The Vantrue N5 dash camera caught my attention with its industry-first 4-channel recording system – two cameras on the front windshield and two cameras on the rear window.
After thoroughly testing out the N5 for the last few weeks, the features that stood out most to me was the crisp 2560p by 1440p front camera footage, the infrared interior cameras that record passengers even at night, and the various parking monitoring modes that provide 24/7 security.
While the N5’s 4-way video coverage blew me away, I experienced a few negatives during my testing too. Let’s jump into my full review, starting with what I liked & what I didn’t.
At a Glance
Pros
360 degree coverage inside and outside vehicle eliminate blind spots
Crisp 2K front camera video quality
Useful parking monitoring modes
Easy to set up and intuitive controls
Perfect for Commercial Fleet Drivers
Reliable brand with good customer service
Cons
Expensive initial cost
Rear camera video could be better
Large front unit size
Can be tricky routing cables
Product Highlights
Product Image
Features
* High Front & Rear Cam Recording Quality
* 4-Way Dash Cam Ensures Complete Area Coverage
* Ability to Create your Own Custom Motion Zones for Parking Mode
* Helpful mobile app for managing settings
Price
Aspects I Liked About Vantrue Nexus 5
4 Cameras Give Complete 360 Degree Coverage
What really sets the Vantrue N5 apart is the 360 degree coverage with its four cameras covering inside and outside the vehicle. The front 2560 x 1440p camera captures all vehicles, signs, and road activity.
The interior cameras monitor everything happening with passengers or items in the cabin. And the rear cameras provide a 165-degree view behind the vehicle to catch anyone approaching, tailgating, or too close.
With all four perspectives combined, there are no blindspots around the car. I’ve felt an extra sense of security knowing that any incident or collision will clearly be recorded from multiple angles for evidence.
Crisp 2K Front Camera Quality
The high video resolution of the N5’s front-facing camera has been phenomenal. At 2560 x 1440p captured at 30 fps, the level of detail far exceeds my older dashcams. Small text on road signs or even license plates of cars several paces ahead are captured sharply.
After driving with this dashcam, I think it’s going to be hard for me to find another model with better front video quality. Combined with the interior view, I have everything necessary to refute false accident claims.
Takeaway: Compared to competitors, the N5’s front video image superiority alone is worth the price tag in my opinion.
Super Useful Parking Monitoring Modes
Do I really need to elaborate on this? There’s a reason we rated it as the number 1 parking mode dash camera… it gives 360° of unmatched, in-sync security footage for your automobile. And it’s available anytime you want it – on the Vantrue app in your pocket.
Another advanced capability I appreciate is the intelligent parking mode when the ignition is off. Using Vantrue’s hardwiring kit, the N5 can keep monitoring a parked vehicle and automatically record if certain triggers occur. The buffered motion detection area mode records 10 seconds before and 30 seconds after a motion or impact event, while “time-lapse” mode continuously films at 1 fps (for battery efficiency).
You can set custom motion detection zones in the app (if you have areas you want to ignore). I have mine ignoring a section of the camera that’s usually aimed at my neighbors driveway – I noticed that my N5 kept recording pointless videos at 4:00 am when my neighbor would wake up and go to work. This setting was perfect for me to avoid constant recording coming from movement near my neighbors house.
Easy Installation & Helpful Smartphone App
I was pretty surprised by how quick the installation was – especially for a 4 channel dash camera system. The front unit was easy to mount behind the rearview mirror… and the rear camera stuck to the top of my rear windshield facing inside my car. After I mounted it, I just had to hook it up to my phone & wifi (easy to do as well).
Takeaway: The N5’s LED display and simple button controls made navigating through the settings straightforward as well. I had all the settings configured the way I wanted in less than 15 minutes.
Vantrue’s mobile app has also been fantastic for access to my dashcam footage & settings. After connecting my smartphone, I instantly saw my N5’s live feed view from all of the four cameras. Other than real-time monitoring, the app allowed me to configure any setting I wanted from my phone – the changes sync over WiFi.
You don’t need to ever touch the buttons on the unit itself if you don’t want. The convenience of managing my dash cam footage from my phone has been phenomenal.
Additional Features
The integrated GPS module registers speed and location perfectly, lending extra context when reviewing video files later. The G-Sensor auto-detects impacts and locks important footage from being overwritten too.
I also appreciate the intelligent power management through the internal supercapacitor. It provides enough temporary juice to allow the dashcam to save and finish recording during power loss events, before shutting down safely without battery drain concerns. This failsafe gives added peace of mind on the road.
The optional Bluetooth remote I purchased separately also enhances controlling the N5 remotely. With the compact button clipped nearby, I can quickly save an important video segment or snap still photos in urgent scenarios without reaching towards the unit itself.
Their voice control paddle activation likewise minimizes distractions for safer driving as well. And to top it all off, Vantrue offers a warranty that’s pretty hard to pass up imo.
