VW Golf MK 5 Stereo Help

[hellobaby121]

Hello!

First time poster here, and recently the new owner of a lovely Golf Mk 5 2007 Comfortline 2.0 FSI.

I have looked through this forum but was unable to find the specific help I was after, basically I am wanting to upgrade my car's head unit but I want to stay in line with the original styling of the VW fitted stereo.

I have done some research online and found a couple of potential options but most of them have warnings such as 'disables steering wheel functionality' or they look a bit dodgy.

I was wondering if anyone here has any recommendations for upgrading my head unit to a model that has Bluetooth, aux, and usb functionality? And if possible GPS but that isn't a must have, but has a similar design as the current one and still allows for the steering wheel buttons to work.

Here is an example of one I found online:

I was hoping not to have the break the bank and second hand options would be perfectly okay! Ideally looking to spend around $200-300aud but can go higher if needed.

Thank you for your time!
-hellobaby121

[maltbbe]

If you’re still looking - have a look at the VW RCD330! They’re a VW OEM head unit from new Polos and other Chinese domestic market cars. You can find them on eBay or Aliexpress, and they come in a few different models, but all of them are OEM VW products so they’re plug-and-play. Here’s one with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay: Android Auto Carplay Noname RCD330 Plus R340G MIB 6.5 For VW Polo Golf 5/6 PassatB6 B7 CC Tiguan Jetta MK5 MK6 6RD 035 187B-in Car Radios from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

I’ve had mine for about a year now and it’s been totally reliable - great quality touchscreen, and the smartphone integration is awesome. You might need to get an adaptor to get the steering wheel controls to work (I did), but you can find them by searching on Aliexpress and they shouldn’t cost more than $25. Well worth it! Only downside is no CD drive - there’s a cheaper model with a CD drive but no smartphone integration if that bothers you: RCD330 RCD510 RCD330G RCN210 CD Player MIB Car BluetoothUSB MP3 Radio New High Version For Golf 5 6 Jetta CC Tiguan Passat CC-in Car Radios from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

[ericcs]

Just out of curiosity, i was under the impression later model OEM units cause battery drain issues if fitted to early model Mk5's.
My daughter has just bought an 06 and needs to upgrade as she want's aux. and bluetooth features, so keen for info also!

[maltbbe]

I think this is true - mine's an '08 so I haven't had to worry about it - but I've seen a couple of solutions. The battery drain happens because older cars have a different 'CANBUS gateway', so some owners of earlier cars just upgrade that part, but I think that requires some VCDS coding and might be more trouble than it's worth. Another option would be to buy an extra wiring harness like this: Aliexpress.com : Buy RCD330 Multifunction Steering Wheel Button Control Canbus gateway Simulator Adapter For VW Golf 5 6 Jetta MK5 Passat B6 187B 187 from Reliable Cables, Adapters & Sockets suppliers on Aidu Auto Technology CO., LTD - I think these add a relay between the car's wiring and the stereo so it switches off with the car, and they also let you keep the steering wheel controls, which is a bonus. Probably the cheapest and easiest answer (I've installed one of these just to get my steering wheel controls to work, and it does the job).

There's actually heaps more information on these radios online - google 'RCD 330 Plus Forum' and you'll find a whole forum on software and hardware support. Since there are so many different 'brands' and models it can be a bit tricky to find exactly the unit and accessories you need - but it's worth it! ~$300 for an OEM unit with Carplay/Android Auto is such a good deal ����