OT Of course, I already have an iPod connector on my Alpine system in the old Passat. And I'm not talking about just a port to plug in from the headphone jack. My system uses the dock connector. The iPod sits in the glove box, and I control it using the Alpine front end. The official VW iPod adapter works the same way.
We've had this discussion before-- The original Alpine interface is terrible, IMO, but I suppose I can agree that it's better than nothing. Funny thing, I had that interface installed in my old car, and someone stole the stereo out of it a few months ago. The thieves left the iPod interface box/cable though, and I can't say I really blame them :).
OTOH, the new Passat's iPod interface is a pleasure to use. I actually just got a new Passat wagon myself; love it. Didn't spring for the Dynaudio, but I agree it's a nice option. The iPod adapter, on the other hand, is not optional at all IMO. It's a necessity! While it doesn't display track information on the head unit (unlike the Alpine adapter), it's responsive and is designed with driving safety in mind (also unlike the Alpine adapter). The VW interface mounts the iPod in the glove box, but instead of a cable, it has a slot for inserting an iPod, and comes with different adapters to accommodate the different iPod form factors. Unfortunately, when Apple did the wholesale iPod redesign earlier this month, it rendered my 3 month old car obsolete! I better stock up on last-generation Nanos... |
