Aftermarket Apple CarPlay Radio Recommendations

After a road trip last weekend in my 2015 Nissan Frontier I have decided it is time to update the technology in the truck a little bit and I am in search for an aftermarket radio that I can use to display GPS and use Siri to text. My requirements are it needs to have Apple CarPlay, have an easily accessible USB port, and a physical volume knob would be nice, and if it looked like it could be a factory system that would be even better. Other than that I am not too picky. 

Well one picky thing, I would like a big name brand, not BOSS Audio.  

The two I have found are: 

1: Sony - 6.2" - Apple® CarPlay™ - Built-in Bluetooth - In-Dash Digital Media Receiver (Tom has had this one in a few cars and liked it, downside is a smaller screen. 

2: Pioneer DMH-1770NEX

 Any thoughts or suggestions? 

I was going to recommend that Sony, I had it before and it was great.   I now, in another car, have the updated version that unfortunately has no volume knob but has the larger screen, but at least it has a row of physical buttons for things like volume along the bottom.  Thr interface is the same and it is working well.  

I know you didn't want a Boss, but I've put three of them in cars and I've not been unhappy.  The one in the Saab is nice because it's a single DIN with the screen on a little pivot ball.

That Pioneer looks nice, but you can pry my volume knob from my cold, dead hands. (even on cars with steering wheel controls). Another vote for the Sony. If you buy one, that will make it four total in the family.

In reply to wae :

Yeah I know it is a silly thing but I just don't like the looks of the BOSS units with the volume knob. There is no other chrome in my truck interior so I think it would look out of place. 

In reply to Tom Suddard :

The more I think about it the more I want a physical volume knob. Just thinking to the time I spent in the Ridgeline without one and how much I wished it was there. 

Volume knobs for the win. Always. 

I put this guy in the Mustang last summer and have been very happy with it. I'd have loved a volume knob, but the choices are pretty thin on the ground these days. There was one Sony I was looking at, might be the same one linked above, but it was out of production and hard to find. So I decided to go the easy route and just order a current model from Crutchfield to get their install kit and instructions. No front panel USB, but I attached a short cable to the rear port and snaked it out to the place where I put my phone so I can still easily plug in.

TL;DR: If you don't mind an additional screen mounted to your dash, and wires coming out of it, consider a portable Carplay unit and plug it into your auxilary port to retain the stock controls for volume and on/off.

I'm looking for a backup camera screen right now for the Solara I just got. The easy button is probably a rear-view mirror screen, but I wouldn't mind having Carplay, and I wouldn't mind having navigation. The easy button for that is a double DIN stereo... but I have never been happy with the looks, feel, or the general integration with the dash. Half the time the steering wheel controls don't work either, even if you get the right dongle. 

So I am considering a "portable" Carplay unit. This would be mounted to dash/console/windshield, with cords running from the unit to a 12v outlet, the auxiliary input, and to the trunk for the rear view camera. Connect to your phone via bluetooth or USB. 

This would mean that I get a rear-view camera with carplay and the navigation that comes with it, AND I get to retain the stock stereo and controls. 

Some units I am considering: 

• Jensen from Crutchfield. Seems to be the only "mainstream" brand and reputable seller, unfortunately for me no rearview camera, so it is out.
• Amazon Chinese Unit - small and cheap
• This one has a dashcam too
• Another Chinese one with dashcam

The Sony one is still rocking out in the element. It works great. 0 complaints with it at all. I would go with that. 

In reply to mtn :

I might have to try one of those. I have been thinking about a double din for my truck so I can have a backup cam for hooking up trailers but buying a decent one and steering wheel control adapter quickly gets over $500. Dashcam integrated into it would be a bonus. 

The volume knob rules this out, but this was the one recommended by crutchfield when I was thinking about adding CarPlay tI my Jeep GC: Kenwood DMX7709S

Kenwood DMX7709S

The iDatalink was supposed to enable steering wheel controls and work with the factory amp, but you may not need that depending on what you have from the factory. 

Unfortunately I can't provide any sort of review on the HU, I never ordered it and am still figuring out if I'm keeping or trading in the jeep. 

Ive installed Jensen, Sony, Pioneer and Boss.  All performed equally with zero complaints.  I will agree with everyone who says get one with a knob, last one I installed was all touch and finding the volume adjustment by feel was impossible.  In radio mode it was no issue as you could just run your finger in a circle, clockwise to increase, counter to decrease, but that function didnt work in Carplay mode which made it useless to me.

I installed a DDIN touchscreen AA/AC radio from GRM's favorite brand in my beater Santa Fe:

It was surprisingly OK? I only used AA but it was wireless. It connected way quicker than the factory system in my Maverick.

Likes:

Actual volume knob

Decent RMS power

Wireless AA capability

Dislikes:

It's a Chinese Android head unit running an older Android version. Some of the menu text is in Engrish.

Wonky menu options and needless menu levels

It's from a brand that only GRMers know (but not trust lol)

I fully admit that I bought it half-heartedly just because of the brand name. But it turned out to be surprisingly decent.

https://www.maxpeedingrods.com/product/multimedia-car-stereo-radio-compatible-for-double-din-car-stereo-double-din-2-din.html

I bought it on the jungle website. 

No Time said:

The volume knob rules this out, but this was the one recommended by crutchfield when I was thinking about adding CarPlay tI my Jeep GC: Kenwood DMX7709S

Kenwood DMX7709S

The iDatalink was supposed to enable steering wheel controls and work with the factory amp, but you may not need that depending on what you have from the factory. 

Unfortunately I can't provide any sort of review on the HU, I never ordered it and am still figuring out if I'm keeping or trading in the jeep. 

I had one really similar to that in the Boxster, and I didn't care for it. Specifically the touch-only volume controls were fiddly to use and hard to find without looking. The Sony in the Mustang doesn't have a knob, but it at least has real buttons, which is a step in the right direction.

In reply to mtn :

That's a cool idea but I don't want to have to mount another screen on the dash. For the price it is tempting though. 

Okay, so I think I am sold on the Sony unit with the volume knob. I'll start shopping around to see if I can find it at a better deal than Best Buy. 
 

Not sure about either of those units but I'd highly suggest getting something with wireless CarPlay vs needing to be plugged in.
The alpine ilx-107 is what I put in the Prius and it's good.  

In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :

I came here to suggest the same Sony XAV-AX4000 that Tom did. 

In reply to jfryjfry :

I used to think it would be great if my wife's car had wireless car play instead of wired. This year for Christmas I got her an adapter from CarLinKit, and overall it works great, and connects wirelessly for car play in her sportage. 

Around town it's fine and connects reliably, but CarPlay automatically opens a navigation app (Waze, Maps, etc) so you typically end up plugging in to charge or using the wireless charging pad. In a car without the charging pad I think you'd find yourself plugged in anyway. 

In reply to No Time :

That's my experience too. I have driven a few cars with wireless CarPlay and for longer trips I always find myself plugging the phone in. 

I really wanted a volume knob but I decided to get one of these instead

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_130DMW2770/Pioneer-DMH-W2770NEX.html

..for my 2012 Highlander that has a weird built-in radio.

Reading some forums I realized the final year of this generation, the 2013 Limited model, had a double DIN bezel so I harvested one complete with brackets and cords from the junk yard. Forums say the device cables are plug and play so fingers crossed. 

Soon as my replacement Aux plug with USB jack arrives I'll be installing it. Very nice that you can buy a pre-made Toyota to Pioneer cable for $15 instead of soldering.