Owned my 2016 RDX (non-Tech package) for 3 years and have been looking for an "OEM looking" solution to modernize the infotainment. Finally came across one of these generic 7" touchscreens which does Android Auto, Apple Carplay, etc. I mounted it in the cubby-hole area and it looks pretty OEM to me since it's easy to tuck/huge the wires behind there.

Power comes from the cigarette port in the cubbyhole, audio comes via 3.5mm jack (and I bought a separate 90 degree elbow so that the cable wouldnt be visible coming out the side of the unit). The bottom part of the unit rests nicely at the front insert of the cubby-hole, then I used the smaller of the two provided mounts to lean the unit at a slight angle and then supported by the mount resting (with adhesive) on the sliding cubby-hole lid/cover. Note: when the car/transmission is in "Drive" rather than "Park", the screen is fully visible without obstruction.

VERY OEM-looking (looks exactly like the screens on modern cars that are tacked onto the dashboard, I just decided to place mine lower instead). And only $40 at your favorite e-commerce site (just search for "7 inch android car screen" and just pick the cheapest option since they're all the same).

 

Looks kind of slick, but it is not the safest place to put the screen as you have to look away from the road too much while driving. I recommend that a CD slot mount like this one would help raise the position.

 

I thought very carefully about the placement. While driving, I'm not looking at the screen more than I would at the HVAC controls which are in the same area. Just quick glances.

IMO this is the best place to put it without obstructing other buttons I need to use (as the CD slot mount would), the existing built-in screen, or where the wires can't be easily tucked away/hidden for that clean OEM look. Unfortunately with the CD mount you will have the wires visible and it will block other buttons, plus it just looks very non-OEM with it floating over the stereo.

 

OEM looking is a bit of a stretch but it's super functional and that's important .

 

My basis for calling it "OEM looking":

- No visible wires/cables
- No aftermarket logos on the screen
- Dimensions fit perfectly in the tray area
- Does not block other buttons
- Many newer cars (including the current-gen RDX) have this same style of "tacked on" looking screen; only difference is its on top of the dash instead of where I placed it. See pictures below.

 

To be frank, it is maybe 90% "OEM look" but only 10% "OEM function". The problem is that it is positioned too low and when you look at it, your eyes are totally off the road. You may say that I don't look at it that much and no problemo. But you will soon find that you need to look at it more than you may think. For map directions, for example, in a busy multi-lane high way, it would display which lane you should take which you can't miss. If you play Spotify or audiobooks, you would need to use the screen to change songs or books, etc, that would be more than a few seconds you need to look away from the road.
Just my two cents. To be fair, eveyone has their own habits and it may work perfectly for you.

 

Yeah I agree its not the ideal location but there's no other good place for it where it doesn't block buttons or the existing screen.

For maps, definitely don't need to look at it more than quick glances (don't forget, Google Maps also has detailed audio instructions, so really you dont even need to look at it al all). I'm not changing songs while driving, maybe skipping a song at most which takes the same amount of time as adjusting the HVAC in the same location.

Also by your logic, the OEM HVAC controls are dangerous too because they are too low and take eyes off the road when you are making HVAC adjustments.

 

Although I would not do anything personally which may introduce slightly unsafe situations, as I said, it may work well for you. I just found that your last argument was a bit unsound as you compared a screen to a few seldom used HVAC control buttons. I don't remember when was the last time I touched those buttons/knobs. Even I need to adjust them, it takes probably less than a second to look at them.

Anyway, attached is the CarPlay for my Odyssey which I put it at the perfect location. Not too high to block the road view, and not too far for the use of the touch screen. It was $65 with both front and back dashcams. The front cam is built in (which you can see on the picture and it was raised up a bit). The back cam was installed inside the car on the ceiling with the wires hidden mostly under the carpet. Yes there are a few wires for the power, AUX and the back cam which I tied them to the dash using some sticky clip. No OEM look but you barely notice them after a while.

 

No offense, but I wouldn't be able to live with that installation. The wires are all exposed and dangling everywhere, and you can see the cheap mount behind the screen. It just looks tacky/cheap when installed that way IMO.

The location is good but unfortunately on the RDX it would block the screens that are there (existing infotainment screen + the tiny HVAC display screen).

 

For a 15 year old mini van, I prioritize its utility and safety over look any day. It doesn’t look too bad after I tidied up the cables with clips (not in the picture) and the mount was the only option I could find to position it that way (other options would put it high on the dashboard and block the road view quite a bit). Now I have a highly functional 10.2 inch CarPlay with both front and back dash cams recording.

For the RDX, as you said it has pretty limited space to put the screen. Some people chose to replace the whole head unit with something like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/15655902209...mis&media=COPY