JUST because your car was made in the pre-iPhone era, doesn’t mean you can’t teach it some new digital tricks. A stereo system upgrade can add not only built-in navigation, but also support for smartphone apps.

Pioneer is already on to its second-generation AppRadio 2, which now supports iPhone 4 and 4S models and more than a dozen Android phones. The $499 receiver has a seven-inch touch screen, an AM/FM radio and Bluetooth. The system has no CD player. It relies on connected smartphones for playing tunes instead.

Music can be streamed from Pandora and Rdio, for example, and there are plenty of driving-centric apps, including Waze and Inrix Traffic, to help avoid road congestion. There’s even a Best Parking app that will direct drivers to the cheapest garage near them (it covers 43 cities and 79 airports). The AppRadio supports more than two dozen apps, with additional ones being added.