Amazon Echo Auto review: “Alexa, why do I need you in my car?”

Our Verdict

A very niche production that a lot of people volition struggle to observe a utilize for, particularly in more than modern cars. While it makes Alexa more than accessible on your phone, information technology's still nowhere near as capable equally Google and Apple'due south alternatives.

For

Adds bones smarts to older cars
Solid Bluetooth to Aux adapter
Unlocks hands-complimentary Alexa if the app isn't open

Against

Alexa non as useful as Google Assistant or Siri in the motorcar
Offers zip of note if yous have CarPlay or Android Car
Ugly mountain

Tom's Guide Verdict

A very niche product that a lot of people volition struggle to observe a use for, particularly in more than modern cars. While it makes Alexa more accessible on your phone, it'due south still nowhere almost as capable every bit Google and Apple's alternatives.

Pros

+
Adds basic smarts to older cars
+
Solid Bluetooth to Aux adapter
+
Unlocks hands-free Alexa if the app isn't open up

Cons

-
Alexa not as useful every bit Google Banana or Siri in the automobile
-
Offers null of note if you have CarPlay or Android Auto
-
Ugly mount

Amazon Echo Auto: Specs

Cost: $50
Size: 3.three x 1.9 ten 0.5"
Weight: i.6 oz
Microphones: 8
Output: 3.5mm, Bluetooth
Bluetooth: HFP (phone calls), A2DP (sound), AVRCP (voice control)
Os: Android 6.0, iOS 12 or newer

An Echo for your car: That'southward the main selling point for Amazon's Echo Auto, a compact $50 device that is congenital for ane thing and one thing only: Using Alexa to make your car smarter.

While the Echo Auto generally delivers on its promise, when you wait beneath the surface you lot start to realize that it's a very niche slice of hardware that doesn't perform that well against the competition.

Amazon Repeat Auto review: Price and availability

The Echo Auto costs $50, and has been bachelor to purchase from Amazon since Jan 2019. That toll gets you lot the Echo Auto itself, a mountain/cable tidy for your car vent, as well as a micro-USB power cable, 12v dual-USB power adapter and a 3.5mm aux cable.

Amazon Echo Auto review: Design

The Repeat Auto is a small rectangular device that'south 3.3-inches long and i.9-inches broad, making information technology slightly smaller than a credit card. Even so, it'southward as well half an inch thick, and looks similar to a small battery pack you lot might carry effectually in your bag or wallet.

It also features the same 2 buttons as any other Alexa speaker: one mutes the microphone and stops Alexa responding, and another push lets you toggle the virtual assistant without having to say "Alexa" first.

Plus, there'southward the classic Amazon arrow logo, which makes information technology look like the Echo Auto has a smiley face on it.

Other pattern features include a micro USB and iii.5mm Aux port on the right paw side of the device, and a square-shaped indent that lets the Echo Auto magnetically connect to the mount that'southward included in the box.

Overall, it'south quite a sleek and discrete device, ane that can slip into whatsoever nooks or cubby holes that you might have in your car.

The mount itself is almost the complete opposite, and looks similar an unwieldy metal '7'. A 7 that likewise has a rubber grip for connecting to your machine'southward vent, and a small cable clip that stops the Echo Auto's cables from dangling precariously over your car.

I feel like the Echo Auto can practise without the mount, or at the very least Amazon could have offered something a little more discreet in the box. Personally, I prefer to keep the Auto tucked away in a space between my dash and my gear shifter instead. That meant the cables were closer to their respective ports, and could be tucked away out of sight without affecting the Echo Automobile's ability to hear me.

Alternatively, there are third-party Echo Automobile mounts out there that are a niggling more than subtle, and since the Auto is magnetic you lot could but option up a cheap phone mount and see how that plays out.

Amazon Echo Machine review: Setup

Like other Echo speakers, the Repeat Car setup all happens in the Alexa app, though the procedure is a little fleck unlike. Considering the Motorcar isn't the aforementioned equally a standalone Echo speaker, and is designed to be an extension of your phone. That connection is done via Bluetooth.

The Echo Automobile will also ask you whether your car has Bluetooth sound, which mine does, at which indicate I was told to discard the Aux cable. In this example all Echo Auto simply acts as an Alexa microphone, since all the audio is relayed through your telephone's Bluetooth connection.

If your motorcar does not have Bluetooth, then the Repeat Auto essentially becomes a Bluetooth adapter. It relays your phone'due south audio through the Echo Auto's Aux cable. This adds a few more smarts to your machine in the process, assuming your phone doesn't have a headphone jack and you lot want to avert plugging an adapter into your telephone.

The terminal stage of the setup has the Repeat Car perform a sound check to ensure both the audio and microphones are all working correctly. If everything is ok, the app will register that fact after less than xxx seconds.

The setup procedure volition also ask you what mapping service you lot'd like Alexa to default to, and supports the big dogs similar Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps. Only more than on that later on.

And that was essentially it for the setup, and the process was incredibly painless. In fact, I've had Bluetooth speakers cause more trouble during pairing than the Echo Auto, which is something Amazon should be commended for.

