Android auto

[Steve67]

Hi all, has anyone in the uk fitted android auto into there is250?

[McShmoopy]

1 hour ago, Steve67 said:

Hi all, has anyone in the uk fitted android auto into there is250?

Hi Steve

Depending on your region, spec and year of the vehicle, there are quite a few options to get apple CarPlay / Android Auto in the car. One very popular option with Pre facelift NAVI vehicles is the GROM VLINE2, its an android unit that hijacks the DVD / CD player / USB of your OEM infotainment and allows a full android experience while keeping the car completely stock for the most part. This is a good option as it retains the stock climate controls and other features of the vehicle while modernising it. The unit does come with Wireless apple CarPlay and Android Auto out of the box, I'm unsure if Android Auto is wireless. This is an especially expensive option, and GROM customer support is very hit and miss. If you have a facelift vehicle (Like mine 2009+) the GROM does work but Im experiencing many issues so I wouldn't recommend it just yet!

https://gromaudio.co.uk/lexus-toyota-2006-2009-grom-vline-infotainment-system-upgrade-video-interface-lex5vl2.html

Another option is the generic Chinese android units, these work amazingly if you don't already have a NAVI screen but caveats are they degrade the audio quality and the reliability can be a bit questionable, some people do have good results but if you already have a NAVI system its hard to integrate the existing reverse camera and other functions into it so I'd only recommend this if you have a non NAVI vehicle.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002002983968.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.36e632dfRF1qJ3&algo_pvid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c&algo_expid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c-0&btsid=0b0a050b16197235809666769e16ff&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32849728348.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.36e632dfRF1qJ3&algo_pvid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c&algo_expid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c-3&btsid=0b0a050b16197235809666769e16ff&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000011795471.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.36e632dfRF1qJ3&algo_pvid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c&algo_expid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c-5&btsid=0b0a050b16197235809666769e16ff&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

One other alternative is to use a generic double din screen Android or otherwise with a fascia that retains climate control functions. I don't like this solution as the only I have seen put your screen WAY down and its not very useful as you have to take your eyes off the road to access it. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252427614787

I'll provide some links for you to have a look and let me know If you need any further guidance!

[Superduner]

Actually I've found Grom help (based in Texas) to be pretty good.  They have recently sorted out a gps problem that several users were experiencing.

Firmware and software upgrades happen fairly regularly.

I use the Agama skin, which I think helps the user experience a lot.

[McShmoopy]

3 hours ago, Superduner said:

Actually I've found Grom help (based in Texas) to be pretty good.  They have recently sorted out a gps problem that several users were experiencing.

Firmware and software upgrades happen fairly regularly.

I use the Agama skin, which I think helps the user experience a lot.

Yes to their credit they are pushing out regular software updates and they have addressed a few issues I've had, my main gripe is even for complex issues they don't let you call them direct and they can be a little slow to reply and get back to you. 

[Steve67]

Thanks for the replies.. the Lexus we are hoping to buy is a 2010 SE i with navigation....so I look at the info you have provided.. cheers

[McShmoopy]

On 4/30/2021 at 7:42 AM, Steve67 said:

Thanks for the replies.. the Lexus we are hoping to buy is a 2010 SE i with navigation....so I look at the info you have provided.. cheers

No worries Steve, I have a 2010 F Sport and while I have installed the GROM I’m currently missing with their support team to get full functionality it may be worth watching this video I made for them before you decide to purchase something. 

 

[Mr Vlad]

Excellent video you made proving without doubt just what a load of rubbish the grom thing is. Utter waste of money. I wouldn't have tolerated anywhere near as much as you with those issues. I'd have sent the thing back and got a full refund. 

[McShmoopy]

7 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Excellent video you made proving without doubt just what a load of rubbish the grom thing is. Utter waste of money. I wouldn't have tolerated anywhere near as much as you with those issues. I'd have sent the thing back and got a full refund. 

Thanks for that Vlad, it is quite annoying and the £500 price point does merit better customer support if nothing else but aside from a sketchy android unit or an awkward double din fascia there doesn't seem to be any other product that meets all my requirements for infotainment.  My understanding is that pre 2009 GROMS are far better as it uses the old infotainment system but I'll probably provide an update on this when GROM provide further updates. With any luck GROM can get their fingers out of their rear and sort the facelift version of this out!

[Steve67]

the uk dealer is 10 minutes from my house , ( near Ashby) so i may drop in for a chat...

 

[Mr Vlad]

No problem Bilal. There is an alternative to grom. Vaistech do a similar thing but they have a shed load of positive reviews. A couple hundred quid cheaper too. The one and only thing that put me off getting one was that the phone has to be connected by a wire to the unit.

[Superduner]

For sure the Grom is "a bit finicky" at times (but I don't have any of the issues that McSchmoopy has).  My wife is used to me spending a couple of minutes on every trip checking for updates both for the system and the apps.  Either that or I park where I can get wifi from the house and spend time in the car on its weekly Battery top up.

At the moment it's working ok, touch wood, but Sygic is not.  So I'm waiting for a Sygic upgrade to fix those issues.  Music is ok, and so is Hybrid Assistant.

[McShmoopy]

Slight update for the OP, I've been liaising with GROM further and they finally pushed out a software update to make the GROM for the most part fully functional. I'll be providing a more detailed update on my personal thread in the Mods section but here's a quick video I made. This should theoretically work as flawlessly for Android auto but as I don't have an android device I cant provide any testing! 

 

 

[Herbie]

On 4/29/2021 at 6:30 PM, Steve67 said:

Hi all, has anyone in the uk fitted android auto into there is250?

I don't know if one of these units is available for your car but have a read of this topic that I posted recently: