Vantrue Nexus 5S Review: 4-Channel Dash Cam with Full Coverage and Night Vision

If you drive often, you know how peace of mind matters, especially for your car, passengers, or valuables. The Vantrue Nexus 5S is one of the newest dash cams that promises serious protection: 4 cameras, strong night vision, LTE, app control, parking mode, and more. But does it really deliver? I’ve used it, tested it in real life, and here’s what I found.

What Is It?

The Nexus 5S is a 4-channel dash cam system by Vantrue. “4-channel” means it has four separate lenses/cameras: front windshield, cabin/front cabin, rear cabin, and rear view. So you get all-around video coverage. It also uses Sony Starvis 2 sensors, which are good for low light. Vantrue also includes features like voice control, GPS, LTE (if you add the module), and 24/7 parking monitoring.

Price & What You Get

The base price is about US$399.99, but that’s without extras like the hardwire kit, LTE module, or bigger memory cards. If you add those, cost goes up.

In the box (without extras), you get the main dash unit, the four cameras + cable, adhesives/fixings to mount them, and support for microSD storage. The cameras support up to 1 TB microSD card. That’s a lot of space.

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Key Specs & Features

Here are the core specs, things that stand out:

• Resolutions: front lens is ~2.7K (i.e. 1944p) at 30 frames per second; rear view is 1440p; front cabin and rear cabin are 1080p.

• Lens angles: roughly 158° (front) to about 165° (rear). Wide angles help avoid blind spots.

• Sensors: Sony Starvis 2 for front and cabin cams. These are good for low light. IR / night vision for interior lenses (cabin) so you can see in the darkness.

• Power & battery type: uses a super-capacitor rather than a normal battery. Super-capacitors handle heat better and last longer in harsh conditions (so less chance of overheating damage).

• 24/7 parking monitoring: when the car is parked, it can still record motion, impact events, etc. You’ll need a hardwire kit for that.

• Connectivity & control: WiFi (2.4 & 5 GHz), GPS, voice commands (“Take photo”, “Turn on WiFi”, etc.), Vantrue’s app to view video, change settings, download footage.

What’s Good

After trying it out, here are things the Nexus 5S does well:

1. Video Clarity, Day & Night
   The front Starvis 2 sensor + wide dynamic range or HDR yields sharp video in daylight: license plates, road signs are quite legible. Interior cameras do a decent job at night because of IR LEDs; faces and interior details are readable. For someone who rideshares or carries passengers, cabin footage quality is good.

2. All-Around Coverage
   Because it has four lenses, you get front, back, inside and rear. That gives more angles when incidents happen. No more blind spots like just having front & rear. Good for theft, accidents from the side, vandalism.

3. Strong Build & Power Handling
   The supercapacitor helps when the car heats up or in the sun; less concern about battery swelling. Also, hardwire kit allows continuous power so parking mode and motion detection works even when car is off. The unit handles temperature fairly well.

4. App + Voice Control is Helpful.
   App works decently for reviewing footage, changing settings. Voice commands are handy (especially when driving) to lock video or start recording without touching the camera. This helps safety.

What Could Be Better / Weaknesses

No product is perfect; here’s what I noticed less good about the Nexus 5S:

1. Hardwire Kit Issues
   Some users report the hardwire kit wires for fuse tap had defects: cracked insulation, exposed copper. That’s a concern, because installation must be safe. If you ignore, could lead to electrical issue.

2. Heat & Warm Feel
   Because it drives four cameras all the time, the unit gets warm during long drives or in strong sunlight. Not catastrophic, but warmth could affect durability or unpleasant touch. You might want to mount so airflow helps.

3. Large Data Files, Storage Needs
   With four channels of recording, video files are large. Even with high-capacity SD cards (512 GB or 1 TB), you’ll need to manage storage. Also, for long continuous parking-mode recording, you may need to loop or use a lower resolution for some cams to save space.

4. Cable Routing & Install Complexity
   Running cables for four cameras can get messy. The rear cabin and rear view cameras require long cables. Installation takes time; clean routing, hiding cables, and mounting each camera properly takes work. If you’re not handy, you may require professional installation.

5. Cost Adds Up
   Basic price is okay for what you get, but when you include hardwire kit, LTE, bigger SD card, maybe extra accessories, price rises. Some features like LTE are sold separately. So full setup is more expensive.

Who Is This Best For?

Thinking about whether it’s worth it for you, here’s who will benefit most:

• People who drive often, especially at night, or in areas where theft or vandalism is possible.

• Rideshare/taxi drivers. Cabin interior coverage plus front and rear views help a lot.

• Owners who want full 24/7 surveillance of their vehicle, even when parked.

• Tech-savvy people who don’t mind a more complex install and managing storage & cables.

If you drive occasionally, mostly in daylight, or don’t care about cabin views, some features might be overkill.

Verdict

In local terms: if your car is your mobile office or you often worry about what happens when you’re away from it, the Nexus 5S feels like a strong safeguard. It’s not cheap, and setup isn’t plug-and-play perfect, but once installed, it gives confidence. The video quality is very good both day and night, the four-camera system gives wide coverage, and the build quality is solid.

If I were you, I’d get the hardwire kit, use a large SD card (512GB or 1TB if you can afford), and be careful in installation. That way you get the best of what it offers.

Final Thoughts

Vantrue Nexus 5S is a premium dash cam solution. It’s built for people who want more than just “front camera.” It covers inside, outside, and back, with solid sensors, night vision, and constant monitoring when parked. Yes, it has some drawbacks: price, installation effort, heat, and big files, but overall, it delivers what it promises. For its price range and feature set, it’s one of the better all-channel dash cams out there as of 2025.

If I rate it out of 5, I’d give it 4.5/5 for coverage & image quality, 4/5 for setup & value, 3.5/5 for some of the weaker parts like wiring & heat.