Your simply remaining task is to figure out where the gizmo should live. The included mount is the nigh obvious selection, though it'due south less than platonic. The Echo Automobile has eight microphones and far field technology, which means it can alive just nearly anywhere in your machine that isn't physically blocking the microphones.

Amazon Repeat Automobile review: Auto Style

One of the actress things that comes with the Repeat Auto is a new Alexa Car Mode. This is bachelor every bit long as your phone is connected to the device, and substantially switches your brandish to a lark-free, driving-friendly interface.

That essentially means you have four tabs available to use on your screen. A basic homescreen with a bit of everything, a navigation tab, a communications tab for calls and texts and a playback tab with a listing of media Alexa can control.

While yous tin switch Car Mode off, or but leave the app and apply your phone as normal, the idea hither is that it keeps your telephone useful — but in a way that doesn't brand information technology a dangerous distraction from the road alee.

However, the major issue here is that Automobile Mode is completely reliant on your Echo Auto being continued to your phone. Without that connexion betwixt the ii, you lose all admission to Auto Mode — meaning information technology'south essentially locked behind the Echo Automobile's $50 price tag.

That should not be the instance. While the Echo Auto is useful in that information technology ways you don't need to keep the Alexa app open up for hands-free command, locking an important bit of software backside a physical purchase doesn't feel right.

As we mentioned before, the Repeat Motorcar'due south setup process also asks yous what mapping app you prefer. A full list of supported apps hasn't been revealed, only it does support the big players like Google maps, Apple Maps, and Google-owned Waze.

And Alexa will abide by your choice. If you want to navigate with one service or some other, that's the one that the assistant will default to every single time you inquire for directions.

Though navigation is one of those areas where voice assistants, including Google and Siri, both autumn down. You ask Alexa to take you somewhere, and the assistant will list off a agglomeration of possible locations if you're not specific plenty. This is useful for, say, finding a gas station in an unfamiliar area, simply it's not great for getting to more specific locations.

All the same, the integration with the tertiary-party navigation app is quite impressive. Though actually information technology'southward more of a citation for the mapping apps themselves — Google Maps in my instance. All Alexa really does is give information technology a location, or lists off whatsoever potential locations yous've asked for, while Google did all the hard work. Fifty-fifty when it came to the actual search results.

But that'south good. Alexa doesn't demand to exist involved in the navigation process, and it ways the assistant isn't going to be an extra distraction as you lot endeavour and work out where y'all demand to go. Information technology was even capable of interacting with Android Machine while my phone was plugged in, and asking for directions meant they flashed up on my automobile'due south display rather than my phone.

My but existent complaint was the voice recognition. For some reason Alexa couldn't understand the proper name of the hamlet I live in, just was able to understand my alphanumeric postal service lawmaking without issue. But when it comes downwardly to it Alexa was able to get me where I needed to go.

There was also a split up-2d delay as my phone wrestled with the fact it tin't be connected to Android Auto and show directions on its own screen. But information technology wasn't so much of an upshot that information technology caused actual problems.

Amazon Echo Auto review: Calling and messaging

While hands-free calling while driving is something human beings figured out back in the '90s, text messaging is a bit more than awkward. You can't type, and you tin't actually read whatsoever letters people accept sent y'all. So it all relies on the voice assistant to do information technology, then far the tech industry hasn't figured out how to practice it without it beingness extremely awkward.

The Repeat Auto is no exception. Though again this is an issue with vox assistants in full general, rather than an consequence specific to the device or Alexa.

Thankfully, calling with the Echo Automobile is quite simple, provided Alexa has the necessary permissions to deal with contacts and calls. Request Alexa to 'send a message' or 'brand a call' is as uncomplicated as just that.

If you don't specify who you want to contact, Alexa will enquire you to clarify which of your contacts it's supposed to exist using. It manages this quite well, all things considered, and recognized that my girlfriend'south Polish proper noun is not pronounced the aforementioned mode it's spelled.

If y'all're sending a bulletin Alexa will ask you what that message should be, and volition read it back to you for confirmation. Information technology won't actually send until you give the assistant the all clear, and for the sake of convenience volition include a link to a voice recording that can be accessed for 24 hours. Calling is similar, though in that instance Alexa volition confirm who you want to speak to before it starts dialing.

Equally for receiving letters, Alexa tin can read your latest and unread letters. Yous just need to ask the banana to 'read my text letters' and it will do as instructed. Likewise, answering and catastrophe a call is equally like shooting fish in a barrel every bit telling Alexa to 'answer the telephone' or 'hang up'.

Unfortunately, this is all restricted to your phone's default phone and SMS app, rather than whatever communication app you lot may prefer — like WhatsApp or Indicate. Which is a major advantage for Google Assistant and Siri, which can do just that.

Being an Alexa speaker, the Echo Auto tin can call and message other Alexa devices the same manner an Echo Dot would do. However, y'all volition accept to prepare this up ahead of time on the 'Communicate' tab of the Alexa app.

Amazon Echo Car review: Alexa performance

Alexa is, well, Alexa, and the Echo Auto is barely whatsoever unlike to the Echo you might take in your dwelling house. The only difference is that information technology's completely reliant on its connection to your smartphone to function.

