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If you’re looking for a way to add voice assistance while driving, you might want to check out the Amazon Echo Auto, now down to $24.99 from $54.99. It’s a compact rectangular device that adds Alexa to a car setup, with an action and mute button on its front-facing fabric grill and that familiar blue Alexa light ring on top. You can power it through your car’s USB port or use the included 12V adapter, making it pretty flexible for different setups.
It comes with a magnetic adhesive mount that attaches to your dashboard and has a fairly straightforward setup process—just plug it in, pair it with the Alexa app, and you’re mostly good to go—unless the pairing hiccups, which it reportedly does. This PCMag review mentioned needing to reset phones or even unplug and replug the device to get it to connect. Once it’s paired, though, the mic picks up commands well.
If your car doesn’t have an existing smart system, Echo Auto brings in some functionality. Alexa can take care of calls, play music, and manage podcasts and radio. That said, music requests can occasionally be a gamble—sometimes it starts playing immediately, and sometimes the relevant app doesn’t show up on the car’s display at all. Also, if you’re hoping to use YouTube Music, this device does not support it. Instead, you’ll have Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a few others at your disposal. Just a heads up, though, if you’re already using CarPlay or other smart systems, Echo Auto might feel redundant, with a few too many workarounds for seamless integration.
You can ask Echo Auto for directions, but it only works through the Alexa app, which then requires a tap on your phone to open your preferred map app. It’s workable, though not quite the fully hands-free experience you might expect. If you plan to use this feature often, a mounted phone within reach is essential—which might make Echo Auto feel unnecessary (again) unless your phone really struggles to pick up voice commands. In that case, Echo Auto’s microphone does a solid job.