Clarion VZ309: A Surprising High-Def Mutimedia Station on Your Dash

Here's something that we found amazing not too long ago. We were prowling around the interior of a 2003 Toyota Prius sedan, getting it ready for an online auction when we noticed a screen sitting right in the middle of the instrument panel with a small screen and a navigation system staring right back at us.

That's right, a 2003 Toyota Prius with Nav on a small (about three-inch screen) that actually worked pretty well.

Fast forward to 2010 and take a look at any vehicle in which you might want to install an upgraded sound/video/radio system and then take a look at the Clarion VZ309. It's actually quite a nice little system, apart from a front face that opens outward and which seems to be a weak point of this otherwise nice piece of equipment.

Indeed, we have seen other radios where the front face swings down and out and, in some cases, actually detaches from the radio-head itself and we have found this to be the weak link as the side locks never seem to latch correctly once they have been lowered several times and this seems like it could be a weakness of the 309. Only time will tell.

We'd advise leaving the installation of this - or any of the other screen-based radio systems - to the professionals because they know where to run the wires and how to run them without, usually, nicking or shorting things out. When you have it installed correctly, the VZ309, which has other siblings in the 409, 509 and 609 - the key differences being the size of the screen - you are pleasantly surprised.

With the VZ309 you have 200 watts of speaker power available. That's more than enough for anyone other than those who want to see their earwax melt. It's deceptive, though, because there's no his or hum to be heard and the fidelity is very good.

The VZ309 not only has four-channel output and a 24 bit D/A converter, but also has six output channels and it offers you the ability to interface a backup camera so that you can see what's in back of your vehicle as you back up.

That's the beauty of the VZ309 and others such as the Boss BV9972, the Dual XDVD8183 because they offer a combination video display that lets you play not only CDs by DVDs (and record them), as well as offering USB interfaces, all for prices that range from a low of $129 for the 309 in the Amazon Marketplace - the lowest we saw - to a high of $296.57 at Etonics Outlet.

The number of ways you can interface with the VZ309 is incredible. Not only is there the already mentioned USB connector, but you also have a standard AUX connector that allows you to interface your iPod or MP3 player with the VZ309. And, since the 309 is also satellite ready, as well as HD (high definition) radio ready, you can easily interface your XM or Sirius satellite radio receiver with the 309 and you will find that HD reception is excellent.

About the only drawbacks we found with the 309 were, aside from the faceplate issue already mentioned, is the ability to circumvent Clarion's safety measures to keep another form of distraction out of your line of sight while you are driving, DVD. Normally, you would have to pull over and engage the emergency brake to watch a DVD, but, there's an easy workaround since the cutoff relies on a single ground wire. You can use the lighterplug with the ground wire attached to the ground side and that will enable you to keep watching while you're driving and if you buy the right adapter, you can easily turn the 3.5-inch display of the 309 into a high-definition television set, something the designers never imagined.
The designers did imagine using it as a backup aid so they give you a direct RCA-style hookup and all you have to do is have a CCD style camera installed so you can see what's in back of you.

Overall, the VZ309 is a nice addition to the dashboard, one that you will be glad you had installed.