What year, approx, did bluetooth come to "normal" cars?

Calahonda52

need to get a car for OH that has Bluetooth.
For fords, opels, Toyotas, VWs, Nissans etc, roughly what year did it come in?
My '94 Volvo and '07 Avensis did'nt/don't have it:)
Thanks as always

Dravokivich

I still wouldnt consider it normal to be honest.

05eaftqbrs9jlh

Around 2011. But you can get a wireless adapter for it very cheaply so I wouldn't base purchasing your car around something so trivial.

I have this one. When it needs to be charged, an Asian lady says "battery row" repeatedly. I love it.

I still use it with our speaker system at home now that my car has bluetooth.

colm_mcm

First Toyota to get standard factory Bluetooth was the Urban Cruiser in 2009.
It wasn’t really on other Toyotas till around 2011 or 12. Even at that most cars didn’t have it.

Calahonda52

Ellen Modern Train wrote: »

Around 2011. But you can get a wireless adapter for it very cheaply so I wouldn't base purchasing your car around something so trivial.

I have this one. When it needs to be charged, an Asian lady says "battery row" repeatedly. I love it.

I still use it with our speaker system at home now that my car has bluetooth.

Thanks

You have not met my OH

She has had it in the company car for years....

So where does the 3.5mm jack go?

jammiedodgers

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Thanks

You have not met my OH

She has had it in the company car for years....

So where does the 3.5mm jack go?

You need to have an AUX port to plug the 3.5mm jack into.

robinbird

Dravokivich wrote: »

I still wouldnt consider it normal to be honest.

Ellen Modern Train wrote: »

Around 2011. But you can get a wireless adapter for it very cheaply so I wouldn't base purchasing your car around something so trivial.

Assumed it was standard in all new cars and has been for a few years.
I wouldn't consider it trivial. I use my phone for all in car entertainment. Podcasts, spotify, youtube etc. However if a car has a usb port you should be able to use that to connect your phone with a cable instead. Maybe an adaptor for phone calls.

bazz26

My old 2008 BMW 3 Series had it but to specifically answer your question it depends on the make and model you are looking at as it didn't become standard across the board at the same time. Different manufacturers standardized it at different times. Also don't take it for granted that it's fitted just because the buttons are there, make sure to check that the feature actually works by seeing if you can pair your phone with it.

Dravokivich

robinbird wrote: »

Assumed it was standard in all new cars and has been for a few years.
I wouldn't consider it trivial. I use my phone for all in car entertainment. Podcasts, spotify, youtube etc. However if a car has a usb port you should be able to use that to connect your phone with a cable instead. Maybe an adaptor for phone calls.

Alot of people driving, obviously not using bluetooth. Dont take it for granted it's there.

roper1664

Some older cars have Bluetooth e.g., my 2005 E46 has it, however, it's an older "version" of Bluetooth and won't connect to newer phones and other devices. There is a way of upgrading the module that's housed in the boot, but this could prove difficult. So, ensure you check her device with any car she views. I was able to swap my stereo out with a Bluetooth one easily. Some cars are more difficult.

Padre_Pio

Go onto Amazon.

Search for Tunai Firefly.

Hook it into your cars cigarette lighter for power and aux port for sound.
Better than any car Bluetooth from that era.

05eaftqbrs9jlh

robinbird wrote: »

Assumed it was standard in all new cars and has been for a few years.
I wouldn't consider it trivial. I use my phone for all in car entertainment. Podcasts, spotify, youtube etc. However if a car has a usb port you should be able to use that to connect your phone with a cable instead. Maybe an adaptor for phone calls.

It's trivial as a deciding factor for buying a new car as there is a €4 workaround where you can just plug a receiver into the auxiliary port and wirelessly use your phone in the exact same way as if you bought a car that had bluetooth built-in.

ednwireland

my 131 ceed has it, i wouldnt consider it trivial, used to have a jabra handsfree before but a pain,always forgetting to charge it, previously had after market radios with it built in.

the ceed wins with voice recognition and steering wheel controls.

honestly wouldnt buy another car if it wasnt built in

ldy4mxonucwsq6

My 2012 has Bluetooth and voice recognition built in.

While it's not something I would have been looking for in a car at the time I was buying I have to say it's used all the time for podcasts, spotify and hands free calls.

I wouldn't buy another car without it tbh.

robinbird

Ellen Modern Train wrote: »

It's trivial as a deciding factor for buying a new car as there is a €4 workaround where you can just plug a receiver into the auxiliary port and wirelessly use your phone in the exact same way as if you bought a car that had bluetooth built-in.

If a car had a usb port then lack of bluetooth wouldn't particularly matter to me as I would use that instead. However I have a feeling that cars without bluetooth may not have usb ports either.
Remember years ago using a tape adaptor to play ipod through cassette player and there was a FM tuner yoke I had for a while that allowed you to play music through car radio at particular frequency. It was very finicky and unreliable.

Judging by every 2018 and 2019 Passat I’ve seen, not yet.


Had it since 2004 myself. First fitted by myself and then standard. Wouldn’t be without it.

L-M

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Judging by every 2018 and 2019 Passat I’ve seen, not yet.


Had it since 2004 myself. First fitted by myself and then standard. Wouldn’t be without it.

Every Vw since the second half of 2015 has Bluetooth as standard.

L-M

L-M wrote: »

Every Vw since the second half of 2015 has Bluetooth as standard.

That was kind of the point. Most drivers of those cars can usually be found with a phone to their ear.

Pinch Flat

My 2011 focus has it, big standard spec

L-M

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

That was kind of the point. Most drivers of those cars can usually be found with a phone to their ear.

Ah, completely missed that one.

CharlieCroker

The 2006 Grand Punto had it as an option, standard on the sporting.

Was called "Blue&me"

05eaftqbrs9jlh

robinbird wrote: »

If a car had a usb port then lack of bluetooth wouldn't particularly matter to me as I would use that instead. However I have a feeling that cars without bluetooth may not have usb ports either.
Remember years ago using a tape adaptor to play ipod through cassette player and there was a FM tuner yoke I had for a while that allowed you to play music through car radio at particular frequency. It was very finicky and unreliable.

The aux is a little reverse headphone slot, I think there's some confusion about what I'm referring to. USB ports came in after cars had auxiliary leads for a few years. The standardised USB phone chargers (and like, smartphone with music and stuff) only came in around 2009. People were plugging in their mp3 to an aux in their cars back in 2006. And you can still do that today! But with a Bluetooth receiver so there's no cable.

Whatwicklow

My last 2009 Alfa 159 TI had it (blue&me) & voice control - Fantastic yolk!
USB port in the glove box for media

Cantona's Collars

My 2008 Lancer had it with steering wheel controls as standard.

I can't understand people still driving around in newish cars with the phone up to their ears. It's not rocket science to pair it up to the Bluetooth.

Henry Ford III

Ford Focus Connection had it in about 2007 I think.

Every car I've had since has had it too.

Essential equipment.

Philb76

The Hyundai i20 and i30 had it pretty early on

Wildly Boaring

I had the following and they did not have bluetooth
2007 Golf Comfortline
2008 Passat Sportline
2009 Insignia SRi

Wife had a 2009 Leon SE, also without

I had a 2009 BMW 330d SE and it had bluetooth

So "normal" cars you are talking after 2009.
Had a hired 2010 Ceed with bluetooth
I had a 2011 520d SE also with it
Mother had a 2011 Juke with it

JoeA3

It was late 2011 into 2012 by the time it was standard across the board. I vaguely recall some new EU legislation to do with handheld devices coming in around that time that forced manufacturers to fit it as standard.