Apple CarPlay and Android Auto put your phone's maps, music, calls and messages on the car's screen, with big buttons and voice control. If your car was built before they became common, you can still have them — the factory radio is replaced with an aftermarket touchscreen head unit that supports both.
The first question is size. Car radios come in two standard sizes: single-DIN, the short slot older cars use, and double-DIN, which is twice as tall and fits a full touchscreen. Many cars with a single-DIN opening can still take a touchscreen radio with a floating or fold-out display.
The radio alone isn't the whole job. Almost every car needs a dash kit, which is the trim that makes the new radio fit the opening cleanly, and a wiring harness that plugs into the car's factory connector. Using the right harness means the factory wiring isn't cut, and the original radio could go back in later.
If your car has audio buttons on the steering wheel, a small adapter module keeps them working with the new radio. Cars with a factory amplifier or a built-in backup camera may need their own adapters too. This is where an install goes smoothly or doesn't, so it's worth sorting out before anything is ordered.
Wired or wireless? Wired CarPlay and Android Auto connect through a USB cable, which also charges the phone. Wireless units connect on their own when you get in. Wireless costs more, and either one does the same job once it's running.
A radio upgrade is also the easiest time to add a backup camera. Most touchscreen head units have a camera input, and the picture comes up automatically when you shift into reverse.
Before you buy a radio online, check that it fits your exact year, make and model, and find out which dash kit, harness and adapters it needs. A cheap radio that needs three extra parts can end up costing more than the right one.
Want it done properly? Call Moran Way at (313) 740-2839 with your year, make and model. We'll tell you what fits, quote the radio and the installation, and set it up with your phone before we leave.