I'm Ryan with ExtremeTerrain.com, and this is my review of the Raxiom OE-Style Navigation
with Bluetooth and Backup Camera, fitting all 2007 to 2016 JKs.
This will work in any Jeep between '07 and '16, however if you have the premium sound
system that has an amplifier and a sub, you will need an additional harness.
This is for anyone looking to add both a navigation system and a backup camera to any Jeep, and
is looking to do it with a system that includes all the functionality you might want, that
has plug-and-play installation, and looks factory in the Jeep.
My favorite part about this system in particular is that it's even less expensive than some
of the other Jeep-specific options on the market.
Like I said, the system is JK-specific, so it's going to look factory when you get it
installed in your Jeep, and the installation is going to be really easy and completely
plug-and-play.
The system features a 6.5 inch motorized HD LCD touch screen, and this provides you with
AM, FM, satellite, DVD, CD, and MP3 playback, although for satellite radio you will need
an additional adapter.
The system also includes a full-color backup camera that's designed to automatically switch
on when you put the Jeep in reverse, which is a nice feature.
A lot of other systems will allow you to add a backup camera, but this one includes it
right in the box.
This system is also designed to sync up with your cell phone to allow for hands-free Bluetooth
calling, and it'll retain all your factory steering wheel controls for ease of use.
The navigation system includes five different languages and two different voices so it will
give you audio turn-by-turn directions, and visual turn-by-turn directions in both 2D,
3D, and it'll show you 3D buildings in most major cities.
Getting this system installed on the Jeep is pretty easy because, like I said before,
it's designed for the JK, and it's designed to be completely plug-and-play.
The only wires that you'll actually need to make connections on are two wires for the
backup camera harness where you'll need to pick up a switched 12-volt and a ground.
You can either use vampire clips to do that nice and easy, or get out your soldering iron.
Everything else will just plug in.
We installed this on our 2010 four-door, but the process is pretty much the same regardless
of which Jeep you're installing this on.
There will be a couple of trim pieces and some bezels you'll have to remove in order
to gain access to the bolts holding the factory radio in place.
Once you remove those bolts, the factory radio will pull right out of the dashboard.
You can unplug it, and you're done with that.
From there, you'll want to run your camera harness up into the dashboard, you'll run
the wires for the microphone and for the GPS antenna as well as the satellite antenna if
you decide to run one, and pull all of those wires into the dashboard as well.
From there, you can install the new navigation system using all the included harnesses.
Again, everything just plugs in.
The new system will bolt into the dash and you'll be able to replace all those trim pieces.
And you're done.
The whole process should take about two hours, and you won't need any specialty tools, but
a trim tool to help popping off some of the trim and a 7 mm socket to remove some of those
bolts.
Now even though this is a plug-and-play installation that's designed specifically for your Jeep,
there are a lot of wires and modules that are behind the new radio and it can be a little
bit of a tight fit getting it installed in a dash.
We struggled with it for a little while, but eventually we were able to get everything
tucked in and bolted down tight.
As far as features go, this system has pretty much everything you would want.
Of course it's an AM/FM radio, and it can also be a satellite radio if you decide to
buy that additional adapter, and it'll also play CDs and MP3 CDs.
That works pretty much exactly how you would expect it to, and you can set all of your
favorites just like any other radio.
As far as streaming music from your phone, you can absolutely do that through the Bluetooth.
If you're streaming through Bluetooth, you won't have the album art up on the screen,
however, you will be able to switch tracks, pause, and stop the music.
If you plug your phone or iPod or any other MP3 player directly into the front of the
unit using the USB cable, then you'll have your album art right up on the screen and
all the names of your artists, tracks, and albums.
So whether you have your phone plugged into the unit for music and for charging, or it's
just connected via Bluetooth, you'll be able to make and receive phone calls.
Again, the unit comes with a microphone, and it'll play your calls through the speakers
in the Jeep.
