#hudway

It’s a view that could fundamentally change how we interface with our cars and our surroundings while we drive.

Instead of a traditional dashboard, HUD enables more intelligent displays by featuring the information a driver needs at just the right time and in just the right place. This could be straightforward information such as speed, navigation, warnings and backup camera displays, or things like collision warnings and lane detection. With HUD, this all happens without requiring the driver to take their eyes off the road. Instead, everything appears to float at just the right distance on the windshield.

The prices for HUD systems largely vary. While the least expensive aftermarket HUDs display the car data on the windshield without any additional features, such as navigation information or voice controls, the more expensive HUDs include all these and, eventually, some advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features.

These HUDs are likely to gain interest among buyers who like the flexibility and adaptability of active head-up devices that mirror the smartphone activity, thus allow for safe, non-distracted driving, while being able to stay connected to the outside world.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the most compelling aftermarket HUDs to look for next time you are in the market for a new display.

Things to know before you choose your HUD:

There are two types of aftermarket HUDs for cars: projections and screens. The HUDs that utilize their own screen are generally superior.

The best HUDs connect to your smartphone and allow you to use 3rd-party driving apps.

Different vehicles have different readout systems, which measure the vehicle’s performance. These readouts are OBD, OBD II, EOBD (for European standards), and JOBD (for Japanese standards). Your HUD and your vehicle readout have to be compatible.

Budget category: $10-50

There are many cheap head-up displays (most are made in China and many times are not patented) available online today, such as Red Shield Universal HUD, BZseed, HaloVA, Frerush, Techstick or Dewhel. You can easily buy one for about $10 on Amazon. They are either sold as a clear film attaching to your windshield or as a passive device with a reflective panel and a friction pad, where you place your smartphone.

Photo: Techstick M9 OBD2 Car HUD with reflection (Credit: Techstick)

Even though most manufacturers in this category claim that their HUDs are superior and the displays reflect image very clearly even in poor lighting condition or bright sunlight, it’s usually not true.

Most modern windshields use a type of polarized glass that makes the image split into two and in daytime the image would seem dim, fuzzy and, in direct sun, may disappear altogether. Another obvious limitation of these HUDs is the preset display, which means the visual gauges are grossly simplified. You are only able to view the information in the form of numbers or arrows.

Though some of these brands came to the aftermarket a while ago, like Techstick, for example, most come to the market and soon disappear (think of an interrupted customer service or warranty problems).

Personally, we don’t recommend buying a device from the budget category. You might be better off placing your smartphone on the dashboard and using a mirroring app instead of spending money on a plastic case with a low-quality film. For those who’d like to actually save money by buying a better longer-lasting device, we recommend the second or third category.

Mid-Tier Category: $50-150

Patented HUDs in this category have more features than the budget devices, use a dedicated screen (either a transparent film or a glass), have better reflection visibility, and a higher-quality hardware. They usually provide turn-by-turn navigation directions, posted speed limit, location of speed cameras and many other informational perks. The units are often paired with a compatible smartphone (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi).

Notable winners in this category, even though polar in their pricing, are Garmin HUD ($149) and HUDWAY Glass ($49).

Photo: Garmin HUD (Credit: Amazon)

Garmin can project the information from a smartphone onto a transparent film on your windshield or an attached reflector lens. Glass is a head-up mount that uses your smartphone for all driving data.

The constraints of mid-tier HUDs usually are a limited 3rd-party app compatibility and a use of proprietary apps. Also often the navigation app remains at the foreground of your phone while in use, so if you receive a phone call or check a text message, you will lose your driving directions. Also, in Garmin’s case, its preset display offers somewhat limited (unlike HUDs in the next category) virtual gauges.

Even though HUDWAY Glass costs a fraction of Garmin HUD’s price, it offers more flexibility for the driver. It works with several other non-proprietary navigation apps (such as HUD Widgets, Speedometer, Sygic or Navmii GPS) and has significantly better looking virtual gauges. For an almost “budget”-priced HUD, Glass has our thumbs-up!

Best In The Aftermarket Category: $150-500

Photo: HUDWAY Cast (Credit: HUDWAY)

Head-up displays in this category are all unmatched in terms of connectivity and interactivity, have an incredibly well done hardware, and present a far greater accuracy and responsiveness than the products in the other categories.

The pricing among HUDs in this category, however, differs greatly, especially when it come to the features offered for that price.

Carloudy, for example, costs (in pre-orders) $259 and is a wireless head-up display that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, features transparent display and voice control, and supposedly works perfect under bright light and in evenings. Carloudy’s patent-pending design uses the reflective nature of its 6” electronic paper display (EPD) to harvest energy. However, as it good as it all sounds, the Company hasn’t yet fulfilled its promises to start manufacturing and shipping the devices.

Exploride, which costs $299 ($200 off) in pre-orders, lets you stream music, allows for gesture controls, stock market updates, email notifications and news. But it only supports applications, which are approved by Exploride. What could they be? We don’t know yet and say – pretty pricey given its limitations. Incidentally, Exploride, too, doesn’t seem to exist or be active. The infrequent updates we’ve seen have been posted in early spring and midsummer of this year.

Regardless of the media reviews and solid marketing, we do not recommend pre-ordering devices from the companies that don’t have a fall-back fullfillment history or have stopped communicating with its backers and potential customers.

Hudly, another worth-mentioning HUD device in this category, operates with similar features, as the aforementioned HUDs; the only difference is that it mounts to your windshield (not your dashboard). So it’s the matter of your personal preferences, but in our opinion, it’s definitely more distracting, if the HUD is not located in line with your eyesight. We do like that Hudly doesn’t require the use of a proprietary app. You can navigate with Google Maps, Waze, and so on. It costs $299 on the Company’s website.

Navdy has been nominated by many tech reviewers as the unquestioned champion of the aftermarket HUD arena. And even earlier this month, we would’ve nominated it as one of our favorite. However, just recently Navdy has announced its liquidation.

HUDWAY Cast is undoubtedly our “win-win” device, when it comes to its unmatched price and performance. It is the least expensive HUD in this category and provides all of the Navdy’s features for a fraction of price. Cast doesn’t require the use of a proprietary app, thus, gives you freedom to navigate with an app (WAZE, Google Maps, you name it) that you are most used to. While your smartphone works as a control panel, all of the information from your phone is displayed in line with your eyesight. Its display offers a better focus length (2.5 m versus Navdy’s 0.8 m), which allows you to refocus easier and faster. The mounting kit is included in the HUDWAY Cast’s price (currently $199).  Just like Navdy, Cast users can answer their calls, respond to texts, listen to their music library or favorite music apps (Spotify), and get directions in real time. According to the Company’s news, HUDWAY has just completed its second Kickstarter campaign, begun production, and is planning to ship the product to its September backers in December. Starting next year, we will see HUDWAY Cast on Amazon (with eligible free shipping). For now you can get your it on its website.