2019 infotainment reviews?

[mjh]

Now that the 2019's are getting out there, I'm curious to hear any reviews about the updated infotainment (either personal or published online). Are there any apparent performance improvements / issues, besides the addition of the knob and hard buttons?

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[SCOPESYS]

Now that the 2019's are getting out there, I'm curious to hear any reviews about the updated infotainment (either personal or published online). Are there any apparent performance improvements / issues, besides the addition of the knob and hard buttons?

I suspect it's just a Screen Unit update, and that everything else is exactly the same.

If it ain't broke, don't spend a lot of Money developing a New Unit for a model that is due for a major update in a few years ??

As far as a unit for the SI, I do not see any necessity for Honda to have changed any of the internals, as there are no new features on the 2019 SI that would need additional Head Unit software updates.

I don't know for sure about the 2019 units, but I have a 2018 (USA SI) unit that is currently BRICKED (one of the few Honda Hack bricks ?) and it has been replaced.

I plan to work on it over the winter and figure out how to recover it, including a complete breakdown, with pictures of all the internals.
Already have it fully disassembled -- quite impressed with the build and the over-engineering that seems to have gone into it !! They don't build them like this anymore. Very big difference to the construction and build compared to the the current selection of China originating "FAST" Android Head Units.

Already have all the necessary plugs and cable to run it outside of the car, just need some time to get into it.

Something to look forward to in early 2019.

 

[NHCivicGuy]

Test drove a 2019 Si yesterday right off the truck before PDI was even done. Stereo was not working, totally blacked out. I’m sure it’s just a simple fuse reset. I have heard that it is the same minus the different screen with buttons.

 

[nags]

I'm currently shopping for a 2019 Hatchback Sport, which apparently has the old one still, and this is one of my biggest concerns. I've always ran high end Pioneer head units in my cars but that doesn't seem to be so easy here other than an Android unit. I keep looking around at reviews of the stock infotainment setup but I'm not really convinced.

 

[NHCivicGuy]

I'm currently shopping for a 2019 Hatchback Sport, which apparently has the old one still, and this is one of my biggest concerns. I've always ran high end Pioneer head units in my cars but that doesn't seem to be so easy here other than an Android unit. I keep looking around at reviews of the stock infotainment setup but I'm not really convinced.

So it looks like the Hatchback Sport still has the old stereo system. You can easily get an aftermarket headunit in there, with the dash and wire kit. I'm sure we can do this with other models, but only if not utilizing the factory amp, which I would bypass totally anyways. Us other models would have to worry about losing AC control functions that are on the display.

Looks like this is the dash kit- https://www.crutchfield.com/p_120957812B/Metra-95-7812B-Dash-Kit-Matte-Black.html

Here is the wire kit- https://www.crutchfield.com/p_120701731/Metra-70-1731-Wiring-Harness.html

 

[nags]

Hmm.. From all my reading I thought you'd lose functionality with an aftermarket head unit?

 

[SCOPESYS]

Hmm.. From all my reading I thought you'd lose functionality with an aftermarket head unit?

That is my impression as well... the functionality with the car's AC etc always seems to be un-specified with the aftermarket units.

If a unit was 100% Compatible with the 2018-2019 Hondas, and worked with everything like the AC, system diagnostics etc etc, you would think that the manufacturers would be making that very clear as a selling point.

Note: Most of the China Android units can support DAB with an addon unit, but I have not seen any that support the USA HD Radio, or have built in Sirius receivers.

Yes, they are nice and fast -- but then most (If not all) have sub-standard displays, that are no-way near as bright & high Contrast like the OEM Honda unit.

The Honda Units might be a little slow, and limited as they are heavily locked down, but the actual Display Quality is 100%.

To me, its a Chaotic Mess, with insufficient information being available to make any decisions about compatibility with any certainty.

 

[nags]

To me, its a Chaotic Mess, with insufficient information being available to make any decisions about compatibility with any certainty.

Agreed. Wish I could just go to the Pioneer website and get an extremely clear answer.

 

[NHCivicGuy]

Hmm.. From all my reading I thought you'd lose functionality with an aftermarket head unit?

Agreed. Wish I could just go to the Pioneer website and get an extremely clear answer.

Once iDatalink Maestro comes out with a solution, you would easily be able to interact with OEM functions, such as climate control, steering wheel functions, backup camera, etc. I have found a few have spoken to them a while back and they were planning to work on that for the 2016+ Civic but I have yet to hear anything being released yet.

 

[nags]

Once iDatalink comes out with a solution, you would easily be able to interact with OEM functions, such as climate control, steering wheel functions, backup camera, etc. I have found a few have spoken to them a while back and they were planning to work on that for the 2016+ Civic but I have yet to hear anything being released yet.

Good to know. I had one in my truck and everything was seamless. But the stock head unit really wasn't integrated to much other than the steering wheel controls.

They show this available for the 2018 Civic but not sure if it's the right thing;
http://www.idatalink.com/product/pr...e_model_id/78/package_type/0/vehicle_id/24980

 

[SCOPESYS]

I'm currently shopping for a 2019 Hatchback Sport, which apparently has the old one still, and this is one of my biggest concerns. I've always ran high end Pioneer head units in my cars but that doesn't seem to be so easy here other than an Android unit. I keep looking around at reviews of the stock infotainment setup but I'm not really convinced.

Looks to me like it has the new display, with the rotary volume control.

(Well, new display, same old Radio that was in the 2018 SI etc )

Can't tell from picture if it has HD radio & Sirius... but I expect it should have.

I find the most off putting thing about Honda, is how they make all there different model's feature so complex to understand... and then what they offer in a given model & year, depends a lot on what country you buy the car.
The Brochure keep putting STARS by trim items, with a comment "not available on all trims" .. and the whole thing just becomes a jumbled mess .. trying to describe all trims and models in the same brochure.
They should have separate brochures for each trim.

 

[nags]

Emailed Pioneer support to see if they could offer a clear answer. They could not andtolda me to call and ask an authorized installer.

 

[NHCivicGuy]

Emailed Pioneer support to see if they could offer a clear answer. They could not andtolda me to call and ask an authorized installer.

Yeah Pioneer sadly doesn't offer stuff like that. You have to rely on iDatalink Maestero or similar company. You could try reaching out to them directly by phone. I've sent an email or two over to them in the past six months and had zero responses. I don't have an Si yet so never bothered to call in and hound. They have a forum board where I saw a few people inquire and they said they were trying to work on a solution soon (and that was like at the beginning of 2017). I have a feeling they couldn't get it 100% figured out and never released it.

 

[nags]

Yeah Pioneer sadly doesn't offer stuff like that. You have to rely on iDatalink Maestero or similar company. You could try reaching out to them directly by phone. I've sent an email or two over to them in the past six months and had zero responses. I don't have an Si yet so never bothered to call in and hound. They have a forum board where I saw a few people inquire and they said they were trying to work on a solution soon (and that was like at the beginning of 2017). I have a feeling they couldn't get it 100% figured out and never released it.

I will call them today. I don't even have the Civic yet so I'm not in a rush on that end. But if it's going to work I need to know ASAP so I can pull the head unit from my truck before I sell. If not I'll just leave it in. I'll update y'all in a few hours.

 

[nags]

Just got off the phone with them. 2018+ is not supported but in the works.

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