2009 Mazda 6i: Tell Me Why I'm Wrong

I almost always set my ipod to shuffle a playlist, and I'm not an audiophile, so a simple aux jack and power cord are just fine by me, but since most people seem to want to do everything that isn't driving while they're behind the wheel, including playing around with an ipod, a true ipod hookup is probably better.

I absolutely agree with the blogger. 99% of the tools that leave comments have never driven the cars they are commenting on and 99.9% have never been to a driving school. In 2009, iPod connectivity is important.

stephene987, the CTS has full iPod control -- playlists, artist, albums, etc. all via the touchscreen, scroll wheel, and steering wheel controls. The other nice thing about a real iPod connector is that it automatically pauses the iPod when you turn off the car and automatically resumes it when you start it back up (and doesn't take up a spare 12V outlet), though that's more useful for people like me who have an iPod that they just leave in the car.

One drawback of the iPhone dock connector that Apple needs to figure out how to fix is how to let the vehicle's controls work with Pandora -- as it stands now, if Pandora is running and you plug the iPhone into the car it automatically stops it and starts the iPod function instead.

I understand that an iPod connection is important to many - but not to me. I really couldn't give a crap.

Hmmm, in my SRT-4 I have fun outrunning Cayman S's (not to mention SRT-8's), sliding around corners, and being awesome in general and I don't care about a factory iPod connection. Probably because for a few bucks I just put in an aftermarket iPod AUX connector.

jaeger1, I understand what you're saying, but on a long trip, the aux input is great. I know that there is XM/Sirius, and there is a lot to say for that, especially if you are a sports nut.

But with the aux in you have complete control of your listening, it's your music, or pod casts on subjects that interest you.

It probably wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, but the non-availability of an aux in would certainly be a factor that I would take into account.

...and the "awesome in general" line was supposed to be facetious...

Please guys, edit button soon...

"Sure, I'd rather have a standard iPod specific connection but this is a decent second place." My Legacy is just like that console, and I feel the same way. I just wish i had bluetooth! then i could just leave my phone in that cubby and not have to unhook it for calls.

I don't care about a direct iPod connection, but AUX in is a must. If you've got an iPhone + Pandora, you can set it and forget it.

Two words: Road Trip. If you take long trips in your car, you need some source of audio. Everyone who doesn't care probably just drives their car in gridlock (being awesome, yeah right)

That said, in my current Nissan I've got the AUX jack in the dash. Originally I hated this layout- it means I've got a cord dangling there. What it does let you do is have your passenger be DJ or if nothing else, a cheap alternative to voice command. It also lets your friends easily hook up their iPod if they've got a song you want to hear but haven't downloaded yet.

AUX Jacks are a must. Cars without it are crap.

cw, you are a torch.

I'm definitely one of those "I'm too busy to enjoy a car to get too wrapped up in what features it's got", but I have to agree, if I'm going to have a stereo (and I am in any daily driver, even a relatively basic one), in this day and age I need an iPod connection to fully utilize that stereo. Radio's worthless, satellite radio's worthless, CDs are a pain, cassette's dead, you need an iPod connection or some legitimate AUX in as a bare minimum, or else I don't really see the point in having a stereo.

And I don't even like iPods that much! They just offer a lot of storage in a small device, and that's all I care about when it comes to music.

On long trips I find satellite radio suits me just fine and THAT is a close to a must-have feature for me. I can't even listen to regular radio anymore. And if I'm going to have a passenger on a long trip, I'd prefer that it be someone who is capable of carrying on a conversation, rather than an elbow-rubbing DJ.

And while I risk the condescending sarcasm of the orginal blog entry in saying this, at the end of the day I am a car enthusiast - not a stereo enthusiast. Those who say "I won't buy no car if it don't got no iPod!" - well, their priorities are different from my own.

I don't care to pay for satellite radio, so I really appreciate the aux jack in my MINI. Sure I wish I had the ability to control the iPod from the stereo, but I don't want that enough to pay for it. I only use my iPod on longer trips, and in those situations I'm perfectly fine to play one of my pre-made playlists or play some full albums. Also, in those situations I tend to have someone in the car with me to control it.

So, in short, the iPod control ability really isn't a deal breaker but I love my aux-connection.

I liked what I had in my Cooper S: USB port for mass storage, AUX input, and an iPod connector that plugs into both and provides decent control. What I did not like was how slow the interface was.

As someone who is never satisfied when it comes to cars, audio has always been a sticking point. I am very happy that AUX inputs are basically standard now, but I think it is pathetic that it has taken this long. I wonder if car makers could swallow the idea of dropping CD players in favor of standard iPod connectors.

It isn't any more difficult to copy MP3s on to a CDR than it is to copy them on to your MP3 player.

Yes a 16GB ipod is > 700MB CD. But 700MB is already 15 hours, how much music do you really need for one trip?

I'm fine with the aux and power in the console (like BMW's 3 series). When we're going for a long drive (over 25 minutes) we hook up an Ipod, set a playlist and we're done for the rest of the day. Not sure why I'd need to bounce around my iPod much as I've removed all the songs I'm "meh" about.

I prefer the AUX in. 1) useful for gadgets other than iPods, 2) I prefer to control my iPod with, well, my iPod! I've yet to see even a decent implementation from any car or stereo manufacturer.

My Mazda 3 came with AUX in, I did not consider it ideal when I was buying but have been convinced it's the best choice after using it for 2 years.

PBR:

Newer systems such as SYNC and GM's USB connection work with players other than iPods. I'm not aware of any imports that have "ipod interfaces" that work with other MP3 players. If they exist no one is talking about it.