nothing to do with Steve Perry)

Options:
Navigation package, premium package. This means the car has a touch screen display and some sort of stereo tuning called "Driver's Stage", which optimizes the sound for the driver... as opposed to distributing it evenly throughout the car.

Drive impressions:
I'm not buying an iPod accessory, I'm buying a car. This comment is specifically for people who read these postings and think that others are making a car buying decision based on how their iPod will hook up to the car.

I thought the car drove extremely well with great handling, great steering, excellent acceleration, and minimal road noise. Consumer Reports gives it excellent ratings, as do federal crash tests, and the depreciation is one of the tops in its class -- that's good to know for anybody who leases the car. It should be cheaper to lease this car than most others in its class.

The steering felt "heavy" in a way that I felt the car was "hugging" the road. It definitely wasn't mushy or too soft. It reminded me of driving an A4 with Quattro all-wheel drive, even though this Infiniti was NOT the AWD version.

iPod interface impressions:
Simply stated, it works as advertised/promised/expected. You plug your iPod in the center storage console and you get an Infiniti logo on the screen, and then all control is passed to the car's touch screen display.

I was using a 5G 60Gb model.

The sound was great, and I could navigate more/less the same way as the iPod's click wheel. The main control for the car is a 1.5-2" wheel that spins, but also has directional arrows... so you could 'spin' through the list, or use the up/down arrow buttons.

Was there lag? No. If you push the button or spin the wheel, it responds immediately. However... for a large music collection I highly recommend play lists for safety. The wheel doesn't go as fast as the iPod wheel, so trying to drill down to "Tormato", by Yes, and you might be spinning for awhile.

Another alternative (but hardly necessary): wherever your iPod's menu highlight is positioned when you plug the iPod into the car is where the car's display will have its menu highlight positioned... so when you get into the car with your iPod, you can save a little time by selecting the artist in advance.

Summary
I was impressed enough with ALL IMPORTANT ASPECTS of this car to purchase it. It satisfied my desires for a new sporty entry-level luxury car with navigation, satellite radio, and good available iPod integration without aftermarket work. Luckily the dealer was very willing to FAIRLY negotiate on the value of my trade-in AND the price of the new G35.

For those who say "I can tell you the only way to acheive the connectivity you're talking about it through a 3rd party add-on", that is quickly changing with this type of interface. I could not think of anything else I would want with an iPod interface: I get full access to my iPod from day #1 with the car, and not a single screw was removed from the dash.

I was told by my sales rep that the same interface is available in most/all of the 2008 Infiniti line.

There are two drawbacks to this car: the trunk is a little snug, so if you're going to consider this car and do a fair amount of travelling with LARGE suitcases, bring your biggest suitcase and see if it fits. Mine easily did. The other drawback is the fuel economy. This car is rated at 17/24, and that's about 1 mpg off what I had in my Acura TL. Some people have stated in other forums/reviews that if this car had a 6-speed auto transmission instead of its current 5-speed auto, it would get better fuel economy. Maybe that will make it into the '09 edition.

Worth mentioning...
...but not overly important, are two other features in the car.

First is the aux interface... RCA left/right/video cables next to the iPod input. I'm assuming that video will display on the car's screen if the car's transmission is in Park. Maybe it's for aftermarket stuff. At least it's right there, available for easy access.

Second is the 9.3Gb internal hard drive. It rips CD's for storage and easy access. I don't see myself using this too much since I have an iPod interface, but who knows...

[bobb-mini]

The wheel doesn't go as fast as the iPod wheel, so trying to drill down to "Tormato", by Yes, and you might be spinning for awhile.
May wanto suggest to Infinity the simple concept of the endless wheel. U back spin and "A" turns to "Z" and so on... doubles interface speed on the average.

Another ofently heard gripe is... one makes a dash to grap a carton of milk, and when u come back, the HU had forgotten everything and one has to "dial-back" to the last song.

[TylerInTampa]

You know, I didn't try going "backwards", but when I finally have the car delivered I will.

