One of the things I’ve always wanted to do since buying Serenity is install a different radio head unit, as the stock Subaru touchscreen is horrendous. It’s not always responsive, and when it does respond, it lags. I’ve considered just getting an aftermarket head unit with Apple CarPlay, but there aren’t many available that get decent reviews, have at least a volume knob, and don’t look like some aftermarket thing stuck onto the dash.
I also have come to hate touchscreens in cars. When they first came out, I thought they were neat, but then automakers started adding more and more basic controls into the touchscreen menus. Every time I get behind the wheel of a new car for my “big girl” job, I almost automatically despise it because of the touchscreen. Why can’t I have a volume knob? A skip button? Why do I have to dig through multiple menus just to figure out how to adjust the steering wheel position? (And no, I will not interrupt my favorite song or podcast to use voice controls for something that should be so simple.) Part of the beauty of a car like Serenity is being able to change a climate setting or turn on seat heaters without even looking at the controls.
So, I wondered if the first-generation Subaru BRZ ever had a non-touchscreen radio as OEM equipment and consulted the internet to see. I found out that the BRZ didn’t offer one, but its twin, the Scion FR-S, did. I also discovered that it’s a plug-and-play unit that doesn’t require any rewiring. $65 later, I had one on the way from an eBay seller.
Installing the Radio Head Unit
The installation was fairly simple — possibly one of the easiest things I’ve done on a car recently besides an oil change. All you need is a trim removal tool, a 10-mm socket (preferably with an extension), and a Phillips-head screwdriver. And even though you probably don’t have to, I disconnected the battery’s negative terminal before starting since I’m paranoid about messing up a newer vehicle’s electronics.
I carefully popped the surrounding trim piece off, making sure to not break any of the five clips (two on each side plus one in the middle of the bottom). Then, I removed the four bolts that hold the brackets in place, slid out the radio, and disconnected the wires. I also had to move the original brackets onto the new head unit as it didn’t come with any.
Not all of the BRZ’s wires are used in this swap; two green wires on each side, as well as one with a white clip on the right side, don’t have connections on the FR-S unit, so I just let them be after connecting the wires to the new radio. (They're probably used for the satellite navigation system, which the Scion unit doesn't have.) The rest of the installation process is just the reverse of removal.
Once the new radio head unit was installed, I turned it on to see how it worked, and it worked perfectly. It’s nice having actual button controls instead of a touchscreen that doesn’t always respond when trying to skip songs or trying to change radio stations. The next step will be figuring out how to remove or cover up the “Scion” logo at the top of the radio.