I just ordered a 2011 without MiniConnect, but with Bluetooth and USB/ipod adapter. I was going to have the dealer install the multidisk CD changer until I saw the price . I now think that it is time for me to join the 21 century. I have the HK sound system. What ipod would work best with this setup?

gary

 

I don't use ipods but I figured it would be the biggest cheapest one you can get your hands on.

I've seen some people on here just place it in their "secret compartment" and leave it. So in that sense, you would just need any old ipod to leave in the car because if you don't plan on using it outside of the car, it's easy to just throw in. I know a lot of friends that have gone through several ipods (upgrading) so it might be worth your time to just go pick something up.

That being said, I just use the usb port. Much easier for me and since I bought one of the small usb sticks (not the standard length), it's not even visible and holds 8 gigs of music. I think it was $10.

 

The usb port is very valuable to me. I keep a 16 gig USB stick in the port. I have had no issues of loading times when i start the car except for the inital times that I plug in the drive. The system the the car uses to browse is not ideal but is pretty decent.
The problem with a ipod is that when you plug it in to the USB drive you can only use it through the car browsing functions. THe car overrides the controls of the Ipod and makes them not available. The way around this is to only plug the ipod into the aux, but then you have to use the controls on the ipod and it won't charge.

Instead of shelling out the money for an ipod that will just sit in your car you will have the same exact functionality if you just buy a USB stick drive to leave in the port.

I have been looking into a portable hard disk drive that'll run on the USB power. Having 50gigs of music I would like to have it all with me at all times, but this is seeming to be a harder task.

 

I have the same setup you do and hook my iPhone 4 to the adapter with no problems. I'm not real fond of how they implemented it in terms where the plugs for the adapter cable are - they have come loose a couple of times when I plugged the iPhone in. Once I learned to check them after plugging it in, though, no issues. Music plays great on it. Bluetooth works great also - calls are loud and clear.

 

The owner's manual for my 2011 warns not to use the USB port to run a HD. Since it also says not to use several other power-hungry USB accessories, I'm guessing that the USB port may not have enough power to run some hard drives.

I would also be a little concerned about the longevity of a hard drive in a car; I think a flash-memory device with no moving parts would fare better. Thus, my suggestion to the OP would be to use a flash drive in the USB port; if you really want to use an iPod, use one that has flash memory and not a hard drive, which is to say any iPod except the Classic and its ancestors. Nanos and Touches should do fine.

 

My suggestion would be to buy a last-generation iPod Nano and leave it in the car. They fit nicely in the cargo net on the passenger side of the tunnel, and the cable is barely noticeable and prying eyes from outside won't see anything. The advantage to using an iPod over a USB stick is that the directories, albums, song titles etc are all formatted perfectly. I've never been able to get a USB stick to display 100% correctly. This is on a '10 Nav system, YMMV with non-NAV setup, perhaps it wouldn't be an issue with a stick. But a Nano would definitely serve you well, and a HELLUVA lot better and cheaper than a 6-disc changer, which is now officially an auto antique.

 

^I have a non-nav and it will display the directories / album / artist correctly IF (and that's a big if) you have everything formatted correctly.

Obviously that's the advantage of having itunes as it forces or is formatted correctly.

 

What I would like is ease of use and proper display with as little effort on my part as possible. I guess what I'm reading is either will work, but an ipod might be easier although costlier. Are the leads for this hidden or out in the open?

gary

 

+1

That's what I was thinking, but KevinC said it better

 

Here are a couple of pics of my '11 MCs.

Leads


My iPhone connected and in the cubby.