So I have always hated talking on the phone but when I had my 2011 GTI with bluetooth I got in the habit of making all of my calls while driving so I could kill two birds with one stone. Now that the GTI is gone I miss my bluetooth. The simplest solution might at first seem to be to install an aftermarket stereo that already has bluetooth connectivity but I am more of an OEM+ person as I get older. I have had many aftermarket stereos in my day including full blow systems that were worth double the value of the car they were in but those days are gone. I actually enjoy the sound of the Mark Levinson system when all of the speakers are cooperating...
So anyway, there are several companies out there that make bluetooth and iPod integration kits for the factory Land Cruiser and LX470 systems but from what I have seen they only work with the LX470s that come with factory navigation head units.
I had already installed a Parrot MKI9200 bluetooth integration kit in my wife's Mazda5 about 3 years ago and it has worked great. The only thing I disliked about it was the separate screen but since it seems to be the only solution I finally bought another one. Don't get me wrong, the screen is an integral part of the unit, I just wished it worked with the factory screen for my picky cosmetic needs.
This system is fully integrated into the factory head unit and here are the highlights of what it does or what matters to me, I may miss something but if I do it means I don't use the feature.
- mutes the radio or cd for incoming or outgoing phone calls
- phone calls through factory system
- music playback via bluetooth
- music playback through 30 pin connector
- music playback through usb
- music playback through headphone jack
- music playback through sd card slot
- album artwork shows on the Parrot screen when connected through the 30 pin connection
- titles show with bluetooth connection
- allows for voice control or using a remote
- remote can be mounted to steering wheel or dash
Parrot just released an update for iPhone 5 users and it works with a lightning adapter.
We love it in my wife's car and hope it works just as well in mine.
Here are a few pictures of what you get. *beer sold separately
Remote, screen, and brain of the system.
Wires, user manual, dual noise canceling microphone, and additional parts.
The system is ready to install out of the box but I would need to cut and splice a lot of wires from the factory wiring harness in the vehicle. I bought a prewired custom harness with factory connections for my wife's install and it made everything plug and play so I did the same for the LX. Hopefully it will be here tomorrow.
I will post the results after the install. I would love to hear feedback from anyone who is using this system in their LX or Land Cruiser.
-Brett
