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Gen3 (2010) recommendation for new head unit in 2021

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by re08, Jan 20, 2021.

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  1. re08

    re08 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2021
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    Location:
    Kansas City
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    It's 2021. And my 2010 Prius is going strong. With covid making me stir crazy at home I've spent more time in the car lately just to get away from barking dogs at home, and I'm thinking how I can make it more productive.

    I've never used the navigation unit much because Android made it obsolete overnight. More often than not it's just a ledge I can sit my phone on. It's been years since I used the cd player for anything more than creating a ledge to sit things on when the screen folds down.

    So I'm thinking about pulling out the factory JBL head unit and replacing it with some aftermarket Android Auto Android 10 or later that will be wirelessly compatible with my Pixel 4a phone.

    And I'm going to be greedy on the features i want from it:
    • I want to be able to view the backup cam on demand (and still auto-activate it when putting transmission in R)
    • I want it to utilize my existing (stock) camera, steering wheel controls, tpms, and antennas. MAYBE a new backup camera if it's higher def and uses the existing wiring, not wireless.
    • I want ALL features to function when in any mode of driving? No safety nanny lockouts.
    • I want it to accept a SIM card and use my 4g/5g to provide a Wi-Fi hotspot to my passengers.
    • I want it to accept a microSD card for additional storage, and be able of running any android app, so my podcast app can always be up to date and have local copies ready to play.
    • I'd like it to be able to display the numerical readout of tire pressure from the existing tpms system. if this requires any additional connectors or adapters how much do those costs and where may I purchase them?
    • I'd like to be able to pair with with multiple bluetooth devices for music?
    • I'd like if it had a driver-facing camera, so I could engage in video calls without using my mobile handset. Again safety nannies not welcome. I spend more time in my car these days parked than driving anyway.
    • Adding a front and two side cameras for dash-cam capability would be nice. But I'm only interested in it if there is some sort of secure boot encrypted storage mechanism that lets me have absolute control over the contents, like a properly encrypted laptop. I don't want something that could be used against me in an accident someday.
    • Android 10 is important to me, or the latest version if 11's out yet for Auto. I know whatever I buy will get out of date before I know it and I want to head that off as much as I can even if it costs more.
    • No 'floating screens'. It needs to come with a bezel that fits the dash.
    • Would be cool if it could run torquePro and included a bidirectional odb2 transceiver.

    I've looked on ebay and there's about 500 options it feels like, and all the listings look a little dubious in different ways.

    So I'm hoping someone here can share a positive experience you've had swapping out your JBL for an aftermarket unit, and point me in the right direction.
     
    #1 re08, Jan 20, 2021
  2. jimlyons

    jimlyons Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2007
    36
    6
    4
    Location:
    East Stroudsburg
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Hey - same here! Except I have an iPhone, so everything he said but for iOS. I had a detaling done recently, bought the wheel covers from Toyota, got a new set of Goodyear all season. I think I'm good for another 200K. B-)
     
    #2 jimlyons, Jan 30, 2021
  3. Xterra72

    Xterra72 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2013
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Persona
    Pioneer or Kenwood
     
    #3 Xterra72, Jan 31, 2021
  4. Xterra72

    Xterra72 Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Persona
    Pioneer AVH-W4500NEX

    or

    Pioneer DMH-WC6600NEX

    or

    Kenwood Excelon Reference DNR1007XR

    According to Crutchfield, these are excellent units for the Prius.

    FD362E2E-1999-4DC8-BDE6-560A8D9FCCEC.png 95B38205-9949-4209-AA10-41728888FCE2.png
    Paired with these accesories. Supposedly everything is functional even after this upgrade from stock.

    Verify with Crutchfield.

    My 2 cents.
     
    #4 Xterra72, Jan 31, 2021
    Cd=.25, Steph1972 and jimlyons like this.
  5. jimlyons

    jimlyons Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2007
    36
    6
    4
    Location:
    East Stroudsburg
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Thanks. I may tackle this when the the weather gets warmer. Or else have a local shop do the upgrade for me. Not the biggest fan of DIY when it comes to cars. B-)
     
    #5 jimlyons, Feb 1, 2021
    Xterra72 likes this.
  6. toodlepip

    toodlepip Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2019
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    3
    0
    Location:
    UK
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I know this is an old thread, but I'm looking to upgrade the head unit in my Gen 3. Does this mean you lose access to the hidden maintenance menus?
     
    #6 toodlepip, Jul 13, 2021
  7. abubin

    abubin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2019
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    Location:
    Malaysia
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes, you will lose those.
     
    #7 abubin, Jul 19, 2021
  8. abubin

    abubin Member

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    #8 abubin, Jul 19, 2021
  9. NewHybridOwner

    NewHybridOwner Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2018
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    Location:
    W. Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    #9 NewHybridOwner, Jul 26, 2021
  10. abubin

    abubin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2019
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
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    Model:
    N/A
    upload_2021-7-28_21-44-48.png
     
    #10 abubin, Jul 28, 2021
  11. January89

    January89 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2023
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    Location:
    Memphis
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    was this a good head unit? is the sound quality good? did you have a functioning steering wheel button and/or backup camera?
     
    #11 January89, Apr 11, 2024
  12. howardc64

    howardc64 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2011
    91
    39
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Thought I post my ~2 year experience with low cost Chinese Android HU ( like one in post #10 ) as more people might want to upgrade their old Prius to modern HU. I actually have a website that support these HU owners ( YT5760B_AC8259 )

    Pros

    Has quite a bit of modern features
    • Apple CarPlay / Android Auto (make sure you buy versions with this)
    • Good quality backup cam (require difficult installation through the rear hatch of course)
    • Bluetooth call + music with phone. BT mic mounting not to hard (through A pillar trim, roof liner, and just under the sunglass holder panel)
    • 4G cellular connection (although HU radio mostly don't include US LTE bands. Only 1 (or 2?) China/global LTE bands overlap to US)
    • Navigation : 1) CarPlay Android Auto 2) waze googlemaps if have 4G 3) offline google maps / iGO without LTE
    Face Plate and adapter cables usually included
    • Many vendors provide these. Plug and play.
    • Mounting bracket to original HU double DIN mounting bolts usually not included. Can easily damage HU when making own mounts ( link )
    Cons
    • Radio reception sound quality not great
    • Heavily weight apps such as google maps navigation somewhat sluggish
    • Default HU flash memory stored music player and bluetooth music player sucks
    • Not the best screen layout but good enough I suppose
    • Lots of small problems / bugs that may or may not bother you. For example, 2.4GHz interference : wifi speed slows down with BT on.
    There are definitely better units by Japanese manufacturers or even better Chinese manufacturers. But these are cheap (like $100 these days) 2G RAM + 32G Flash is plenty for common usage.

    For basic usage (backup cam, radio, occasional NAV) I'd buy again.

    IMG_2479.jpeg IMG_2480.jpeg IMG_2481.jpeg IMG_2482.jpeg
     
    #12 howardc64, Jul 31, 2024
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2024
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