Your 'carton of milk' scenario probably won't be an issue...not because I'm lactose-intolerant...but because the car's interface leaves the iPod where you turned it off. Disconnect or turn off in the middle of a song and that's where it leaves off... just like how if you connect the iPod to the car in the middle of a song, the car picks up where you had the iPod pre-connection.

[TylerInTampa]

Ok... I have the car, and I've had time to play with the iPod interface.

So far, everything works great. I love how it sounds, using the controls is easy, and it is very responsive.

The only thing I would change is for Infiniti to implement "infinite control" so I can get the bottom of the Artist list easier...

[GFD613]

I have a 2008 Scion xB with the base head unit. I've used it with a 5G 60GB iPod, and I'm now using it with a 16GB iPhone.

It doesn't break out podcasts, so you have to create play lists for easier navigation.

speaking of navigation, my husband and I feel this unit is unsafe due to placement of the universal controller (joystick) all the way on the right (far from the driver). The joystick is also difficult to use, involving many false tries before you can correctly select your desired track.

Although a caveat is that the unit is not certified to work with an iPhone, it does sound fine, even without engaging airplane mode. (I use a Bluetooth earpiece.) However, I put all of my podcasts in smart playlists that delete the track when play count is no longer 0. this seems to happen instantly with the iPhone, and the Scion's Pioneer unit can't keep up. So if I play through playlist #2, it keeps the playlist name in the list, but when I go to select playlist #3 for playback, playlist #3 now contains the contents of playlist #2. I have to go to playlist #4 to select tracks in playlist #3, and so forth. The only way to play tracks in my last playlist is to select them by artist or album.

Who can I complain to about this? Scion? Pioneer? Apple?

[ihmc]

I think this thread is very useful, so it appears Infiniti has the best iPod integration? Anyone with a BMW, Audi, Mercedes who can chime in their experience?

[lodge90]

Hello. While iPod integration is not a main factor in car selection for me, it does play a part as I am a huge music lover...Anyway, I have an 09 Audi A4 with Presitige package and Navigation. It gives me a 550w Bang & Olufson stereo (which is incredible sounding) and Audi's 2G MMI system with iPod integration. Basically, all you need to do is plug in your iPod (I am using a 120g 5th gen iPod classic) and the iPod menu/features display on the navigation screen. You use a scroll wheel to go through playlists/artists/songs, etc. No lag that I have noticed. Has worked great and I could not be happier with it.

[rwjrn]

2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S
The Mini has a joystick that allows me to navigate all of my playlists, genres, songs, artitsts etc. It is very similar to an iPod. There are two issues though. First, an iPhone doesn't play. Not a problem for me because I have a few iPods. One is a 120gb that I use to store my complete library and it lives in the car in a secluded hidey hole. The second issue is there is not a way to scroll quickly to the bottom of your songs. For me that's a little over 2000 songs. This is generally only a minor flaw becaue if I know a song is way down on the list I'll go to artist or album and listen that way. I get detailed information on my nav screen as far as artist and song and can set it to shuffle. It's easy to see and easy to use while driving with one-handed operation of the joystick which sits right by the parking brake. In a Mini that's right next to your right thigh within easy reach. It also controls the nav and the phone.

As far as the car goes you really can't have much more fun in a vehicle that still has decent cargo space. I average 31mpg between Hwy/City with more highway driving. (generally 70-80mph) It handles like a go kart, has comfy seating, easy access to the rear seats and reasonable space for those around 6feet and under. I can fold the rear seats down and have more than enough cargo space for groceries or home project runs. Parking is a breeze with its narrow profile. I can fit between two behemoths with room to get out.

[rwjrn]

Oh yeah. I used to have an Accord and spent a lot of money on my iPod connection which worked fairly well until Apple added the audiobook category to their software. That pretty much killed my iPod music as Honda doesn't make much of an effort to keep up with software upgrades. It didn't recognize the category so it just ignored it and every song no longer matched its artist, album or song info. It worked ok as long as I went back to the early version and never upgraded again, or just set the songs to shuffle and didn't try to find a song. That was in 2006 so Honda may have seen the light by now. I traded in that Accord because I do beleive my iPod function is one of the most important criteria in buying a car. If you're shelling out in the neighborhood of 30 grand for a car it should perform and have the features you want.