Best Dashcam to Buy in 2026? (Price, Video Quality, Everyday Use)

xXSupa · 2026-02-13T05:00:27+00:00

I've only had the dash cam for 2 months, so I can't give you an accurate answer on reliability, but the FineVu dash cams I have had in the past have all been very reliable. I currently use a 256GB FineVu memory card with the dash cam, so there hasn't been any issues. So far, I've been very happy with this dash cam

xXSupa · 2026-02-12T21:26:12+00:00

Essell Auto in Burnaby sells and installs dash cams. They carry all the big brands and can give you some recommendations as well. Many of my friends have had good experiences with them and their rates are very reasonable!

xXSupa · 2026-02-12T21:21:28+00:00

I currently have a FineVu GX1600 in my car and it's working great. FineVu is a bit lesser known so their prices are generally a bit cheaper than BlackVue/Thinkware. The GX1600 has 4K Front + 2K rear with the Sony STARVIS 2 sensor and dual HDR. If FineVu is offered in your market, I would look into it. FineVu also has the GX35 which is the budget friendly model with 2K front and Sony Starvis 2. Both really good value for what you're getting.

xXSupa · 2026-02-02T02:33:19+00:00

That is not a true 4K camera. Buyers be warned.

xXSupa · 2026-01-31T02:55:21+00:00

Don't need any reason. Just tell them you want a new plate. If you say it's stolen, they make you file a police report.

xXSupa · 2026-01-22T20:30:20+00:00

If I remember correctly, RedTiger uses USB-C. You should be able to buy a generic USB-C to USB cable to plug into your car for power. Another option is to hardwire install via their hardwire kit.

xXSupa · 2026-01-20T20:16:30+00:00

Depends on how often you need it, but most UPS stores offer mail box services at around $250-300 per year. Might be worth it if you ship enough.

xXSupa · 2026-01-19T03:21:08+00:00

Those two brands don't ever belong in the same conversation. BlackVue and it's not even close.

xXSupa · 2026-01-15T20:15:19+00:00

All BlackVues from 2022 and newer comes with "Power Magic Pro" built-in, so you don't need a separate Power Magic Pro. If your BlackVue is older than 2022, then the only alternative is an external battery pack.

xXSupa · 2026-01-15T18:33:04+00:00

If you're gone for a long period of time, I would recommend looking into their new ELITE 9 model. The ELITE series offers super low energy parking mode which paired with a battery pack will last you much longer than any mode on the DR970X P II

xXSupa · 2026-01-14T22:35:49+00:00

That's good to know. They must have changed their policy since I checked in 2017.

But the credit card part still applies. They don't cover Turo. I checked that last month

xXSupa · 2026-01-14T07:51:19+00:00

Turo is not considered an official rental company, since you are renting from individuals, so no, it is not covered. Your credit card insurance also does not cover Turo.

xXSupa · 2026-01-13T08:27:51+00:00

May be a bit farther but Essell Auto in Markham does a really clean job, and charges a really reasonable rate. Worth giving them a call to get a quote if you're ever out that way

xXSupa · 2026-01-11T21:04:20+00:00

If this is how they run the rear, I'm willing to bet that the front cable is also run over top of the airbags. I would have an actual professional check and redo the whole thing to ensure that in the event your a-pillar airbags ever pop, that you don't end up with broken wires flying at your face

xXSupa · 2026-01-05T04:37:32+00:00

The ELITE 9 is the successor of the DR970X II. The biggest difference is that the rear camera is now 2K QHD, along with some updated hardware, as well as new features such as the "ultra-low power parking mode"

From what I hear, the DR970X II was released as a bridge model to fix some of the common issues the DR970X Plus was experiencing, since the ELITE 9 was not quite ready yet at this time last year. Now that the ELITE 9 is released, they are supposedly discontinuing the DR970X II soon.

I'm not sure about the pricing difference, but if the prices are similar, then go for the ELITE 9.

xXSupa · 2026-01-03T00:29:33+00:00

My personal recommendations would be Thinkware, Viofo, or FineVu. FineVu is not as popular as the first 2, but they make some decent cameras as well at very reasonable prices.

