You wouldn’t know it at first glance, but my car has 4GB of RAM. It wasn’t always this way. I’m not even sure how much RAM a standard 2017 Honda Civic EX includes. It’s not really something I needed to think about. Then the stock head unit in my car gave up the ghost.
It turns out the most affordable solution was a greatly upgraded aftermarket head unit from a brand called JOYING. It’s a 9-inch display with wireless CarPlay, a volume knob, and a design made for 10th-gen Honda Civics. It retails well below $500 (especially on Cyber Monday), and it’s worth every penny.
What you get with JOYING
Seriously, this thing has my full endorsement. I paid $321.30 during a holiday sale, and I would gladly pay the full retail price of $459 for the upgraded experience. For a 2017 Honda Civic EX, the upgrade delivers four key improvements:
- Wireless CarPlay, not just wired
- A physical volume knob instead of touch controls
- A sharper 9-inch display in place of the 7-inch screen
- EQ customization and prefixes that enhance existing speakers
Wireless CarPlay
Once set up, the system boots up and connects to wireless CarPlay incredibly fast. I checked battery life on my iPhone 15 Pro Max on iOS 17.2 beta 3 while driving without charging. Podcast playback, navigation, and Hotspot to my kid’s iPad while using wireless CarPlay used 11% battery (57% to 46%) over 60 minutes.
The physical volume knob is such sweet relief compared to the original head unit’s touch buttons for volume up and down. Newer Civics than mine use a volume knob because volume knobs rule.
Mightier display
The larger display is just awesome. A 9-inch screen can’t compare to the all-display dashboards of more modern cars, but the size jump is noticeable over the OEM display. The overall head unit is only slightly larger thanks to a reduction in the amount of bezel around the screen.
The display size difference isn’t great enough for CarPlay to adapt its layout, so you end up with a larger and more legible interface. The UI remains crisp as the screen resolution is higher. When not using CarPlay, the JOYING head unit is a full-fledged Android 10 tablet that does use the higher resolution to show more versus bigger. (The OEM head unit was also an Android tablet, just not a very good one.)
“Free” stereo upgrade
An unexpected benefit of the upgrade is gaining EQ control over the car stereo system. It’s like getting a brand new stereo system without actually buying new speakers. There’s a lot to love about this head unit.
My only disappointment? The display doesn’t play nice with my prescription sunglasses. Otherwise, I’m frankly surprised by how good the upgrade experience went. Steering wheel controls, climate controls, right lane camera, rear camera, it all works great.
Even the installation process was smoother than I expected. The OEM head unit has a very specific case shape for the 10th-gen Honda Civic that kind of rules out off-the-shelf aftermarket head units. It works with my car’s two existing USB ports, and it adds a third USB port that you can run through the glove box.
These two videos do a good job of showing the installation process and head unit in action. Both helped me complete the job on my own.
I bought style B (without factory amplifier) with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. If you care more about the non-CarPlay experience, there’s a pricier 8GB RAM and 128GB storage option. You can also add a SIM card with 4G internet access, install most Android apps, and use wireless or wired Android Auto. I mostly just care about the wired/wireless CarPlay experience as an iPhone user.
The JOYING head unit is designed specifically for the 10th generation Honda Civic. It retails for $459, and you can find it on sale for $321.30 today.
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