How to Listen to Your iPod on Your Car Stereo Even if You Don't Own a BMW

If you've ever wanted to integrate your iPod with your car stereo, you may soon have that option - if you have a BMW. Apple and BMW have apparently been working together to develop a kit that attaches to the audio system in BMW's. This kit allows you to place your iPod in a special holder in the glove box and then control the iPod from the controls on the stereo or on the steering wheel.

The drawback to this is that you don't get the iPod's interface on the stereo, so you don't know how much further a song has to go, and you don't get the track information, either. While I'm sure the iPod is quite safe in it's place in the glove box, this seems to be a less than elegant solution, especially given that a BMW is considered a luxury car and Apple products are usually thought of in the same category when it comes to computers and technology.

Which BMW's can use this new kit? Probably not yours. The older models, like my 1987 325, are definitely out. And so are most of the newer models! It appears that only the 2002 model year and newer 3 series, X3, and Z4 can have this $235 kit installed. (It is BMW, no one said it was going to be reasonably priced.)

If you just spent $70,000+ on one of the new 6 series coupes, you might just be out of luck. If that's you, or you have an older BMW (or any other car for that matter), what can you do if you want to connect your iPod to your stereo?

There are a number of options. One option that I like is the cassette adapter, which works great for other units as well (a CD Discman, for example). This simply goes into your cassette player, starts playing - and the music playing on your iPod comes out of the car's stereo speakers. Often on these, the wire going to the device comes out of the left side of the adapter, so if your cassette player loads tapes in such a way that the left side isn't on the outside, you might want to try something like a portable FM transmitter. This would mean something like the iTrip, which sends a signal to your FM radio and actually broadcasts the music playing on your iPod directly to your radio.

This is excellent if you've got a car that doesn't have a cassette player or an auxiliary input on the back of the head unit. If you do have an input for another device, you may just be able to plug your iPod directly into the stereo head unit.

For instance, the Blaupunkt Miami CD127 stereo in my BMW has such an input. All I had to do was connect the iPod and select the sound source on the front of the stereo. As for finding a safe place for the iPod once it's connected, look around for a shelf or small storage bin somewhere in the center console. My BMW has a shelf right below the stereo and heat and vent controls that fit the iPod perfectly.

When it comes to controlling the iPod - getting to the next song or previous one - I find it just as easy as reaching over to adjust the volume on the radio. And if you're really worried, just wait until you're at a stop before switching songs.

While it sounds really nice to have an official solution for using your iPod in the car, in this case it's really not much better than the unofficial solutions - and it's certainly a lot more expensive. If you've got the right car and the cash, go ahead, but if not, there are several alternatives that will accomplish the same thing: to allow you to listen to the music on your iPod through your car's audio system.