REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

nma · 12-28-2014, 04:30 PM

Hey guys. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or has some knowledge. My warranty on my car has just expired, it's a 2009 128i. I've always wanted a GPS system but never wanted to fork out the extra 2k+ for a stock navi platform. Recently I have been doing some research and came across several options for my car.

There's this:

BMW 1 Series (E81/E82/E88) Auto-AC Navigation Head Unit

It's a direct plug n play system with standard features. I'm not too sure of the quality in this build (probably just some built-in-china generic brand).
The good thing about this is that it works with all the controls on my steering wheel and all the stock BMW sounds (backup sensors, etc...)

There is another way. I can buy a special bezel

E81 E82 E87 E88 Double-DIN

Using this, I can find many after market screens (alpine, kenwood, etc..) but I am unsure which ones will work properly with my car and with my steering wheel.

If anyone has any general recommendations, input or advice I would appreciate it! Thanks!

Gucci Mane · 12-28-2014, 04:37 PM

look on the bmw 1series forums..

nma · 12-28-2014, 04:41 PM

I have.. Searched though most of the topics but haven't seen any feedback for the first system.. They sell double dins for a lot of different cars so I thought maybe someone here
has come across or seen a build done..

SumAznGuy · 12-28-2014, 04:43 PM

A couple of our resident car audio guru commented on another thread about these aftermarket OEM style navi units.
Basically for $519, you are better off with a true aftermarket Navi double din head unit that can also play DVD's.

Gucci Mane · 12-28-2014, 04:52 PM

i personally hate double din navi units. their interface's suck and are annoying as hell to use. maybe install a single din unit and use a dedicated nav unit? or install the single din cd player and get an ipad mini dash mod done from sound man.

Cman333 · 12-31-2014, 12:49 PM

I've never seen people have much success with the "no name" OEM style headunits. I've seen pretty much all of them fail within a short period of time. They work great when they work but overall build quality is generally quite poor then when you need to try and warranty something it's such a pain in the ass.

I would recommend trying brand name headunit. At least if you have issues you can bring it to a local warranty repair place vs. having to ship to USA/China/etc and and wait wayyyyyyyyy too long to have them ship you back a defective unit, then u have to call them again and they speak poor english.

Sorry. My rant from personal experience.

Anyways, yeah. Brand name is usually better just because of local warranty support and availability of parts. We have a Clarion NX404 on special right now which may work out for you and cost about the same amount at your Chinese unit.

BrRsn · 12-31-2014, 01:52 PM

Dynavin

Dynavin units aren't bad -- build quality isn't the greatest but for the cost I'd buy one again. Try to find someone on an e82 forum that resells them -- I bought off a guy on e46fanatics and he took care of warranty / replacement / accessories. Was a bit more expensive than buying off ebay but worth it for peace of mind if anything happens -- plus it came pre-loaded with decent maps + it runs a modified version of android OS so you can load custom apps / have your phone screen mirrored on the nav-screen

orgasm_donor · 01-01-2015, 08:57 PM

I have installed those units before and have been very underwhelmed by the performance. They are super laggy, have a very goofy user interface and like Cman sais, they do tend to just stop working after a while. Warranty is also pretty sketchy.

We have had very good results with Kenwood, Pioneer and Alpine. They are more expensive but for this you get a lot better performance and over-the-counter exchange warranties as well. Steering wheel controls are not a problem at all. We have three different types that will work with your car.

nma · 01-01-2015, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orgasm_donor

I have installed those units before and have been very underwhelmed by the performance. They are super laggy, have a very goofy user interface and like Cman sais, they do tend to just stop working after a while. Warranty is also pretty sketchy.

We have had very good results with Kenwood, Pioneer and Alpine. They are more expensive but for this you get a lot better performance and over-the-counter exchange warranties as well. Steering wheel controls are not a problem at all. We have three different types that will work with your car.

That's the reply I was looking for.. Which models work? Also, do any of the models come with backup camera compatibility and Sirius? I'm not too concerned about the price. I'm not trying to cheap out I want a unit that will work well with my car.

orgasm_donor · 01-02-2015, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nma

That's the reply I was looking for.. Which models work? Also, do any of the models come with backup camera compatibility and Sirius? I'm not too concerned about the price. I'm not trying to cheap out I want a unit that will work well with my car.

Most aforementioned models will come with SiriusXM and all will come with back up camera capabilities. I would strongly recommend against SiriusXM as the satellite reception is not what it once used to be with just Sirius. And although you can get just Sirius, none of the newer decks are compatible with it. I would stick to Internet radio on your phone and bluetooth streaming or hard connection. This will also avoid the monthly SiriusXM rapist fee.

You should look at come of these decks in person from either one of our shops or another sponsor's shop to get a real feel of what these things can do.