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Is Uconnect 430 worth it?

34K views 57 replies 38 participants last post by  SKT 
#1 ·
Just wondering if the 430 is worth the money over the 130?
 
#2 ·
It depends on your point of view.

You can certainly find an equal or better aftermarket headunit for the price. However, the 430 works well, it is fully integrated and it draws little attention.

If you are an audiophile or an electronics tinkerer you can do better.
 
#3 ·
I'm not impressed... it won't connect to my phone, nav screen is fuzzy (vrs a Garmin aftermarket GPS), sound is muddy (much better from a CD or digital file rather than radio but still not great) and navigation to find files on the hard drive is frustrating at best, a huge distraction from the road at worst, also updates for the Nav system haven't been available as far as I can find where my wife's GPS has gotten two updates for the same time period.
 
#5 ·
I'm not super-impressed with the 430.

It won't accept audio output from iPhone apps via USB. Think Spotify, iTunes Radio, Podcasts, etc.

For those, you have to go 1/8" jack or bluetooth.

This is a no-brainer feature that they withheld for the 730/731 head units.

The graphics are a little on the cartoonish / unfinished side.

The touch screen is responsive enough, but if you've been using smartphones, the lag between input and response can be a minor annoyance.

The software isn't great. It isn't horrible, but I see a few key areas that are ripe for improvement.

When the price on the Pioneer CarPlay head units drops down to reasonable levels, I'll swap out the 430 for one of those.

Apple CarPlay. For the vehicle you already own - Pioneer Europe

--

Long story short. I'd likely be fine with a 130 / iPhone combination until the Pioneer units are in my price range.

Of course, the satellite nav is likely to work flawlessly in places that the iPhone (or other smartphone os) nav might experience cellular white spots.
 
#6 ·
...It won't accept audio output from iPhone apps via USB. Think Spotify, iTunes Radio, Podcasts, etc.

For those, you have to go 1/8" jack or bluetooth.

This is a no-brainer feature that they withheld for the 730/731 head units.

...
I'm incorrect on this point.

I re-read the user's guide and discovered that the 430 does read app audio via USB but apparently only through the remote port. The one that's in the armrest console.

I tested it this evening and it worked.
 
#7 ·
I have had the 130 for around 6 months now and wished I had gotten the 430, but I just ordered a new wrangler and realized that the 130 is probably a better option for me. If I wanted the screen I would be better off going with and aftermarket one. All that said I would take the 130 any day. It works with out problems and if I really cared about audio sound I would take it to a shop and have a better aftermarket system put in.
 
#23 ·
I just bought a 430 on eBay, but I think I'm going to pass on buying it and take the negative hit. I looked at my 130 which works great and it has been beat on pretty good. I doubt the 430 can take the abuse of the 130. One thing I like about the 130 is it has buttons and I can navigate through it while eyes are still on road.
 
#8 ·
I don't know what the price difference is. I have a 430 RBZ (non nav). I didn't opt for it per se, they just added it and didn't charge.

Anyways I love the hard drive. Very nice to have the music in the HU.

I have a galaxy s5 and have no Bluetooth connectivity issues. My wife's ipod touch works flawlessly via the remote USB in the armrest console as well.

Pat
 
#9 ·
I like the 430 pretty well. It's the first touchscreen radio I've had and it's alright. It's def older technology, I don't care for the responsiveness of the screen, but it works. I have the non-nav 430 and for what I paid for it I'm happy with it. I would not have upgraded had the 430 with nav been my only option. I've used it before in other's vehicles and don't like it. Bottom line, I'm really glad the Willys package had the non-nav 430 as the upgrade.
 
#11 ·
My 2013JKU had 130, and now I upgraded to 430.

I am very satisfied, and never looking back.

It's not only the navigation (in most cases, I pull out phone for traffic info and quick navigation anyways), but having a touch screen mounted on dashboard give different feel to the jeep inside.....Especially whenever you have people riding your jeep, w/o the 430 monitor, jeep interior is too boring for 2014 standard.

Get one and never question yourself, "I should've gotten....." or "is it worth it"?
 
#12 ·
I am considering the 430 but I feel like If I am making a purchase already I would like it to be compatible with my android phone app wise etc. Pioneer looks like they are on the right track. Anyone have any other reasonably priced ideas of a system with this functionality? Looking for a system that doesn't require modding the dash on a 2015 JK that has a 130 currently.....
 
#14 ·
Just ordered a sport yesterday and opted to pass on the 430 and keep the 130 as it didn't include nav. I couldn't justify $695.00 for a screen to hit instead of buttons. That being said I am on the fence of picking up a pioneer since it is around the same price and includes nav.
 
#16 ·
Just ordered a sport yesterday and opted to pass on the 430 and keep the 130 as it didn't include nav. I couldn't justify $695.00 for a screen to hit instead of buttons. That being said I am on the fence of picking up a pioneer since it is around the same price and includes nav.
I guess that was my tipping point too. for the same cost as the screen I could get a Pioneer with nav that is all around a better option.
 
