2003+ Anarchy NAV Delete CarPlay/Android Auto Head Unit Discussion

[imperium]

With the development of @Anarchy's plug-and-play standalone HVAC solution, I figured it'd be best to create a separate thread where we can discuss radio replacement/upgrades for the US spec 2003+ 100s with factory nav.
I'm very much looking forward to ditching the ancient screen and the Grom unit I have. The Grom works well enough, but it was never meant to be a replacement for an actual, dedicated CarPlay/AA unit.

For now, there isn't a whole lot of information on what it takes to put in one of these dedicated units because so few people have done the nav delete with parts from overseas. I have the parts myself, but never got around to wiring it up and installing.

So I figured this could be a place to discuss anything and everything head unit related. From the choice of the head units themselves to wiring up and installation.

I have a Sony XAV-AX6000 in my daily and, while I do like it, I think I want something else for the cruiser. I do like that this unit has the ability to completely turn off the display with the press of a physical button, but I don't like the physical buttons for volume. Though, my daily doesn't have steering wheel volume controls and the cruiser does, so that might turn out to be not that big of a deal. I'm also curious to how or if the cruiser's auto dimming functionality (that dims the factory nav screen when you drive through a tunnel or enter a parking garage) would work with these units. For me, one of the most important things when choosing a radio was the ability to have as little light from it as possible at night. So the screen turning off but the unit remaining on is a must.

I'll kick this off with a question; what radio will you be using? Have you used others in the past that you liked? What are your criteria for choosing a particular unit?

 

[Anarchy]

I guess I’ll start. For now I'm going to try this $150 Chinese Android unit from eBay while I figure out the ideal long-term setup.

The bigger challenge will be getting the wiring clean: factory amp/subwoofer, steering wheel controls, reverse camera, illumination/dimming, and keeping everything reversible. It's mostly going to be my test mule. Once everything is working properly, I’ll decide whether I keep it or move to something from Sony, Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer, etc.

 

[wesr4242]

I guess I’ll start. For now I'm going to try this $150 Chinese Android unit from eBay while I figure out the ideal long-term setup.

View attachment 4194730

The bigger challenge will be getting the wiring clean: factory amp/subwoofer, steering wheel controls, reverse camera, illumination/dimming, and keeping everything reversible. It's mostly going to be my test mule. Once everything is working properly, I’ll decide whether I keep it or move to something from Sony, Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer, etc.

So obviously the bezel is made to fit the opening. Would we be able to use that with a unit of the same size from say Pioneer or any other higher quality company?