Kenwood DNX9980HD or Pioneer AVIC-Z130BT

Im also in the same boat, but waiting til the new alpine 7" comes out before i decide.

 

I went with KW primarily due to the Garmin.

 

Between the 2 I'd go for the Kenwood. Garmin navigation. Pioneer has an iffy reputation for BT quality.

Are you going to do a self install? Why not just go with the Ottonavi unit? You won't have to worry about a JBL adapter, steering wheel control adapter or dash kit. Go with the Advent unit if you want XM radio.

 

The new crutchfield magazine says an Alpine model is here, or close.
Called 'perfect fit' or something of that nature.
Might just be adapters.
HU's could be pretty spendy but hey, it's Alpine.
I'm an Alpine fan so I'm guessing that by the time they get some gear for the 2012 I'll be ready.
Just curious how nobody mentions them when changing out HU's.

 

Oops I'm sorry...
I MEANT 8 INCHES!! =D

Alpine INE-Z928HD

And, they're making "Perfect Fit" dashes for our Prius!

Taken from their website:

Perfect F.I.T. Dash Kits for the INE-Z928HD 8-inch AVN system:

• Ford F-150, 2009 - Present models(KTX-FPU8)
• Ford Mustang, 2011 – Present models(KTX-MTG8)
• Ford Fusion, 2010 – Present models(KTX-FUS8)
• Ford Escape, 2013 model(KTX-ECP8)
• GM Trucks and SUVs, Various 2007 – 2011 models(KTX-GM8-0l)
• Toyota Camry, 2012 model (KTX-CMY8)
• Toyota Prius, 2009 - Present models (KTX-PRS8)
• Toyota RAV4, 2009 - Present models (KTS-RV48)
• Toyota Tacoma, 2012 model (KTX-TCM8)
• Volkswagen Jetta and Passat, 2011 - Present models (KTX-VW8)
• Available: April
• SRI: TBD

 

Kenwood units use Garmin Nav. If the most recent official maps are not yet available, you can use the unlocked maps from their portable navs that updates every quarter (3 months).

 

I don't know if Kenwood is any more reliable then other brands as far as defective units. Ottonavi seems to support their units. I know Advent (Audivox) has good support. You have to decide if you want "extras" like HD radio, traffic and Garmin navigation or if you want a better look. The issue with buying direct from China (HK) via ebay isn't just reliability issues. It's the time and money it takes to return the unit if it's defective.

I went with the Advent unit. I paid to upgrade to iGO navigation. Good system. Not as good as Garmin but good.

Why are you sick with OEM look units? Have you had a problem with one?
One issue is theft. The Advent, and other OEM look, units have a bracket on the unit which screws into the car. Possibly excepting the Alpine perfect fit, a plastic (Metra) bracket is screwed into the dash. The unit slides into the plastic bracket (and/or a metal sleeve). I know, you're only buying an extra few (5?) minutes but it might make a difference.


Looks like the Alpine perfect fit includes a faceplate/mounting which is closer to factory look then Metra, includes wiring harness and steering wheel control interface. Crutchfield doesn't indicate the unit supports the JBL system. You still have the wasted space OEM, and OEM look, units utilize for controls.

 

Manuals for the ine-z928hd

Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.

 

How they make the perfect fit adapter kit for the prius will be intersting. Are they going to duplicate the car, setup, etc functions that are not nav or entertainment related?

 

You can buy the Kenwood from mycartoys.com and tell them the following: "You sold this to a friend on our Priuschat forum for a great deal of $1250 with free shipping."....and they honor it. Plus, there WAS a $300 rebate from Kenwood that you got straight back from Kenwood in the form of a debit/credit card. I don't know if the rebate is still going or not. Regardless, the $1250 price is a good price, even without the rebate.

 

That's great. I looked at those, too; but Kenwood said they wouldn't honor any warranty on them....and everything I ever buy ends up screwing up and I have to use the warranty, so that was especially important to me. Otherwise, I would have picked up a much cheaper priced one, definitely!