should I go with a kenwood after market or the stock (alpine or sns200)?
How hard is it to install the kenwood?
Does it integrate with the speakers and the driving wheel controls?

Aftermarket! most of the time you can save a lot of money and get a much better product!!!

Except you have to make custom brackets to fit one into the tC! Its double DIN high, but not wide. You have to use a dash kit for older Scions, modify it, and then fab brackets for the deck to sit. Its not a super simple task, but do-able.

I have an Alpine INA-W900 that I installed the other day, but it sticks out to far and the dash kit doesn't work right. Its out of the car right now but we are fabbing something up this weekend for it.

I'd say if you haven't bought the car yet, get the Alpine OEM with Navi. We don't get that option in Canada (yet), but its the same as you'd find in the aftermarket Alpines, just OEM installed and fit.

In States, we have to dish out $1200 for the Alpine Nav that dealers sell. Add in $300 for blue tooth and you are up to $1500. In Canada blue tooth is standard, in States its an option. (Just to clarify for our Canadian friends like 745L)

My dilemma: dealer stuff are expensive and crappy, after market is a lot of hassle and might not work the way it should.

I'm well aware of how they are spec'd. But remember, where it is standard doesn't mean we aren't paying for it.

The Blu-Logic is "OK". It works really well, but I can totally understand your delema wanting Navigation.

You could look into a Parrot system for the OEM Navi since it is an Alpine radio. Just a thought. If we offered a Navi here, I wouldn't have bought aftermarket to get what I wanted.

The new Kenwood units are fairly nice in the aftermarket. The best suggestion I can offer is wait until I get mine installed and I can hopefully do a small write up on the installation. It's close, but not perfect, and thats the only issue.

i hate the markup on dealer-installed navi systems... and i also hate the fact that, even when you buy something aftermarket, there are so many limitations in terms of media...

a few years ago, when i got my 06 scion xb, i bought a tablet laptop that i used for the 4 years i had the car. i used it for navigation, movies, music and it was the perfect solution!

i had made a mount for it and it held it perfectly. when i would park the car, the tablet came off of the mount in like 2 seconds and i kept it under my seat. the mount came off too and the car looked completely stock when parked.

many people didnt like the soultion (doesnt look stock/screen is too big/etc etc etc) but it did everything i wanted it to. :D


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2208/2336679355_8f09cac6de_z.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/2336679263_6528670668_z.jpg

come on now...garmin.

I got the SNS200 installed on Sat. and I like it a lot. Love the bluetooh feature.:love: