Car Stereos and the iPhone 3G

[BlacknTan]

I've been searching the web for the past few weeks and only finding partial answers. I need to purchase a new CD head unit for my Mustang, and I want to find something compatible with my 3G iPhone. I'm looking for a single DIN unit, and I want to be able to hear calls through the stereo. Music playback from the iPhone would be nice but not a critical factor. I do not want an earpiece.

I've been leaning towards the Pioneer systems, but a call into Pioneer's Customer Service told me that the iPhone would not work. iLounge's installation guide for the iPhone only references the pre-2.1 software update.

If you have real-world experience, please share what you're using and what works for you. Thanks!

[spiderma]

i have an iphone 3g and have the Pioneer DEH-P85BT in my car. it is a great stereo, it has bluetooth calling mp3 player and you can hook up an ipod to it. the only problems i have are:-
1. the cable charges all ipods up to 2007 but not the iphone 3g.
2. the iphone doesnt allow you to send contacts via bluetooth so you cant put your phone book in the stereo.(but you can add your top 10 phone numbers to the head unit by hand).

the head unit is £189.99 best place i found it was on ebay.

hope this helps

[Surf Monkey]

Pioneer told you wrong. Many of their head units work fine. The iPhone will throw an "airport mode" warning but you just ignore it and everything works fine. Check around before you make the purchase. Some work with it better than others.

[BlacknTan]

Thanks for the insights...I was leaning towards the Pioneer units, they have better radio reception in general. It looks like the P85BT is a European model, however. The nearest comparable US model might be the DEH-P7000BT...

[spiderma]

on the pioneer web site the p85 is now the Deh-p800bt (forgot to say they had finished making it but you can still buy it new. dont know if US has different model number)

http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/products/25/121/61/DEH-P800BT/index.html


all pioneer blue tooth heads sets should all do near enough the same thing

[GHolder]

just bought the FH-P80BT, apart from having to hack away part of my Ford Mondeo dash to make it fit, the unit is excellent, the Bluetooth even downloaded my phone book!!

All I need now is a nice car cradle with a pass through dock connector to connect to the stereo USB connection and my life is complete.