4 New Gadgets For Your Car's Dashboard That Outshine Built-In Tech

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Most new cars nowadays come with sophisticated infotainment systems that are filled to the brim with features. From backup cameras and integrated Android Auto systems to the kinds of modern car safety features that can add peace of mind, a modern vehicle feels like it has it all. While most newer cars are already tech-heavy on the inside, there are additional gadgets that you can install to either add more functionality or improve your vehicle's existing features. We found several such items that can improve your experience while driving without breaking the bank.

These accessories can help you avoid distractions while driving and even add to the safety quotient of your vehicle. The best part is that all the gadgets we've mentioned are plug-and-play, which means there's no complex installation, and anyone can start using them in a matter of a just few minutes. Moreover, we've picked affordable gadgets at a reasonable price point (around $50) to ensure all of them are accessible to just about everyone.

The default way for drivers to view the speed, RPM, and other such information when driving is the instrument cluster. Depending on your vehicle, this could be placed anywhere on the dashboard. On some occasions, the information you're looking for might even be located off-center on your infotainment screen, which is awkwardly positioned to use while driving. In fact, glancing to your right when behind the wheel could be risky in some situations. An ideal solution to this problem is using a heads-up display, commonly known as HUD. For the unaware, a heads-up display projects important metrics such as speed and RPM on the windshield of the car, so that drivers don't have to take their eyes off the road.

Several modern cars — especially in the higher trims — might already come with a built-in HUD. But if your car doesn't, the Kuoweihud heads up display is an excellent accessory that also happens to be rather affordable. For just $16, you're getting a large display that's easy to read even under bright sunlight. It has a built-in GPS module that's used to gauge the speed of the car, and nearly 1000 customer reviews giving it a 4.3-star rating agree that it works as advertised. Since all the important data is reflected directly on the windshield, you won't have to take your eyes off the road to glance at the instrument cluster. If you often take long trips or you're consistently conscious about being able to monitor your speed, the Kuoweihud heads up display is an excellent accessory to place on your dash.

There are a ton of iPhone car mounts and phone holders, and most of them work in a similar fashion. Typically, you get a suction mount that goes on the windshield or an AC vent mount that keeps the phone closer to the driver. While these types of generic mounts serve their purpose well, the retaining mechanism may not be sturdy or strong enough to hold a larger phone such as the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The $40 ESR MagSafe car mount is a high-quality accessory that fixes a lot of problems with these types of car mounts. For starters, reviewers give the device 4.2 stars across more than 600 reviews, commenting that the MagSafe magnets are strong and reliable, limiting worries that your phone will fall off.

Apart from being a standard phone holder, the ESR car mount also has built-in wireless charging capabilities, making it stand out in a market flooded with such products. That's not where it ends, though. The wireless charger even has a built-in cooling fan that ESR refers to as CryoBoost technology, which helps keep the phone from overheating. A common issue experienced by lots of people is that their phones tend to get extremely hot when charging and using Apple CarPlay simultaneously. It only gets worse when it's sunny outside. Thankfully, this ESR car mount attempts to rectify this issue, making it easily one of the more feature-rich car mounts you can buy for your iPhone.

Just like with the heads-up display mentioned earlier, many new cars have built-in tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). These systems can be extremely helpful, as they determine your tire pressure and notify you of the value in real time, helping you decipher whether or not your car's tires are holding air properly. Consider it as a precautionary measure to prevent a flat tire. While new cars have this feature baked into the dashboard, older ones will have to resort to a third-party solution, like the $55 Tymate tire pressure monitoring system — a 4.3-star rated device from more than 3,400 user reviews.

There are two parts to this gadget: The first is a set of four screw-like devices that you install on each tire's valve stem to gauge its pressure. Then, there's a larger display unit that needs to be placed on the dashboard. This particular unit shows the tire pressure of each tire in real time, along with the temperature of each tire as well. It's an absolute no-brainer, especially if you take a lot of road trips or drive an RV. Additionally, while the display unit supports USB charging, it also has a solar panel, which you can keep it running just from the sunlight coming through your front windshield.

If you drive often, it's useful to know the full range of Apple CarPlay's functionality to make the system easier to use. Being able to interact with your phone without touching it makes it super-easy to reply to notifications or navigate to a location while maintaining your focus on the road. While it's become common now for cars to have both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built in, some older vehicles or lower trims may only support the wired version of CarPlay. While it works well, it's not as convenient as being completely untethered when driving. If you want to experience that level of seamless connectivity, we would recommend getting the Jemluse wireless CarPlay adapter. It's a simple accessory that connects to the USB port inside your car and rests on the dashboard.

Once done, simply connect your iPhone to the adapter via Bluetooth, and you should be able to use wireless Apple CarPlay while your phone sits in your pocket or charges wirelessly on a phone holder (perhaps the ESR car mount we detailed above). Apart from the convenience, another reason to opt for wireless CarPlay is less heat generation and battery degradation in the long run. Keeping your phone plugged in all the time when driving, especially on long trips, can be bad for the phone's battery since it generates a lot of heat. The adapter acts as a bridge between your phone and the infotainment system, so you can still enjoy all the features of CarPlay without compromise, and with a 4.4-star rating over more than 9,600 reviews, the Jemluse adapter is a solid choice. 

When we were looking for helpful dashboard gadgets, we focused on products that added functionality and usability. Every item on this list fits the bill, rated at a minimum of 4.3 stars with more than 500 reviews each. High, consistent praise from users ensures that these dashboard gadgets are likely to be reliable as well as provide benefits to your driving experience, regardless of the vehicle you own.