Stereo Upgrade - What Works?

[sudomann]

I want to upgrade the factory stereo of my 2008 Lexus RX400H.

I believe it has the navigation package, and no ML Audio.
From my research so far, the GROM VL2 Infotainment system looks like what I should get.
Seems to pack all the features I need, but I'm curious whether anyone can confirms it actually works with my vehicle.

[RX400h]

Have you looked at www.crutchfield.com?

Not only will they most likely have many possible selections of audio equipment, but they also provide detailed installation instructions.

[N DUB 15]

We had a 2006 rx400h using just the Bluetooth grom adapter and it did not work bad. That car was wrecked and we bought a 2005 rx330 no nav nothing in it and decided to buy a high end JVC head unit with apple car play and Android auto and it's amazing. It's on sale right now at Best Buy for $199

[sudomann]

I believe that's one of the units I saw on Crutchfield.

I ended up buying the grom unit, because I liked the idea of it running as an independent device/system rather than relying on a phone to be connected. Not sure whether spending about $600 for the grom vline was worth it :(

[sudomann]

Also, since my vehicle had the nav, I didn't like the idea of the stereo replacement being positioned lower. Feared it would make it difficult to tap one or two buttons while driving.

[sinthome]

Are there any aftermarket upgrades for the nav screen? I think the Vline would be more worth the cost if the screen wasn't over 10 years old, but the only screen upgrades I can find are full stereo units and they also would probably not allow integration with the stock A/C controls, which partially rely on the nav screen. Maybe the "backup camera" screens are what I should be looking at?

[sudomann]

I have done a brief search before with no hope of finding anything, and I did not find anything.

The OEM touchscreen is indeed the worst feature of the entertainment system considering what year we're in.

From a technical standpoint, I doubt it would even be possible to upgrade the touchscreen, depending on how their software reads the input, or whether the hardware can be dismantled all the way down to the touchscreen.

[sinthome]

Yes, it seems the only hope for this is the new huge vertical screen units that have replacement ac button controls included along the bezel. The early adopters don't seem to be having 100% success with getting them working, but they seem to be improving so maybe in a year. 

[sudomann]

Can you link me to something regarding the new units you're talking about? This is the first I'm hearing of it.

[sinthome]

https://www.phoenixautomotiveinc.com/collections/tesla-style-vertical-screen/products/px6-six-core-11-8-vertical-screen-android-navigation-radio-for-lexus-rx-rx300-rx330-rx350-rx400h-2004-2007

 

If you get one please post your experience.

[sudomann]

Wow that's really nice. I searched for a good 2 months and saw all kinds of things, but never this one.
I see they only support up to the 2007 RX models. Event though I have a 2008, they're the same generation and only a year away, so I sent their support a message to see if it might work in my car.

 

Ultimately, I might get this and report back here with my experience.

[karid]

On 12/6/2019 at 9:27 PM, N DUB 15 said:

We had a 2006 rx400h using just the Bluetooth grom adapter and it did not work bad. That car was wrecked and we bought a 2005 rx330 no nav nothing in it and decided to buy a high end JVC head unit with apple car play and Android auto and it's amazing. It's on sale right now at Best Buy for $199

Which one actually is this? It looks great. If you could post a model number or link, that'd be great. there are a lot of JVC ones :-)