5 Cheap Upgrades That Make Your Old Car Feel Brand New

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Cars get more expensive every year, which means it's always a good idea to hold on to your aging ride, if that's possible. But sticking with an older car also means you miss out on some of the tech upgrades in the latest models. What you do have is likely starting to show its age digitally, with slow boot-up times, interaction delays, or clunky menus and interfaces. You might also be missing out on advanced rearview and 360 cameras, larger infotainment displays or touchscreens altogether, built-in mobile support, fast USB ports for charging, and more. If you go back ten years, sure, some vehicles may have had a few of these features, but they certainly weren't as common as they are now. Yet, if your old car still runs fine, is easy to maintain, and offers decent fuel mileage, there's simply no reason to upgrade, but that FOMO feeling sure can be a nag.

There are a few inexpensive upgrades you can make to make your car feel brand new again. They're much cheaper than buying a new car, anyway. While the focus is largely on older vehicles, some of these gadgets could make your Tesla feel brand new, as well as other more modern cars. It also really depends on what features are available in your current vehicle, new or old. Let's take a closer look.

This all-in-one system from Wolfbox replaces your "dumb" rearview mirror and adds a few useful features. For starters, it doubles as a 4K-resolution dash cam, capturing your drives with loop recording. You also get security and parking monitors while you're away. The front-facing camera records in 4K, while the rear-facing camera records in 1080P HD. There's even a split-screen mode so you can see the front and rear feeds simultaneously. The rear camera also serves as a backup camera and reversing aid, just like you'd see in the newest vehicles. All footage is saved on a MicroSD card, and a 64GB card is included. You can easily swap to a bigger card if you need more storage. With the loop recording, 64GB is a great start, though.

You will have to install everything, which means mounting the rear camera, connecting the necessary cables, and running them discreetly throughout the cabin. But at $190 full price — and you can usually find it on sale — it's not a bad way to upgrade your aging vehicle. Wolfbox has a solid selection of additional models, including more premium offerings if you want to splurge. The G900 model for $430 comes with an extra bumper camera for three cameras total, plus a 256GB MicroSD card.

The G930 has over 2,200 reviews as of this writing, with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Multiple users have commented it's a "great product," and Wolfbox customer support is responsive and helpful. Though to offer a contrasting opinion, some encountered failed units and issues with the cameras working reliably together. Over 70% of reviews are 5-star, so bad experiences don't seem to be the norm.

You may or may not already have an infotainment system in your vehicle. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto didn't start appearing as standard options in vehicles until about 2016 to 2017. Even then, manufacturers still made them optional, premium upgrades. Today, that's no longer the case, but if you have an older vehicle, you might be looking for a user-friendly version of these companies' auto software. 

Enter Car & Driver's IntelliDash Pro X10, a 10-inch wireless touchscreen device that introduces Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to vehicles that don't have either. It's a plug-and-play setup that offers Bluetooth wireless connectivity, GPS navigation, FM and AUX inputs, and compatibility with backup cameras. You can use voice controls to keep your hands free while driving with Siri or Google Assistant, depending on which platform you're using. At the full $180 price, it's not a bad choice for an upgrade in visual and software experience over something likely showing its age in your existing ride. If you don't want to replace the head unit or prefer not to add another display, you can go with a wireless audio adapter like the Ottocast Mini Cube.

Naturally, Car & Driver gives IntelliDash Pro X10 high marks, but it has a 4.1-star rating from users on Amazon, with over 60 reviews. Users generally agree it's a great option for older cars, is easy to install, and is "intuitive" to use. However, some have called the mount unreliable and reported frequent disconnects during use.

You can find a wide variety of portable jump starters at auto retailers and on Amazon, so if you want something movable between vehicles, you can go that route. The Ancel BS200 approaches things a little differently, enough that it might be a great upgrade for older vehicles, especially if you run into battery or charge problems. Rather than your average jump starter, which you temporarily connect to your battery's terminals, the Ancel BS200 is meant to be permanently installed, connected to your battery and secured under the hood. That way, you can call upon it in a pinch if you're out and your car won't start. It also provides smart health and battery monitoring, with stats and information presented through a companion app.

