Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
New Car Buyers Increasingly Interested in Apple CarPlay
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
In our rav4 you can turn it off. It’s a 2014. It’s oretty unimpressive but all I care about is music. Everything else happens through a mounted phone.
Pro-tip: Don't buy a car with the vague promise of a dealership or the hints from the corporate technology line that the car that you are considering buying will receive a firmware to enable CarPlay.
How do I know? It happened to my sister when she bought her new 2016 Honda Fit. Both the dealers and the Honda corporate tech line indicated that the Fit's Display Audio system was the same as that in the Honda test fleet that received their test firmware update via a USB stick.
Of course after she had the car, Honda started publicizing the fact that they would NOT be doing this.
How do I know? It happened to my sister when she bought her new 2016 Honda Fit. Both the dealers and the Honda corporate tech line indicated that the Fit's Display Audio system was the same as that in the Honda test fleet that received their test firmware update via a USB stick.
Of course after she had the car, Honda started publicizing the fact that they would NOT be doing this.
This is what I was hoping and expecting CarPlay to be. I've just been putting my iPhone in the cup holder in my car, and that's already decent.
Last edited:
I'm a Toyota fan, & I wished they supported CarPlay...........(Was thinking about a wireless aftermarket unit......), but definitely prefer a vehicle that specifically supports CarPlay / Android Auto.
We have a 17 Subaru Forester and I find the system....ok. Laggy, settings is a maze for some options and no CarPlay.
Reading brought here in mind of amazed
People are choosing vehicles based on their CarPlay option. Here I am thinking the actual getting to and from places is the important part.
You all know you can just buy a third party CarPlay system, right? Obviously to each their own but when you’re dropping $20k+ on a vehicle, $5-800 infotainment preloaded wouldn’t be my deciding factor. Now, if I’m comparing vehicles and all else is similar/same, sure I’ll get down to all of these smaller things.
I realize this sounds critical. In a sense it is, but moreso just sharing my own thoughts. I’d rather the vehicle perform where it counts and make the minor stereo equipment modifications myself.
People are choosing vehicles based on their CarPlay option. Here I am thinking the actual getting to and from places is the important part.
You all know you can just buy a third party CarPlay system, right? Obviously to each their own but when you’re dropping $20k+ on a vehicle, $5-800 infotainment preloaded wouldn’t be my deciding factor. Now, if I’m comparing vehicles and all else is similar/same, sure I’ll get down to all of these smaller things.
I realize this sounds critical. In a sense it is, but moreso just sharing my own thoughts. I’d rather the vehicle perform where it counts and make the minor stereo equipment modifications myself.
Just ordered a 2018 Ford Mustang GT. If they had not offered CarPlay, I would not have bought that car, period. Yes, for some of us, it is THAT important. BTW...I used it in two different rental cars...fast and flawless. The only "flaw" with one of them was that you couldn't play music through CarPlay, while at the same time using the car's built-in nav.
My next or new car is an Uber
Ride sharing or subscription with autonomous vehicles is a bigger threat to personal vehicle ownership.
For sure. I am holding into getting an Acura MDX until they release CarPlay into their 2018 models.
Automakers interfaces are awful for the most part.
[doublepost=1508203661][/doublepost]
I hate owning cars. The expense is ridiculous. Plus the traffic in CA is awful. Nothing better than someone driving you around.
Automakers interfaces are awful for the most part.
[doublepost=1508203661][/doublepost]
Man, I wish I could do with Uber.My next or new car is an Uber
Ride sharing or subscription with autonomous vehicles is a bigger threat to personal vehicle ownership.
I hate owning cars. The expense is ridiculous. Plus the traffic in CA is awful. Nothing better than someone driving you around.
I’ll admit when I was car shopping last year I was researching anything used that may have it. In the long run I’m glad I don’t have it. It requires a touchscreen interface which I abhor in cars. They’re a needlessly dangerous distraction.
I played with carplay on my subaru. It is slow and requires me to plug it into a special usb port. It also did weird things like erase my radio pre-sets and rebooted itself. Fun to play with but until it is stable, faster, and doesn’t require plugging in I wouldn’t use it. For now I just use the hands free bluetooth features that work well, even switching between various devices. I will say that I see the future of carplay. I was able to send and receive voice texts and use the map to find the closest whatever store. But what we have now ain’t all that.
This. 100% this. Android Auto already did this and it makes total sense for Apple to simply implement a Car Play mode on the iPhone. No worries about whether or not a brand supports CP/AA. Win/Win for everyone except the dealers who only offer CP/AA on higher trim levels.
Personally, I don't care for either since they give some users a false sense of being safer than standard car systems.
The GPS on your phone is only as good as the carriers service in a particular area, Once you lose signal, GPS is done until service is restored.