#17 ·
I had the 430N and bought a Lockpick to unlock all the features. I can tell you now replace it. I sold the radio for $750 & Lockpick for $200. I bought pioneer AVIC-6000nex for $525.00 online. Get the i datalink maestro rr wiring harness to retain factory steering wheel buttons. I do not even use uconnect anymore because the radio works better. I installed backup camera. System sounds so much better. All you need to buy is an 8' hdmi cable for mirroring my iPhone. Up is a little clunky but with all the features I understand why. In hindsight I should have bought the avh-4000nex. It has a bigger screen with dad player behind the screen. Only downside is no nav. But you can use Apple maps with CarPlay or mirror garmin app which I have offline maps.
 
#18 ·
I like my 430. It works well with MOST devices. Has a few quirks and limitations, but so does everything else.

I wont replace it.

HOWEVER, if I were ordering new....I'd be inclined to go with factory minimal headunit and install a third party system with direct integration of whatever your mobile device preference may be.

My reason: Onboard navigation databases will always needs updates. Manufacturers know this and charge hefty prices for a few billion electrons. The alternative is to search your local craigslist for a supplier of bootleg navigation updates for about $20. And cross your fingers that the guy doesnt install a corrupted database, etc.

Alternatively, mobile devices (i-whatevers and tablets, and smart phones, etc) use remote navigation databases which are constantly updated and even have traffic....for free.

Auto manufactures and their suppliers are painfully slow at adaption and they simply have too much baggage to keep up with the explosive development in the mobile technology arena.

THird party audio designers are much lighter on their feet and can deliver more updated hardware that can make better use of the mobile devices constantly evolving software.

But the question was about the 430. Answer: Good unit.
 
#21 ·
430 Head unit

A couple of thing to keep in mind with the 430N unit.

The USB connection on the front of the radio is for uploading data into the unit and NOT for controlling an ipod (however this port can be also used for charging).

The USB connector found in the center console will control an Ipod (or other player) and keep it charged while out of sight of prying eyes.

The 430N will allow user waypoints / custom Points Of Interests to be uploaded for navigation.I have over one dozen trails with around 550 waypoints that can be easily accessed.

If you are considering upgrading to a 430 keep in mind that Uconnect and bluetooth is NOT integrated into the 430 (BOTH are integrated into the 730N).

My wife has a 2011 Chrysler 200 that has a 130 in it and it sounds great! Better than the sound from my 2013 JKU 10A......but I suspect that it is due to the speakers and not the head unit itself.

I specifically wanted the 430N in my Jeep and I'm glad I have it.

KG6SLC aka Eugene
 
#22 ·
i have the 430 RBZ which came with my jeep, I really wanted the 130 so i could just upgrade the headunit. Fortunately for me they threw it in, always buy a truck on the 28th of the month). What I do like is the bigger screen, ive had no problem streaming music - itunes, pandora or spotify - from any of the usb ports or bluetooth. I did get a cool software patch from another thread (check out ios8, the bloke's name is xsbds) that allows me to use "hey siri", which was a game changer.
What I do find annoying is that I can only hear Waze/google maps instructions when I'm in streaming mode. Meaning, if I have WAZE up I can't hear the voiceover when I am listening to sirius etc.
 
#30 ·
I loaded about 1,300 songs onto mine. Searching for a particular song is a huge PITA. You can put the entire collection on shuffle. If I listen to it, that's how I have it set up. There's a real screwy way to go about doing it. I am not a fan of the 430 after owning it for a month and a half. I'll be going aftermarket as soon as my Satellite radio subscription is up.
 
#31 ·
430N upgrade

My 2 cents. Was well worth it but... I added a 250W Clarion amp and swapped all 4 speakers and both tweeters with Polk audio. Sounds 10x better than the JVC in my old Tacoma. The wiring was a PITA! 100% happy now. Added a lockpick too.
 
#32 ·
I had the 430N in my 2014 Sahara and didn't hesitate to NOT get it when I bought my Rubicon. I had too many issues with it not always connecting to my iphone. When it was connected and I tried to make a private call by disconnecting it, I'd have to keep switching it several times before it would stay connected to the phone instead of the Jeep. When the phone is on ringer it doesn't notify me for emails or texts unless it's actually streaming music from it. The nav was ok but would often take me out of the way rather than the shorter and faster route. I'll most likely be going with an aftermarket Pioneer unit or something similar that can be easily updated as phone features change. Just my .02.
 
#37 ·
I love my 430, it works flawlessly with my Windows Phone. The sound system on my 2015 is just amazing, sounds like a club inside my Jeep. I also really like the integration, that I can have my radio up and getting turn-by-turn directions to my dashboard gauges. I REALLY love the controls from my steering wheel. Once I figured out that I could flip radio stations, between FM to satellite to HDD, between songs, etc.. all without ever looking at or having to reach over to the touch screen, I wouldn't be happier. That sells itself in my opinion (they are these buttons on the back side of the wheel, not intuitive at first... but amazing once you figure it out. I also love Garmin maps, so much better than what my wife gets in her Honda.

Con's... I really wish it had better resolution. The UI also feels very clunky... a fresh computer science grad could do better. You end up having to flip through pages too often, to find that MP3... and only listing 4 radio stations on a page is really annoying. They could easily stack them in tighter... they poorly utilize the space in the UI. Vroooom said it nicely... in short, the car manufacturers struggle to keep up with the rate of innovation and lag behind. So you can always buy nicer 3rd party... but they lack the integration.
 
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