Pioneer's New AVIC-Z110BT Nav Flagship: A Desktop in Your Dash?
As we've grown accustomed to more technology in our cars - everything from Bluetooth phone and iPod control to GPS navigation, live traffic and backup cameras - the tricky part is a friendly interface to control all of it. Just ask BMW, which took years to sort out its iDrive interface.
Pioneer's new flagship AVIC-Z110BT navigation receiver ($1,799) provides easy in-car access to the features we use most. After several years of the aftermarket playing catch-up to impressive and ever more integrated technology offerings from the OEMs (Sync, anyone?), Pioneer has leapt ahead with a customizable touchscreen interface - similar to a Windows desktop - allowing you to show only the icons (and features) you use most often.
Though we've a full review of the Z110 planned for our Car Audio and Electronics Center, here's a quick preview of Pioneer's impressive new navigation unit.
Though loaded to the gills with the latest in-car technology, the coolest and most consumer friendly aspect of the new Pioneer AVIC-Z110 navigation receiver is no doubt its customizable "Home" page. This allows you to 'drag and drop' up to 15 of your most frequently used touchscreen icons from the communication (i.e., "Call Home"), navigation ("Gas Station") and entertainment ("iPod") menus. Not only can you place the most commonly used features right at hand, it means you don't have to look at unused icons for features you never use.
The ability to tailor the Home screen for family members who are less tech savvy cannot be overlooked, and is likely a landmark for in-car electronics. If your spouse has ever asked you what all those icons mean; why a particular function that they use all the time is buried down in a menu chain; or why certain "grayed-out" icons are on the screen when they don't do anything ("We have XM honey, not Sirius..") then you'll begin to appreciate the magnitude of this feature. Our only gripe? The Starbucks-fix "Coffee" icon is not a Home page choice, needing one extra click to see via the placeable Points of Interest (POI) icon...
The other big news for the new AVIC-Z110? Speed and audio quality. Pioneer's previous generation navigation receivers received deserved hits for slow bootup and clunky operation. This is not an issue with the Z110, which boots up quickly and snaps between menu screens via a responsive, sharp and perfectly sensitive 7-inch touchscreen display. In terms of pure audio quality, the new Z110 is also a step forward, producing truly impressive sound via a host of available sources.
We'll go into more detail on the Z110 in our upcoming review, as we just received the optional iPod cable and MSN Direct tuner today. But having spent the past week with the Z and its updated and swift operating system (thanks to a potent 600 MHz processing chip), clean and clear display and upgraded audio, we can say it's a worthwhile consideration for anyone who wants to add the latest features to their current ride.
These include voice control for your Bluetooth phone, iPod and navigation. Controlling these features by voice is appreciated the moment you have a minivan full of hungry nine-year-olds and can say: "Find the nearest McDonald's..."
Also on tap with the Z110 is iPhone compatibility, AM/FM tuner, CD/CD-R/DVD playback, Bluetooth audio streaming from a compatible phone, built-in 50-watt x 4 amplifier, 7-band graphic equalizer, USB/SD Card reader (including WMV and H.264 video playback), and dual-zone audio/video capability (so the kids could watch an alternate source in the back seat).
Plug-n-play options include tuners for HD Radio, Sirius, XM and MSN Direct (which with a subscription can provide live traffic data overlaid on the nav maps plus alternate routing features, along with gas prices, weather and movie times), and a backup camera.
Sound quality via the wide variety of audio/video sources is impressive, and trumps the previous-gen Pioneer AVIC lineup. We know this because we swapped out a Pioneer AVIC-F90BT for the new AVIC-Z110 and with no other modifications, audio performance is noticeably improved. The new interface is also far swifter, and the sharp, high-contrast 7-inch display features near-perfect touch screen sensitivity.
An upside to our AVIC-to-AVIC upgrade is the already installed voice-control microphone, backup camera, GPS antenna, and XM and HD-Radio (via the IP-BUS daisy chain) tuners plugged right in and worked instantly. Even the multi-pin power connector is the same. But unlike the built-in capability of the F90BT, on the Z110 the MSN Direct tuner is an outboard option, and the iPod/iPhone cable is unique to the Z110.
We'll get those wired up and provide a full report on the new Z in our upcoming review, but initial impressions are that Pioneer has easily done justice to the reputation of its "Z" line of flagship navigation receivers, and added a new twist to help put useful technology at your fingertips.
- Posted by
- Paul Seredynski August 13, 2009, 8:00 AM
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- Car Audio and Electronics
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- HD Radio, iPhone compatible, Navigation, Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT, touchscreen
sounds really good
Sounds much better than really good!
I just had this installed replacing a sometimes sketchy AVIC-F90BT. This system is FAST! No delay with backup camera function at boot-up as previous and the sound system is Awesome to say the least. New features added are outstanding. Even learning!
I am looking forward to learning more about it over the next few travels, and reading the upcoming review.
Thanks Pioneer for building this unit.
Toyota Tacoma Sport, 4X4.
It would be nice if these company's weren't so slow on Technology ... I think WiFi would be a great addition to Car Decks... I'm sure these company's only want to suck ppl dry until they bring out new technology ... well I'm going to hold out until they do ... not going to give in to there bullshit.