Pioneer AVIC-X920BT

Pros: Decent navigation features. Slightly cheaper than the Kenwoods...

Cons: Voice-recognition calling & other features of the X920BT don't work unless one boots up in the map screen & hits "OK" before Bluetooth connects. Traffic & other features get shur down in Jan 2012.

Summary: The Pioneer AVIC units have tended to be plagued by pretty silly bugs that more thorough product testing would've caught before release. The AVIC X920BT is no exception. For example, The voice-recognition (VR) calling & other features of this unit (the X920BT) will NOT work properly unless one boots up in the map screen & hits "OK" before Bluetooth connects. Pioneer has claimed to the online community of AVIC enthusiasts that this is "by design," but it's pretty clearly a silly bug, given that the unit gives you no indication that you have to reboot or hit a special key sequence at start up for voice recognition calling or other features to work! More importantly, the CNET reviewer correctly points out that Traffic & other features on the Pioneer AVIC X920BT rely on Microsoft's MSN Direct service, which is shutting down in Jan 2012. Pioneer apparently has no plans for a replacement traffic accessory or add-on for this unit, not to mention the many others they've sold that rely on MSN Direct. Instead, they simply tell customers that their units will offer all features until Jan 2012. One would think that an FM Traffic Data System (TDS) accessory would be easy to design for this unit, but given Pioneer's record of inadequate support -- and delayed map updates -- for previous AVIC units, customers should be rightly nervous about purchasing this unit, given its planned obsolescence.