Which Apple CarPlay head unit is best for your vehicle

        You can stop putting your phone in the cup holder to turn up the music. Check out our favorite Apple single-DIN car speakers with big screen, wireless connectivity and affordable pricing.
        If you’re still listening to music through your phone’s crackling tinny speakers on your phone’s drive, it’s time to upgrade. The convenience of wireless streaming is hard to beat, but you may need to upgrade your car stereo to use this feature. iPhone users will want one of the best CarPlay head units on the market right now.
        Using an Apple CarPlay head unit is about much more than great music: anyone with an iPhone can use CarPlay to navigate, answer calls, send text messages and more with simple voice commands. What’s more, you don’t need a brand new car to experience any of these features in a safe and distraction-free way. Since the debut of Apple CarPlay in 2014, aftermarket audio manufacturers have been developing head units with Apple’s in-car operating system for various vehicle models.
        In addition to Apple CarPlay, many head units from Sony, Kenwood, JVC, Pioneer, and more include HD radio, satellite radio, USB ports, CD and DVD players, preamps, built-in GPS navigation, and wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. . With all its possibilities, the term “infotainment system” has taken root for a reason. The move to a new Apple CarPlay head unit also opens up opportunities for a larger display than the current one. Some newer stereos may even add features that your factory stereo didn’t have before, like the ability to add a backup camera or engine performance sensors.
        With so many options, it can be difficult to determine which Apple CarPlay head unit is best for your vehicle. That’s why we spoke to the folks at Crutchfield to help us select the best Apple CarPlay head unit for your car. Since 1974, Crutchfield has helped more than 6 million customers improve the quality of their car audio systems. Check out some of the best Apple CarPlay head unit options below to find the perfect fit for your vehicle.
        We’ve compiled a list of the best Apple CarPlay head units from models that fit the most common radio sizes: single DIN car stereo and dual DIN car stereo. These in-car audio systems have been selected based on recommendations from Crutchfield experts, user reviews and ratings from leading shopping websites.
        Before you dig into it, use Crutchfield’s Find the Right Tool to find out which Apple CarPlay car stereo is right for your car. Enter the make, model and year of your car and you’ll see speakers, Apple CarPlay head units and more to equip your ride.
        Using Apple’s Siri in the car is great, but plugging and unplugging your phone while running errands isn’t. We like the Pioneer AVH-W4500NEX as our best Apple CarPlay car stereo head unit overall because the dual-DIN head unit offers a choice of wired or wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, HDMI and Bluetooth input for phone and audio streaming. For music lovers, this CarPlay stereo is equipped with a CD/DVD drive, HD radio, FLAC support and satellite radio, regardless of digital format. the coolest? Using an accessory (sold separately), you can view engine information on the Pioneer head unit’s 6.9-inch touch screen.
        You don’t have to spend a fortune to install Apple CarPlay in your car. If money is tight, pay attention to the Pioneer DMH-1500NEX car stereo head unit. Manage your Apple iPhone’s music library from the 7-inch touchscreen and use Siri to answer questions like “Did anyone find a monkey in Topeka?” before entering the city limits. This Alpine stereo receiver is also highly expandable, with six-channel pre-outs compatible with most digital audio formats, and dual camera connectivity.
        Just because your car only has one DIN car stereo hole doesn’t mean you can’t have a giant touchscreen anymore. Alpine Halo9 iLX-F309 car head unit connects a 9″ floating monitor to a 2″ head unit. In addition to the rear USB port input, auxiliary input, HDMI input and Bluetooth input, there are plenty of height and angle adjustments. Built-in Apple CarPlay means Apple Maps, text messages, calls and weather are all just a voice command away.
        The Apple CarPlay head unit stock stereos are not much larger than those of the Pioneer DMH-WT8600NEX. This digital wired and wireless CarPlay media player forgoes discs in favor of a 10.1-inch 720p capacitive touchscreen in a single DIN instrument cluster. For $1,500, you also get wireless Apple CarPlay, HD Radio, Bluetooth, and compatibility with a variety of digital music formats, including AAC, FLAC, MP3, and WMA.
        Who needs CDs and CD players? Not an Apple Alpine iLX-W650 head unit. Ditching the optical drive frees up space, and if you don’t have a lot of room in your dashboard, this two-din stereo unit is a great choice. In addition to the usual Apple CarPlay head unit integration, the iLX-W650 boasts front and rear camera inputs and a six-channel pre-out. Speaking of expandability, you can easily add Alpine power amplifiers for an extra 50W RMS through four channels for even more sound.
        We chose the Pioneer AVH W4500NEX as the best Apple car stereo overall, but we also chose it as the best wireless Apple CarPlay DVD head unit because it delivers the right mix of expected features along with the aforementioned ability to display amazing engine performance figures. While there are cheaper options if you’re an avid CD/DVD lover, for most people, having a CD/DVD drive is the best way to play them and still play them on your Apple iPhone or Android. Simultaneously make calls using all Apple CarPlay features.
        What does a $2,000+ Apple CarPlay-enabled car stereo look like? Kenwood Exelon DNX997XR. All that gold gives you tons of features, most importantly Garmin built-in GPS navigation, including three years of free updates. In addition to wireless Apple CarPlay, wired and wireless screen mirroring, passengers can also control the Pandora wirelessly from an Apple or Android device. This dual DIN car stereo also features a motorized 6.75″ 720p touchscreen display, Bluetooth and a built-in HD radio tuner.
        The head unit usually sells for around $1,400 but is hard to find in stock these days. The best price on Amazon right now is $2,300, but it might be worth waiting for other retailers to restock, which could save you $900.
        Depending on where you purchased your Apple car stereo, it may be free to install. Otherwise, Best Buy charges $100 for installation and promises to provide a factory-installed look with no loss of factory functionality. You must pay for any additional items in addition to the flat rate pay.
        When it comes to do-it-yourself head unit installation, you have several options, but they all include prefabricated harness adapters. Scosche and Amazon sell a variety of connectors that eliminate the need to cut and solder into factory wire harnesses. You can also opt for adapters so you don’t lose features like OnStar, steering wheel controls or doorbells. They range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars, depending on the difficulty. You can also buy trim and mount kits, and you probably won’t have too much trouble finding how-to videos on YouTube for your stereo and car model.
        If you don’t have the time or energy to keep track of everything yourself, consider purchasing an Apple CarPlay stereo head unit from Crutchfield. The Crutchfield trademark makes installation easy for the DIYer. Crutchfield takes the fear out of upgrading your stereo system yourself by adding car-specific wiring harnesses, connectors, trim and installation instructions to every head unit and speaker.
        Best of all, DIY doesn’t mean you’ll lose steering wheel audio controls, rearview cameras, or other factory conveniences. However, you have to pay for this. When budgeting for an upgrade, set aside $300 to $500 in addition to the cost of the head unit for the required wiring harness and data controller. However, older cars are cheaper to install. For example, a 2008 Ford Ranger mounting kit for the Pioneer AVH-W4500NEX sells for $56 but is currently $50 off.
       “You can 100% use a very modern [smartphone-connected] radio in your car,” says Adam “JR” Stoffel, a training manager who has been with Crutchfield since 1996, though he is over a decade old.