In-car navigation and infotainment options now abound, and more vehicles are shipping with support for native vehicle smartphone software from Apple and Google. But these all still prove distracting, and take your eyes away from the roadway, if only for a few brief seconds. Navdy’s dash-mounted aftermarket head-up display (HUD)[1] is a solution to that problem, and after a few months of continuous, in-depth use, the accessory’s appeal becomes even more apparent.
Design
It’s a bit of an expensive add-on, though Navdy recently dropped the price of its hardware to $499, which is far more reasonable than its introductory price of just under $800. The hardware feels premium, too, in case you were concerned about the build quality, with a substantial weight in the hand and excellent finishes, plus optical-quality glass for the actual display windows itself that provides perfect transparency when viewing through to your windshield and the road beyond.
What I like most about the Navdy hardware is that the mount is very easy to install, but even easier to use once it’s set up and you want to remove/re-attach the display and main body of the device itself. Very few people likely want to keep it visible on the dash at all times, since it’s likely to attract unwanted acquisitive attention. The magnetic base itself is fairly unassuming, however, and the display component snaps in with a satisfying click to let you know it’s properly attached.
The magnet mount also supplies power, which is routed through the base from a cable plugged into and OBD-II dongle you hook up wherever that port is located on your car (most likely under the steering column). This provides both the necessary juice to run the display, as well as data...