Why CarPlay?

[naftalim]

I recently put down a deposit for an install of a Kenwood DNX994s Unit with CarPlay in my 2017 Honda Fit LX. Some have told me that it's a waste of money and they just put the phone in a clip in the air vent and perform the same actions. Yet, most car manufacturers are adding CarPlay or Android Auto capabilities to their vehicles so there must be a demand.

If you installed CarPlay (did not come pre-installed in your vehicle) are you happy you made the purchase?

 

[BarracksSi]

(mine came pre-installed in my new vehicle; in my previous car, I only had an audio connection and NEVER used a clip to see my phone while driving)

Am I happy?

I WISH I GOT CARPLAY SOONER. Oh my god.

My enthusiasm for CarPlay is partly due to the significant disdain I feel towards my new Civic's stock UI. It sucks. Mine's the upper-end model with an Android-driven system, and well, Honda's UI dev team could use a month-long retreat at Apple HQ to learn about proper interface design.

If I had bought the LX trim, I would have swapped out the head unit for a CarPlay-compatible aftermarket model.
[doublepost=1501512655][/doublepost]I'll add on --

When driving, of course it's best to not look at a screen, using audio commands and feedback as much as possible. But I can't ignore how nice it is to have a legible view of information when it's needed.

The big interface for music and podcasts is great, too -- not just for me, but also for my wife to use.

In my previous car, when I got my Apple Watch, I started second-guessing whether I would need to install an aftermarket CarPlay head. Having nav notes on my wrist is really nice. But I can't wear the AW to the office, and I still like wearing my other watches sometimes -- so it's good to have it on the big screen.

 

[kingston73]

For me, the reading messages alone is worth CarPlay. The other features are nice but not critical for me, but it makes reading and sending texts easy enough to actually use while driving.

 

[shastada]

I put carplay in aftermarket and it's great... when it works. My headunit tends to have issues disconnecting randomly or crashing (rebooting). If it worked reliably I'd love it. I have the Pioneer SPH-DA120 AppRadio 4. I wouldn't recommend that unit, but the carplay itself is a nice aftermarket addition. Especially since it's a lot cheaper to put in yourself than pay for upgraded systems from manufacturers that charge upwards of 1500 dollars for upgraded AV systems as a package with other garbage.

 

[jgelin]

One of the better things that I love about having CarPlay is that it is familiar to anyone who gets in my car. Any passenger can put on whatever tunes they want without a crash course, most people have the iPhone already so its second nature. It makes sense to have the UI continue to a bigger screen.
One of my few complaints would be that I have yet to find where to control how loud the CarPlay is, like Siri screams a bit too loud for my liking but that is something that I can deal with for the time being.
[doublepost=1502032564][/doublepost]

But I can't wear the AW to the office

Mind if I inquire as to why you cannot wear the AW to work? Just a curious soul.

 

[BarracksSi]

One of my few complaints would be that I have yet to find where to control how loud the CarPlay is, like Siri screams a bit too loud for my liking but that is something that I can deal with for the time being.

In my car, I can adjust Siri's volume while Siri is talking -- so I have to be quick with pushing the steering wheel's volume control.

Mind if I inquire as to why you cannot wear the AW to work? Just a curious soul.

No personal gadgets (iPhones, personal laptops, wifi-equipped smartwatches, etc) allowed for security reasons.