I installed this kit in my 2016 Mazda 3, and it's like giving my car a brain transplant! The difference between Mazda's clunky old infotainment and crisp CarPlay is night and day.

The installation took me about an hour following a YouTube tutorial. The trickiest part was fishing cables through tight spaces behind the dash, but the included foam tape helped prevent rattles. Pro tip: check your firmware version first - mine needed an update before installation.

While the touchscreen doesn't work (as advertised), the rotary knob control becomes second nature surprisingly fast. Steering wheel buttons work flawlessly for skipping tracks or activating voice commands. My favorite feature? Finally having Google Maps on my display instead of Mazda's outdated navigation.

The charging speed isn't as fast as advertised - my iPhone 13 barely maintains charge during long drives with navigation running. I ended up adding a wireless charging pad to compensate. Connection reliability has been solid after the initial setup, though some users report occasional disconnects.

For about $200, this retrofit brings modern tech to older Mazdas without the $2,000 dealership upgrade price. Just be prepared for some DIY work and minor quirks - the payoff of having CarPlay in a 2016 model is absolutely worth it.