Amazon Echo Auto (2nd Gen, 2022)

Simple to set up ; Excellent microphone

Limited functionality on iPhone ; Needs your car set to Bluetooth ; Alexa has basic driving information

The Amazon Echo Auto (2 nd Gen)’s high-quality microphone makes Alexa easy to use in the car for those who particularly want to use this voice assistant away from home. Reliance on a strong internet connection and limited ability to understand...

Perfect for a nightstand or home office ; Improved bass over previous models ; Better voice recognition ; Often discounted

Touch controls a little sluggish ; Screen is too small for larger rooms ; No Zigbee support

The smallest of Amazon's smart displays is an ideal choice for a home office or a bedside table, and this third-generation model offers improved sound and upgraded internals that make Alexa more responsive. It might not be an obvious upgrade for...

Clean new design Mic pickup works well

Nobody needs Alexa in the car Other Bluetooth dongles are cheaper Needs Alexa app running on your phone

“I can't figure out exactly why you should get the Amazon Echo Auto.”

Microphone is consistently accurate ; Multiple mounting and connection options ; Alexa offers plenty of useful in-car features

Duplicates functionality of Alexa Auto Mode ; Some connection hiccups in testing ; Inconsistent Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration

The second-gen Amazon Echo Auto is ultimately just a good microphone that lets you use Alexa voice controls in your car. It doesn't do anything your phone can't already do with the Alexa mobile app, but it might be able to hear you better.

Alexa can be useful ; Small size blends into the dashboard ; It's easy to setup ; Lost cost for entry ; Great built-in mics

Can't route phone calls through mics ; Your phone probably has a lot of the same functionality ; Only a few niche cases where this makes sense ; It's a dust magnet

An excellent way to get Alexa in your car ; Microphone works well in difficult environments ; Included Fast Charger can power the Echo Auto and one more device ; Useful "Find My" feature and roadside assistance

Much more expensive than a typical hands-free Bluetooth mic ; Your smartphone's assistant does nearly everything the Echo Auto can ; You really need to be in the Amazon ecosystem to get the most benefit

The Echo Auto is a great, albeit expensive Bluetooth microphone/speaker combo for your car that also comes with a digital assistant you can use to trigger lots of actions on your phone. It makes more sense if your car has no capacity for Android Auto...

Either way, the Echo Auto (2nd Gen) improves upon the original in terms of its hardware and adds new features like roadside assistance along with an additional mounting option. I wish the vent mount was included in the standard package but it does only...