Amazon Echo Auto | Add Alexa+

The Amazon Echo Auto with Alexa+ Early Access is convenient if your main goal is hands-free voice control while driving. Voice commands work well for music, calls, navigation requests, and basic Alexa functions. That said, the experience is fairly limited beyond voice use. App behavior and integrations can feel inconsistent, and Alexa+ Early Access still feels unfinished at times. It works best when kept simple—voice commands only. Overall, it’s useful if you want basic Alexa functionality in your car, but don’t expect a fully polished or advanced smart experience yet. Good for voice use, but not a must-have.

I just acquired a 4WD 2010 Ford Escape as my inclement weather vehicle. It is an XLS, the base model, and mine is really base. No Sirius, no Bluetooth, no navigation, not even USB. I have Sirius XM in my other vehicles and listen to it the majority of the time. I also wanted hands free for safety and convenience reasons and navigation would be a handy feature. As I was looking for hands free devices, I came across the Alexa Auto. As I read more about it, this small reasonably priced device was the answer to all of the features I was looking for. Set-up was a breeze and, fortunately, the one "option" my entertainment system had was an auxiliary input. I had it up and running in no time. By utilizing the Sirius app on my Galaxy S25+ I immediately added satellite radio functionality. I've also been able to make and receive calls and navigate using the phones map functions. Connectivity has been rock solid using the aux cable and I have the added bonus of the car's speakers being utilized as the speaker for the device. Two small nits to pick: I wish the included power adapter was smaller...it is huge. I'm also surprised the device doesn't have an on/off switch. Despite those 2 issues, I love this device. It has taken care of my entertainment needs for this vehicle and modernized/upgraded the car's technology all with one small, relatively inexpensive gadget.

This Echo Auto has surpassed my expectations. I have an older Toyota Sienna that does not have bluetooth calling or anything like that. This Echo has really improved the driving experience. I connected it to my Aux In on the radio and now I can make calls with it and play music from either my Amazon Prime account or just tell it to play certain radio stations, podcast, etc. The people I have called say that it works and sounds very good despite my older van not being overly quiet in its old age. I recently used it during a 2,000 mile trip and it worked very well. There were a few occasions where it did not initially connect but that was minor. I just reached over and unplugged it then plugged it back in. The only negative is that I don't believe it can be connected to two different phones. For clarity, I do not mean at the same time. I mean, I have been unable to get it to work properly when I pair to my phone and separately pair it to my wife's phone. Then when either of us takes the vehicle out without the other person it will not connect. If I unpair one of the phones, then it works fine. Oh well, she primarily drives the vehicle so I only pair her phone with it. If you have an older vehicle and want to convert it to a sort of smart environment, I recommend this device!

Echo auto is a very niche product for those who've bought into the Amazon ecosystem. Unlike Echo Dots, Pops, or Shows, or any other standalone smart device, Echo Auto is dependent on the Alexa app on my phone. This is both good and bad. It's bad because if you do not have the app on your phone, Echo auto will not work. It is good because of all the Echo devices inside my home, this one does not spew ads at me trying to get me to buy more items on Amazon. Echo Auto is fully dependent on my car stereo system. I only have the factory stereo in my car, but it is more than adequate to give me a solid sound experience. Echo Auto is very easy to install and set up. Simply power it through the car power port (aka cigarette lighter for all the baby boomers out there), and it's ready to connect to your phone. Connection is as fast as it takes for your car to recognize your phone. Once operating I can ask Alexa to play particular music or to give me a playlist to match my mood. I can ask Alexa all the dumb questions I can think of (68 times 3456, or the capitol of some African country, or the recipe for bbq ribs, etc.) and I get my answers. Echo Auto at full price (@$55USD) may not be a great value, but these often are on sale for up to 75% off. At this point it becomes a no brainer. You can have the convenience of Alexa as you are driving. Ask her to plan a route, play a song, or with the new plus version, have a conversation about a book or a movie.