The Echo Auto can even do all the default Alexa things you probably wouldn't have idea of doing in your car. That includes interacting with your smart home devices from distant, setting timers and alarms, or playing the many different sound games the Echo speaker at home tin can handle.

Unfortunately, this caused a problem when trying to play a game of "guess the song" since Alexa apparently can't understand me when I say "eighties." I honestly didn't retrieve my accent was quite that bad...

Plus, if you want Alexa to fart you lot a ocean shanty, the Repeat Auto can fart out a bounding main shanty. Y'all know, simply in case you have a car total of kids, or childish adults that need entertaining for a few minutes.

However, smartphone reliance is as well Echo Machine'due south biggest downfall. While it's possible to activate skills on your standalone Repeat speaker, the Echo Machine is reliant on having the correct apps on your telephone. Some Amazon-axial services, like limited access to Amazon Music, are available, but a third-political party service like Spotify won't work unless y'all have the app installed.

Alexa will inform you if yous try to use an app or service that isn't installed, and will take you to the relevant app shop. That way a passenger can download it for yous, or you tin do it yourself in one case you stop driving. Though the chances of you lot trying to apply a service that you don't already accept installed feels unlikely.

Unfortunately Alexa isn't nearly equally useful on its ain equally Google Assistant or Siri because it doesn't have the same system-level controls as the native Apple and Google Assistants. The Echo Automobile just exists every bit a workaround to let you summon Alexa without having to keep the Alexa app open all the time - something both Sir and Google don't have to worry about.

In other words Google and Apple accept a major advantage because their assistants don't require users to buy an extra piece of hardware to activate their full potential.

That situation isn't exactly Amazon's mistake, only it does mean prospective Echo Auto purchasers take to be actually invested in Alexa to buy it. Because when it comes to driving, chances are everything you demand can exist dealt with by Google Assistant and Siri just as easily.

Amazon Repeat Auto review: Hardware performance

By virtue of what it is, the Echo Auto doesn't need to exercise very much. Information technology just needs to be in the car, and connected to your phone via your device'south own Bluetooth connection. It helps to keep it somewhere open, though the device's eight microphones and far field tech mean that you will rarely encounter effect with Alexa hearing you lot.

The merely time it didn't hear me was because I had the Air-conditioning cranked up to max, and I responded much more quietly than usual.

It'southward also worth pointing out that the Echo Auto is essentially a glorified Bluetooth adapter with a microphone. It doesn't matter whether or not an app or service is really uniform with Alexa, any audio your phone produces volition beam through the Echo Auto and into your car's stereo via the aux cable.

And then even if you lot don't intendance about Alexa, it adds some wireless connectivity to your vehicle. That'll be especially useful if your phone doesn't have a headphone jack, and yous have an disfavor to adapters.

And the whole procedure works. Most of the time anyhow.

During my time with the Echo Auto I did take a couple of issues with connectivity. One of them had Alexa responding to me through the Echo itself, simply wouldn't output any audio to my car — no matter how much I tried. In the end I had to manufacturing plant reset the Echo Auto to solve the trouble.

Thankfully that result never arose again, though I did subsequently have an issue mid-drive when the Repeat Auto merely stopped responding. Voice commands didn't work, pressing the activation push didn't work, and unplugging the whole device and forcing a restart didn't work. In the terminate I went without Alexa until I got habitation, and by the fourth dimension I was due to bulldoze again, the Echo had started working properly again.

Both of those instances are uncommon, though it shows a flaw in the whole Echo Machine process: Calculation more devices to a setup means there are more ways information technology tin can neglect. And when failures happen when you drive, even the simplest of issues tin can become difficult to fix. Even and so much as unplugging and USB cablevision and plugging it back in over again requires concentration that should be spent on the route alee.

Amazon Repeat Auto review: Verdict

For drivers rocking an older car that doesn't relish the benefits of Bluetooth, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, then the Repeat Automobile may bear witness useful. Provided you're absolutely infatuated with Alexa and don't want to accept to use 1 of the alternatives when you're driving. And in fairness to Amazon, it has managed to build a very capable Bluetooth adapter. Those are non easy to find.

But anyone driving quite a recent machine volition struggle to discover a mode for the Echo Auto to exist useful. All of its most practical uses can be handled with Google Assistant or Siri, both of which take better app back up and control over your phone. Auto Mode goes a long way towards improving Alexa'due south lot, but it still irks me that information technology's essentially locked behind a $50 buy when it really shouldn't be.

Yous merely need to inquire yourself, is it really worth spending $50 for a fancy Alexa adapter, when you tin just as easily employ Google Banana or Siri for free? That's a question only you tin can answer.

Tom is the Tom's Guide's Automotive Editor, which ways he can usually be found knee deep in stats the latest and best electric cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It'south long way from his days every bit editor of Gizmodo Uk, when pretty much everything was on the tabular array. He'south unremarkably institute trying to squeeze another giant Lego set up onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or lament that Ikea won't permit him buy the stuff he really needs online.