Personal chauffeur, the life style of the rich and/or famous
Nothing like feeling important in ones life even far a brief ride
Mazda announced that they were going to release CarPlay "soon" back in March. It's now a battle to see if they release that update first or if Amazon releases the announced Apple TV app for Prime first. My guess is that neither of them will ever actually see the light of day. The Japanese definition of "soon" must be different than the American definition. I guess it will be "soon" on a cosmic scale.
I have a 2009 Subaru, a 2005 Volvo, and a 1967 Alfa Romeo.
Guess which car has the best & most useful sound system? It isn't the one with the $2000 sound system fully integrated into the console & steering wheel controls, that can't be modified or upgraded to include a USB plug. It isn't the one with the $3500 full fiber optic network tying everything together into one awesome unmodifiable, integrated system also missing a USB plug.
It's the old hunk of junk that didn't even come with a stereo in the first place. It has a USB plug. It charges and plays the media on the iPad mini with a simple, single lighting cable. There's nothing to steal. Everything works, and I can have any part of it accessible and replaceable with ease at any time. The head unit cost about $80 and is the only one out of any of the cars that actually gets listened to. I could control it with Siri. ...if Siri ever learned what a podcast is.
The Subaru just sits there with its big Nav screen displaying its incessant legal warnings and language settings... forever.
Guess which car has the best & most useful sound system? It isn't the one with the $2000 sound system fully integrated into the console & steering wheel controls, that can't be modified or upgraded to include a USB plug. It isn't the one with the $3500 full fiber optic network tying everything together into one awesome unmodifiable, integrated system also missing a USB plug.
It's the old hunk of junk that didn't even come with a stereo in the first place. It has a USB plug. It charges and plays the media on the iPad mini with a simple, single lighting cable. There's nothing to steal. Everything works, and I can have any part of it accessible and replaceable with ease at any time. The head unit cost about $80 and is the only one out of any of the cars that actually gets listened to. I could control it with Siri. ...if Siri ever learned what a podcast is.
The Subaru just sits there with its big Nav screen displaying its incessant legal warnings and language settings... forever.
My experiences with CarPlay have been mediocre, it’s kind of slow and doesn’t offer a ton of functionality and on my Dad’s GMC truck it is layered on top of the built in software so it doesn’t seem very well integrated.
I don’t like that it’s wired-only, I think more manufacturers are rolling out wireless CarPlay in the near future but I hope it doesn’t kill the battery (I think the entire interface gets rendered on the phone?)
I also don’t like that you can’t read incoming text messages on the screen, I get that it’s for safety but surely glancing at the screen can’t be that bad - there’s already plenty of information on the HUD that you have to read, the dangerous part of texting while driving seems to be the typing part.
I also wish Tesla and Apple could stop their bickering, my next car will be a Tesla and it will probably never have CarPlay.
Third party CarPlay is great for some people, but I think a lot of people are like me and think that an aftermarket stereo looks tacky.
I don’t like that it’s wired-only, I think more manufacturers are rolling out wireless CarPlay in the near future but I hope it doesn’t kill the battery (I think the entire interface gets rendered on the phone?)
I also don’t like that you can’t read incoming text messages on the screen, I get that it’s for safety but surely glancing at the screen can’t be that bad - there’s already plenty of information on the HUD that you have to read, the dangerous part of texting while driving seems to be the typing part.
I also wish Tesla and Apple could stop their bickering, my next car will be a Tesla and it will probably never have CarPlay.
Third party CarPlay is great for some people, but I think a lot of people are like me and think that an aftermarket stereo looks tacky.
Last edited:
I would agree with you ... except I drive a Ford Explorer with Sync. That thing is beyond horrible. I've considered getting a new car just because the system is so bad. It seems like every-time I get in my car the audio is different.
Random times when I plug my phone it it "initializes" for a few minutes. About once a year, i have to reset the whole thing because it gives me a disc full error.
Heck, they didn't even test the UI for 2 digit months. Oct-Dec the bluetooth icon super-imposed over the date because the date is too big.
I have CarPlay (and Android Auto) in my 2017 VW Passat. It is very good, probably my only gripe is that it doesn't interface with the dash display like the built in system does for navigation. Other than that gripe for day to day usage, particularly having Siri on tap to voice command phone calls and read out messages it is a great feature.
Would I buy a care because of CarPlay, no... would I reconsider purchasing a car that didn't have it, possibly.
Would I buy a care because of CarPlay, no... would I reconsider purchasing a car that didn't have it, possibly.
Ha, ha, yeah that's nice.Personal chauffeur, the life style of the rich and/or famous
Nothing like feeling important in ones life even far a brief ride
Honestly, I know some folks that live in Los Angeles and only use Uber/Lyft. Good for them! They put the costs on paper and figure it out to be cheaper than car ownership. I wished I could do the same but I have to drive a lot due work/family/kids. But if someone can get away with it, it's worth due the peace of mind and not dealing with stupid traffic that can definitely drive people insane.