Takeaway: Their flexible 18 month warranty (with firmware upgrade support) shows me that Vantrue stands behind their product.
What I Didn’t Enjoy During The Testing Process
Expensive
Seeing the price tag for the N5 initially made me hesitate, especially considering most standard single or dual dashcams cost significantly less. However, when taking into account the 4-channel recording & build quality, I think it’s still worth it for anyone who needs 360 degree coverage. With that being said, it may be out of range for some budget-buyers.
I decided that the long-term security it offered was worth the higher entry cost, and I could amortize it over years of ownership. It’s certainly a justifiable business expense for those spending serious hours driving. But more casual users may have sticker shock and should weigh if they require all features.
Tricky Routing Cables Setup
A universal challenge among multi-channel dashcams like the N5 is neatly routing the various cables from front to back. With my sedan lacking conduits, I had to carefully tuck and conceal the long connection cables along trim panels and ceiling fabric. Patience and creativity are necessity for clean installation without dangling wires.
Vantrue does include various clips and accessories to ease the wiring process though. But depending on your car’s internal design, it still involves contortions to fully hide and secure the cabling. For many vehicles routing the cables cleanly will be the most tedious aspect. But a bit of effort pays off maintaining a tidy and integrated system.
Huge Front Camera & Low Quality Rear Cabin Cam
One of the main selling points for the N5 dash cam is the unique rear cabin camera that faces inward. I found video footage from this rear interior camera lens performs well during daylight… but low-light footage becomes grainy and murky.
Whenever I was viewing cabin cam footage on the Vantrue app, the recordings suffered from distortion & motion blur as it got darker. Fast turns, bumpy roads, or hard braking result in blurred, choppy video from the backseat camera.
Unless the vehicle is parked, any security provided by monitoring the rear cabin is marginal at best due to the prevalent motion blur. With its impressive specifications and dual cameras on board, the front unit of the N5 is necessarily bulky compared to other models.
Takeaway: While Vantrue’s 4 way concept shows promise, the rear cabin camera quality is the biggest thing preventing Vantrue N5 from being the perfect 4-channel dashboard camera in my opinion.
My Verdict
After weeks of hands-on testing, I’m rating the Vantrue N5 dash camera 4.6 out of 5 stars (based on our dash cam rating standards). My favorite feature was the customizable parking mode.
Other features like motion detection buffers and manual locking made sure none of my driving incidents didn’t get recorded. The front interior camera footage has been exceptionally reliable with excellent image quality output day and night.
The N5’s occasional grainy video quality from the rear cam was definitely my biggest letdown. In fact, one of the only reasons this dash cam isn’t among the highest rated on our site, is because John didn’t experience any grainy rear camera footage during his Rexing R4 review.
Casual vehicle owners on a budget will undoubtedly see a ton of benefit from the N5. But in my opinion, newer dash cam users should look at 2-channel options first before buying this advanced 4-channel system. Non-technical users might struggle as well – it’s best to have a little bit of dash cam experience before trying out this bad boy.
Our Methodology for Assessing Dash Cams
At Dashcam Discount, we pride ourselves on delivering impartial reviews grounded in meticulous testing and assessment procedures. We aim to equip our readers with the knowledge to effectively evaluate models and make informed buying choices that best suit their unique needs and budget. Below is a summary of the primary factors we consider:
- Bang for Your Buck – 0 to 5 stars
- Cost-Benefit Analysis: We examine the price point relative to the features offered, video quality delivered, and hardware resilience to ascertain the overall value proposition.
- Competitive Landscape: We directly compare the dash cam’s pricing and capabilities with competing options in comparable price brackets.
- Ease of Operation – 0 to 5 stars
- Installation Experience: We assess the simplicity of mounting, wire organization, and component integration during the setup process.
- Interface Usability: We evaluate the intuitiveness and practicality of controls and navigation for adjusting settings, reviewing footage, and managing data.
- Video Output – 0 to 5 stars
- Optical Performance: We scrutinize camera sensors, lens sharpness, and aperture attributes that enable capturing the highest level of scene details.
- Illumination Adaptability: We rigorously test video fidelity across a spectrum of lighting environments, spanning bright daylight, dim conditions, and nighttime vision.
- Feature Enhancements – 0 to 5 stars
- Supplementary Functions: We appraise additional capabilities such as GPS, WiFi connectivity, parking mode, and more that augment the dash cam’s overall functionality.
- Hardware & Software Quality: We evaluate construction robustness, data management efficiency, electronic sophistication, and firmware reliability based on performance consistency and issue prevalence.
Our structured assessment framework guarantees that dash cams are rated uniformly, taking into account the complete offering equitably without permitting any single attribute or feature to unduly sway the overall score. We are dedicated to presenting unbiased dash cam reviews that steer you toward your optimal selection!