A TikToker who goes by Heaven (@purplyavocado) is in car-driving bliss after she decided to upgrade her Acura (Honda’s luxury car brand, which is renowned for its reliability) with a rear backup camera and Apple CarPlay system, instead of just buying a new car flat out for the newer features.
Not having an expensive monthly car payment, especially in America’s recently destroyed economy, is a blessing the TikToker is certainly enjoying. “Me with my $0 car payment because you can literally put Apple CarPlay & a backup camera in almost any car,” she wrote in the clip’s text overlay.
She pans the video over to her unit, which juts out from the car dash and it sports a large center knob, and a screen that appears to allow the user to pivot it from side to side.
Several other commenters replied that they, too, decided to upgrade their older vehicles with new infotainment systems and were very happy to do so.
“My dad put apple car play and a backup camera on my 1994 Honda Accord,” one TikToker wrote.
Someone else said, “This but literally any car w bluetooth is good enough for me.”
“Putting apple carplay in my car was the best decision i ever made,” a third replied.
Another individual wrote their ride was also upgraded: “My brother put a reverse camera star lights and apple carplay in mines.”
If you’re driving an “old reliable” car, like a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic that just refuses to die, you may be tempted to sell your whip in exchange for a newer vehicle with more “luxurious” features. But as pretty much any financial analyst will tell you, buying a new car is one of the worst fiscal decisions you can ever make. The second you take the thing off of the lot, it significantly depreciates in value, and with the way interest rates are going now, what you’ll pay for 2 months in new car payments will probably eclipse what you would spend on maintenance for a used tried-and-true vehicle.
It is tempting, however, to get a new car because of the updated amenities they may carry—like a shiny new infotainment system, wireless Bluetooth calling capabilities, and a rear back-up camera.
But did you know that if you have an older model vehicle with a more rudimentary stereo set up, you could get these features installed for what is probably less than the cost of a brand-new car payment? It sounds like even more of an alluring option when you consider that there are new car purchasers out there who get stuck with high monthly payments.
How cheap is it? Let’s do some quick math.
@purplyavocado i love my car sm
♬ original sound – 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡
Amazon sells this adjustable, highly-rated rear backup camera for a car for $19. Now, when it comes to navigation or infotainment solutions, most people only want to use Apple Car Play or Android Auto for all their navigation, phone calls, and music-playing needs. There are tons of options folks can have installed in their vehicles that vary in pricing. There are models like this $400 Sony one that nestles right into the dash of your car for a seamless experience, depending on the model vehicle you have. There are other products with high ratings that sit higher above the dash that even offer wireless Car Play or Android Auto capabilities that cost less.
You don’t even need to know how to install these products yourself or worry about the circuitry, and you could always look for units that will specifically work for your car or at the very least fit them better—and it doesn’t cost that much to get them installed (or at least way less than buying a new car). Best Buy, for instance, charges $150 to install rear-backup cameras and even sells Apple Car Play receivers with “free installation” options as well.
So, let’s say you went with the $19 backup camera, plus the $150 to install it, and a $300 Apple Car Play system from Best Buy with free installation, you’re looking at $469 total to have your never-say-die vehicle that’s always been by your side with a new infotainment system.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Heaven via TikTok comment for further information.
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