After-market V Factory Standard iPod Car Kit

A lot of vehicles are now being produced with iPod car kits pre-installed, or the option to buy one from the dealership as part of a package deal. The problem is there are many different variations of an iPod car kit. So what is the better option. Factory standard or After-market?

I one heard a customer say they were sold an iPod kit when they purchased a new car from a dealership. It was suggested to him that it was the best option available for his car & nothing else was comparable. To be fair he was fairly happy with it. It did what he wanted it to do. However the customer was looking around & decided to check to see if anything else was available, just out of interest. He came along to iPod Car Kit Direct and displayed his kit, He was shocked when we told him his iPod kit was a simple AUX input. Not that there's anything wrong with a AUX input, Its like listening through the headphones. However we told him we sold them for £5 he was annoyed.

The system he purchased from factory cost him over £150 for the ”kit” and installation, and when we showed him how & where the kit installs into the car he felt rather ripped off.

This is problem when purchasing iPod kits from manufacturers, you may not know what you are getting and how much its costing you in comparison to a competitive product. We know of a lot of dealerships who charge upwards of £3000 for an integrated system. Not a problem if their customers are willing to pay that. However competitive and better products are available for much less.

So how do we define what is the better system?

Well its very difficult, each vehicle and model for that matter have different compatibility depending on what's installed in it. With compatibility so varied its difficult to a) offer a comparative product, and b) suggest what features it should have.

However what I can do is tell you about what types of product do what and what you should expect from them.

There are three or four types of product to connect your iPod / iPhone into your car.

Firstly an AUX in, this is a 3.5mm plug into your vehicle. This will not be compatible with all vehicles as a physical AUX input is required into the stereo its self. (Usually available on after-market stereos but not usually on factory standard) The benefit of the AUX in is that its cheap, costing around £5 for the lead. This solution will basically allow you to listen to your music as you would through the headphones, You cant control your iPod just listen.

Secondly you get FM Transmitters, these connect to your stereo wirelessly through a preselected FM frequency. The benefits are that every stereo is compatible so it doesn't matter what car you drive. However if you live in built up area's you may struggle to receive a good signal as other frequencies may be picked up at the same time.

Thirdly you can get FM Modulators, They work on a similar principle to the transmitters with one exception. They are physically hard wired into the stereo. So you receive a much better signal & you can charge you iPod. However all music selections must be made from the iPod. Again these kits are universal but you may need an aerial adapter dependant on the type of aerial in your vehicle. Some Volvo's use antennas inside the windows so these aren't compatible.

Fourthly are the integrated kits, These are vehicle specific. The connect into your stereo and allow you to control the iPod / iPhone through the stereo or steering wheel controls. They also offer iPod charge and most offer text display on the cluster screen or stereo, however this depends on the electronic system used in the vehicle. Most new vehicles use CAN bus or MOST if this is the case you should receive text in the car. Needles to say the Integrated kits offer the best iPod functionality by far.

So which is best Factory or After-market equipment, there are so many different kits out that offer different features its too difficult to say. However it is worth saying where the after-market leads the factory spec follows. So make sure you get all the facts from the dealership compare to other products available on the market and make your mind up from there.

If you need more advice on iPod car kits or want to see what the best option is for you contact iPod car kit direct. They are Europe's largest retailer and have extensive knowledge in the area. Ipod integration is what they do!