12 Cool Car Gadgets You Can Buy From Amazon In 2025

New cars come loaded with all kinds of infotainment and safety tech from the factory, and that can make drivers of older cars feel like they are missing out on these latest features. It doesn't have to be that way. There's a huge range of aftermarket gadgets out there to add extra functionality and features to older cars at a reasonable cost. As well as adding modern audio, navigation, and diagnostic options to aging vehicles, they can also add features to newer, base-spec cars that are otherwise mostly restricted to pricier trims, such as head up displays.

These gadgets can be found across a range of retailers, but anyone who wants a one-stop shop to buy them all in one go probably ought to lean toward Amazon. The online shopping giant offers highly rated devices from both big-name brands and smaller players. However, there are so many on the platform that it can be tricky to know where to start. We've been sifting through the reams of listings to compile a list of top picks that will add cool new features for drivers with older cars, without breaking the bank in the process.

Some new cars now feature built-in Amazon Alexa, but drivers of older cars can use Alexa too thanks to the $54.99 Amazon Echo Auto. The device connects to your car's dash and functions much like any other Echo, allowing you to use Alexa to play music, add items to lists, and control smart devices in your home. So, if you wanted to turn the thermostat up before you arrived home, you could turn it on using voice commands from your car.

The Echo Auto's media streaming features also make it a handy alternative to using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. There's built-in support for popular apps including Apple Music, Spotify, and of course Amazon Music, as well as SiriusXM. The device is powered via a car's USB-A power output, and needs to connect to a smartphone in order to work. If your car doesn't have a USB-A port, Amazon also includes a 12V adapter with the Echo Auto that doubles up as a charger for small devices.

An OBD code reader is arguably essential for all drivers of older cars, since it allows you to conduct simple diagnostics and work out what's wrong before taking your car to a garage. Relying on what dashboard warning lights tell you can only get you so far — to get a better idea of the root cause of a problem, you'll need to read the code the car has flagged. With the FIXD Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner, not only can you read that code, but you can get some advice on how much a potential repair might cost too.

The scanner connects to a smartphone app which is available on both Android and Apple's respective app stores. By plugging the OBD2 scanner into your car's OBD port, you'll be able to see any codes that get thrown up within the smartphone app. FIXD will also give you a best guess of what it thinks might be wrong, and what kind of repairs will be needed to get the car running right again. Its confidence in that guess is displayed as a percentage figure next to the diagnosis.

The device is compatible with all gas-powered cars from 1996 onward, and all diesel-powered cars from 2006 onward. The scanner costs $39.99 and its basic diagnostic functionality is always available, but buyers wanting to take advantage of the repair cost estimate feature and other added extras will need to pay for a monthly subscription to FIXD's premium service.

Only a handful of carmakers equip their cars with HEPA air filters, with Tesla and Mercedes-Benz being the two largest American market manufacturers to do so. Most other manufacturers equip their cars with cabin air filters that don't do much to combat most forms of air pollution. HEPA filters can help trap a wide range of pollutants, including dust, pollen, and particulate matter from car emissions. So, whether you're stuck in heavy traffic in a congested city or trying to find relief from hayfever, buying a HEPA air purifier for your car might well be worth the investment.

Various in-car air purifiers are available, with one of the more affordably priced devices being the Philips GoPure 5212 Car Air Purifier. It retails on Amazon for $83.02, and can clean up to 16 cubic meters of air per hour. According to the brand, that's the equivalent of cleaning 50% of the air in an average car or SUV in around 10 minutes. It works to trap a wide variety of pollutants that can enter a car's cabin while you're on the road, with two speed settings available to prioritize either cleaning power or quieter running. It draws power via a 12V port, and can turn on automatically when the car is turned on.

The Anker 75W USB-C Car Charger delivers up to 75W of charging power to smartphones or laptops, meaning that it's able to charge devices significantly faster than a regular cheap converter. The catch is that it can't deliver all that power to one device — the retractable USB-C charging cable delivers up to 45W, while the USB-C port on the top of the charger delivers up to 30W. Still, that's enough to charge an iPhone 15 Pro's battery from flat to 50% charge in 25 minutes, according to the brand.

A 2022 MacBook Air can be charged from flat to 50% in as little as 34 minutes according to Anker's estimates. For most people, that's plenty fast enough. It means that if your phone or laptop is flat when you get into the car for a morning commute, by the time you arrive at the office, you can comfortably start the day without needing to worry about finding an outlet straight away. Other Anker chargers offer superior power delivery, but they're also notably more expensive. The 75W USB-C Car Charger retails for just $29.99, making it a great affordable pickup for commuters in a rush.

While a significant number of new cars now offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, many older cars are stuck with wired connectivity only. However, aftermarket dongles such as the Jemluse Wireless CarPlay Adapter can give owners of those older cars the convenience of wireless connectivity, without needing to buy a separate CarPlay screen. The Jemluse adapter retails for $99.99, although it frequently appears on Amazon for a reduced price. It's a plug-and-play device, and once it's set up, it should automatically connect to your phone every time you get into the car as long as Bluetooth is enabled.