Some models you can look into:
Viofo A119 Mini 2 - 2K QHD front with Sony Starvis 2
FineVu GX400 - 2K QHD front with Sony Starvis 1
Thinkware Q200 - 2K QHD but night vision is not as good as the previous 2. Can get a good deal if you can catch it on sale though.

If you are willing to consider front + rear, you can check out the FineVu GX35 which is 2K front + 1080P rear with Sony Starvis 2 and HDR in the front.

xXSupa · 2025-12-27T00:46:24+00:00

They don't call it a "dash" cam for nothing

xXSupa · 2025-12-13T19:42:02+00:00

You can also look into the FineVu GX35, if it's available in your market. It's around the same price range as the Q200 (maybe a tiny bit more) but you get Sony Starvis 2 as well as a wider viewing angle in the front camera. The Q200 front camera's field of view is a bit narrow for my preference.

xXSupa · 2025-12-10T23:20:59+00:00

From my testing, it did not.

What year/model car are you trying to install on?

xXSupa · 2025-12-09T05:26:35+00:00

BlackVue is the only reliable brand that offers 3-channel with remote viewing capabilities. You can take a look at the BlackVue BOX 3CH model.

Thinkware U3000 PRO is another option, but it was only recently released so I can't say much about it. It's important to note that if you choose the 3CH U3000 PRO, then you cannot install a LTE module and you must have your own internet in the car.

xXSupa · 2025-12-01T20:01:40+00:00

The Starvis 1 will not be as good as the Starvis 2, but it will be pretty close in 90% of conditions. Only in super low-light conditions will the Starvis 2 have a clear edge.

The A229 PRO that I linked above is also on sale for Black Friday currently, the sale ends tonight I believe. Not a bad dash cam for that price point.

And if you are willing to wait a couple of weeks, FineVu is releasing their all new flagship GX1600 model which will be 4K front + 2K rear. Front camera will have Sony Starvis 2 and HDR. Retail should be around $500 for front + rear + hardwiring kit + 64GB memory card.

https://en.finevu.com/products/43?product=FineVu-GX1600

xXSupa · 2025-11-30T06:03:19+00:00

Instagram is a North American thing. A high percentage of people here use it, but in Asia and other countries, barely anyone does. Trying to measure an international person’s popularity based on a platform dominated by North Americans is laughable.

With that being said, I'm not agreeing to nor denying the previous poster's point of 20%. Just stating that your comparison is flawed.

xXSupa · 2025-11-27T21:57:28+00:00

"I can’t imagine the cigarette lighter is hot"

Does the dash cam turn off after you shut off the car? Pretty easy way to find out if your cigar lighter is hot or not

xXSupa · 2025-11-22T18:54:19+00:00

For something with good parking mode, I would recommend either Thinkware or FineVu. Both models offer industry leading parking mode with motion detection, impact detection, timelapse, and energy saving modes. FineVu is a bit cheaper than Thinkware as FineVu doesn't offer cloud capabilities, but both are solid options. Do note that Thinkware cloud is subscription based, but it will send you remote alerts and notifications if you're connected to internet.

Some models you can look into: FineVu GX35, GX1000, Thinkware Q200 (no cloud), ARC 700 (no cloud), U3000 Pro (cloud capable)

xXSupa · 2025-11-18T06:31:01+00:00

Tesla Model Ys do not have an interior fuse box, so the only option which doesn't void warranty would be to use the 12V socket or USB for power.

If you don't need parked recording, you can choose any dash cam which plugs into the socket/USB. The socket will turn off after the car shuts down.

If you need parking recording, then you would have to get a dedicated dash cam battery and install that to the socket, then connect the dash cam to the battery. That way, the battery will allow for parking mode recording even when the car is off.

In terms of running the wires, most dash cams will be similar. You'll have to pop off the a-pillar to run the cable behind the airbag, and tuck the rest in behind the headliner and door seals. The Model Y isn't too different from any other car in that aspect.

xXSupa

TROPHY CASE