In my last Camry post, I noted a small annoyance. This time around, I'm pointing out a small perk.
A few other cars in my memory banks have this feature, and I hope more are to follow. This little bin has the USB and auxiliary audio jack built-in (sorry for the blurry photo, but it was dark and the Mountain Dew was starting to give me the shakes).
If I had an iPod in addition to my iPhone, I could simply leave it in the car. It'd be out of sight of prying eyes, yet easily accessible. Now, if it had a lock of some sort to keep the valets in line, it'd be perfect. Sure, some other cars (Audi mostly) put the USB in the glovebox, but what happens if you need to do a quick reset?
Open letter to other manufacturers: Please do more of this. Thanks.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor
montgom616 says:
03:58 PM, 01/17/12
Go drive a Chevy Cruze. Same thing
mrhp says:
07:35 PM, 01/17/12
Watching the Cadillac Cue demo at NAIAS this morning, it has a similar feature. The audio "faceplate" is motorized and flips up to reveal a small storage cubby with a USB input. Nothing new. Cool thing, there is a selectable software lock that allows the operator to set an on-screen PIN. No PIN = cubby does't open and valets are kept in line.
itbeatswalkin says:
11:25 PM, 01/17/12
One quick question, on my wife's 2007 Camry SE, Toyota put the aux jack all the way at the back of this cubby space. It is the biggest pain in the ass to access when you accidentally pull the wire out. You have to stop and locate the jack if you want your music. This setup looks a little more convenient, as if Toyota moved the jack closer to the openning. Has anyone driven both the 2007 and 2012 redesign that can weigh in?
fushigi says:
05:32 AM, 01/18/12
My wife's '12 Elantra has this as well and Hyundai also includes a 12V port for charging. There's a pic at http://www.hyundaiusa.com/elantra/gallery.aspx that shows it. The ports aren't so deeply recessed that they're hard to see/use.
To the right of the center stack is another 12V port & small pocket suitable for letting the front passenger also charge something.
ewkid says:
08:44 AM, 01/19/12
It's a nice feature but it's in a horrible location. The USB and Aux jacks are all the way in the back and impossible to find in the dark.