Review: RoadTop CarPlay unit
09-17-2021, 11:34 PM
#1
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Review: RoadTop CarPlay unit
So since the S550 is my new daily driver, I was happy to invest a few hundred to make the car much safer for me to drive. I have researched the JoyEAuto, Indiwork, and RoadTop units; they are all largely the same product with minute differences. All seemed to have good customer support (which was surprising to me). I was drawn to the RoadTop unit because they advertised that the touchpad was usable, something the Indiwork and JoyEAuto customer service both told me would not work. Additionally, the JoyEAuto unit required an external mic, something I did not want to add. I also used an Aux activator tool so that I am not using an Aux-to-USB interface (this allows for faster audio communication and less distortion) - well worth the $40.
I installed the unit last week, it took about 3 hours as others have noted. It was all plug-and-play, really quite easy. Somehow I didn't break any parts disassembling the car, something I am usually quite good at.
So how does it work?
Sound quality is exactly as good as BT audio. I checked with the same tracks and could not note any difference between wireless carplay and BT audio. I think that's pretty great.
The RoadTop system menu is easy to use, intuitive, though it does require some set-up to get it dialed in. CarPlay is really meant to be used on a touchscreen but this is as close as we get.
Phone calls are through the car's microphone, and they are clear and good. No echo issues.
Using Siri to change tracks or make calls is a game-changer. You can say "Hey Siri" and it will work, but it takes about 2-3 seconds. If you push the "mic mute" button on the left side of the steering wheel it brings Siri up instantly.
Unfortunately, swiping does not work on the touchpad at all. The "click" does work to select items, but the rotary knob must be used to switch icons. On the other hand, you can tell Siri to do anything.
The resolution is "fine" but it does not seem as sharp as the gauges or Command menu. Not a deal breaker for the low cost this is, but I would've loved it to have looked "sharper"
Overall, this is hands down the best investment I have made for the car. For about $320 and 3 hours of my time I have a much safer automobile.
I installed the unit last week, it took about 3 hours as others have noted. It was all plug-and-play, really quite easy. Somehow I didn't break any parts disassembling the car, something I am usually quite good at.
So how does it work?
Sound quality is exactly as good as BT audio. I checked with the same tracks and could not note any difference between wireless carplay and BT audio. I think that's pretty great.
The RoadTop system menu is easy to use, intuitive, though it does require some set-up to get it dialed in. CarPlay is really meant to be used on a touchscreen but this is as close as we get.
Phone calls are through the car's microphone, and they are clear and good. No echo issues.
Using Siri to change tracks or make calls is a game-changer. You can say "Hey Siri" and it will work, but it takes about 2-3 seconds. If you push the "mic mute" button on the left side of the steering wheel it brings Siri up instantly.
Unfortunately, swiping does not work on the touchpad at all. The "click" does work to select items, but the rotary knob must be used to switch icons. On the other hand, you can tell Siri to do anything.
The resolution is "fine" but it does not seem as sharp as the gauges or Command menu. Not a deal breaker for the low cost this is, but I would've loved it to have looked "sharper"
Overall, this is hands down the best investment I have made for the car. For about $320 and 3 hours of my time I have a much safer automobile.
Last edited by cfmistry; 09-17-2021 at 11:42 PM.
09-23-2021, 09:03 AM
#2
Senior Member
Check with the seller - they might have got the wrong MCU flash installed. I had a problem with mine at first as it came prepared for narrow screens (4:3 ratio or so) so it looked like crap no matter how you set the dip switches. After a couple of email round trips with the seller I managed to get a flash update that works fine and I can't say a bad word about resolution - everything is crisp and sharp, and it does look like a native resolution of the screen (no downsampling or anything like that). But on the other hand I'm on android platform, not apple...
09-23-2021, 11:30 AM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
The more I look at mine the better I think it is. Perhaps I am just used to staring at an iPhone screen all day and expecting similar quality. Does your touchpad work to control it?
