Pioneer makes cabin tech upgrades

	View online  | Share on Facebook	June 19, 2009

	This week in Car Tech Wayne Cunningham CNET.com Pioneer makes cabin tech upgrades Just because you bought an eight-year-old beater doesn't mean you have to do without nicely integrated cabin tech. We got a look at Pioneer's updated line of AVIC car stereos, all-in-one units that give you navigation, Bluetooth phone compatibility, and digital music playback. Where these types of head units used to cost about $1,000, Pioneer offers an entry-level model at only $600. We're pretty impressed by the feature sets of these new units. The entry-level model covers all the basics, such as navigation, Bluetooth, and iPod integration. The three devices above that entry-level model add features such as voice command and better maps. These Pioneer AVIC head units rival many of the factory-installed cabin tech suites we've seen in cars, which can be hit-or-miss in combining all of these features.  Read more. Pioneer AVIC-X910BT Most popular products Eclipse AVN726E DVD/GPS receiver  Check prices Garmin Nuvi 265WT  Check prices Navigon 7200T  Check prices TomTom ONE 125 - GPS receiver  Check prices Garmin Nuvi 880  Check prices Latest reviews and features 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid As a tech car, the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid hits all the right notes, providing comfortable and economical driving while offering an incredible array of convenience for the driver and passengers with its cabin tech. Read more  Check prices 2010 Mazda Mazda3 s Grand Touring 5-Door The 2010 Mazda Mazda3 s Grand Touring 5-door's cabin tech package is good, but not the best in the business. However, its performance and utility sit well above that of your average economy car. Read more  Check prices 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible A good city car and an economical cruiser, 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible's soft top makes it a fun open-air ride, but use the money you would have spent on the automatic transmission option for manual transmission lessons. Read more  Check prices 2009 Mercedes-Benz S550 If you can pay for the gas, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S550 has many features to recommend it, and offers an incredibly comfortable ride, but don't expect it to play well with your personal electronics. Read more  Check prices Car Tech blog Homer Simpson joins TomTom's custom voices Antuan Goodwin Associate Editor, Car Tech Homer Simpson joins the ranks of Mr. T and John Cleese as a downloadable custom voice for TomTom portable navigation devices. Fans of the longest-running American prime time entertainment series can now listen to Homer "woohoo" and "d'oh!" his way through your turn-by-turn directions. Read more Blog comment of the week Caterpillar D7E hybrid dozer Posted by Dr_Zinj I'm a bit ambivalent about this article. I'm happy to see that there are significant improvements in fuel burned to material moved ratios. However, I've known for about four decades that electric motors out-torqued internal combustion engines. I was privy to overhearing conversations of General Electric's Elec-Trac tractor engineers during their development and testing. As long as they can maintain traction, electrics will out-pull any similar sized gas or diesel. Nice to see that Caterpillar also figured that out, and figured out an efficient means of powering their electric motors.  Read more  Hot hatchbacks and wagons 1. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 2.0T 2. 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring 3. 2009 Audi A3 2.0T Quattro 4. 2009 Honda Fit Sport 5. 2009 Nissan Cube S   Related Newsletters Stay informed on the tech topics that matter to you most CNET offers a wide variety of newsletters on everything from tech industry news to the latest games and gear. Browse the entire list now. Manage newsletters More Car Tech resources  Car Tech forums  Green car buying guide  Car Tech videos  Car Tech podcast  All new car reviews  Past car shows
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