[Rfromet]

I installed a new Avic-Z130BT over the weekend and here's my review after a few days of use...these are just my opinions...

I did extensive research into a double din system. I had the factory Becker220 (with the useless cupholders above). I was looking for a touchscreen at least 6", bluetooth, navi, hd radio, xm (sirius) and one that would work well with my iphone 4. I finally settled on the z130bt as it had all the options (except xm) built in.

I bought the z130bt and iphone cable from Amazon (make sure its the pioneer 51V), and the double din install kit from Euro Motorspeed. I also wanted to upgrade to rear speakers, and ordered the rear speaker upgrade kit from Harvey on eBay. I also ordered cuphoders from Ultimate Cupholders as I was going to remove the factory cupholders (if that's what you want to call them).

Finally, I had everything installed at a local installer. They've been in business for more than 20 years, and had worked on Boxsters.

It took them about 4 hours to install everything. The Euro Motorspeed double din bezel makes it look almost factory! The match is amazing. I had them install the BT mic on the a pillar, and the GPS antenna is mounted under the dash, right behind the alarm sensor. They said the rear speaker kit from Harvey was perfect to install, and the instructions were clear (they followed them exactly). Everything is run through the factory amp. I also had them run the iphone cable to the middle arm rest console. MAKE SURE they run the cable that came with the radio all the way to the console so you can plug other USB devices in! Needless to say, you don't see one wire, cable, or anything that would make you think this wasn't a factory install.

Sound Quality:

A 1000% improvement. The sound is crisp and clear, and the back speakers make a HUGE difference. Not disappointed at all. I've heard complaints that the BT quality is horrible, but I've had no problems. Everyone says they can hear me clearly (I'll try it with the top down if it ever stops raining here in Cleveland). Completely different driving experience. 9 out of 10.

Interface:

The z130bt is simple to use. The audio interface to the ipod is by far the best I've ever owned (I have a BMW, and a new Ford Touch as well). It's what I think an ipod interface should be...easy to search, find songs, artist, etc. The Pandora interface is top notch, and I found that I'm using it quite a bit. The input to the navigation is easy (as it can be) and has had no problem finding addresses and POI. The maps seem to be clear and correct. The phone interface is also incredibly easy. The VR isn't a problem, and it has understood every command I've given it (it does take a while to load the VR the first time). HERE IS THE GIGANTIC DRAWBACK...The radio presets can ONLY be saved as Preset 1, 2, 3, etc. It doesn't rename the preset! This makes the HD radio VERY HARD to use (unless you remember the presets). It's so bad, I'm knocking the total interface score down a few pegs! Also, if you don't do the bypass (which I will this weekend), you can't input a new destination while driving, which is CRAZY! I understand the no video while driving, but you can surf the ipod, pandora, aha, etc...you have to stop and put the parking brake on to switch destinations!! 7 out of 10. (If they fix the 2 complaints, I'd give it a 9 out of 10)

Overall

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the unit. As I said, the sound is a HUGE improvement, and outside of the 2 huge cons I have listed, the user experience is good (great if they'd update the preset snafu). I'd recommend the z130bt to anyone looking to upgrade their system. Overall score 8 out of 10.