ie8 fix
Ask the Editors: Best aftermarket Bluetooth for your car
Ask the editorsAsk the Editors
Most recent questions
Best aftermarket Bluetooth for your car
February 8, 2006
Q
Hey, CNET, I have to ask because I'm thinking of buying: Is anything better than the Parrot EasyDrive for Bluetooth that stays in the car?
Submitted by:
Tiffany,
CNET forums
Brian Cooley
Brian Cooley
Editor at large
Tiffany, your question brings up a common misconception. The Parrot EasyDrive you're considering is actually a removable Bluetooth hands-free adapter that doesn't have to stay in the car at all; it simply plugs into the cigarette lighter and has no connection to your car audio system. On the other hand,
Rate this answer
 How useful was this
 tip for you?

 Very
 Somewhat
 Not at all

hands-free kits such as the Parrot CK3100 and the Motorola IHF1000 are actually wired into the car. They have the advantage of integrating your hands-free call into the car stereo for automatic muting when a call comes in and so on.

Along with the Parrot EasyDrive, I would also have you look into the Motorola HF820, which is even slicker and smaller. Both are good entry-level hands-free units, but making the right choice will depend on three personal preferences:

  1. Do you drive a lot of different cars and value portability? If so, you want a unit such as the Parrot EasyDrive or the Motorola HF820.
  2. Do you want something that manages your car stereo during outgoing and incoming calls? If the answer is yes, you want a model such as the Parrot CK3100 or the Motorola IHF1000.
  3. Those two things notwithstanding, what's your budget? The self-installed portable devices I mentioned are around $100. The installed kits are around $200, plus maybe that much again in installation fees at a local stereo shop.

Either way, expect to get good call quality unless you drive a noisy sports car or a convertible with the top down. No speakerphone kit I've tried works well in those situations.






Brian Cooley is in charge of telling it like it is. He has no patience for technology that doesn't work. In his wake, you'll find a trail of humiliated customer support techs, embarrassed product designers, and flustered CEOs. But that's OK, because you the consumer win in the end. Follow his adventures in CNET's Driving It.