The Car and Driver Intellidash + is the easiest way to add CarPlay to your vehicle with no installation required.
No installation required
If history is any indication, adding CarPlay functionality to your existing car is quite a business. Whether you choose to do the installation yourself or turn to a professional, it requires additional parts, adapters and sometimes a permanent modification to your car.
The Intellidash + differs by integrating all the intelligence into a simple display that can be mounted on your dashboard rather than inside of it.
The unit, a crisp seven-inch screen, comes with an easy-to-stick suction cup mount directly to your car’s dashboard. It connects to 12V auto charging port for power. Simply plug in your iPhone via USB and ta-da – you have a new CarPlay system in your vehicle.
It is so simple to set up that almost no work is required. We were up and running with Intellidash + in less than a minute in our car.
We found the screen to be quite light and had no issues staying connected or mounted in our car. Besides mounting on the dashboard, the suction cup can also be mounted directly to the glass. The holder has a hinged hinge and it can even expand like many smartphone holders.
Car and driver, Yes this Car and driver, includes an extra long power cable that can be routed around the window or dashboard to keep it out of the way for a more organized appearance in your car. When we mounted it to the glass, we routed the cable up, around the windshield and under the passenger side floor before plugging it into the autoloader, and the cable is almost entirely imperceptible.
CarPlay and use
When you connect your iPhone for the first time, a prompt will appear on your iPhone screen asking if you want to use CarPlay with this device and if you want to allow access when your phone is locked. Assuming you say yes to the first one, the CarPlay interface will instantly appear on the screen.
Once CarPlay is working, you will have all the smart features of any other CarPlay unit. You have access to Siri, CarPlay dashboard, maps, music and all other CarPlay compatible apps. If you have a HomeKit-enabled garage opener, it will show up on your dashboard when you leave and arrive home.
Audio will be played through the Intellidash’s own speakers, unless you connect an auxiliary audio cable from the Intellidash + to your car’s audio system. The built-in speakers are workable, but they won’t give you car-filling sound like your vehicle’s speakers would, let alone a premium audio system. But it is usable.
One option is to always rely on your car’s audio system and Intellidash + for everything else. Use it for GPS, News, Siri, Messages, HomeKit control, all of that. It’s a compromise, but it can still be useful even if you don’t connect it directly to your car’s system.
Anytime you use CarPlay, you can return to Intellidash’s own dashboard. From there, you can access other supported features or access settings, such as screen brightness.
The power cable connects via a barrel connector, and a USB-C to USB-C cable is included to connect a compatible Android phone. You will need to provide your own iPhone Lightning cable, but you can also use a USB-A cable or USB-C cable and the included adapter.
Outside of CarPlay
Besides CarPlay, there are several other features relevant to the Intellidash +.
Intellidash + supports Android Auto. If you have a compatible Android handset, you can connect it the same way and use Android’s in-car system rather than Apple’s. It’s great if you have another family member who can use the system as well.
Car and driver also integrate Sirius XM. With a subscription, you can stream Sirius XM radio directly to the Intellidash + without the need for a separate receiver.
Finally, the micro SD card slot allows you to play any music or video you want to load. It comes with a stack of limitations like DRM, but if you have any unprotected videos or music it will work.
An easy choice
There are some limitations to the Intellidash + that give us a break. It seems a bit cheaper, having a separate screen can take up a lot of space in small cars, routing the cable can be difficult to do, and it’s still wired rather than wireless. But these matter very little to the target audience of this device.
It’s so easy to set up and use that there is nothing quite like it on the market. This can have a handful of downsides, but they don’t make the end product any less useful.
If you want to add CarPlay to your vehicle and don’t want to spend hundreds and hundreds on a compatible receiver and professional installation, Intellidash + is an almost ideal solution.
We would love to see a new model on the line that incorporates wireless CarPlay instead, but unless we recommend it to anyone who needs this feature.
- 60 second setup
- Official CarPlay support
- Charges the phone while in use and does not require a second phone charger
- Affordable alternative to add CarPlay without a mechanic
- Sirius XM integration
- Also supports Android Auto
- It looks a bit cheap
- The suction cup may not work on the dashboard
- Cable routing can be tedious or impossible depending on the vehicle
- Wired CarPlay connection instead of wireless
- The interface is sometimes a bit clunky
- Cannot use the autoloader for other accessories