Once it's connected, you'll be able to access all of the standard features of CarPlay without needing a wired connection to your phone. Since it draws power from the USB port it's connected to, there's no need to worry about keeping a battery topped up either. The brand says that it's compatible with 98% of cars with wired CarPlay connections from 2015 onward and supports all iOS versions from iOS 10 onward.

Drivers of older cars won't have the benefit of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity of any kind, and so to make use of the popular infotainment interfaces, they'll need a separate screen to mount to their dash. The Zembukil Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Screen is one affordable option, with a retail price of $99.99. The screen itself is a 7.0-inch touch panel, and it comes with a mounting kit, 12V power cable, and an adhesive patch to stick the screen directly to your dash. Also included is a wired backup camera.

It's designed to connect to CarPlay and Android Auto just like a standard in-car infotainment system, with wireless connectivity available as standard. A built-in speaker is also available to stream music, but most drivers will likely want to make use of the device's aux connector and rely on their car's built-in speaker system instead.

Head-up displays allow drivers to keep tabs on their speed and other key metrics without needing to take their eyes off the road. Some cars offer built-in head up displays, or HUDs, but even if your car doesn't have one, you can still buy an aftermarket example such as the Acecar Head Up Display. It retails for $32.99 and projects the car's speed, engine rpm, and key warning lights onto the windshield.

It can display readings either by using its GPS location or by being plugged into a car's OBD port, although depending upon the location of the port, the latter might require some awkward wire trailing around the cabin. It's designed to automatically adjust its brightness to be readable in both high and low-light driving conditions, and can display speed in both mph and kph to make international driving easier. The device can also provide a water temperature readout in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.

More than a simple phone mount, the Anker MagSafe iPhone 16 Wireless Car Charger adds MagSafe compatibility and wireless charging up to 15W for a retail price of $59.99. The use of MagSafe is designed to make it easier for drivers to change the orientation of their phone on the go, as well as reducing the overall footprint of the charging mount. Included is an almost 5-foot USB-C cable and an adapter to plug the charger into either a USB-C or 12V port.

The charger will need to be mounted to a vent within your car's dash, and not every car will have a suitably shaped vent, so it's worth double checking before you purchase. Certain cases can also make the phone incompatible with the charger, so you'll need an iPhone MagSafe case or to be using your phone without a case. Some cases might also affect the maximum charging speed of the charger.

Keeping children entertained on longer journeys can be tricky, and that's why some minivans and high-end family haulers come with screens built into the rear of the seat headrests. It's pretty straightforward to replicate that setup with a tablet such as an iPad and the Lamicall Car Headrest Tablet Holder, with the latter retailing for $24.99. It mounts the iPad to the back of the seat using the headrest's insert rods, and can be adjusted to fit a wide variety of car makes and models. It's worth noting here that some car models don't feature visible headrest rods, and so are incompatible with the tablet holder.

Once it's fitted, the holder allows the tablet to be rotated 360 degrees. It can hold a range of small devices, including most modern smartphones and the Nintendo Switch, as well as most popular tablets from Apple, Samsung, and Amazon. Devices shouldn't slip while they're secured in the mount either thanks to the built-in rubber pads.

It might be traditionally associated with tuner cars more than daily drivers, but a boost gauge can make a cool addition to a car, and it's potentially useful too. One popular option on Amazon is the GlowShift 30 PSI Turbo Boost Gauge Kit, which retails for $46.99 and comes with everything you should need for installation. The installation process is more complex than any of the other gadgets here, but exactly how complex will vary by car make and model — it should be a doable DIY job for most.

As well as looking cool, the gauge gives drivers a handy way to keep tabs on their turbocharger or supercharger and spot any potential issues early. And, let's face it, it'll also make full-speed takeoffs from stop lights that bit more entertaining. Not every gadget has to be about practicality, even if the boost gauge does double up as a potentially useful monitoring tool.

A huge array of GPS trackers for your car are available to pick from, and the Bouncie GPS Tracker is one device that's potentially worth checking out. It retails for $89.99 and will require a $9 monthly subscription for its tracking features to work. As well as being able to check the location of your car anytime via the brand's app, users can also set up geofencing to generate alerts when the car moves out of a certain area. That might be particularly useful for anyone who regularly lends their car to other people, or doesn't want a younger driver to venture too far from home.

The app uses built-in Google Maps for easy readability, and can store the car's route for later review if needed. It also features notification options for impact detection, speeding, and weather alerts, and can let drivers know if the car's systems throw up an error code. The app is available for Android, iOS, and desktop, and can be used to track multiple devices at once.

While virtually all modern vehicles will have some kind of Bluetooth connectivity, drivers of classic cars might find themselves without a way to stream music from their phone to their speakers. In that case, the $36.99 Anker Soundsync Bluetooth Receiver is worth a look. It offers up to 12 hours of battery life and allows drivers to make hands-free calls. It also uses Bluetooth 5.0, and therefore can connect to devices as far as 30 feet away. For drivers, that means you won't have to worry about a dodgy connection while on the road.

The receiver is both lightweight and compact, and designed to plug straight into a 3.5mm aux port. Since it's battery powered, it doesn't require the use of a 12V or USB port to function. When that battery goes flat, Anker says it should take as little as two hours to fully recharge it again.