By Sam Blier

School is starting, and while your pockets aren’t as deep as they used to be, no one is going to be impressed by your hand-me-down hoopty. What’s a poor college student to do? There are a few ways you can bring your ride up to speed for much less than that new car payment. Many high-tech features once found only in mega-buck, imported luxury machines can now be bought in the aftermarket and installed in almost any vehicle.

Bluetooth

You know those little wireless earpieces that everyone and their grandmother started using all of a sudden? The earpieces may be a love-it or hate-it thing, but it’s hard to argue against Bluetooth connectivity in your car. There are now many kits that allow you to add Bluetooth to your factory stereo, letting you control your compatible phone and talk hands-free. When a call comes in, your music automatically mutes and your phone call is routed through your car speakers. Major convenience for about $100. Unless you’re intimately familiar wire strippers and multimeters, installation is better left to a professional. Done correctly, your old car will look like it came from the factory with Bluetooth built-in.

iPod Integration

Toss your CDs, burn your tapes and don’t even say 8-track ~ MP3 players are the only way to bring all your music (and pictures, videos, etc…) with you…unless, of course, your old stereo won’t let you pipe your digital tunes through your car speakers. You could get an FM transmitter (it broadcasts your music on an unused radio frequency you can turn your car radio to), but they’re finicky, prone to interference and need batteries. Cassette adapters are cheap but the sound quality isn’t very good. What you need to do is go whole-hog and get a full integration kit professionally installed. You’ll be able to plug your iPod or other MP3 player directly into your stereo for crisp, clean sound. Some kits even allow you to control your player with your stereo or a remote control. Nice.

GPS

So what if your car was built when Global Positioning Systems were more James Bond than Best Buy? You owe it to yourself to get off campus and discover everything the area has to offer. You also owe it to yourself not to get hopelessly lost (or to rely on printed directions, especially while driving). Enter the portable GPS unit. These magic boxes range widely in price and functionality so you need to decide what features you’re willing to pay for. Basic units allow you to search for addresses, business and attractions and provide turn-by-turn directions. More advanced models can give you live weather and traffic information, steer you towards the cheapest gas, plot the most fuel-efficient route to your destination and much, much more. Now, you can even buy navigation apps for your smartphone. You’ll get many, if not all, of the features found on a standalone unit but you’re not paying for the hardware and it’s one less gadget to make room for.