I started looking around for new cars this past weekend to replace my gas guzzling truck (which got 16mpg!), and with gas prices hitting $5 a gallon where I live, I figured it was time to move to a smaller vehicle. (My truck has a 5.3 liter, V8 and a 28 gallon tank. I was spending well over $400 a month on gas for this thing.)
so first criteria was good gas mileage. Now here is where Android phones aren't and iphones are supported. Nearly every single new car had a USB connector to integrate your ipod or iphone with the stereo and steering wheel controls. I have used this feature before with my old iphone and it is awesome. Android will never be able to do this because of something to do with the way the Android code and codecs or drivers or something was written.
so second criteria was to try and find a car that could integrate both iphones and android phones (at least allow wireless bt, anyway) with the stereo system.
last criteria was looks and small comforts like power windows and door locks. No leather (leather sucks in really hot climates like where I live), no super super premium stereo or gold laced steering wheels or chrome 22" rims. I don't need that stuff.
So the wife and I narrow it down to Toyota Camry hybrid, Nissan Accord hybrid, Toyota Prius and Chevy Volt. All had looks (except the Prius. I liked the interior and the very cool 3D looking instrument panel, but the exterior screams Soccer Mom). The others all had nice interiors (Volt is really a 2 seater though. Backseats are as useful as a Nissan 370Z's). All had great gas mileage (compared to my truck), with the Prius getting 50mpg and the Volt getting about 100mpg (depending on how you drive and if you ever us2d any gas.)
Volt had the best bluetooth integration with Android. My S3 and Volt linked in less than a second and both were labelled correctly, identifying each other properly. Phone calls, pod casts, music and audio for videos came through crystal clear with no interference. However, the iphone still trumped the S3 with integration with the car. I don't think things will ever get any better than what I described above for Android devices.
I ended up buying the Chevy Volt because it was the most economical car (also the most expensive), but with my trade in and the amount of gas I save per month (after 250 miles of driving, I have used 0.4 gallons of gas) it actually pays my car payment, and at 0% APR, I am literrally driving my new car for free. Having the ability to use Android and iDevices with it was a real bonus. It has been almost 7 years since I bought a new car, and it is nice to see manufacturers of autos integrating smartphones so aggressively.
so first criteria was good gas mileage. Now here is where Android phones aren't and iphones are supported. Nearly every single new car had a USB connector to integrate your ipod or iphone with the stereo and steering wheel controls. I have used this feature before with my old iphone and it is awesome. Android will never be able to do this because of something to do with the way the Android code and codecs or drivers or something was written.
so second criteria was to try and find a car that could integrate both iphones and android phones (at least allow wireless bt, anyway) with the stereo system.
last criteria was looks and small comforts like power windows and door locks. No leather (leather sucks in really hot climates like where I live), no super super premium stereo or gold laced steering wheels or chrome 22" rims. I don't need that stuff.
So the wife and I narrow it down to Toyota Camry hybrid, Nissan Accord hybrid, Toyota Prius and Chevy Volt. All had looks (except the Prius. I liked the interior and the very cool 3D looking instrument panel, but the exterior screams Soccer Mom). The others all had nice interiors (Volt is really a 2 seater though. Backseats are as useful as a Nissan 370Z's). All had great gas mileage (compared to my truck), with the Prius getting 50mpg and the Volt getting about 100mpg (depending on how you drive and if you ever us2d any gas.)
Volt had the best bluetooth integration with Android. My S3 and Volt linked in less than a second and both were labelled correctly, identifying each other properly. Phone calls, pod casts, music and audio for videos came through crystal clear with no interference. However, the iphone still trumped the S3 with integration with the car. I don't think things will ever get any better than what I described above for Android devices.
I ended up buying the Chevy Volt because it was the most economical car (also the most expensive), but with my trade in and the amount of gas I save per month (after 250 miles of driving, I have used 0.4 gallons of gas) it actually pays my car payment, and at 0% APR, I am literrally driving my new car for free. Having the ability to use Android and iDevices with it was a real bonus. It has been almost 7 years since I bought a new car, and it is nice to see manufacturers of autos integrating smartphones so aggressively.