Upgrade head unit?

[fozzy]

Hey all ,
I'm currently set up with a Pioneer AVIC-Z120bt. It's a great head unit, but it is of course a few years discontinued now. I'm not really one who has to have the latest and greatest, but it seems like things have come a good ways from then to now. I'm looking at the Z150bh, and wondering if it is a worthwhile upgrade. The new GUI is very clean, and the iPhone 5 appradio support is kind if important to me, because as many people have, I upgraded from a 4 to a 5 and didn't realize that appradio apps would no longer work. So what do you guys think, is it all in my head, or is it time to move up?

[douger]

I know nothing about the capability of the Z120 unit, but after almost a week of running a Z150, I've found a few nits.

 

1) No voice recognition.

 

2) No speed limit warning in maps. I was using a $5 iPad program that had it...NAVTEQ does offer it, at least in the 2013 GM vehicles version.

 

3) No "what's playing" when using the Sirius/XM receiver while in maps. It will give the channel information, but not the song and artist, like it does when I'm using the iPod or Pandora.

 

4) I've just started to play with it, but I've found the AppRadio application to be somewhat wanting. I'm using the Android version...I'm rooted, and I had to go back to the stock ROM because the custom ROMs don't have HDMI output working properly. I'll need some time to play with the Pioneer app as well as AR Liberator to see if I can make it more to my liking.

 

5) The traffic warning (the yellow or red line that follows your route, indicating slowdowns and stoppages in traffic) could be a bit thicker. The default scale for the map seems to be about a mile or two in front of the car. I don't think that's much warning, so I've scaled it to show about ten miles out.

 

6) My car has automatic headlamps. The come on long before it gets dark...which changes the map display from light background to dark background. It'd be nice if there was a software button that would toggle between day and night view, though the night view is fairly readable even in sunlight.

 

Some of my issues could certainly be attributed to operator error. The manual is several hundred dry pages long. I haven't read it cover to cover yet...nor am I likely to.

 

I haven't yet used the hands free mic that many people are unhappy with. I had the same issues with the P2400 that the Z150 replaced. I'm looking into how best to snatch the OnStar mic that's in the mirror to use for the Z150. That will be major surgery and will most likely wait until we get a prolonged cool, not too humid period.

 

All in all, I'm fairly happy with the upgrade. I do wonder if I could have saved a ton of cash and used a non navi unit like the 8500 and gotten the nav info from the AppRadio app.