So far a great stereo
I wanted a good aftermarket stereo for my Lexus RX to add nav, bluetooth and a backup camera. So far this one is working out quite well. There are a few irritating things about this unit, but maybe firmware updates will correct them over time. I used the Metra harness/face plate, Metra steering wheel interface, and generic backup cam. All works well.
Pros:
- Fast and modern interface
- iPhone Pandora, Telnav and music support.
- HD radio built in.
- Great bluetooth handsfree.
- Android support once Mirrorlink is better supported by phones.
- Ability to access music in many ways: CD, HD radio, thumb drive playback, iPhone connection, bluetooth streaming.
- iPhone cable is included and not an additional purchase.
- Resumes last playback source and location.
- Ability to customize guide lines on backup cam screen.
- Home screen wallpaper customization.
- Built in animated backgrounds for source playback screens.
Cons:
- MirrorLink not supported yet (not Sony's fault).
- Sometimes it seems there should be a "return" button to return to a previous screen (usually there is, but in seems like it should not be necessary to return to home and then select back to a source).
- No mute button or function.
- No ability to re-organised source buttons or hide ones not used.
- Add-on nav box is hard to find or discontinued. It would be nice to have if smartphone is lost or not available.
- No ability to change source playback backgrounds other than built in animated screens.
- No calendar (it would be nice to have a calendar that would sync with smartphone and show reminders).