The BS200 is $200 and compatible with up to 3.0-liter vehicles, while the BS400, at $360, is compatible with up to 6.0-liter vehicles like large trucks or select full-size SUVs. The BS200 also has great user reviews, with over 200 on Amazon and a 4.6-star rating. Users comment that it works as intended, it's easy to install with the included Velcro strips, and offers some unbelievable use cases, namely because it gives you so much information about your car's battery health. Unhappy reviewers encountered device issues worth mentioning, such as the system not working. Some also warn it won't save or help a completely dead battery.

If you want to avoid permanently installing something under the hood, some alternatives include the Battery Tender 800 for $139 or one of the cheap car gadgets on Amazon that offer portable jump-start functionality.

If you live in a cold climate or one with cold winters and want heated seats, you can get them fairly easily with heated seat covers for your car. The Carshion massage and heat cover, at just $46 full price, offers not just warming tech but vibrating massage modes to make your road trips more comfortable than ever. The experts at Car & Driver selected this seat cover as one of the top options, alongside some others. It comes with a 12-volt car power adapter and a 120-volt home adapter, so you can unfasten the cover and bring it inside with you, whether to your home, office or even a hotel room. The controller, or remote, tucks away in an attached sleeve when not in use.

It has over 400 reviews on Amazon with a 4.1-star rating. People say it provides great relief after a long day, is easy to use, and that it's "excellent" for both long and short road trips. Some say it doesn't produce much heat in certain areas, or that you can't operate the heat and massage functions separately. Those concerns are definitely worth keeping in mind. But altogether, it seems like a fairly affordable and easy upgrade if you want high-tech seats in your car. If you don't like this particular model, there are plenty of other options on Amazon.

At any given time, there are a host of cool new car gadgets to enhance your driving experience, such as Bluetooth receivers, unique phone mounts, and mobile hotspot adapters. But arguably, one of the most useful upgrades you can make is improving your vehicle's compatibility with the device you carry everywhere: your smartphone. Your car may have USB ports, but they likely don't support fast charging and probably don't feature USB-C ports for modern devices. You can install some pretty easily with the right adapter, like the Anker PowerDrive III Duo for $20, or the Ugreen 130-watt PD charger for $35. They plug into your car's power adapter and let you charge your modern devices, which will be really handy if you have an older vehicle that doesn't support anything like this.

Both products have high marks from Amazon reviewers. The Anker PowerDrive III Duo has over 9,000 reviews with a 4.8-star rating, while the Ugreen PD charger has over 6,000 reviews and a 4.6-star rating. Which should you choose? It depends on which phone you have and the power or charging requirements you need. Plus, the Anker adds only two USB-C ports, while the Ugreen has two USB-C and one USB-A. Positive reviews for both products are generally glowing, touting them as powerful and reliable devices. However, some have shared negative experiences due to slow charging versus the faster speeds promised, and there are a few that mention defective units or long-term reliability issues. Bear in mind, your mileage may vary.

Our priority was to identify tech upgrades that would improve your in-car experience, particularly in older vehicles. This could mean tech that wasn't as common a decade ago, or that has advanced considerably with new, unique functions — like a display that adds Android Auto or CarPlay. Moreover, to maintain the "cheap" element, nothing here exceeds $500. It is worth noting you can find more premium options of many of these products, so if you're willing to spend a little more, it might be worth exploring further. There may or may not be some cheaper alternatives, as well.

All of the products have at least 4 stars on Amazon from users or have received high marks from other reputable media outlets. But to ensure a fair overview, notable commentary from both positive and negative reviews has been shared for each product. We also chose items that are available on Amazon, but you may be able to find them through other retailers as well.