Disclaimer I just joined, hopefully I'm in the right place.

My wife and I just got a new(used) car last night, we are both happy with it and what we paid(we will likely refinance soon for a better interest rate, but that's neither here nor there). The one issue we have is that the console screen is very bare-bones and not very helpful. It displays the audio coming through, but that's really about it. No GPS, no audio control, etc. Looks like this exists through Android Auto, my car just doesn't have it. To solve this I've found a few options:

1. Install a custom firmware. While I'm probably tech savvy enough to do this, it will probably be the most work and carries some inherent risks such as bricking the entire system. It also would likely be a bit janky and probably require work on it periodically. It may also require the additional hardware regardless.

2. Buy and install the necessary hardware myself. Given what I've seen on the process of taking apart the console and installing it myself, I'm honestly not likely to go this route.

3. Have a Mazda dealership make the upgrade for me. This is what I'm leaning towards. Checking a few online they say the service is $400, which if all-inclusive should be fair. This looks like everything I'm needing, so a straightforward(if slightly pricey) solution is appealing.

A little more detail on what I want: first and foremost is for my phone's GPS to display on the screen and for me to use the console to enter things if desired. Secondarily, I'd like to be able to watch video content on this screen as well. I honestly don't really watch much in general, definitely not while driving, but having the capability would be nice. Lastly, the ability to screen-mirror my phone(or at least my apps)to the car display. I don't have anything specific I want, but I think this would be really cool and would allow me to do various things such as display custom images, emulated games, live views of specific apps, etc. From my brief research the upgrade and android auto would allow me to do the former with ease, likely the second, and the third might be somewhat tricky but doable as well.

Anyway, I'm here to hopefully get some input on what people think of what I'm trying to do and see if anyone has advice or wisdom to offer(IE a cheaper/easier way to install Android Auto). I'm tech savvy but not car savvy, so hopefully some experts can help point me in the right direction.

Thank you.

 

Hi MCC,

I would skip option 1. Bricking the head unit may result in a higher cost to reflash or possibly replace the head unit if things go awry.

Option 2 seems relatively feasible. Required hardware is quite cheap and the installation relatively easy, as shown here:
Option 3 is probably the path I would choose not so much for convenience but for availability of the software update that's required. It's probably available for download somewhere online but it brings accountability into question. If something goes wrong now or later and still end up at a dealer for service, it's going to cost money. Again.

The difference in cost between a DIY project and a dealer-installed upgrade is quite hard to swallow. No surprise there. But if you're willing to forego the cost in favor of less possible headaches, I'd go with having it installed.

 

Thank you for the input. That video looked more promising than what I've seen before, though I'm still cautious due to lack of experience with car electronics and the risk involved. I'm probably going to call around to some dealerships this weekend to see if their rates for the service vary, but I've accepted I'll just need to pony up the cash to get this done.