You'll have access to all of your recent calls, both missed and dialled.
You'll be able to get to all your contacts, and you'll be able to dial with a regular
keypad right up on the screen.
If you have an incoming call, you can receive it right through the touch screen, as with
any other built-in Bluetooth cell phone.
The navigation works pretty much exactly how you would expect it to.
You'll be able to put in any address you'd like to, and it'll guide you right there.
You also have access to your favorites, and your most recent destinations.
There were a few unique features that I found when scrolling through the menus of this system.
One of those is that you can put some information into the system about your vehicle, specifically
your average miles per gallon, and when you go into the navigation and choose your destination,
it can calculate a route for you based on how green it is, so your minimum amount of
fuel burn and your minimum amount of carbon emissions.
Just something a little bit unique that I thought was interesting.
You can of course, turn that feature on, and off, but, it's kinda fun.
As with any other navigation system, you will be able to update the maps as roads change.
You'll use a website called Naviextras and you can download your new maps to either an
SD card or a USB memory stick that you'll plug into the system to update the new information.
There are a couple of different plans you can choose, from unlimited map updates to
just a single purchase, and the pricing is pretty standard for what you would find with
any other navigation system update.
There are a couple of different things that you can customize on this system, from the
car that you are on your screen when you're in navigation mode, to of course, all your
favorites.
And one of things that you can customize is the splash screen, so right when you turn
the Jeep on, instead of it saying, "Raxiom Navigation," you can customize that screen
that stays up for about five seconds or so, to whatever picture, or words, you like.
It's just a nice little touch that really allows you to customize the system for your
Jeep.
Like I said before, there is a USB plug right on the face of the system, and that's going
to be good for charging your cell phone, or connecting your phone or other MP3 player
as a music device.
Some of you are thinking, "Does the USB plug in my center console still work with this
system?"
And the short answer is no.
Right out of the box, that USB plug will no longer work.
However, if you know a little bit about USB and you wanna do some wiring, you can certainly
get it fired back up.
So there are a lot of things I do like about this system.
Unfortunately, when you first turn the Jeep on, it does take a few seconds longer than
I'd like it to to fire up.
So if you're somebody who hops in the Jeep, starts it, throws it into reverse, and wants
to go, you're not gonna have your reverse camera for a few seconds.
It does take a little while to warm up.
You're also not gonna have real time traffic updates with this navigation system like you
would with some other systems.
One other thing, especially because this is in a Jeep that a lot of people ask about,
is whether it has any off-road breadcrumbs, so when you leave the trail, if it'll track
where you are so that you can then follow that path back to the trail head.
Unfortunately, this system does not have that capability.
Like we said before, this system does retain all of your factory steering wheel controls,
which is a really nice feature, without the need for any additional modules.
Some other systems out there will keep your factory steering wheel controls if you buy
something else.
This has it all right out of the box.
One of those steering wheel buttons is a voice recognition or a voice-control button, and
there's also a button right on the touch screen if you don't have the steering wheel controls.
And what that will do is activate whatever voice recognition system you have on your
cell phone, which is a really nice feature, so you can have it call somebody, or you can
have it play music, all with your voice.
So as you can tell, there are a ton of features packed into this system, and for something
that looks as factory as this one does and installs as easily as this one does, I personally
think it's well worth the price.
Especially when you consider with the cost of a lot of other in-dash systems that don't
look as factory, or require a lot more wire.
So, if you're looking to add a navigation system, a backup camera, and Bluetooth integration
for both hands-free calling and wireless music streaming, this is a really nice system to
take a look at.
All of that, coupled with the fact that it looks like a factory system once you get it
installed, and it's an easy plug-and-play installation make it worth the cost, in my
opinion.
So that's my review of the Raxiom OE-Style Navigation with Bluetooth and Backup Camera,
fitting all 2007 to 2016 JKs, that you can find right here at ExtremeTerrain.com.